This matcha macaron recipe is for die hard matcha fans. Macaron macaron cookies paired with my creamy matcha ganache. These macarons are loaded with sweet earthy matcha flavor and have an addictively chewy texture.
Tools you’ll need:
To make macarons of any shape or flavor, there’s a couple of core pieces of equipment you’ll need. For best results, I recommend having the following tools on hand. Note, these matcha macarons don’t require anything above or beyond what you’d need for any other type of macarons. :
- Electric Mixer
- Bowls
- Spatulas
- Kitchen Scales
- Fine Sieve
- Piping Bags and Nozzles
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Toothpicks
- Macaron template (optional, but recommended).
Ingredients
These are traditional French macarons with a green tea twist. As such ingredients include those that are standard to all macaron recipes (aka almond flour, sugar, egg whites) with the addition of matcha powder. Along with green tea powder, white chocolate and cream are the key ingredients for the ganache filling. To make these green tea macarons, you’ll need:
- Matcha Powder: Available online and in most supermarkets. If you can’t find it in the tea section of your supermarket, have a look in the health food isle.
- Almond Flour: The finer the almond flour, the smoother the tops of the macarons will be. Look for a of almond flour that is finely ground. Be aware that Almond Meal is not a good substitute.
- Icing Sugar: Also known as powder sugar, or confectioner’s sugar.
- Egg Whites: For best results, age your egg whites by storing them in a container in the fridge for 24-48 hours before making your macarons. Allow them to come to room temperature before using them.
- Cream of Tartar: This will help your egg whites to whip nicely.
- Caster Sugar: Also known as fine granulated sugar
- Vanilla Extract: Adds sweetness to balance out the earthiness of matcha.
- Salt: gives the macarons a more rounded flavor
- White Chocolate: choose a white chocolate that contains cocoa butter. See my recipe for matcha ganache for why this is important.
- Heavy Cream: aka cream with 30%-40% fat.
How to make matcha macarons
Making macarons is a little more involved than your standard cookie, but they are so worth it. Regardless of the flavor, all French macaron recipes follow a similar process as per the below 7 steps.
- Sift the dry ingredients (almond flour, powdered sugar, matcha powder) and discard any large pieces.
- Use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites and sugar together until they form stiff peaks.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites.
- Deflate the batter until it loosens enough that it falls off your spatula in a ribbon shape.
- Use a piping bag to pipe circles of macaron batter onto a baking tray.
- Allow the macarons to rest until they dry slightly, then bake them.
- Heat the cream, white chocolate and matcha powder in the microwave until the chocolate melts.
- Assemble the macarons.
Troubleshooting Tips
What to do if my ganache is too runny?
Pay attention to the temperature of the ganache when filling your macarons. Warm ganache will be runnier than cool ganache. The ganache needs to be soft enough to pipe, but also cool enough so that it can hold the two macarons in place. If you find your ganache is too runny, pipe the ganache onto the first macaron shell, then place it in the fridge for 3-4 minutes to allow the ganache to set slightly before placing the second macaron on top.
Why are do my macarons have a rough surface?
Matcha powder acts as a drying agent in your macaron batter, which in turn can effect the consistency of the batter. To counteract this, make sure you deflate the batter adequately. Try and deflate the batter until it looks like the consistency of the batter in my video. Don’t worry too much if your macaron shells look a little rough, they’ll still taste delicious. You can disguise the rough surface by decorating the macarons. Consider drizzling a little melted chocolate over the top and adding some sprinkles or edible flowers.
Matcha Macarons video tutorial
Storage Recommendations
As these green tea macarons are filled with ganache made with cream, they should be stored in the fridge until served. You can eat them straight away, but macarons actually taste better the day after they have been made. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to a week.
You can make these macarons ahead of time and freeze them. You can freeze both assembled macarons or macaron shells in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before serving (or assembling in the case of macaron cookies).
Substitution Ideas
Matcha pairs so well with a wide variety of flavours (it’s why it’s such a popular dessert ingredient). If you’re not so keen on my matcha ganache, consider swapping it out for dark chocolate ganache, raspberry white chocolate ganache or maple syrup buttercream (from my maple bacon cupcake recipe). Honestly the options are endless.
I hope you love my green tea macaron recipe. If you do make them, I’d love to hear how. you go, please leave a comment and let me know how you went,
Happy baking x
Related Recipes
If you love these green tea French macarons, check out my other matcha recipes:
And if you love macarons, you might like some of these other recipes too:
Matcha Macarons
Equipment
- Kitchen Scales
- electric mixer
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Piping Bags and Piping Nozzles
- Baking Tray
- parchment paper or non-stick silicone baking mat
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Matcha Macaron Cookies
- 10 grams matcha powder (approx. 2 teaspoons)
- 140 grams almond flour
- 130 grams confectioners' sugar (also known as icing sugar)
- 100 grams egg whites (approx. 3 eggs)
- 90 grams superfine sugar (also known as caster sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Matcha Ganache
- 100 grams white chocolate
- 30 grams heavy cream
- 10 grams matcha powder (approx. 2 teaspoons)
Instructions
Matcha Macaron Cookies
- Line your baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Sift the almond flour, confectioners' sugar and matcha powder into a bowl. Stir the dry ingredients to combine them evenly, then set the bowl aside.
- Add your egg whites to a clean bowl and use your electric mixer at medium speed to whip them until the egg whites look foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and continue to whip for 1 minute.
- Keep the mixer running and gradually add the superfine sugar to your egg whites. I tend to add one table spoon every 10 seconds or so.
- Next add the vanilla extract and salt, then turn your electric mixer to high speed and continue to whip the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks. At this stage, turn the mixer off and set it to the side.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the meringue and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the meringue. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold them in again.
- Next deflate your meringue until it becomes runny. Best method I've found is to use your spatula to spread the batter around the side of the bowl, then scrape it back off the sides and into the middle. Repeat this action until the macaron batter is loosens and becomes glossy. Test the consistency by scooping the batter up with your spatula and letting it slowly drop back into the bowl. If it flows of your spatula in a ribbon shape, it is ready.
- Spoon the batter into a piping back that has been fitted with a medium sized round piping nozzle.
- Hold the piping bag over the baking tray and squeeze the bag until a circle of batter (about 1.5 inches wide) is piped onto the tray. Repeat this process until all your macaron cookies have been piped onto the tray.
- Bang the tray on your counter a couple times to encourage any air bubbles to rise to the surface. If you can see any air bubbles on the macarons, use a tooth pick to pop them. Then place your tray on the counter for 20-30 minutes to let the macarons dry slightly.
- Your macarons are ready to bake when they have a matt texture and they feel dry to touch. Bake at 270 F (130 C) for 20-25 minutes. You will know they have baked once they have risen and look firm (but have not browned). If they look jiggly when you go to take the tray out of the oven, continue to bake them. You can also test if they are ready by peeling a macaron off the baking sheet. If it comes off in one piece and the bottom of it is dry, they are ready.
- Allow your macarons to cool on the tray, before transferring them to an airtight container.
Matcha Ganache
- Place the white chocolate into a plastic microwave safe bowl, and pour the cream over the top. Put to bowl in the microwave and heat for 20 seconds (at 1,000W).
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and give the mixture a good stir to help melt the chocolate. As the chocolate melts it should combine with the cream and make a smooth ganache.
- If the chocolate has not yet fully melted return the bowl to the microwave and heat for a further 10 seconds, then stir again.
- Once the chocolate and cream have combined, stir through the matcha powder.
- Place the bowl of ganache to the side to allow it to cool slightly while you sort out the macarons.
Assemble the macarons
- Sort your macaron cookies into evenly sized and shaped pairs. If you plan to decorate your macarons, I recommend doing so now before they have been assembled.
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and pipe dollops of ganache on the underside of one of the macaron shells. Place the matching macaron cookie ontop.
- Store the macarons in an airtight container in the fridge until they're ready to be served.