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Home » Blog » Macarons » Macaron Recipes » Yummy Macaron Filling Ideas

October 24, 2014 by Mimi

Yummy Macaron Filling Ideas

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What Fillings are Best for Macarons?

Different types of macaron fillings include buttercreams, curds, chocolate, jam, cream cheese, jelly and more. With macaron fillings, the yummy possibilities are absolutely endless. After baking the macaron shells, you are probably excited to find a delicious macaron filling to assemble your macarons with. There are so many different combinations you can create by pairing up different textures and flavours. Here is a list of ideas for all the different flavours and fillings which you can combine together to create your own unique macaron filling.

Please note, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

What is Macaron Filling Made Of?

There are many different types of macaron fillings as mentioned above (buttercreams, curds, chocolate, jam, cream cheese, jelly). Depending on the filling, macaron fillings are usually made from sugar, eggs, chocolate, egg whites, real fruit, extracts, cream cheese and more.

What Fillings are Too Runny or Moist for Macarons?

When I started making macarons, it really bothered me that some of the macaron recipes featured fillings that were, although unique, just not viable for use as macaron fillings. They were either too moist or too soft which can be a real problem for use in macarons.

Moist wet fillings quickly eat away at macaron shells making them soggy while soft fillings easily squish out of the macaron, creating a big goopy mess. The bases below won’t be new to any seasoned baker but I wanted to discuss them in context of using them as macaron fillings. I’ll list the different type of fillings and the best ways to utilize each one.

I hope you are able to get some ideas to help you start making different macaron fillings. What are some of your favorite flavors? Did I include your favorite filling?

XOXO,
Mimi

Different Categories of Macaron Flavours

Sweet Macaron Flavor Ideas

Chocolate, gingerbread, vanilla, caramel, red velvet, neopolitan, cheesecake, nutella, tiramisu, boston creme pie, fruity pebbles, creamsicle, frosted flakes, cookies and cream, nainamo bar, cinnamon toast crunch, hot chocolate, oreo, creme brulee, kit kat, double chocolate  etc.

Savory Macaron Flavor Ideas

Fois gras, pate, white truffle, pate, ketchup, raisin, hazlenut, peanut, walnut, pistachio, salted butter caramel, carrot, rice, olive oil, smoked salmon, sesame, peanut buttery & jelly, pumpkin, fig, popcorn, pink peppercorn, maple bacon, avocado etc.

Fruity Macaron Flavor Ideas

Raspberries, strawberries, passion fruit, lavender, orange, mandarin, apricot, black current, pear, banana, lime, yuzu, coconut, green apple, guava, mango, lemon, melon, pineapple, grapefruit, cassis, peach, blueberry, lychee, rhubarb, orange, cherry, black current, green apple, pomegranate, pink lemonade, watermelon, sour cherry, kiwi, apricot etc.

Floral and Tea Macaron Flavor Ideas

Rose, lavender, bergamot, basil, jasmine, hibiscus, cherry blossom, geranium etc.

Tea and Coffee Flavor Ideas

Earl grey, espresso, coffee, matcha, chai latte, vietnamese coffee, thai iced tea etc.

Exotic Macaron Flavor Ideas

Caviar, wasabi, chilli, mint, jasmine, cherry blossom, ginger, marmite, cinnamon, taro, goats milk, rosemary, pandan, durian, tom yam, samoa, liquorice, cayenne pepper, pandan, strawberry balsamic vinegar,  etc.

Candy Macaron Flavor Ideas

Salted caramel, toffee, cotton candy, candy cane, bubble gum, marshmallow, biscoff, butterscotch, s’mores, mint, caramel apple, candy cane, snickerdoodle, rocky road, dulce de leche, raffaello, coffee crisp, snickers  etc.

Liqueur Macaron Flavour Ideas

Cognac, grenadine, champagne, rum, vodka, baileys, bourbon, amaretto, eggnog, mimosa, baileys, mocha, irish cream, brandy, campari etc.

Nut Macaron Flavors:

Hazelnut, pistachio, chestnut, pecan etc.

Combination Macaron Flavors

lemon lavender, rose lychee, basil strawberry, tamarind pineapple, pumpkin spice, peanut butter jelly, pistachio & raspberry, paprika strawberry, strawberry shortcake, vanilla cardamom, carrot & orange, coconut rose, daiquiri, peaches cream, raspberry rose, rosemary olive oil, basil strawberry, pistchio & cinnamon, raspberry & matcha, strawberry & passion fruit, mango & jasmine, lavender & jasmine, vanilla & almond, chocolate & espresso, salted caramel & apple,  pineapple & coconut, milk & honey, rosemary & lemon, pear & elderflower, strawberry balsamic, salted caramel chocolate, raspberry rose, strawberry rose, caviar marscapone, salted caramel lavender, lemon & avocado, earl grey & lemon, strawberry & vanilla, strawberry & passion fruit, chestnuts & matcha, orange campari, mint & raspberry etc.

Different Categories of Macaron Fillings Include (from strongest/least moist to softest/most moist):

  • Ganache (strongest/least moist)
  • Cream Cheese
  • Buttercream
  • Curd
  • Jelly (softest/most moist)
  • Whipped Cream – (NOT RECOMMENDED  FOR MACARONS)

Ganache

Ganache fillings are made from pouring heated cream over chopped chocolate and blending. Butter is added to give it a shiny and smooth texture.

PROS:

  • Strongest amongst the four fillings
  • Withstands heat better than all the other fillings. Perfect for travelling
  • No eggs are used so it can last longer than the other fillings.
  • Super easy to make
  • Compliments a wide variety of flavours
  • Freezes well

CONS:

  • Some find that chocolate combined with other sweet flavourings make the macaron “too sweet”
  • It’s relatively drier so harder/crispier shells take longer to mature with this filling
  • Using quality chocolates can make it more expensive than other fillings
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Scrumptious Salted Caramel Chocolate Macaron Recipe on the Radio

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Chinese New Years Mandarin Macarons with Mandarin Jasmine Ganache

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese frosting is made by mixing cream cheese and powdered sugar together along with flavoring and a little bit of milk.

PROS:

  • Dry and firm filling
  • Very easy to make
  • Tangy cheesy taste helps cut down the sweetness of macarons

CONS:

  • Natural cheesy flavour doesn’t complement many different types of flavourings
  • Some people do not like this cheesy taste
  • May not be suitable for those who are lactose intolerant
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Macarons

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Macarons

Buttercream  (four main types from strongest to weakest: American, Italian, Swiss and French)

All buttercreams consist mainly of sugar and fat (butter or shortening). The American one is the simplest one using only sugar and fat. The other three types are meringue-based buttercreams which include the use of eggs.

• American Buttercream • 

American buttercream is made from beating butter and icing sugar together optionally along with salt, extract and a bit of milk.  It’s not considered a true buttercream because it uses powdered sugar. There is a small amount of cornstarch in powdered sugar, which prevents the proteins in the eggs from forming tiny air bubbles that hold the moisture in place. Simply put, the meringue will not form properly if powdered sugar is used.

PROS:

  • Strongest of all the Buttercreams
  • Withstands heat better than all the other meringue-based buttercream fillings.
  • Does not contain eggs so it can last longer than the other buttercream fillings.
  • Does not contain eggs. Safer for pregnant women and children

CONS:

  • Super sweet. Coupled with a sweet macaron shell, some might find it overwhelming.
  • Some find American Buttercream bad tasting in general. (“grocery store” baked goods taste)

• Italian Buttercream • 

Italian Buttercream is made from fat, sugar and eggs. Granulated sugar is heated with water to produce a syrup that is poured into egg whites that are beaten simultaneously.  Butter is then whipped into it.

PROS:

  • Second strongest amongst the four buttercreams
  • Use of only egg whites allows for it to be snowy white and can be coloured nicely

CONS:

  • Texture is not as smooth as Swiss buttercream
  • Heating the sugar while beating egg whites can be tricky
  • Some find this buttercream too “buttery”

• Swiss Buttercream •

Swiss Buttercream is made from fat, sugar and egg whites. Granulated sugar and egg whites are beaten in a bowl over hot water, butter is then whipped into it.

PROS:

  • Super smooth silky texture
  • Easier to make than the Italian buttercream

CONS:

  • Not as strong as the Italian buttercream
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• French Buttercream •

French Buttercream is made similarly to the Italian method except egg yolks are used instead of egg whites. Sugar and water is heated to create a syrup that is poured into egg yolks that are beaten simultaneously.

PROS:

  • Amazing taste, like whipped custard and less buttery
  • Helps use up egg yolks that are left over from the macaron making process

CONS:

  • Fastest to melt due to high fat content, can be a goopy mess on hotter days
  • Uses a lot more butter than the other buttercreams, may be too “fattening” for some
  • Use of egg yolks makes this cream yellowy and harder to color
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Savoury Macarons – Rose Cream & Duck Apricot Pâté

Curd 

PROS:

  • Very yummy buttery, eggy taste
  • Tangy fruit curds helps cut down the sweetness of macarons

CONS:

  • Too soft to use by itself. It is usually added as a dallop in the center with a stronger filling piped on the outside to support it.
  • Can be moist so it may start eating away at the shell sooner than the other fillings.
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Matcha Green Tea Macarons with Strawberry Buttercream - Naturally Coloured and Flavoured

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GIVEAWAY & Strawberry Basil Macarons made with Real Strawberries (Template)

GIVEAWAY & Strawberry Basil Macarons made with Real Strawberries (Template)

Dainty Lavender Lemon Macarons

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Jelly

PROS:

  • Very refreshing texture and can act to “cut down” the sweetness.

CONS:

  • Too soft to use by itself. It is usually added as a dallop in the center with a stronger filling piped on the outside to support it.
  • Can be very moist so it may start eating away at the shell sooner than the other fillings.

Whipped Cream

CONS:

Whipped cream is not recommended as a filling for macarons. It is very  high in moisture and will eat away at the macaron shells in a very short amount of time. It’s essentially what you see in the box – liquid. Light and airy, great for cakes but not sturdy for use as a macaron gilling.

What is the Best Macaron Filling to Use at Room Temperature or Travelling?

It is important for the filling inside of the macaron to remain stable so that it doesn’t become difficult to handle when it starts getting soft. Fillings that contain white chocolate as a base are especially good at remaining stable at room temperature or in humid environments so macarons with this filling is well suited for use on a sweets table or for travel.

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What is the Best Macaron Filling for Freezing?

The best filling to use for macarons that will be frozen are ones that are low in moisture and doesn’t separate easily when defrosted, these are usually chocolate and meringue buttercream. Depending on how it was made, curds, jams and especially jellies don’t do particularly well once frozen and defrosted. I do have one low-moisture lemon curd macaron recipe which freezes beautifully. Please take a look at it if you are interested in using a curd that needs to be frozen.

Which Macaron Fillings are Not Too Sweet?

Sugar is one of the main ingredients in a macaron shell so it may be a little bit too sweet for some people when it is paired with a sweet filling as well. One great way to reduce the sweet taste is to choose a macaron filling that is more tart. This will cut down on the perception of the sweet taste (ex. citrus flavours like lemon or yuzu). Another way is to use contrasting tastes like bitter or salty. For example, the slightly bitter taste of matcha macaron shells is a heavenly pairing with white chocolate while duck pate compliments the sweetness of a macaron shell. Alternatively, a little bit of salt can be added to most macaron fillings to help balance out the sweetness. Lastly, try to avoid using American buttercream (made with butter and powdered sugar) in macaron shells. This filling is much too sweet to be used in combination with a macaron shell.

Best Tools for Filling Macarons

  • Good quality piping bags like these ones are my favorite. Macaron batter is relatively easy to pipe with any bag but fillings are firmer and are best piped in a sturdy bag to prevent leakage and even explosions of macaron filling onto your finished macaron shells.
  • Piping tips in a variety of sizes. Round 1A is good for piping regular sized rounds. Round 10 is a bit smaller and it’s good for piping the outer ring when creating a dam for a softer filling to be piped in the center.
  • Couplers are very useful for changing the piping tip while still using the same piping bag midway during piping. This will help cut down on piping bags.
  • To keep the piping bags securely sealed while piping there are these piping bag twist ties.
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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    July 6, 2020 at 10:43 pm

    Hi! I’d like to make mint chocolate chip macarons and I love your basic French recipe so much! I was wondering if I could just add a bit of peppermint extract and the mint green food coloring to it, if that would work? How much extract would you suggest? Or would adding extract to macaron batter ruin its structure? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      July 27, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      Hi Sarah,
      I prefer to flavour the filling instead, to reduce any problems caused to the shells. Here is a peppermint chocolate macaron filling that is very flavourful.

      XoXo, Mimi

      Reply
  2. Venez says

    March 21, 2020 at 5:48 am

    Hi Mimi I try baking blue colored macarons but it always turned out green instead. Any advice to remedy? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      March 22, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      Hi Venez,
      Almonds are yellow so you’ll need to counteract that by adding a bit of another color to adjust that, depending on your shade of blue. I find a tinge of dark purple (or dark red if you don’t have purple) will bring the batter back to a truer blue. XOXO, Mimi

      Reply
  3. Susan says

    February 24, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    Truly enjoyed the info!!! My question is why do my gel colors fade out while baking??? Suggestions please and thank you so much!
    Susan
    Instagram- bonmacarons_
    cyd777@aol.com

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      March 9, 2020 at 8:25 pm

      Some brands are not as stable as others. I recommend Americolor gel colours. XOXO, Mimi

      Reply
  4. Jennie says

    February 23, 2020 at 8:26 am

    Can I usr aglaise buttercream, which mix custard mixture and butter?

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      March 9, 2020 at 8:38 pm

      I think this filling is a bit too soft to use alone and may be contain too much moisture. XOXO, Mimi

      Reply
  5. Willa says

    January 7, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    You mentioned how you don’t like using whipped cream. What about a stabilized whipped cream with gelatin, or a diplomat cream which is half whipped cream half pastry cream. Would those be better options?

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      January 9, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      Hi Willa,
      That’s a good question. Stabilized whipped cream is very strong for use in cakes. It’s technically strong for macarons too, however, it contains too much moisture and will eat away the shells too quickly. Diplomat cream is a bit too soft for use as a filling.
      XOXO,
      Mimi

      Reply
  6. Jess says

    December 25, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    Hi, I was wondering if you had any advice on bases for savory macarons. If I were to do a smoked salmon or popcorn filling for example, I wouldn’t want to mix salmon into a chocolate ganache, or make a popcorn syrup into a buttercream. To maintain the savory/salty aspect, what’s a properly textured base filling idea? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      January 6, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      I think smoked salmon would pair nicely with a cream cheese filling like the one in this recipe: cheesecake spice macarons. As for the popcorn flavour, I think using white chocolate as a base will be sturdy enough to be mixed with a syrup. However, you should look into how to add the syrup without seizing the chocolate. XOXO, Mimi

      Reply
  7. Madelane says

    October 6, 2019 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks, I am going to try this, I’ll let you know. This makes me excited!

    Reply
  8. Khairul says

    September 17, 2019 at 6:31 am

    Very helpful..!! Tq for sharing this..! Usually im using ganache for my macaron.. i actually scared to try other filling idea.. with your explaination.. im sure will be more confident to do diffrent more verity.

    Reply
  9. Fion says

    June 10, 2019 at 8:29 am

    Hey Mimi,can I put the filling in the fridge first before filling it

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      July 1, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      Yes, you can and some of the fillings actually pipe better after chilling. For ganache, I would pipe it immediately as it needs to be piped at room temperature. XOXO, Mimi

      Reply
  10. Magwen Davis says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:53 am

    Hi! I’ve been given some rhubarb and would love ti use it as a filling in my macaroons – could you advice me on how to go about it please? I’ve thought of making a jam but it will be too runny 🙂
    Diolch

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      May 2, 2019 at 2:37 pm

      Hi Magwen,
      You might want to reduce it to a compote and then add it to a buttercream. Similar to this strawberry macaron recipe
      XOXO,
      Mimi

      Reply
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