Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Macarons
It’s pretty obvious that I am a french macaron lover but, you guys, I think Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Macarons really take the cake. They are flavored with homemade pumpkin spice (recipe here) but you can also use store-bought! The macarons are filled with a simple cream cheese icing. They aren’t overly sweet or too pumpkin spice-y. The flavors are perfectly balanced and play together so well!
If you’ve never made french macarons before or you’re struggling to get them right I highly recommend checking out my in-depth French Macaron post. You will get step-by-step instructions with pictures and all of my best tips and tricks for making the perfect macarons!
What ingredients do I need for Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Macarons?
What ingredients do I need?
- Powdered sugar
- Almond flour
- Pumpkin spice
- Egg whites
- Granulated Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
Ready to get started?
French Macarons
Step 1: Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat. I highly recommend a silicone mat of some kind, but if you don’t have one then you can also use parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar, almond flour, and pumpkin spice until fully combined and rid of lumps. Don’t do this for too long or you will make almond butter. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor you can sift the ingredients together.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. You can use a stand mixer for this, but I prefer a hand mixer or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment for a batch this small. Beat the egg whites on low speed until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. If you add the sugar too fast you will deflate the meringue. Beat until stiff peaks form. This is when you pull the beater out and the meringue stands up with a slight curve. It should not fall or jiggle too much if you move the beater. If you want to add food coloring, do it now, but add it sparingly or you will make the meringue too liquidy.
Step 4: Add the french meringue into the dry ingredients and begin to gently fold with a silicone spatula. This process is called macaronage. You will know the batter is ready when the ingredients are fully combined and not streaky. You should be able to hold the spatula above the bowl and draw a figure 8 smoothly without the batter breaking off. A good way to test if the batter is ready is to place a very small amount in your piping bag and pipe it onto your mat. If the batter is stiff and does not spread at all, then it is not ready. If the batter immediately runs out, then you have over folded. The batter should spread slightly and the tops should even out (there shouldn’t be any little tips sticking out), but it should not be runny.
Step 5: Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe 1-inch disks onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Step 6: Firmly tap the cookie sheet onto the counter 3 or 4 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
Step 7: Let the pumpkin spice macarons rest for an hour. There needs to be a dry layer on the top. You should be able to run your finger over the top without any transferring to your finger. If it is really humid outside this process will likely take longer.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 280 degrees (F). This is the temperature that I have found works well for my oven, but you may need to play around with the temperature to find what works best for your oven.
Step 9: Place the macarons on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet, bake for another 5 minutes and rotate the cookie sheet again, bake for 5 minutes. 15 minutes in total. The macarons should not have any color to them, and they should peel off of the mat easily.
Step 10: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
Step 1: In a medium bowl combine the room temperature cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer to beat until fully combined and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the vanilla and half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined.
Step 3: Add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat for about 3 minutes or until the icing is fluffy.
Assembly
Step 1: Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. I use this bag and this tip
Step 2: Pipe your desired amount of icing onto the inside of one macaron shell.
Step 3: Sandwich another macaron shell on top and enjoy!
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Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Macarons
Ingredients
For Shells:
- 1 2/3 cup (200 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 3 large (100 grams) egg whites
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
For Icing:
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
For Shells:
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or you can use parchment paper if you don't have one.
- Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar, almond flour, and pumpkin spice until fully combined and rid of lumps. Sift the combined dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you do not have a food processor you can just sift.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. Beat the egg whites on low speed with a hand mixer until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. If you want to add any food coloring, do it now, but use it sparingly or you will make the meringue too liquidy.
- Add the french meringue into the dry ingredients and begin to gently fold. The batter should be fully combined and not streaky. When you are able to make a figure 8 with the batter in one motion, the batter is ready. If it is too runny it has been over-mixed.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe 1-inch disks on to the silicone mat.
- Tap the cookie sheet on the countertop 3 or 4 times to get rid of any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
- Allow the macarons to rest for an hour or until the tops of the macarons have dried. You will be able to gently run your finger over them without anything getting on your finger.
- Preheat the oven to 280 degrees (F).
- Place the macarons on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet and bake for another 5 minutes, rotate the pan one last time and bake for 3-5 minutes. 13-15 minutes in total.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
- If the macarons were baked correctly they should easily peel off of the silicone mat.
For Icing:
- In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer to beat until fully combined and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and half of the powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined.
- Add the rest of the powedered sugar and beat for about 3 minutes or until the icing is light and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip.
- Pipe your desired amount of icing onto the inside of one macaron shell.
- Sandwich another macaron shell on top.
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