Skip to Content

Cookie Dough Macarons

This week we’re making cookie dough macarons! They’re decorated to look just like chocolate chip cookies and are filled with the best cookie dough buttercream.

image of cookie dough macarons filled with cookie dough buttercream and mini chocolate chips

Making These Cookie Dough Macarons with the French Method

There are a few different ways macarons are made. French macarons are considered easier to make while the Italian and Swiss methods use a few more steps but are thought of as more structurally sound.

French macarons also require less equipment. While I love Italian macarons, I wanted to keep things simple and stick with the French method for this recipe.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Cookie Dough Macarons

I’ve made quite a few batches of macarons, and they definitely turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat.

These are the tools I like to use when I make these French chocolate macarons:

image of ingredients laid out to make french cookie dough macarons

Making Cookie Dough Macarons: Step-by-Step Process

While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!

Below are some photos and a video tutorial of the process to help guide you through this recipe.

Step #1: Prep the Ingredients and Equipment

After weighing the ingredients, wipe down your mixing bowl and whisk attachment with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice.

This removes any residual grease and helps the meringue whip up better!

image of an egg white being separated into a container to make french macarons

Step #2: Make the French Meringue

Next, it’s time to make the French meringue!

Whisk the room temperature egg whites on a medium-low speed until the surface is covered in small bubbles.

image of egg whites that have been whipped to make small bubbles on the top before adding in the sugar to make french meringue

Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the whisk begins to leave tracks.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. The mixture should look opaque at this point.

Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Mix until stiff peaks form like in the photo below. Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over mixing the meringue.

image of french meringue that's been whipped to have stiff peaks and is perfect for making macarons

Step #3: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Sift the superfine almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into the meringue, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

image of dry ingredients being sifted into meringue to make macaron batter

Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.

Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted.

image of french macaron batter that's been mixed perfectly and is ready to be piped

You should be able to draw a few figure 8’s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream once it is the right consistency.

If the stream of batter breaks before you’re able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.

image of chocolate macaron batter that's been mixed properly and passes the figure 8 test

Step #4: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with macaron batter and pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 1-inch apart.

image of chocolate macarons being piped

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times.

This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can be popped with a toothpick or scribe. Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

If desired, you can swirl the tops of half of the macarons to give them a texture look and drop a few mini chocolate chips on top of each shell.

image of cookie dough macaron shells topped with mini chocolate chips to make them look like little cookies

I love doing this because it makes them look just like chocolate chip cookies!

Step #5: Rest the Macaron Shells

Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin.

They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked! While the shells rest, preheat your oven.

image of cookie dough macaron shells topped with mini chocolate chips to make them look like little cookies and are resting to develop a skin before being baked

Step #6: Bake the Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray in the middle rack of your oven.

Let the macarons cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat. If they’re properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly.

image of cookie dough macaron shells topped with mini chocolate chips to make them look like little cookies

Step #7: Assembling These Cookie Dough Macarons

While the macarons bake and cool, make the cookie dough buttercream.

Pipe a dollop of cookie dough buttercream onto one macaron shell and top it with a second shell.

The filling will be pretty thick, so be sure to use a large piping tip or snip a large opening in your piping bag.

Place the finished macarons in the fridge in an airtight container to mature overnight then bring the macarons back to room temperature and enjoy!

image of cookie dough macarons filled with cookie dough buttercream that have been bitten into to show their full shell

Cookie Dough Macaron Troubleshooting

While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these macarons will turn out perfectly, my own experience has taught me that’s not how things usually go.

Macarons are incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right. If you run into any issues, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!

image of cookie dough macaron shells topped with mini chocolate chips to make them look like little cookies

Choosing The Right Filling for These Cookie Dough Macarons

While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, almost all the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling.

The shell gives the macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor. You can use just about any type of frosting or ganache to fill these chocolate macarons.

I have a big sweet tooth, so I love making cookie dough buttercream to fill these macarons. It makes them taste just like a bite of cookie dough!

If you don’t want your macarons to be super sweet, I recommend using a 1/4 batch of my hybrid buttercream or Swiss meringue frosting instead!

Cookie Dough Macaron Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 36 macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

The yield and bake time will also vary based on the size of macarons you pipe. I pipe my shells with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches.

image of cookie dough macarons filled with cookie dough buttercream and mini chocolate chips

Tips for Making the Best Cookie Dough Macarons

  • Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it’s good to know your game plan before you start!
  • Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making your meringue. It will help your egg whites whip up better!
  • Separate your own eggs and age them if possible. Do not use egg whites from a carton.
  • Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale. You really need to be precise with this recipe and your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
  • Use superfine almond flour rather than trying to make your own! It more consistently yields great macarons.
  • Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
  • If you’re not super familiar with your oven, pipe a small number of macarons on a few sheets to test your oven for hot spots and to see if it bakes accurately. This way you won’t waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
  • Let your macarons mature! Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
  • If you run into any issues making these macarons, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.
image of cookie dough macarons filled with cookie dough buttercream being dunked into a glass of milk

Making These Cookie Dough Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

  • You need to let French macarons mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before eating them. This gives them their best texture and taste.
  • Store macarons at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerate filled macarons for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
  • Freeze filled macarons for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Make your filling ahead of time too or save any leftover filling! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
image of chocolate macarons shells made in advance and frozen in a ziploc bag

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try my cookie dough macaron recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Yield: 18 macarons

Cookie Dough Macarons

image of cookie dough macarons filled with cookie dough buttercream being dunked into a glass of milk

Learn how to make the best cookie dough macarons! They're topped with mini chocolate chips and filled with cookie dough buttercream.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Macarons

Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

  • 56g unsalted butter, room temperature (1/4 cup)
  • 4g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (1 tsp)
  • 2g salt (1/4 tsp)
  • 60g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 60g light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
  • 8 grams heat-treated all-purpose flour (1 Tbsp)
  • 15g heavy cream (1 Tbsp)
  • 22g mini chocolate chips (2 Tbsp)

Equipment

Instructions

Cookie Dough Macarons

  1. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
  2. Pour 55g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on a medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage where you can see the whisk leaving faint tracks in the egg whites.
  3. Gradually add 55g of granulated sugar into the eggs and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Increase the mixing speed to a medium high speed. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  4. Sift 63g superfine almond flour, 63g powdered sugar and 4g cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue using circular motion until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. I like to perform the figure-8 test to check my consistency! This is when you lift your spatula and see if you can draw a figure 8 with the batter running off your spatula in one consistent stream. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8s once your macaron batter is the right consistency.
  6. Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1-1/4 inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  7. Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
  8. If desired, you can swirl the tops of half of the macarons to give them a texture look and drop a few mini chocolate chips on top of each shell. I love doing this because it makes them look just like chocolate chip cookies!
  9. Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 315 F / 157 C.
  10. Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 15-18 minutes and rotate your pan halfway through.
  11. Remove from oven and let the macarons cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.

Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat 56g of room-temperature butter on a medium speed for 1-2 minutes with a whisk attachment until it becomes lighter in color and smooth.
  2. Mix in 4g vanilla extract and 2g salt on a low speed.
  3. Slowly mix in 60g of powdered sugar, 60g of light brown sugar, 8 grams of heat treated flour, and 15g heavy cream on a low speed.
  4. Continue to mix on low for a couple minutes until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. 
  5. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional heavy cream or milk (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).
  6. Fold in 22 grams or 2 Tbsp of mini chocolate chips, then place in a piping bag with a large round tip or cut a 1-inch opening at the bottom of the bag.

Assembling These Cookie Dough Macarons

  1. Pipe a dollop of cookie dough buttercream or frosting of your choice around one macaron shell. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich.
  2. Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then let them warm to room temperature and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 36 small macaron shells, which can be used to make 18 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed.

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of about 1 and 1/4 inch, so they're a tiny bit smaller than a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Cookie Dough Macarons

  • Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
  • Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
  • Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
  • Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
  • FIRMLY bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
  • Rest your macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
  • Pipe a small number of macarons on a mat to test your oven for hot spots and see if it bakes accurately. This way you won't waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
  • Let your macarons mature in the fridge overnight! Letting them rest overnight while they are filled softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
  • If your first batch of macarons doesn't turn out, please check out the troubleshooting section above for help!

Making These Cookie Dough Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

  • French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.
  • Macarons can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
  • Filled macarons can be frozen for up to a month, but the length can vary based on the filling.
  • Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
  • Your filling can be made ahead of time too or save any leftover filling! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Nutrition Information

Yield

18

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 137Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 28mgSodium 58mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 15gProtein 3g

Connie

Friday 8th of April 2022

LOVE this buttercream - but mine gets a tad gritty from the brown sugar. Any ideas on how to combat that?

How to Heat Treat Flour - Quick & Easy Process

Sunday 9th of January 2022

[…] Cookie Dough Macarons […]

Yolanda

Saturday 21st of August 2021

One of my favorite Macaron Recipes! Nothing but positive feedback from those who tried them, thank you for sharing!

Huriya

Saturday 24th of April 2021

Hi! Can macarons be made in a fan assisted electric oven? Or would it be better if it is baked in a conventional electric oven?

Sarah

Wednesday 21st of April 2021

I was wondering, could be made without almond flour? I'm allergic to tree nuts.

Skip to Recipe