This Strawberry Lemon Macarons recipe is perfect for spring! Gorgeous macaron shells are filled with lemon buttercream and strawberry jam.
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Strawberry Lemon Macarons
If you’re looking for a fun twist on a traditional dessert, try this Strawberry Lemon Macarons recipe!
Traditional French Macarons are gorgeously colored and filled with lemon buttercream and strawberry jam.
They’re perfect for Mother’s Day, afternoon tea, Bridal Showers, baby showers, birthday parties, garden parties, and more. Macarons are such a versatile little treat for any occasion.
The bright colors of the macarons look like little flowers on a plate, so gorgeous! We just got back from a trip to Disney last week and these would be right at home at Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival.
For an alternative filling, you can use Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting to pipe the buttercream ring and then fill them with lemon curd.
Happy baking!
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Ingredients for Strawberry Lemon Macarons
- Room Temperature Egg Whites
- Almond Flour
- Powdered Sugar (also labeled as confectioners’ sugar)
- Fine Sea Salt
- Cream of Tartar
- Granulated Sugar
- Red Gel Food Coloring, optional (I like a combination of Americolor Deep Pink Gel Food Coloring and a drop or 2 of Americolor Red Gel Food Coloring)
For The Macaron Filling:
- Unsalted Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Pinch of Salt, optional
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Strawberry jam/preserves – you can use homemade strawberry jam or storebought
Equipment Needed to Make Macarons
- Basic Baking Tools – Large Bowl, Mixing Bowl, Rubber Spatula, Measuring Spoons, etc.
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Food Processor
- Half Sheet Pans
- Silpat Macaron Mats or Parchment Paper (baking mats preferred)
- Piping Bags or Pastry Bag (I use large piping bags) with a small, round pastry tip (I like a Wilton #10, Wilton #12, or a Wilton 2A Tip). The 2A tip is a large round tip great for piping the shells and the smaller #10 is great for piping the buttercream ring filling.
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment or an Electric Hand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Strainers or fine-mesh sieve
- Cooling Racks
- Oven Thermometer – I highly recommend you keep one in your oven to make sure your oven is at the right temperature.
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How to Make Macarons with Strawberry and Lemon
Step 1. Add the egg whites to a large glass or metal bowl and bring to room temperature.
Step 2. Add the almond meal, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse until the consistency is a fine powder. Set aside.
Step 3. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and use a whisk attachment on a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and whisk on low speed until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly add the granulated sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Continue mixing as you add all of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Step 4. Add the gel food coloring and gently fold into the meringue 3 to 4 times.
Step 5. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Fold until completely incorporated and the macaron batter runs off the spatula in long ribbons. The batter should be thin enough to be able to run off the spatula and form a figure 8 in the bowl without breaking. If it breaks, fold it a little more.
Step 6. Line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (about 1/2 inch in diameter) and pipe the batter into 1 1/2 inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Once all the rounds are piped, gently lift and drop the baking sheets onto the counter to help pop any air bubbles. Let the macaron shells sit uncovered at room temperature for 45-60 minutes to help form a dry shell on the outside.
Step 7. When the shells are halfway through their drying stage, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake the shells, one tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes – do not brown.
Step 8. Cool completely before carefully removing them from the parchment paper or silicon mat.
Step 9. Make the Lemon Buttercream. Transfer the lemon buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your choice of piping tip, such as the Wilton 10 or Wilton 12.
Step 10. Place the macarons into similar-sized pairs and pipe a ring of lemon buttercream around the edge of one shell of each pair. Fill the center with strawberry jam and place the second macaron shell on top, pressing them together gently. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
Get the full directions in the recipe card.
How to Store French Macarons
Transfer the assembled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight. Macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Bring them to room temperature before serving.
Tips for Making French Macarons
- Age your egg whites in the refrigerator for a couple of days before making your macarons.
- Meringue and meringue-based recipes work best in low-humidity environments. You can still make macarons in the summer heat, just be sure to run the air conditioner or a dehumidifier to help take the moisture out of the air.
- Please read my full and in-depth blog post on How to Make French Macarons for more detailed tips and tricks for making macarons!
Other Macaron Recipes To Try
- Peppermint Macarons with Chocolate Ganache
- Mummy Macarons with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream
- Grinch Heart Macarons
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Strawberry Lemon Macarons Recipe (French Macaron Method)
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shells
- 4 large egg whites aged and room temperature (about 130 grams)*
- 170 grams almond meal or almond flour finely ground
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- Gel Food Coloring see notes
For the Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (8 tablespoons)
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam/preserves
Instructions
- For the Shell
- Add the egg whites to a large glass or metal bowl and bring to room temperature.
- Add the almond meal, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse until the consistency is a fine powder. Set aside.
- Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and use a whisk attachment on a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and whisk until soft peaks form. While the mixer is running, slowly add the granulated sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Continue mixing as you add all of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add the gel food coloring and gently fold into the meringue 3 to 4 times.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Fold until completely incorporated and the batter runs off the spatula in long ribbons. The batter should be thin enough to be able to run off the spatula and form a figure 8 in the bowl without breaking. If it breaks, fold it a little more.
- Line 2 baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper. Add the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (about 1/2 inch in diameter) and pipe the batter into 1 1/2 inch circles. Once all the rounds are piped, gently lift and drop the baking sheets onto the counter to help pop any air bubbles. Let the macaron shells sit uncovered at room temperature for 45-60 minutes to help form a dry shell on the outside.
- When the shells are halfway through their drying stage, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake the shells, one tray at a time, for 10-12 minutes - do not brown.
- Cool completely before carefully removing them from the parchment paper or silicon mat.
- For the Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and beat on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer until it is light-- about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar while the mixer is on low speed.
- Next, add in the lemon juice and lemon zest (and food coloring, if using). Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the icing is light and fluffy-- about 3-4 minutes.
- Assemble and Age
- Place the macarons into similar-sized pairs and pipe a ring of lemon buttercream around the edge of one shell of each pair. Fill the center with strawberry jam and place the second macaron shell on top, pressing them together gently. Repeat with the remaining macarons.
- Transfer the filled macarons to an airtight container and place them in the fridge to age overnight.
- Before serving, bring them to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
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