These Hot Chocolate Macarons are filled with a chocolate buttercream made with hot cocoa mix and a creamy marshmallow center for that classic hot chocolate flavor. These are perfect for the holidays! And if you love chocolate macarons, you should definitely try my Chocolate Strawberry Macarons!
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Hot Chocolate Macarons Recipe
- Powdered Sugar – Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together because almond flour has a lot of moisture and will not sift well on its own.
- Almond flour – Use finely sifted almond flour even though you will be sifting it so that your shells are smooth and not lumpy.
- Egg whites – make sure your egg whites are at room temperature so they whip up to the right consistency faster.
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered egg whites – If you have trouble getting a strong meringue, powdered egg whites can help. Mix them with the granulated sugar before adding to the egg whites so that the powder doesn’t clump up.
- Vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring – Use gel food coloring because liquid food coloring will add extra moisture to your macaron batter which can affect the texture of the macaron shells.
- Hot cocoa mix with marshmallows – I buy the Marshmallow Lovers Hot Cocoa Mix because the marshmallows come in a separate envelope.
Hot Chocolate Macaron Filling
I used both hot cocoa mix and cocoa powder in my filling because the hot cocoa mix is more sweet than it is chocolatey. I added the cocoa powder to intensify the chocolate flavor. You’ll want to dissolve the cocoa mix in the heavy cream because the mix can make your buttercream a little grainy if you don’t dissolve it before adding it in.
Store-bought marshmallow creme is perfect for this recipe because it’s easy and delicious. I piped it in the center of my macarons to add the marshmallow flavor to the chocolate filling.
Best Chocolate for Drizzling
I like to use chocolate melting wafers because they melt easily in the microwave. Just make sure not to overheat them because they can burn and you won’t be able to use them if that happens.
It’s best to heat the wafers for 30 seconds at first, and if they still need more time, heat them for an additional 10 seconds. Then just stir until it’s completely melted.
Best Way to Drizzle Melted Chocolate
I’ve found that the easiest way to drizzle melted chocolate is by pouring it into a pastry bag, cutting a very small opening at the tip and drizzling. You have to work very quickly because the chocolate will start setting inside the bag if it cools down too much.
Macaron Tips
- Weigh your macaron ingredients in grams – This is so important because cups are not accurate and any deviation from the exact measurement will affect your macaron shells.
- Whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks – Your meringue should clump up inside the whisk. This means it’s stiff enough for the shells. If your peaks are falling to the side, continue whisking because this means your meringue is not ready.
- Use an oven thermometer – Oven displays are not always accurate and you may not be baking at the correct temperature. The only way to truly know the internal temperature of your oven is by using a thermometer.
More holiday macarons to try
More fall flavored macarons
Macaron resources
Hot Chocolate Macarons
These Hot Chocolate Macarons are filled with a chocolate buttercream made with hot cocoa mix and a creamy marshmallow center for that classic hot chocolate flavor.
Servings: 18 macarons
Calories: 130kcal
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Strainer
- Whisk
- Stand mixer
- Spatula
- One 16 inch pastry bag
- Three 8 inch pastry bags
- Round piping tip (Wilton 12)
- Two silicone baking mats
- Two half sheet pans
- Oven thermometer
- Small glass bowl (for melting chocolate wafers)
Ingredients
Macaron shells
- 90 grams powdered sugar
- 80 grams almond flour
- 70 grams egg whites
- 70 grams granulated sugar
- 2 grams egg white powder (optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 drops brown gel food coloring
Chocolate buttercream
- ¼ cup salted butter (½ stick, softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp hot cocoa mix
- ½ tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp marshmallow creme (store bought)
Chocolate drizzle
- 9 melting chocolate wafers
- mini marshmallows (chopped)
Instructions
Prepare dry ingredients
- Sift powdered sugar and almond flour using a whisk to break down any clumps. Set aside.
- Line sheet pans with silicone mats.
- Insert the piping tip into the 16 inch pastry bag.
Make the meringue
- Whisk the egg whites on medium speed (speed 4) until you start to see small bubbles (this can take as little as 15 seconds sometimes).
- Slowly add 3 tbsp of granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time.
- Whisk until you start to see tracks in the meringue.
- Increase speed to 6 and continue slowly adding the remainder of the granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until you’ve added all the sugar.
- Once you have soft peaks, stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla.
- Whisk for about 2 minutes, or until medium peaks, and add 3 drops of brown gel food coloring.
- Whisk for another 5 minutes or until stiff peaks.
Combine ingredients
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the meringue and fold the batter until you can't see any of the dry ingredients.
- When folding the batter, slide the spatula under the batter, lift it in a U motion, go over the top of the batter, and slide it under again. This way you make sure to get the batter at the bottom of the bowl.
- Once fully combined, add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and repeat the process of folding.
- Add in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and fold until fully combined.
- Once all of the powdered sugar/almond flour mixture has been added, continue folding a few more times to make sure all the ingredients are combined well.
- Now you need to deflate some of the air in the batter by taking the spatula and smearing the batter on the sides of the bowl two or three times, and then folding once or twice.
- Continue this process of smearing some of the batter on the side of the bowl and folding once or twice until the batter starts to run off the spatula in ribbons.
- You can test the consistency by lifting the spatula and letting the batter run down. If it falls in ribbons and sinks into itself within 30 seconds, it's ready.
Pipe the shells
- Transfer the batter to the 16 inch pastry bag.
- Holding the pastry bag at a 90° angle, pipe the macarons into ¾ inch circles about 1 inch apart.
- Tap the tray against the counter about 8 times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the macarons rest until they form a skin and are no longer sticky.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 310°F.
- Bake the macarons for 14-16 minutes.
- Macarons are ready when they no longer shift if you touch the tops.
- Allow the macaron shells to cool for at least 15-20 minutes before drizzling with chocolate.
Prepare the chocolate drizzle and mini marshmallow topping
- Take a few of the mini marshmallows included with the cocoa mix and chop them. This will be your decoration.
- Place 9 chocolate wafers in a small glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Remove from microwave and stir with a spoon until the chocolate has completely melted. If it needs more time, microwave for another 10 seconds, remove from microwave, and stir until melted.
- Immediately transfer the chocolate to an 8 inch pastry bag, cut a small opening at the tip, and drizzle on half of the macarons. This needs to be done very quickly as the chocolate will start to set inside the bag if it cools down too much. Drizzle about 3 shells at a time and sprinkle some of the mini chopped marshmallows on top before the chocolate starts to set.
- While the chocolate drizzle is drying, transfer the marshmallow creme to an 8 inch pastry bag and set aside. Don't cut an opening at the bottom yet. Also prepare the buttercream.
Chocolate buttercream
- Using the stand mixer, whisk the butter and cocoa powder until the cocoa powder has dissolved.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and whisk until fully combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and whisk until you no longer see any sugar.
- Dissolve the cocoa mix in the heavy cream, add to the bowl, and continue to whisk until the buttercream looks smooth and creamy.
Assemble the macarons
- Fill an 8 inch pastry bag with the buttercream and cut a ¼ inch opening at the bottom of the bag.
- Pipe the buttercream around the outer edge of half of the macaron shells, leaving a space in the middle for the marshmallow creme.
- Take the pastry bag filled with the marshmallow creme, cut a ¼ inch opening at the tip and fill the middle of the macarons with the creme. It will be a bit runny but the buttercream will keep it in place.
- Place the decorated shells on top of the filled macaron shells and refrigerate for at least 24 hours so that the macarons can mature.
Notes
*Calories reflected are for macaron shells only
Mixing bowl should be clean and grease free
Weigh all ingredients in grams for accuracy
Use room temperature egg whites (to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, put them in a bowl filled with hot water for about 5 minutes)
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together because almond flour is moist and doesn’t sift well alone
Mix the egg white powder and the granulated sugar before adding to the egg whites to fully dissolve the egg white powder
Whisk the meringue until you have stiff peaks
Let macarons dry before baking so they don’t crack
Work very quickly with the melted chocolate wafers because the chocolate will start to set inside the pastry bag as soon as it starts cooling down
Let the macarons mature at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before eating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1macaron | Calories: 130kcal