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.
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.
How to Refrigerate Macarons in the Fridge or Freeze in the Freezer
There are several different ways to make and store macarons in advance:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
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.
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Jessica says
Hi Mimi! Could you refrigerate the shells, fill them within the next 1-2 days then freeze them assembled?
Mimi says
Yes, you can but do keep track of how many days they have already been in the fridge for. Some of the freshness will be lost the longer they stay in the fridge which is not as cold as the freezer and won't stop the shells from degrading. XOXO, Mimi
Amerriman says
Hi, can you freeze shells for a couple days, take out and assemble, and refreeze fully assembled macarons? I have the shells made and I need to assemble so they can mature but then can I refreeze them? To keep longer?
Or should I not take them out and refreeze? Also wondering about a dipped macaron. Will the dipped chocolate part do fine in the freezer?
Mimi says
Yes you can freeze previously frozen macaron shells that are now reassembled. Just make sure you practice proper food safety and keep track of how long that they have been at room temperature/or inside fridge for.
XOXO, Mimi
Johnnie Lanier says
What an awesome post! My husband and I are just getting into making these and have finally landed on a recipe that is working for us. I have a ton in my freezer that I want to send out to various family members and I’m so nervous about pulling them out and see what happens. Thank you so much for all of your tips along this entire process. Especially this post. Your photos are beautiful, your recipes amazing and your information has been truly helpful.Have a great day.
Mimi says
Thank you for coming by and leaving me such wonderful feedback. I hope you have many more successes baking macarons. XOXO, Mimi
Kirsten Cooper says
Hey Mimi!
I keep about 200-300 macs on hand and need a better containers to store them in. Where can I find the containers you have in the picture above? Thanks!
Mimi says
Hi Kirsten,
These were purchased in Daiso... I'm not quite sure if you have them in your part of the world but they are just slim boxes that can be found in specialty container stores which are usually used for storing flat pasta. Alternatively, regular ol sandwich boxes would work too! 🙂
XOXO,
Mimi
Kiks says
Can i storage the shells in an air tight container for 3 days without putting into tje fridge ? .. Im gonna bake the macarons tomorrow Wednesday and serve. Them saturday?
Mimi says
I will follow step 1 and 2 above which requires refrigeration. I don't recommend putting them at room temperature for long periods for food safety reasons. They also start to get soft and degrade.
XOXO,
Mimi
Charlotte says
Hi! Will I have to leave the macaron shells in the container I froze them in while defrosting, or can I take them out of the container and thaw them on a wire rack on the counter to speed up the process? Xx
Mimi says
You can definitely take them out and place them on a wire rack to defrost. Just watch out that they aren't sticking to the container. XOXO, Mimi
Diane says
Hi, bought macaroons from Costco best by Jan., 2020. Can they stay the fridge until Xmas, thank you
Mimi says
I'm not quite sure what kind of preservatives they use. Every company has a different way of preserving theirs. I've even seen macarons sold at stores like Winners, they are on the shelf at room temperature and don't expire for months (GASP!) What you're describing seems reasonable. Xmas is before Jan 2020 🙂
XOXO, Mimi
Melody says
Can I decorate a filled shell with candy coating and freeze? Or will it ruin when thawed.
Mimi says
Hi Melody,
I haven't used candy coating to decorate before so I am not sure. When you say candy coating do you mean the candy melts you use for cake pops? I have made cake pops and frozen/thawed them successfully before so I think it should be okay if you used them for macarons. You can always test one overnight to be sure.
XOXO,
Mimi
Neha says
Will macarons with cream cheese frosting filling freeze well?
Mimi says
Yes, most cream cheese frosting can freeze with no problems. I have frozen my version of cheesecake macarons and it worked well. Here is the recipe. XOXO, Mimi
Stacey says
Hi Mimi,
Thank you so much for sharing! My macarons are chewy and I don’t know what could’ve caused that. Please advise. Thanks!
Maijj says
Hi Mimi
How many days can I keep the macarons shells without filling if I put them in an air-tigth container ?
Thanks slot for all the great tips.
Mimi says
It's underneath the section: "How to Refrigerate Macarons in the Fridge or Freeze in the Freezer"
XOXO, Mimi
Sarah Packer says
My sister has her birthday party coming up and I'm in charge of food, so I wanted ideas and storage tips! I didn't know macaron shells can stay fresh for 4-6 days after they're made, so you can easily assemble and serve them later. I'll have to keep that in mind and I'll look for a bakery that can assemble and serve tasty pastries and desserts for my sister's party, thanks to this post!
Mimi says
Aww! Thank you so much for leaving a note for me. I hope it worked out well for the party! XOXO, Mimi
Anh says
I've made macarons numerous times with inconsistency results. Most of the time, the shells are hollow. Could it be because of the high altitude? I live in Colorado at 5500 ft. In regards to freezing filled macarons, what are your thoughts on cream cheese or mascarpone fillings? Thanks so much for all the great tips!
Mimi says
Hi Anh, I'm not quite sure if it's the altitude but I have heard that my recipe has been made successfully at high altitudes before from other readers. As for the filling, cream cheese fillings can usually withstand the freezing process very well. I have a recipe here that you might want to try. Pumpkin cheesecake frosting (just omit the pumpkin part). I have frozen and thawed it without any problems. As for the mascarpone, depending on how you have made it, it might not freeze and thaw as readily. Mascarpone can separate when thawed so if you really need to make this in advance, you might want to try making the filling, freeze it, re-whip it and then fill it and then mature it when you're ready to serve the macarons.
Mary-Ellen says
Hi Mimi
For the most part I’ve had good luck freezing filled macarons, but I'm finding a good number of them shatter on one side. There is no pattern to it, some shatter and some stay whole. I’m very careful handling the container, so that’s not it. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know how to paste a pic or I’d send you one.
Mimi says
Hi Mary-Ellen, perhaps you macaron shells are hollow, making them easy to shatter. Are you protecting them in air tight containers?
Rowena Walker says
What brand are the freezer containers in the picture?
Mimi says
They were from Daiso
XOXO,
Mimi