Santa Claus Macarons look complicated. They are not. They are two almond shells, a ring of vanilla buttercream, and a spoon of bright berry jam for the hat.
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The trick is patience with the macaronage. Fold until the batter falls in a slow ribbon, not a fast stream. That single moment decides whether your shells rise smooth or crack.
Weigh everything in grams. A kitchen scale costs little and removes the guesswork. Small precision, big calm. Less noise, more signal.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
100 g almond flour, finely ground
Sift it twice; coarse flour gives bumpy shells. If you only have almond meal, pulse it with 20 g of the powdered sugar in a food processor until fine.
100 g powdered sugar
Also called confectioners' sugar. Avoid brands with cornstarch listed first, as they can make the batter stiff.
75 g egg whites, aged 1 to 2 days
Separate cold eggs, then leave the whites covered on the counter for a day. In a pinch, microwave them for 8 seconds to loosen them.
65 g granulated sugar
Fine granulated dissolves faster into the meringue. Do not substitute brown sugar; the moisture will collapse the peaks.
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Stabilizes the meringue in humid weather. Lemon juice works as a 1:2 swap if you have no tartar.
1 tsp vanilla extract
Use real extract, not imitation. Add it after the meringue is stiff so it does not deflate the peaks.
120 g unsalted butter, room temperature
European-style butter has less water and gives a firmer filling. Salted butter works if you skip the added salt.
1 tbsp whole milk
Loosens the buttercream to a pipeable ribbon. Oat milk is a fine substitute.
150 g raspberry or strawberry jam, seedless
Seedless keeps the piping tip clear. Warm it 10 seconds so it flows, then cool before piping.
Red sanding sugar, for dusting
Fine sanding sugar sparkles without melting. Freeze-dried raspberry powder pressed on top is a lovely alternative.
Tips & Tricks
Weigh, Do Not Scoop
Volume measuring of almond flour varies by 20 percent, which is enough to ruin the batter. Use a gram scale for every ingredient.
Macaronage Is the Whole Game
Fold until the batter falls off the spatula in a thick ribbon that settles in about 10 seconds. Underfolded batter cracks; overfolded batter spreads flat.
Rest Before Baking
Let piped shells dry 30 to 60 minutes until a skin forms and they no longer stick to your finger. This skin is what forces the rise upward.
Oven Thermometer Always
Most home ovens run 15 to 25 degrees off. An inexpensive thermometer saves a whole tray of cookies.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Sift the dry mix
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice into a bowl. Discard any hard bits left in the sieve, as they will clog your piping tip.
2. Whip the meringue
Whip the egg whites on medium until foamy, add the cream of tartar, then rain in the granulated sugar one spoon at a time. Whip to stiff, glossy peaks, about 6 minutes, then beat in the vanilla.
3. Fold the batter
Fold the dry mix into the meringue in three additions with a spatula. Stop when the batter falls in a slow ribbon and settles in about 10 seconds. This is the macaronage.
4. Pipe the shells
Pipe 3 cm rounds onto parchment-lined trays, spacing them 3 cm apart. Rap the trays on the counter three times to release air bubbles.
5. Rest the shells
Leave the trays at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes until a matte skin forms and the tops no longer stick to your fingertip. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300 F (150 C).
6. Bake until set
Bake one tray at a time at 300 F (150 C) for 14 to 16 minutes, until the shells are set and the feet look dry, not shiny. A shell should not wobble when nudged. Cool completely on the tray.
7. Make the buttercream
Beat the butter with the milk and a pinch of salt for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. If it looks curdled, warm the bowl briefly and keep beating.
8. Fill and decorate
Pipe a ring of buttercream on half the shells, spoon jam in the center, and sandwich. Dust the tops with red sanding sugar for the Santa hat look. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
Delicious Variations
Chocolate Santa
Swap 15 g of the almond flour for cocoa powder and fill with chocolate ganache.
Peppermint Twist
Add 1/4 tsp peppermint extract to the buttercream and top with crushed candy canes.
Lemon Snow
Use lemon curd instead of jam and dust with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
How to Store Santa Claus Macarons
Refrigerator
Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The filling softens the shells, which is exactly what you want.
Freezer
Freeze unfilled shells or filled macarons in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Thaw filled ones in the fridge overnight.
Reheating
Do not reheat. Bring refrigerated macarons to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the buttercream softens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are my macarons hollow?
Hollow shells come from overwhipping the meringue or baking too long. Stop at stiff, glossy peaks, and pull the tray as soon as the feet look dry and set.
Bake one tray this weekend. Write down your oven temperature and your folding time. Next time, you will know exactly what to adjust. Less noise, more signal.
Santa Claus Macarons
Santa Claus Macarons are chewy almond shells filled with vanilla buttercream and berry jam, a festive holiday cookie anyone can master at home.
🧂 Ingredients
- 100 g almond flour, finely ground
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 75 g egg whites, aged 1 to 2 days
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 150 g raspberry or strawberry jam, seedless
- Red sanding sugar, for dusting
📋 Instructions
- 1Sift the dry mix — Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice into a bowl. Discard any hard bits left in the sieve, as they will clog your piping tip.
- 2Whip the meringue — Whip the egg whites on medium until foamy, add the cream of tartar, then rain in the granulated sugar one spoon at a time. Whip to stiff, glossy peaks, about 6 minutes, then beat in the vanilla.
- 3Fold the batter — Fold the dry mix into the meringue in three additions with a spatula. Stop when the batter falls in a slow ribbon and settles in about 10 seconds. This is the macaronage.
- 4Pipe the shells — Pipe 3 cm rounds onto parchment-lined trays, spacing them 3 cm apart. Rap the trays on the counter three times to release air bubbles.
- 5Rest the shells — Leave the trays at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes until a matte skin forms and the tops no longer stick to your fingertip. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300 F (150 C).
- 6Bake until set — Bake one tray at a time at 300 F (150 C) for 14 to 16 minutes, until the shells are set and the feet look dry, not shiny. A shell should not wobble when nudged. Cool completely on the tray.
- 7Make the buttercream — Beat the butter with the milk and a pinch of salt for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. If it looks curdled, warm the bowl briefly and keep beating.
- 8Fill and decorate — Pipe a ring of buttercream on half the shells, spoon jam in the center, and sandwich. Dust the tops with red sanding sugar for the Santa hat look. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
Kenji explores technology and digital minimalism, helping readers declutter their digital lives and focus on what matters. He writes about app selection, notification management, and creating healthy tech habits, based on his own experiments with unplugging.
