Step by Step Basic Macaron Recipe with Raspberry Jam

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These elegant, crisp on the outside, airy on the inside raspberry macarons are irresistibly good. They make a great gift or treat for guests. You’ll get the perfect bite, every bite. This step by step macaron recipe will help you make the process smoother.

Raspberry macarons on a white board with raspberry jam on a teaspoon.

I remember when my obsession with macarons first started. That delicate texture. The crunchy exterior. I wanted them all the time. What’s there not to love?

But I thought making them was impossible. No way I could get the perfect texture and bite. But I was wrong. Now, I can have macarons whenever I want. Today, let’s make them raspberry flavored!

Using this recipe, the macaron shells will bake white. Use several drops of food coloring to make the macaron shells pink to pair with the raspberry jam!

Stacked raspberry macarons on a white board.

Table of Contents

Why you need to make these Macarons at home, ASAP

They’re easy to make. I’m not joking. You don’t have to be a French pastry chef to make these at home. Just follow the steps I’ve listed below, and I’m sure they’ll come out great.

They’re classy. French macarons are so elegant and dress up any dessert table. Everyone will be asking for the recipe.

They’re versatile. One cookie base, so many options. Make macarons in almost any flavor you can think of. Chocolate and peanut butter or even pistachio! The options are endless.

These raspberry macarons will melt in your mouth. The delicate cookies and the subtly sweet, slightly tart raspberry jam make for an incredible flavor combination!

Key Ingredients

Macaron ingredients spread fruit jam, sugar, almond flour, powdered sugar, food coloring, and eggs.

I found this recipe that worked for me every time. With this step-by-step macaron recipe it can be yours too. The ingredients are simple.

For the macaron shells:

Powdered sugar
Almond flour
Egg whites
Granulated sugar
Food coloring (optional)

For the center filling:

Fruit jam (any flavor, but I recommend raspberry!)

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Basic Macarons at Home

Steps 1 & 2: Sift sugar and flour

Sift powdered sugar into a bowl.

Into the same bowl, sift the almond flour. Mix gently.

Almond flour in a glass bowl with powdered sugar.

Steps 3 & 4: Beat egg whites

In a separate bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer beat the egg whites, from large eggs. ( better if the eggs are at room temperature and not organic).

The egg whites will start getting fluffy and white.

Egg whites in a glass bowl with hand mixers.

Step 5: Add sugar

1 Tablespoon at a time, add in the white sugar, 4 Tablespoons in total. Beat until it becomes stiff.

Egg whites in a glass bowl and adding sugar a tablespoon at a time.

Step 6: Fold in flour and sugar

Fold half of the almond flour into the egg whites and powdered sugar mixture.

Step 7: Finish folding

After well combined, add in the rest of the flour and sugar mixture to the egg whites. Gently fold clockwise.

Raspberry macaron mixture in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Step 8: Add food coloring

At this time, add in a few drops of food coloring (3-4 drops). I used red to make my macarons pink to go with the raspberry jam.

Raspberry macaron batter in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Step 9: Fold

With a spatula, fold the mix clockwise, until the mixture is well combined and almost runny but not quite. (It should fall off the spatula slowly.)

Step 10: Pipe out the macarons

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat for macarons. Put the mix into an icing bag and pipe circles onto the prepared sheet, leaving space in between each circle.

Piping raspberry macaron shells onto a baking tray to bake.

Step 11: Tap the baking sheet, and rest

After you have used up all the mixture, pick up the baking sheet with two hands on each side. Firmly tap it on the counter a few times to remove the air bubbles. Rest the macarons for 15 minutes on the counter before baking. This is also the best time to turn on your oven to 325 F.

Raspberry macarons ready to bake on a blue baking tray.

Baking the Macarons

Step 1: Bake

Place the baking sheet on the top or bottom rack of the oven. We don’t want to bake macarons in the middle of the oven. After 15 minutes, macarons should start having a hard shell, meaning when you slightly touch the tops you should still have a clean finger.

Step 2: Finish baking

Bake for another 8 minutes, turn the baking sheet around for even baking.

Baked raspberry macaron shells on a baking tray.

Step 3: Cool

Take macarons out and let them cool down after a total of 16 minutes.

Step 4: Spread the jam

With a teaspoon, spread jam on one macaron and close with a different macaron making a sandwich.

Raspberry macaron shells on a baking tray being filled with jam.

Expert Tips

Sift! Don’t skip the sifting steps. The almond flour and powdered sugar must be sifted. There should be no large particles.
Make sure the egg whites are room temperature. This is important for perfect macarons.
Mix clockwise with a spatula until the batter is not quite runny, but not stiff either. Just until it starts to slowly start to fall off the spatula like lava.
For better results, rest the macarons in the fridge before adding cream or jam.
If you don’t have a macaron sheet, use parchment paper to prevent the macarons from sticking to the baking pan.
If you’re not in a hurry, I recommend making a raspberry cream filling for this easy macaron recipe.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between macaron and macaroon?

A macaroon is a sweet coconut flake cookie made with just four ingredients. A macaron is a light, elegant meringue-like cookie that is crispy on the outside, airy on the inside and slightly chewy, made with a butter or jam filling. The names sound very similar but the two are very different in taste, the way they are made and their unique textures.

Do the macarons have to rest before baking?

Yes. This important step is to make sure the crunch forms on the outside while baking.

Why do macarons come out cracked?

Macarons may come out of the oven cracked if the temperature is uneven at any point during baking. Make sure you don’t open the oven unless you’re rotating the pan or baking is complete.

Are macarons gluten-free?

Yes! Macarons are made from almond flour, sometimes also known as almond meal. It has a flour-like texture made all from almond nuts. There is a small difference between the two. The whole nut (without the peel) is used to make almond flour, while almond meal consists of unpeeled almonds.

Do macarons need cream of tartar?

It depends on where you are. It’s not absolutely necessary, but if you live in a humid climate, add ¼ tsp cream of tartar to help stabilize the egg whites when you whip them up.

Macarons are so versatile, you can use any fruit jam! I like raspberry in these recipes, too:

In just 30 minutes, you can have these 30 Minute Soft Thumbprint Cookies with Jam ready to devour!
This No Cooking Freezer Raspberry Jam Recipe uses fresh raspberries to make the tastiest jam you can enjoy year round!

More raspberry recipes

If you tried this Step by Step Basic Macaron Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!