These delicious macarons are made with a blueberry jam mixed in to the buttercream to create an amazing blueberry buttercream filling for perfect Blueberry Macarons.
If you love macarons be sure to try my Biscoff Macarons or Pistachio Macarons.
Why you’ll love these macarons:
- Delicious blueberry flavour
- Uses the French method making them super easy
- Uses only a few simple ingredients
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR BLUEBERRY FRENCH MACARONS
- Egg whites – at room temperature
- Granulated sugar (caster sugar)
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- Almond flour / Almond meal
- Violet gel food colouring (you can use blue or purple)
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR BLUEBERRY BUTTERCREAM
- Unsalted softened butter
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- Blueberry jam – made fresh with blueberries and sugar
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED.
- Bowl (glass or metal)
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer with whisk attachment
- Sifter or food processor (optional)
- Parchment paper /baking paper or silpat mat
- Flat baking tray
- Kitchen Scale
- Round piping tip and piping bag / pastry bag
- Rubber spatula
HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MACARONS?
Full details and ingredient measurements for this Blueberry Macaron recipe are in the recipe card below.
1: MEASURE INGREDIENTS
Measure the egg whites, granulated sugar, almond meal and powdered sugar.
2: SIFT WELL OR PROCESS
Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together. For best results, place the almond meal and powdered sugar into a food processor and process until fine.
3: MAKE A MERINGUE
Whisk the egg whites on a medium speed in a large bowl until it becomes foamy. Slowly add in the sugar until the meringue has formed stiff peaks and glossy. This can take a while of whisking. Once the meringue is stiff, add in violet food colouring and whisk until the colour has been incorporated.
4: MACRONAGE
Macronage is the step if turning the meringue and dry mixture (almond meal and powdered sugar) into the right texture batter that enables it to pipe and bake well. Sift the almond meal and sugar into the meringue. Fold gently until the mixture the dry ingredients are incorporated into the meringue. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the almond mixture has been incorporated. To check the macronage is at the right consistency, form a figure 8 with the spatula a few times, it should flow off the spoon easily enough to make a figure 8 a few times without breaking.
5: PIPING
Fill the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (approx 1cm). If you don’t have a piping tip, cut the edge of the piping bag, however for neat circles it’s best to use a piping tip. Pipe 1 inch rounds (2.5 – 3.5cm) onto parchment (baking) paper or a silicone mat. Pipe a mound in the centre of the circle and pull up as the batter begins to touch the sides of the circle.
6: REST AND BAKE
Rest the macarons for 30-60 minutes until it forms a skin. To test, touch the macaron, if a skin has formed no macaron should come off on your finger. Bake for 20 minutes at 150C/300F. Oven timing and temperature can take a little practise to get right when making macarons. If your oven has hot spots, turn the macarons every 5 minutes. Remove the macarons from the oven after the time has lapsed, or when you push the macaron shells on their feet and they do not move.
HOW DO I MAKE BLUEBERRY BUTTERCREAM MACARON FILLING?
The blueberry filling is made by adding an easy to make, fresh, homemade blueberry jam into the buttercream.
Start by making the blueberry jam. Place frozen or fresh blueberries in a small saucepan with sugar. Let this cook on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries start to soften and break down. Turn the stove to a medium heat and let the jam come to a boil and thicken. Once thickened slightly set aside to cool for a few minutes. Push the blueberry jam through a sieve and set aside to cool down completely.
Place the butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer until smooth, add in the blueberry jam. If the mixture is too thick or stiff you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to smoothen it out. Fill into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe a little mound into the one side of each macaron shell. Place the second shell on top.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESSFUL MACARONS
MACARON EGG WHITES
When making macarons it’s best to use room temperature egg whites. This ensures the egg white will whip well when turning it into meringue. If the eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 10-15 minutes to allow them to come up to room temperature quickly. If time permits age egg whites for best results. Break egg whites into a bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap, place in the fridge for 1-2 days before using.
MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS FOR MACARONS FIRST
Since macarons can be temperamental it’s important that the ingredients used are measured correctly. Using a digital scale is the best way to achieve accurate measurements for the ingredients used in macarons. Measure the ingredients before you start as the macaron making process if fairly quick and having everything ready to go makes it a lot easier.
BEST BOWL TO USE FOR MACARONS
Macarons are reliant on the whipping of the meringue, a meringue cannot form if there is any fat present. Make sure you don’t get any egg yolks in your whites. It’s also important that the bowl you use is clean and free from any fat, the best way to prepare the bowl is to give it a wipe down with some vinegar. Use a glass or metal bowl as fat is cleaned off the surface more easily. Plastic bowls can hold onto fat and are not as easily cleaned.
MATS FOR MACARONS
I like to use silicone baking mats for Macarons. I do find them easy to use and macarons are lifted off easily, however before I had purchased these I used parchment/baking paper with no issues.
RESTING MACARONS
Rest your macarons after piping. This is an important step in the macaron making process. The resting helps form a skin which then allows the macarons to rise, form feet and have a crisp shell. Depending on the temperature and weather where you are, the macarons may require different lengths of time to rest. Between 15-45 minutes. You can test if the macarons have rested by touching a macaron with the tip of your finger, if some of the macaron mixture sticks, they’ll require a longer time, if nothing sticks then they are well rested.
FOLDING MACARONS / MACARONAGE
The art of folding macarons is referred to as macaronage. This is where a lot can go wrong, it is best to mix your almond meal and confectioners/icing sugar in a gentle folding motion, until the batter flows like lava off the spoon and can form a figure 8 a few times before breaking.
TEST THE OVEN FOR MACARONS
Macarons can be finicky about temperatures, yes, it’s almost like they have a mind of their own. You may have to test a few times to see what works best with your oven. I’ve found macarons can be baked between 120c – 150c with great results, you just have to extend the cooking time when baking at lower temperatures. For my oven I bake my macarons at 150c/300F for 20 minutes. It’s also a good idea to flip your tray at 5-10 minute intervals if your oven has hot spots.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How to store blueberry macarons?
Macarons can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or in the freezer for 3 months. In fact it is best to store filled macarons in the fridge for 1-2 days before eating as this matures the macarons, allowing the filling and shells to meld together to create a deliciously perfect morsel.
Why are my macarons hollow?
There can be many reasons for this, it’s hard to say. Macarons can be over/under beated in the macaronage stage. They can be baked too high or too low. It can be a tricky thing to fix, and requires further testing.
Why are my macarons cracked?
This commonly happens if the macarons have not had enough time to rest or the oven temperature is too high. The best way to tell if the macarons have rested enough is to touch it with your finger, if nothing comes off onto your finger, they are rested.
If you love blueberries try these delicious Mini Blueberry Tarts with Chocolate, this easy Blueberry Olive Oil Cake or these zesty Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Bars.
More Macaron Recipes
Blueberry Macarons
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Food processor or sifter
- Sheet tray
- Kitchen scale
- Piping bags and 1cm piping tip
Ingredients
- 70 g Egg white egg whites from 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 55 g Caster sugar
- 90 g Almond meal
- 100 g Powdered (icing) sugar
- 3 drops violet gel colouring
Blueberry Jam
- 3 tbsp fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
Blueberry Buttercream
- 40 g unsalted softened butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tsp blueberry jam
- milk (if needed)
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients. Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar.
- Place egg whites in a bowl, whisk the egg whites on a medium speed until foamy.
- Slowly add in the caster sugar.
- Continue to beat until the egg whites are glossy and have stiff peaks. This may take a while.
- Add in the violet colouring and beat to mix in.
- Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar into the egg white.
- Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the meringue, until the batter flows of the spatular like lava and can form a figure 8 a few times without breaking.
- Fill into a piping bag and pipe 1 inch (3.5cm) rounds onto baking paper or silicon mat.
- Set aside to rest for 15-60 minutes, until a skin has formed on the macarons. Test by touching them with your finger, no batter should stick.
- Heat oven to 150c/300F.
- Place in the oven for 20 minutes. If your oven has heat spots, it is best to flip the pan every 5 minutes while baking.
- Remove the macarons if they no longer move when pushed on their feet.
Blueberry Jam
- Place frozen or fresh blueberries in a small saucepan with sugar. Let this cook on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries start to soften and break down.
- Turn the stove to a medium heat and let the jam come to a boil and thicken. Once thickened slightly set aside to cool for a few minutes. Push the blueberry jam through a sieve and set aside to cool down completely.
Blueberry Buttercream
- Place butter and powdered sugar in a bowl of a mixer. Beat until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
- Add the blueberry jam and beat until smooth.
- If the buttercream is quite stiff add in some milk to smoothen it out.
Assembling
- Once the macarons have cooled, remove from the mat and match each shell to a shell of a similar size.
- Fill blueberry buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a small mound into the centre of the one side of each shell, leaving room on the edges.
- Place the top shell onto the bottom filled shell and press gently.
- Put macarons into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 24 hours. This will mature the macarons making giving it a better texture and flavour.