Macaron Troubleshooting
I’m going to talk about macaron troubleshooting because if you’re anything like me, you made one perfect batch of macarons, got cocky, then had a plethora of problems follow. Luckily, macarons still taste good broken, hollow, and disfigured.
But… if you’re up at night wondering why your macarons are cracked, or why your macarons are sticking to the sheet, or just why they don’t look like the Instagram pictures, these French macaron troubleshooting tips can help.
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Use an oven thermometer
If your macarons are sticking to the sheet or getting too brown on top, this might help. Putting an oven thermometer in your oven can be an easy fix for some of your macaron problems. Most ovens vary a bit when it comes to their temperature. Use an oven thermometer and test it in different places of your oven to see if there’s hot spots. Hot spots in your oven could be causing lopsided macarons.
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Don’t over mix the batter
This is a common macaron troubleshooting tip because of its importance. You don’t want to under mix your macaron batter and you definitely don’t want to over mix it. Under mixing it will leave little peaks on the shells, but over mixing can cause the shells to spread and get really flat and crispy. I still count how many times I fold the batter once I’ve added the almond flour/sugar mixture. With the recipe I use, I never fold more than 70 times. It’s even less if I use a lot of food coloring.
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Let the macarons dry
This is a big problem in the summer and an even bigger problem if you don’t have air conditioning. Turn on a ceiling fan or put a rotating fan in front of your macarons while they dry. They should be dry to the touch and not sticky at all. You should be able to lightly run your finger over them. This should prevent cracked macarons.
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Use a piping bag
I don’t know if it’s even possible to make macarons without a piping bag. Making macarons with a piping bag and a good tip will ensure a uniform shape. Just make sure you are piping straight down onto the cookie sheet, instead of piping in a circular motion. Check out the Resource page to see what supplies I recommend.
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Use the right cookie sheets
Make sure you are using flat cookie sheets. I had big problems with sloping shells when I used cookie sheets with edges. These are my favorite. Also, turning the sheet halfway through the baking time will help the macarons evenly rise.
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Let the macarons rest after filling
Once you have filled your macarons, keep them in the fridge for at least 24 hours before you try them. Then, let them sit at room temperature for like 20 minutes before you eat them. This will give them a perfect texture. If you try to eat them right after you fill them, the macarons will be crispy.
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Don’t under beat the egg whites
Under beating the egg whites can cause flat macarons and hollow macarons. If you’re sure you’re not over mixing the batter and you’re still getting flat, spread out macarons, it could be because you’re under beating the egg whites. Make sure you beat them until they are really stiff. When you take the whisk attachment out of the meringue, it should form a big clump in the whisk.
If you’ve fixed these mistakes and still aren’t getting the results you want, try out my online course. There’s an option for a written instruction only course, as well as a detailed course with videos and written instructions. Go to the course here.
The Comments
Debi
Seems like my feet stick out a bit more than the macarons in your photos. How do I correct that?
Kathleen Schreiver
can you share with me how you package up your macarons to ship so they don’t break I’d love knowing what has worked for you,
Rosemary Lobrutto
Hello. I can’t tell you how many batches of macarons I’ve made. I’m beyond frustrated but I refuse to give up. I can and do bake everything else including breads, eclairs and most italian pastry. The big huge horrid problem is no feet or spread feet. What is going on? I follow every recipe Exactly as instructed but the feet are just not there. What can I do? People around me are getting fed up with my obsession with these stupid little cookies. Thanks rosemary
Michelle Adams
> Rosemary LobruttoHi Rosemary! I know how you feel! These little cookies are FINICKY! Have you tried the recipe from my site? If so, how long are you whipping the meringue and how many times do you fold the batter?
Sara
> Rosemary LobruttoMake sure all of your ingredients are uncontaminated. Use new sugar, flour etc that hasn’t been touched with a spoon that stirred coffee or a scoop that scooped a different flour…..
Amanda
Hi. I have probably tried to cook Macarons 10 times this past week. They actually look great. Taste great. But get the same result with the dome/top too dry and cracks off when you bite into it or crack it open. Ive tried cooking them at 275, 300 and 325 and it’s the same thing each time. What causes a dry top that isn’t just slightly crunchy but dry and cracks off when you push down on it?
Michelle Adams
> AmandaHi, what recipe are you using? Do you have an oven thermometer?
Mariana
> Michelle AdamsHi I have a question why do my macarons don’t have the normal feet like they have feet but not the normal one with the bubbles it’s weird and why do they take a lot of time to dry like 2 hours with the fan on and how can I be 100% sure that my merengue is the perfect one ( sorry for the long text and many questions 😂) also do the flavor of the macarons is in the shell or the cream also can u make a vid on YouTube of how to make the perfect merengue for the macarons
JOEY
HI!
I JUST MADE SOME YESTERDAY AND I THOUGHT THEY’D BE PERFECT BECAUSE THEY LOOKED SO SMOOTH! BUT AFTER I TOOK IT OUT, THEY WERE STUCK TO THE SHEET. IS IT POSSIBLE TO OVERWHIP THE EGG WHITES? IT COULD ALSO BE WHEN I WAS “MACRONAGING” I DIDN’T COUNT AND MIXED IT UNTIL I DID THE FIGURE 8 BUT POSSIBLY WENT TOO FAR.
Michelle Adams
> JOEYHi Joey!! It sounds like maybe they were underbaked. Do you have a thermometer in your oven? Also, did you add any food coloring?
Zemirah
Hiya, I’ve just started making macarons and everytime I bake them, they come out looking flat. They have a nice texture and flavor, and they’ve got a bit on crunch on the outside and its chewy on the inside but they just aren’t round enough. Help??
Zemirah
Hiya, I’ve just started making macarons and everytime I bake them, they come out looking flat. They have a nice texture and flavor, and they’ve got a bit on crunch on the outside and its chewy on the inside but they just aren’t round enough. Help me please?
Michelle Adams
> ZemirahHi Zemirah! How long are you whipping the meringue? If it’s underwhipped, that could lead to flatter tops.
Gabrielle
> Michelle AdamsHi, for some reason when i make macrons they really stick to the parchment paper
and their soggy on the top please help.
Maite
Hi, i just baked macarons yesterday and i am really frustrated, because they came out really bad. from the outside they look ok, but when you touch them, they just look like your photo. The top is thin and crispy and the macarons are hollow and hard and break easily. They dried really fast, but when i wanted to touch the top, they just break in. What is the problem? I used 100 g almond flour, 200 g powder sugar, 3 egg whites, , food colouring, and 40g sugar. One time i opened the oven to take them out, because the lookrd finished, but the inside was mushy and wet, so i let them longer in and now they are like that.
Maite
Hi, i just baked macarons yesterday and i am really frustrated, because they came out really bad. from the outside they look ok, but when you touch them, they just look like your photo. The top is thin and crispy and the macarons are hollow and hard and break easily. They dried really fast, but when i wanted to touch the top, they just break in. What is the problem? I used 100 g almond flour, 200 g powder sugar, 3 egg whites, , food colouring, and 40g sugar. One time i opened the oven to take them out, because the lookrd finished, but the inside was mushy and wet, so i let them longer in and now they are like that. What can i do?
Birute
Thanks for your recipe and comments!7th time,different videos and various recipes,and yours are the one that worked!Your instructions were spot on,very good,I think I finally get it and now I have nice round home made macarons!!! I was sitting by the owen,and was happy as a child,when those babies started to grow,did not crack,and showed up their feets:DYou are awsome also,your mood and spirit!:)Thanks again!
Gabrielle
Hi, I made a batch of macrons the other day but they stuck to the sheet and they were soggy on the tops please help me.
P.S. whenever i make macrons they turn out different every time.
Narges
Hello
I tried your recipe two times this week the second one was actually great on the outside but hollow inside
I cooked the recipe one third (70 g egg whites …)
And my mixer is not kitchen aid it is bosch compact mixer and it has only 4 speed and as i see in your video it is lower than your speed in the last mixing time
So i mixed it about 25 minutes it was kind of stiff
And when i mixed it into my batter with 25 folds i reached the consistency (maybe a little runnier)
I have oven thermometer 300F and i don’t know what else i can do
It is great when you look at it but hollow hollow hollllooooow
Please help me
Michelle Adams
> NargesHi! Have you tried filling them and letting them mature for 24 hours? That should help a lot with hollows
Gabrielle
Hi, For some reason my macarons were soggy on the top and were like super sticking to the mat please help
Michelle Adams
> GabrielleHi, what recipe are you using when this happens? And do you have an oven thermometer?
Mariana
Hi I have a question why do my macarons don’t have the normal feet like they have feet but not the normal one with the bubbles it’s weird and why do they take a lot of time to dry like 2 hours with the fan on and how can I be 100% sure that my merengue is the perfect one ( sorry for the long text and many questions 😂) also do the flavor of the macarons is in the shell or the cream also can u make a vid on YouTube of how to make the perfect merengue for the macarons
Luna
My macarons aren’t drying and I don’t know what to do!!! Please help!!!!
Adele
Hi Michelle! I cannot, for the life of me, fix my hollows! I use your recipe every time because everything else is perfect with them! Taste, feet, form, etc. They are just hollow even after maturing. I’ve tried changing my times and temps, oven thermometer, all of it. I only fold until it’s ribbon like so I don’t know that I’m over mixing. Are hollows usually because of mixing the dry with wet or because of meringue whipping? Thanks so much!
suzanne boland
Hi i joined your facebook group and it is great. Ive tried now many times to make macrons and there is always something wrong. Im learning alot though. My main problem is that they end up brown. They brown fast. I have a fan oven. I put them on 300 for about 14 mins turning halfway through. I tried to put them at a lower temperature but then they were underbaked and stuck to the mat. I even put a baking tray above them to stop browning but that doesnt seem to have helped. Another problem is some of the tops broke so i think they may be some hollow ones. They were in the second batch i put in at a slighly lower temperature. My oven temperature varies so even though i have a thermometer it is hard to keep an eye on it. Ill keep trying. Thank you 🙂