White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons have a classic french macaron shell that is filled with a decadent white chocolate raspberry ganache and then topped with a dollop of white chocolate and dusted with freeze-dried raspberries.
Macarons are one of my favorite things to make, but they are definitely tricky. They have a mind of their own and one wrong step in the recipe can totally change the end result. BUT they are also so fun to make, a major win when you get them right, and delicious no matter how they end up looking.
That being said, it is so possible to master macarons. I compiled a Step-by-Step Macaron post with all of my best tips and tricks for making the best macarons possible. It has all of the steps and tools that I use every time I make macarons and I can promise you it will get you closer to being a macaron master!
Ingredients for White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons:
Ingredients for french macaron shell:
- Almond Flour. Be sure that you are using almond flour and not almond meal.
- Powdered Sugar. This will aid in the flavor and structure of the finished macarons.
- Egg Whites. Having your egg whites at room temperature will make it easier to whip them.
- Granulated Sugar. Sugar will give structure to the beaten egg whites.
Ingredients for white chocolate raspberry gancahe:
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream is necessary for it to be thick enough, don’t use half and half.
- White Chocolate Chips. Melting these with heavy cream will create a thick ganache.
- Freeze-Dried Raspberries- These will give us the raspberry flavor without adding any extra moisture as fresh raspberries would.
Macaron Tips
- If possible, make your macarons on a less humid day. You will need to rest the macarons for longer and they might not turn out as well on a humid day.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. You only need to macaronage until you can make a figure 8 with the batter. If you over-mix the macarons will spread too much.
- Wipe the bowl down with vinegar before adding the egg whites to whip. Even a speck of leftover dish soap or fat (egg yolk, butter, etc.) will inhibit the egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Let the macarons rest before eating. Macarons are best when they have matured for 12 or so hours. So after you fill the macarons, let them rest overnight for the best flavor.
Chocolate Ganache
I have quite a few recipes that use chocolate ganache. First of all, because it is truly delicious. You can take a plain old recipe, add chocolate ganache and it take it to a whole new level. It can be a real game changer. Second, it is so stinking easy to make.
Chocolate Ganache is made with equal parts (by weight, not by measurement) heavy cream and chocolate. The two are melted together for a perfectly smooth and creamy chocolate ganache. If you want a thicker ganache you can add more chocolate. If you want a thinner ganache you can add more heavy cream.
For the ganache that we will be making for these macarons we will use a higher amount of chocolate than heavy cream. White chocolate tends to be thinner than regular chocolate, so we need to use more white chocolate in order to get firm ganache.
How to make White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache:
STEP 1: In a small saucepan heat the heavy cream over low heat until lightly boiling.
STEP 2: Remove the pan from heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for five minutes.
STEP 3: In the bowl of a food processor pulse the freeze dried raspberries until they are finely ground. Add the ground raspberries to the chocolate mixture.
STEP 4: Next, use a whisk to slowly stir the mixture together until everything is melted and fully incorporated. Stir from the center in one direction. You want to be sure not to add too much air to the ganache, so mix slowly.
STEP 5: Transfer the ganache to a small bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and allow to cool thoroughly and thicken up.
How to make 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.
STEP 2: In a food processor add the powdered sugar and almond flour and pulse until fully combined and rid of lumps. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor you can just sift the ingredients together.
STEP 3: In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. Beat the egg whites on low speed until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. 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. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe 1-inch disks onto the prepared cookie sheet.
STEP 5: 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 6: Let the 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.
STEP 7: 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.
STEP 8: 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.
STEP 9: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. They should peel off of the mat easily.
STEP 10: When the macarons are cooled peel them off of the mat and match each shell to another that is the same size.
How to Assemble White Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Macarons:
STEP 1: Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe your desired amount of ganache onto the inside of one macaron shell. Sandwich the matching macaron shell on top.
STEP 2: Melt the remaining white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. The melted chocolate should be smooth.
STEP 3: Add a dollop of the melted chocolate to the top of each french macaron. You can do however much you desire.
STEP 4: Sprinkle the remaining ground raspberries over the top of each macaron. I like to use a sifter to do this so it is more even.
Can I make french macarons ahead of time?
For sure! I make macarons ahead of time pretty often and they always still taste amazing. If I am making macarons more than a day before I want to serve them I freeze them. They will freeze well for about two weeks. Just pull them out of the freezer about an hour before you are ready to serve them and these white chocolate raspberry macarons will thaw out perfectly.
More Macaron Recipes
- Fluffer Nutter Macarons- A classic french macaron shell filled with a mixture of creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Macarons- The macaron shells are poppy seed french macarons and the filling is a light and bright whipped lemon curd.
- Margarita Macarons- Lime macaron shells filled with a tequila buttercream.
- Mango Macarons- French macaron shells filled with mango buttercream and a fresh mango puree.
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Recipe
White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons
Ingredients
For Shells:
- 1 ⅔ cup (200 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour
- 3 large (100 grams) egg whites
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
For Filling:
- ¼ cup (56 grams) heavy cream
- ½ cup (85 grams) white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries
For Topping:
- ¼ cup (42 grams) white chocolate
- ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries
Instructions
For Shells:
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat (my favorite baking sheet for macarons and favorite silicone mats for macarons). I highly recommend a silicone mat of some kind, but if you don’t have one then you can also use parchment paper.
- In a food processor add the powdered sugar and almond flour and pulse until fully combined and rid of lumps. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor you can just sift the ingredients together.
- In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. You can use a stand mixer for this, but I prefer a hand mixer 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.
- 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 spread out too much.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (this is my favorite for macarons). Pipe 1-inch disks onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- 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.
- Let the 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Peel each macaron shell off of the mat and match each shell to another that is the same size.
For Filling:
- In a small saucepan heat the heavy cream over low heat until lightly boiling.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for five minutes.
- In the bowl of a food processor pulse the freeze dried raspberries until they are finely ground. Add the ground raspberries to the chocolate mixture.
- Next, use a whisk to slowly stir the mixture together until everything is melted and fully incorporated. Stir from the center in one direction. You want to be sure not to add too much air to the ganache, so mix slowly.
- Transfer the ganache to a small bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and allow to cool thoroughly and thicken up.
For Assembly:
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Pipe your desired amount of ganache onto the inside of one macaron shell. Sandwich the matching macaron shell on top.
- Melt the remaining white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add a dollop of the melted chocolate to the top of each french macaron.
- Sprinkle the remaining ground raspberries over the top of each macaron. I like to use a sifter to do this so it is more even.
Scarlett says
Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe but have you ever put the ground raspberries on the shell before cooking so it holds on better? Does it affect the the taste?
Ellie Haley says
Do you mean fresh raspberries? I wouldn't recommend this. It would be too much moisture on the macaron shells