I have been frequently asked if you can make macarons without almond flour. The other question I frequently get asked is if you can make macarons with flour. The answer is yes. Can you tell which one(s) are the imposter macaron on the plate below?
You can make macarons without almond flour and they will look lovely. However, they will not taste the same and will have a different texture. So why would you want to make them without almond flour, then? Several reasons. Perhaps you have a loved one that desperately wants to have macarons but is allergic to all forms of nuts. Or you want to practice the steps to making macarons and don’t want to waste expensive almond flour. Maybe you need some props for a photoshoot. Or maybe you just want to see if it is possible. Regardless of your reasons, the process is very similar if not the same. So let’s go through the steps.
First, sift together the flour and powdered sugar. Next, you whip the egg whites and granulated sugar to soft peaks. If using food coloring, add it now and mix on low until just combined.
Then you fold in the flour and sugar until the batter ribbons off the spatula, turns glossy and begins to level with time. Finally, place in a piping bag and begin piping your macarons! For more details, watch the video below as well as reading the recipe. If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to us! We are happy to help!
Now look closely at the macarons we made without food coloring. Can you tell which one(s) are made with almond flour versus all-purpose flour?
French Macarons Recipe with All-Purpose Flour
Ingredients
French Macarons
- ¾ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 2 large (60g) egg whites
- ½ cup (50g) all-purpose flour
- ⅛ cup (30g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract
Basic Buttercream
- ¾ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) softened butter
- ½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5mL) milk
Instructions
- Sift powdered sugar and flour together. Set aside.
- In a 2 quart bowl or larger, use a hand mixer and beat eggs for 30 seconds, add sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. If desired, add food coloring and vanilla extract at this stage. Beat until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the meringue.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the ingredients until the batter becomes shiny and drips smoothly off the spatula. It should ribbon off and sink back into the batter within 30 seconds. If it doesn’t do this, fold until you see the change. Do not over mix or you will have flat cookies.
- Place in a piping bag with a 1/4" (6mm) tip. Squeeze onto parchment paper or a silicone mat until 1 1/2″ (3.8cm) circles form, spacing 2″ (5cm) apart.
- Let sit until a skin develops. This step will depend on the humidity in your environment. On dry days, it can take as little as 15 minutes. When it hits above 75% humidity, expect it to take closer to 2 hours. Failure to dry the cookies will often result in cracks and cookies without feet. (Feet are the little ruffles that develop at the bottom of your cookies.)
- Once the skin forms, preheat the oven to 300F (150C.) Bake 16 – 20 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely before filling. I recommend an acidic flavor to balance the sweetness of the cookie.
Buttercream Instructions
- Blend sugar, vanilla, and butter together. You can use a mixer or mix by hand.
- Add in the milk if desired for a softer buttercream.
This recipe is amazing i made them for the first time ever!,and they turned out amazing.love this recipe wouldn’t use any other!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So glad they worked out for you, Sophia! Enjoy your macarons! 😊
Skibidi sigma
Haha! Thanks. 🙂
Pretty good! I just couldn’t NOT get the feet and it wouldn’t make skin. I think I overmixed. My little sis LOVED them; will make again. Since there was no reviews I called them “back of the internet macarons”! Yet to see what dad and stepmom think; they’ll probably like them. Id recommend adding cinnamon and cardamom to the filling. Very fun to make and made me wanna dance around the kitchen. Not perfect tasting or texture (then again ive never had a macaron) but 5 stars because it made my day good and my sister happy. To the person who wrote the recipe, I hope your water is yummy and your pillows are forever cold and your days prosperous and filled with luck and whimsy. I made memories I won’t forget with these. Haven’t been this happy in weeks; honors classes SUCK. I’ll make this when I feel down on myself. Thank you. Good luck for the rest of your days. I love you, goodnight. (Platonic)
–A teen on the internet
Dear a teen on the internet,
What a lovely comment. Thank you! Yes, these are not very tasty as they aren’t going to be a true macaron, but they are great to practice the method. I think with some fillings, they could be improved upon flavor wise.
I am glad this recipe made you happy enough to dance around the kitchen after weeks of classes. Here’s to the honor studies improving and your teacher becoming a fun and engaging person in future days!