Oreo Macarons (French Macarons)

Turn your favorite store-bought classics into something even more decadent with these delicate Oreo macarons.

It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve made macarons.

They used to work out so well for me, and then all of a sudden they didn’t. It was incredibly frustrating. Three failed batches in a row and I decided I needed a break.

Apparently, it was an 11 month break (I had no idea it was that long). At any rate, I think I just figured out why they started to fail on me.

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I decided to try a different recipe for these Oreo Macarons, thinking maybe that was the issue and adapted this recipe from the one my macaron maven friend Mimi uses.

Her macarons are flawless. Perfect every time! Seriously, just go check out her website or be dazzled by her instagram feed.

French vs Italian Macarons

The only difference between these two macaron methods is in how the meringue is made. 

The French method calls for whipping the egg whites with granulated sugar to make the meringue. The Italian method call for boiling sugar to be poured into and whisked with the egg whites – similar to what you’d do with an Italian meringue buttercream or my homemade marshmallow fluff.

The Italian method is more involved but does produce a more stable meringue that is easier to work with during the macaronage step. You’re less likely to over mix it.

The French method is simple and less time consuming, so it’s generally my preference. 

How to make Oreo Macarons

Macarons actually take very little (active) time to make, but they are SO tricky to get perfect, and it’s not just about the folding technique or drying time (which are both crucial).

Here are the basic steps to making macarons:

• Process the almond flour, powdered sugar until just beginning to clump.
• Sift and discard any bits that won’t pass through the sifter. 
• Whip the egg whites and caster sugar to a stiff meringue. 
• Fold the dry mixture into the meringue using the macaronage technique.
• Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet. 
• Whack the baking sheet on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. About 1 hour. DO NOT skip this step.
• Bake macarons until they stick just slightly to the pans. 
• Cool completely, match up by size, and fill to make cookie sandwiches.

Tips for making French Macarons

1. I create a parchment template using a 1 1/2″ cookie cutter to create circles and place it under my mat. I prefer to use silicone mats vs parchment as I find the parchment ripples under the macarons as they set.
2. Make sure your powdered sugar and almond mixture is smooth, be sure to sift it! We want smooth tops here.
3. Whip the whites until stiff peaks. Do not overwhip (see below).
4. Fold the mixture together until it’s smooth and pours off your spatula, just barely, and leaves traces in the batter. It should be thick and lava-like. In pastry school, we learned to try and do a figure 8 with the batter as it’s pouring off the spatula. It shouldn’t break off the spatula or immediately sink into the batter. If the latter you’ve overdone it.
5. Let the macarons dry! They must be dry to the touch or they’ll crack and/or have no feet. If you live in a humid climate or it’s a humid day, you might have trouble with them drying properly.
6. Don’t give up! If they don’t work out perfectly the first time, it’s ok. It takes a lot of practice to get them perfect. But they are still delicious regardless.

Why Are My Macarons Hollow?

So, here I am, making macarons for the first time in months. Everything was going so well. Whites whipped up, batter the right consistency, piped out perfectly, and even dried out properly before baking. These were going to be perfect. Hah.

I was watching that little oven window like a hawk. Oh! I can see feet! No cracks, woohoo! But then they kept rising and the feet got too tall, and I knew the damn things would be hollow. Sure enough, they were. Many expletives were thrown around.

WHY all of a sudden were my macarons coming out hollow?? What had changed? And then I remembered. When I first started to make macarons, I whipped the egg whites by hand like we did in school.

Whipping them by hand is honestly the worst thing ever. It takes SO long and it sucks SO bad. So I started to use my KitchenAid like I’d seen so many other people do. Well, this is where it all went south.

I think I’m over-whipping the meringue, which is causing them to rise too much in the oven.

When whipping by hand, honestly you stop RIGHT when you reach stiff peaks because you’re so damn sick of whipping and you’re sweating and your arm hurts. You’re so glad to be done.

With the KitchenAid it’s harder to monitor that. I’m convinced this is the issue but have not yet tried another batch (I think I need another break).

I am NOT going back to hand whipping them, but I will try my hand mixer next time instead of the heavy-duty KitchenAid. That way I can more easily monitor the done-ness of the meringue.

So, these little Oreo Macarons you see here? Far from perfect, but you’d never really know it. And, most importantly, they taste delicious. That Oreo buttercream filling could be one of the best things I’ve ever made!

Other Macaron Recipes You May Like:

• Chocolate Macarons
• S’mores Macarons
• Valentine’s Heart Macarons
• Eggnog Macarons
• Coffee & Baileys Macarons

Notes & Tips for these Oreo Macarons

• The measurements listed are by weight. I strongly recommend using a scale for macarons. They are incredibly finicky and temperamental, so the ingredients have to be precise.
• You will need to do a LOT of folds to get the batter to the proper consistency.
• Try them with Golden Oreo cookie crumbs instead!
• Do not skip on the drying time. This is a MUST DO. They must be completely dry to the touch before you bake them or they will crack.
• If they don’t come out perfect the first time (they rarely do), know that they will still taste delicious! Looks aren’t everything! 🙂

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Oreo Macarons (French Macarons)

4.91 from 42 votes

Oreo Macarons! Turn your favorite store-bought classics into something even more decadent with these delicate Oreo macarons. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Drying Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 25 sandwiched cookies

Calories 90kcal

Author Olivia

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Macaron Shells:

• 100 g almond flour
• 30 g Oreo cookie crumbs about 4 cookies with filling removed
• 130 g powdered sugar
• 100 g egg whites room temperature
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 90 g caster sugar or other superfine sugar

Oreo Buttercream:

• Filling from 12 Double Stuffed Oreos
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp Oreos crushed, about 2 cookies with filling removed

Instructions

 

Macaron Shells:

• Line baking sheet with a silocone mat or parchment.*
• Place the almond flour, powdered sugar, and Oreo cookie crumbs in a food processor. Process until just beginning to clump. Sift and discard any bits that won't pass through the sifter. Set aside.
• Whip the egg whites until they're the consistency of a loose foam, add in cream of tartar. Continue whipping while slowly adding caster sugar. Whip to a stiff meringue. Stop as soon as the meringue is stiff, no not overwhip.
• Fold the dry mixture into the meringue until it reaches a thick lava-like consistency.**
• Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1A piping tip.
• Pipe the macarons onto your baking sheet. Sprinkle with Oreo cookie crumbs if desired.
• When all your macarons are piped, whack the baking sheet on the counter at least 3 times to get rid of any air bubbles.***
• Let the macarons dry at room temperature until dry to the touch. About 1 hour. DO NOT skip this step.
• Once dry, bake macarons in a preheated 300°F oven until they stick just slightly to the pans. This can be anywhere from 10-20mins depending on your oven and how crowded the macarons are on the pan.
• Let cookies cool completely before removing from pans.

Oreo Buttercream:

• Cream Oreo filling and butter until smooth, pale, and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and Oreo cookie crumbs and mix until well combined.

Assembly:

• Pair macaron shells up by size, pipe buttercream into the center, sandwich the cookies, and twist together.
• Allow macarons to mature at least 24 hours in the fridge. They are best 2-3 days after making them.

Notes

*I create a parchment template using a 1 1/2″ cookie cutter to create circles and place it under my silpat mat.
**You will need to do a LOT of folds to get the batter to the proper consistency. You’re looking for it to be smooth and shiny and have some movement. If you lift some up with a spatula, it should slowly pour in a steady stream and settle into the remaining batter. You should be able to make a figure 8 in the batter. DO NOT overmix.
*** Do not be shy with the whacking!

Recipe adapted from Indulge with Mimi.

Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 11mgSugar: 10gVitamin A: 55IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.3mg

The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Originally published on January 24, 2016