Now that you learned how to make macarons and possibly how not to make macarons, you can start making all kinds of flavors. I decided to share one of my most requested flavors, lime. In particular, we will go through how to make key lime macarons.
I started out with using lime juice in a bottle, but as I gained confidence, I began purchasing key limes. I highly recommend spending the money on fresh fruit if it’s available. If not, they are still wonderful with bottled juice. Just be aware bottled juices often have preservatives.
When you first learn how to make key lime macarons, do not get discouraged if your cookies don’t turn out as expected. It takes a little trial and error to get it right. I have personally found it is better to slightly under mix the batter than to over mix it. A full and cracked macaron tastes a lot better than a flat deflated disk. Start out by purposely under mixing and work your way down fold by fold to get the perfect cookie.
Key Lime Macarons
Crisp and refreshing lime sparkles in this dazzling sandwich cookie. A French delicacy that is a bit tricky to master. Don't worry if it takes a few tries. They still taste great!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
French Macarons
- ¾ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- 2 large (60g) egg whites
- ½ cup (50g) almond flour
- ⅛ cup (30g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (2.5mL) lime juice
- ⅛ tsp green food coloring (optional)
Lime Buttercream
- ¾ cup (100g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) softened butter
- 1 tsp (5mL) lime juice
- 1 tsp (2g) lime zest
Instructions
- Sift powdered sugar and almonds 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 at this stage. Beat until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the meringue. Using a spatula, gently fold the ingredients 35 – 50 times or until 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″ (2.5cm) circles form, spacing 1″ 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 2 – 3 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 18 – 20 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely before filling.
Buttercream Instructions
- Blend sugar, lime juice, and butter together. You can use a mixer or mix by hand.
- Add in additional juice if desired for a softer buttercream.
Notes
Cost savings tip: Want to learn how to make macarons and not waste expensive almond flour? You can substitute the almonds with regular flour. They will taste absolutely bland, but will let you learn how the process of macaronage cheaply.
If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a plastic sandwich bag and snip off an end about 1/3″ (1 cm) wide.
The peaks should be firm enough that the bowl can be tipped upside down without falling out. If they start to slide out of the bowl, continue beating. Do not over mix as you will get hollow cookies.
When resting macaron shells, please be aware of egg safety guidelines and do not set out longer than their recommendations.
Nutrition Facts
Key Lime Macarons
Serving Size
1 macaron
Amount per Serving
Calories
117
% Daily Value*
Fat
4.7
g
7
%
Saturated Fat
2.3
g
14
%
Carbohydrates
17.5
g
6
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Protein
1.1
g
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.
I tried this recipe out yesterday, and it was delicious. 5 stars! I’m taking a break from the yeast harvesting obsession until winter lol. 😂
I did place an order for baking mats and parchment paper. I had wax paper to line my pans, but they stuck when I pulled them from the oven. I peeled the paper off and gently scraped the bottoms before filling.
So hopefully soon I’ll have a batch of nonstick macarons!
Way to go on this recipe, I love the lime! You nailed this, the texture was chewy and crisp. 😍 I may try some raspberry ones eventually too. Or coconut! Yum!
Shila, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! If you look around, you’ll find a post where I did the same thing with wax paper and granola bars. I was able to reheat the mixture to get the paper off but the flavor was definitely a bit waxy at that point! 🤣
Raspberry are absolutely delicious and one of the most requested flavors. I liked doing a lime, orange, raspberry and lemon combination for friends and they were always a hit!
When I made coconut ones, I actually replaced some of all of the almond flour with ground up coconut flakes. Have fun inventing all kinds of flavors! 👩🏻🍳