Description
This vegan macarons recipe uses chickpea aquafaba as an egg white substitute to create delicate, airy macaron shells paired with a creamy vegan margarine and icing sugar filling. The method involves reducing and chilling aquafaba for stability, whipping a glossy meringue, folding in almond flour and icing sugar, piping, and baking the shells before sandwiching them with a smooth, vanilla-flavored vegan buttercream.
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- Liquid from 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas (aquafaba)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 100g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 100g ground almonds
- 100g icing sugar
Filling
- 250g icing sugar
- 75g vegan margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A splash of plant-based milk (to adjust consistency if needed)
Instructions
- Reduce Aquafaba: Pour the liquid from the chickpea cans into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until it reduces by half, leaving approximately 125g. This concentrated liquid will create the meringue base.
- Chill Aquafaba: Allow the reduced aquafaba to cool, then refrigerate it in an airtight container overnight to improve whipping capability.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 150°C (300°F) or 130°C (275°F) if using a fan oven, preparing for baking the macarons.
- Whip Meringue: Measure 100g of the chilled aquafaba and place it in a clean bowl with the cream of tartar. Whip on high speed until frothy and pale, then gradually add the caster sugar while whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form, essential for delicate macaron shells.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift ground almonds and icing sugar into a separate bowl to ensure lump-free folding.
- Fold Dry Into Meringue: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped aquafaba in two additions, carefully mixing to retain the airiness and volume, avoiding deflation.
- Pipe Shells: Pipe 2.5cm (1-inch) rounds onto parchment-lined baking trays, spacing them evenly; let them rest for 20-30 minutes until the surface becomes matte to form the characteristic macaron skin.
- Bake Shells: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through for even cooking, until the shells are firm to the touch.
- Make Filling: In a bowl, cream the vegan margarine with 250g icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, adding a splash of plant-based milk to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Assemble Macarons: Once cooled, sandwich the baked shells with the prepared filling to complete the vegan macarons, ready to enjoy.
Notes
- Allowing the macaron shells to rest before baking creates a skin that prevents cracking and promotes their signature smooth tops.
- Reducing the aquafaba concentrates the proteins, ensuring the meringue whips properly to stiff peaks.
- Using cream of tartar stabilizes the aquafaba meringue for better volume and texture.
- Be gentle when folding the dry ingredients into the meringue to keep as much air as possible for light shells.
- Store macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- Bring macarons to room temperature before serving for optimal texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus overnight chilling of aquafaba)
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, Modern
Keywords: vegan macarons, aquafaba macarons, egg-free macarons, vegan desserts, plant-based baking, gluten free macarons
