Red Velvet Macarons with Cream Cheese Frosting

by Marcie // December 2, 2019 (updated 10/30/20)

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Red Velvet Macarons are classic French macarons with the flavors of red velvet cake. They’re crisp, chewy and filled with a tangy cream cheese frosting!

Baking is a big part of who I am thanks to my mom. She baked birthday cakes from scratch for everyone’s birthday, and always made an assortment of quick breads, cookies and other treats to give as gifts to friends and family every year for the holidays.

I inherited my mother’s love of baking at a young age, which is why I’m taking part in the Nielsen-Massey Vanillas #BaketoShare campaign. This campaign is designed to help increase connections between family and friends this holiday season through the act of baking.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas conducted a survey with 1,000 Americans to uncover insights around holiday baking trends and found the following:

87% of Millennials and Gen-Xers are most likely to bake during the holidays
More than half of the Millennials surveyed are motivated to bake as a way to spend time with loved ones
The top 3 occasions that people bake seasonal treats for include watching holiday movies, decorating for the holidays and traveling to see friends and family

I began baking red velvet treats for the holiday season years ago because they’re a favorite of ours. One of our holiday traditions is to enjoy a seasonal treat and a cup of hot chocolate while we decorate our tree, which is why I will bake to share these Red Velvet Macarons this year for this occasion.

They’ve already become a favorite!

Vanilla extract is an essential ingredient in red velvet flavors, so not just any extract would do. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas is my go-to brand because all of their products have a fresh, pure flavor that shines through in anything that you bake.

Nielsen-Massey has been in business since 1907 and has a reputation for quality and consistency in their pure vanillas and flavors.

Product sustainability means a lot to me, and Nielsen-Massey is committed to the plants, people and communities that supply its ingredients. They’ve taken a leadership role in improving the health of the vanilla industry, as well as the economic prospects for farmers and their families.

For this recipe, I used 1 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in the macarons, and 2 teaspoons in the cream cheese frosting.

This vanilla is the most versatile, all purpose vanilla, and is perfect for any sweet and savory recipe. Vanilla from Madagascar has a sweet, creamy flavor with velvety after tones.

It’s quality you can taste!

I’ll never forget the first time I tasted red velvet cake. I had no idea what it was going to taste like, but I figured since red is my favorite color and it included cream cheese frosting, I had to like it. 🙂

For those of you that have never experienced red velvet flavors, it’s mainly a vanilla cake with a bit of cocoa powder and enough red coloring to achieve that beautiful hue.

I normally don’t use food coloring, but I make an exception for red velvet desserts. 🙂

When I made my first batch of red velvet macarons, I wondered if they would really taste like the cake. They turned out wonderfully, and had big red velvet flavor!

What is a macaron?

French macarons are delicate almond flour – meringue based sandwich cookies. They come in a wide variety of colors and flavors, and are filled with chocolate ganache, jam and frostings of every kind.

The texture of macarons is completely addictive. They have a crisp exterior that gives way to a chewy interior, and creamy or fruity filling that brings it all together.

Macarons are visually unique because of their “feet”. Read the section on how to make this French macaron recipe below for more information on how the macaron feet are formed.

Red velvet macaron ingredients

There are only a few ingredients for this red velvet French macaron recipe, so prep goes very quickly.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Egg whites (room temperature)
Almond flour
Powdered sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Cream of tartar
Super fine sugar
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
Red gel paste food color (do not use liquid!)
Butter
Cream cheese

How to make red velvet macarons

French macarons have a reputation for being a bit fussy and hard to make, but if you follow my simple steps, you’ll have macaron success.

Gather your ingredients and prep your baking pans

Mise en place, or prepping your ingredients before you get started is crucial in this recipe as things go quickly.

Place your egg whites in a mixing bowl on the counter first as they beat up much more quickly when they’re room temperature.
Line your pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Prepare the macarons:

Place the almond flour, powdered sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine.
Place the dry ingredients in a fine mesh sieve and sift over a medium bowl. Discard any large bits (there shouldn’t be more than a teaspoon or so).
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat on medium speed with a mixer until frothy.

Once the egg whites are frothy, increase the mixer speed to medium high and gradually add the super fine sugar, about a half a tablespoon at a time, beating until the meringue has soft to medium peaks.
Add the vanilla and gel paste food color and beat at low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form. When the meringue is done, it will stand straight up on the top of the wire whisk, or you can turn the entire bowl upside down and the meringue won’t budge.

Fold the almond flour mixture into the meringue by gently scraping the bottom of the bowl and folding the batter over the top. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn with each fold. The batter will become runnier as you fold. Continue to fold until the batter flows from the spoon in an even stream and you can make a figure 8 out of the batter without it breaking.
Place the macaron batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2″ baking tip and fill the bag. Pipe the macarons by placing the tip directly over the center of each circle and squeezing the bag to dispense the batter.
Rap the baking sheets on the counter 5 times each to pop any air bubbles that have formed.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Let the macarons stand 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature before baking to allow them to dry out. A skin will form over the top of the macarons, which prevents air from escaping. The air is pushed out the bottom of the cookie, creating their signature feet.
When the macarons are smooth and dry to the touch, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a wire rack. The cookies will release from the pan easily when they’re done. If they don’t, bake them for 2-3 minutes longer. Cool completely.

Prepare the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt, and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Place the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4″ round tip and pipe the frosting onto the half of the macarons. Top with the additional macarons and press down gently.

Recipe tips and substitutions

I purchased one macaron silicone baking mat and use it as a stencil for parchment paper for my other baking pan. I honestly like the results when I bake macarons on parchment more than silicone, and there are many free macaron stencil sheets online!
Store macarons in an air tight container for up to one week. They become even better as they’re chilled!
This recipe makes 12 macarons, but the recipe can easily be doubled.
Be sure to use gel paste food color as the liquid will result in an overly wet batter. All gel food colors are not created equal, so I suggest adding 1 teaspoon and adding 1-2 more teaspoons until you reach the desired hue.
Super fine almond flour isn’t completely necessary as you’ll process it in the food processor anyway, but I recommend using super fine sugar for the meringue for best results.

More red velvet recipes you’ll love:

Red velvet brownies

Red velvet cake by Live Well Bake Often

Red velvet cupcakes

Red velvet sandwich cookies

Red Velvet Macarons

Servings: 12 macarons

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 1 40

Red Velvet Macarons are classic French macarons with the flavors of red velvet cake. They're crisp, chewy and filled with a tangy cream cheese filling!

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Ingredients

For the macarons:

2 large egg whites
1 cup 100 g powdered sugar
3/4 cup 72 g almond flour
1 tablespoon 7.5 g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL cream of tartar
1/4 cup 50 g superfine sugar
2 teaspoons 8g - 24g red food coloring gel see Notes
1 teaspoon 5 mL Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

For the filling:

4 ounces 115 g cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons 60 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup 100 g powdered sugar
2 teaspoons 10 mL Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
pinch salt

Equipment