• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Indulge With Mimi

  • ♥ Home
    • Conversion Charts
    • Privacy
  • ♥ Macarons
    • Best French Macaron Recipe
    • Macaron Troubleshooting Guide
    • Macaron Tutorial Video
    • Macaron Art
    • Macaron Baking How To's
    • Macaron Recipes
    • Macaron Templates
    • Subscriber's Only Area
    • Macaron Knowledge & Books
    • Mimi's Macaron Friends
    • Reader's Questions
  • ♥ Sweets
  • ♥ Recipes
  • ♥ Life
    • Afternoon Tea
    • Travel
    • Party Ideas, Home Decor, Design
    • Easy Meal Recipes
    • Social
    • Fertility, Pregnancy, Family
  • ♥ SHOP
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Macarons
    • Best Macaron Recipe
    • Macaron Troubleshooting
    • Macaron Techniques
    • Macaron Recipes
    • Macaron Art
    • Macaron Knowledge
    • Subscriber Area
  • Sweets
    • Fluffy Cake Rolls
    • Cakes
    • Frosting
    • No-Bake Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Macarons

    Freezing Macarons and Making them in Advance

    Published: May 14, 2019 · Modified: Mar 5, 2021 by Mimi · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Making macarons in advance for a special event or special order can save time and eliminate stress. Learn the different ways to prepare macarons ahead of time.

    shallow freezer boxes for macarons.

    Can I Make Macarons Ahead of Time?

    Yes! You can definitely freeze macarons and making them in advance. This is a very valid question because macarons can be so finicky that it's safer to make them ahead of time for a special event, saving time and lowering anxiety. This is especially important if you are making macarons in your home baking business. READ: How to Price Homemade Macarons. Although many home bakers would agree that it's probably easier to prepare a cake for a special event, macarons have their own special advantage too. They don't need to be made on the same day as they are served.

    Macarons can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen in advance of an event without compromising its freshness or quality. In fact, many of the big names in the industry freeze macarons and transport them around the world for sale at a later date. For the home baker, freezing macarons in advance can provide more time to focus on other aspects of party planning and a sense of peace knowing that the macarons are all prepped and ready to go. 

    Tip: almond flour can be made by grinding blanched almonds together with the powdered sugar in the recipe. See paragraph below on how. Even when using ready-made almond flour, it can be ground to a finer texture (than what is shown in the photo above) for a smoother macaron shell.

    How to Refrigerate Macarons in the Fridge or Freeze in the Freezer

    There are several different ways to make and store macarons in advance:

    1. Refrigerate the fully assembled macaron: Fully assembled macarons usually stay fresh 2-4 days after it's made depending on the moisture level in the filling. Decorate and serve before this date is up. 
    2. Refrigerate the shells only: Macaron shells usually stay fresh 4-6 days after it's made. Decorate, assemble and serve before this date is up. After filling, it can stay fresh for a further 2-4 days depending on the filling. 
    3. Freeze the fully assembled macaron: After filling the macaron, let it mature for 12-24 hours (depending on the filling) and then freeze. This method is great for macarons with fillings that can be successfully thawed without releasing too much moisture. Stack them in an air-tight container to prevent breakage. On the day before serving, thaw macarons a few hours in advance. Allow extra time to decorate macarons if needed. From this point on, they will stay fresh for a further 2-4 days depending on the filling. 
    4. Freeze the shells only: After baking and cooling off, the shells can be frozen in an air-tight container. This method is great for macarons that need to be assembled on the same day they are served (e.g. macaron cakes etc.) or for macarons with fillings that don't freeze well (e.g.jellies). Stack them in an air-tight container to prevent breakage. On the day of assembly, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge a few hours in advance. Once thawed, they can be assembled and decorated as usual. From this point on, they will stay fresh for a further 2-4 days depending on the filling.

    How Long Can Macarons Stay Frozen in the Freezer?

    Macaron shells can stay frozen for up to one month without affecting the freshness or quality. The quality starts to decline a bit after that with reduction in flavor intensity, slight changes in flavor profile and freezer burn etc.  The one month mark is a good place to start for a best before date and some sources vouch for storing macarons in the freezer for up to 3 months. For fully assembled macarons, the length of time will fall within these parameters depending on the filling that is used. How the macaron is stored will also affect its longevity. 

    Which Containers to Use for Freezing Macarons?

    Macarons stay nice and fresh in the fridge or in the freezer when stored in air-tight containers. They can usually be stacked one on top of another in the container. If the bottom of your macarons are a bit gummy or sticky, I recommend placing a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper in between each layer. Better yet, I recommend putting one single layer by itself in a shallow BPA-free tupperware container. These containers are usually made for storing pasta sheets or sandwiches. And because they are shallow, they are also great for storing decorated macarons face up without compromising the design. I purchased mine from a Japanese home goods store but I was able to find comparable ones here, I like that these are even bigger at 12X8.5 so it can fit even more macarons.

    A stack of opaque shallow plastic containers for storing and freezing macarons.
    Shallow tupperware containers usually made for pasta sheets and sandwiches are good for storing macarons.

    Taking Macarons Out of the Freezer

    Once the macarons are ready to be assembled, decorated or served, take them out of the freezer and place them in the fridge to thaw for a few hours. (My readers mentioned in the comments below to keep them in the original container.) Once they are completely thawed, they will last 2-4 days more depending on the filling used. (This is assuming that they were frozen immediately after baking/cooling or assembly.)

    Decorate Macarons Before or After Freezing?

    Most decorations that have been applied onto a macaron can be frozen and thawed with no problems. When in doubt, always test run one decorated macaron by freezing and thawing it and see how it holds up. Below are some decorations and how they hold up after freezing:

    - Edible marker: good, try to keep them face up in shallow containers, one level per tray as they do get smudged when rubbed. 
    - Buttercream flowers: good
    - Sprinkles baked in or glued on with edible glue: good
    - Royal icing decorations: fair - icing might run after thawing if the consistency is runny. If this happens, it can usually be cleaned off with a wet paper tower if the color is light enough. Avoid using black royal icing to decorate macarons if the consistency is too runny.
    - Fondant glued on with edible glue: good
    - Shimmer powder brushed onto macaron: good
    - Sugar flowers: good

    [pt_view id="5e3969cf64"]

    Which Macaron Fillings Freeze Well in the Freezer?

    Basic Chocolate ganache and buttercream are the best fillings to use when freezing macarons. They both thaw very well without adding moisture back into the macaron shell when taken out of the freezer. These fillings can be used to fully assemble a macaron for freezing.

    Jelly, jams and curds should be used with caution. Jelly and jams tend to release moisture back into the shells when thawed while curds might start to separate. If you'd like to make a lemon curd for freezing, try this macaron-friendly lemon curd recipe which can be frozen. If using jelly, jams and curds in advance, try the method of baking and freezing the shells ahead of time. Jelly and jams are best served on the day of serving so thaw the macaron shells a few hours on the day of, assemble and then allow a few hours for maturation. Curds should be matured for 12-24 hours in advance so thaw the shells a few hours before assembly and then let it mature.

    Whipped cream should never be used for macarons with or without freezing because it's too high in moisture content. If you want to know more about the different types of macaron fillings, here's a guide on yummy macaron fillings.

    [pt_view id="9c1c354a2v"]
    « GIVEAWAY Chinese New Years Afternoon Tea at Audrey Moment
    Carnival Afternoon Tea at Trump Hotel Vancouver »
    1.1K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lianne says

      February 21, 2024 at 12:22 pm

      Hi! I am planning on baking filling and decorating with 24k edible gold leaf and then freezing. Will the gold leaf freeze and thaw ok? Thanks in advance for your help!!

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        February 21, 2024 at 9:51 pm

        Good leaf is very delicate and sticks and attracts to plastics easily. It's so expensive, I would not like any of it to come off prematurely. I would add the gold before serving.
        Xoxo, Mimi

        Reply
    2. GAIL ann DINKEL says

      July 12, 2023 at 4:44 am

      i froze filled macarons for 5 mo's with buttercream and strawberry jam turn out they wear fine !

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        July 31, 2023 at 11:13 am

        So great of you to share your experience with us! I'm sure some readers will find this info useful. Happy baking!
        Xoxo, Mimi

        Reply
    3. joyce says

      February 25, 2023 at 7:05 am

      Hi Mimi,
      I'm planning on freezing filled macarons and wanted to know if its ok to freeze them after I spatter paint shells?
      Thanks
      Joy

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        March 20, 2023 at 10:18 am

        freezing and unfreezing might cause the splatter paint to bleed so I don't recommend it. It's better to splatter the shells the day of serving.
        XOXO, Mimi

        Reply
    4. Melissa says

      September 02, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      Should you freeze just the shells separately on a cookie sheet and then transfer them into an airtight container ?

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        September 09, 2022 at 5:04 pm

        Yes, you can freeze the shells separately, just let them cool down and then place inside an airtight container for freezing.
        XOXO,
        Mimi

        Reply
    5. Midori says

      February 15, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      Hi! I'm planning to bake and freeze a bunch of shells in batches over the next couple weeks. Then I'll spend 1 day making and piping buttercream filling, and then sell them the following day. After I pipe the filling, do you think I should place the full macarons in the fridge, or back into the freezer overnight? I know it's not good to re-freeze certain foods, but not sure about macarons. Maybe I should just make all the buttercream the day before, but then not actually pipe the fillings until the morning of selling?

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        February 16, 2022 at 4:16 pm

        After piping, the macarons will need time to mature so even if you do want to freeze them again, you'll need to let it mature fully and then freeze. It's totally okay to freeze and unfreeze only macaron shells multiple times. It may not be the case after filling. Some fillings may not be as good after being frozen and unfrozen again. Xoxo, Mimi

        Reply
    6. Theresa says

      June 26, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      Hi Mimi!
      I've frozen a bunch of my shells a couple different times I've let them thaw completely to room temp, the tops always crack and crumble biting into them and fall apart they were perfect before going in I don't understand what I'm doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Mimi says

        July 05, 2021 at 5:19 pm

        Hi Theresa,
        Unfortunately, it sounds like the macarons are hollow. If there is a large air pocket in the shells, they won't be able to withstand freezing and thawing quite as well. I'm not sure if you checked if your macarons are hollow before going in the freezer but from what you've described, it appears to be from what I'm reading in your note.
        XOXO,
        Mimi

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mimi Macarons Head Shot

    Writer and photographer behind IndulgeWithMimi ♥ Join me for posts about Vancouver life, style, baking and my obsession: #MacaronArt ♥

    More about me →

    Father's Day Desserts

    • Side view of a mango cake roll revealing the fresh cream swirl and fresh mango chunks inside.
      Mango Cake Roll with Fresh Cream
    • Close up of 2 slices of chocolate cake roll on a plate with some slices in the back.
      Super Fluffy and Soft Japanese Chocolate Cake Roll
    • Tender cream cheese pound cake slices on a long plate.
      Tender Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake
    • Close up of coffee jello in crystal glasses topped with whipped cream and cherries.
      Coffee Jello - No Bake Japanese Dessert

    MOST HELPFUL MACARON POSTS

    • Close up of two non-hollow macarons assembled with fillings.
      The Best French Macaron Recipe w/ Video & Template
    • Yummy Macaron Filling Ideas
    • Macarons with various problems like cracks, hollow, lopsided problems are shown.
      Macaron Troubleshooting Guide
    • Mandarin orange macarons on a plate.
      Correctly Using Your Home Oven for Baking Macarons

    MACARON TEMPLATES

    • A half birthday cake made from whipped cream and fresh strawberries topped with a cake topper that says "half".
      A Strawberries and Cream Half Birthday Cake for Bibi's 6-Month Birthday (Cake Topper Template)
    • How to Make a Cute Macaron Box for Your Character Macarons (Template)
    • Horse Carousel Macaron Cake (w/ Template)
    • Pink Bear Bridal Macarons Favors with Royal Sugar Roses (Bear Template)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Info

    • about
    • contact
    • Privacy 

    recipe index

    • All Recipes
    • Macaron Recipes
    • Macaron Baking How To’s
    • Macaron Knowledge & Books
    • Cakes

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe for Templates
    • Subscriber's Login

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Indulge With Mimi