The ultimate fall / holiday macaron flavor! These pumpkin spice macarons are filled with a creamy pumpkin spice ganache! There is real pumpkin puree in the ganache and both the shells and filling contain the signature pumpkin pie spice blend!
A few notes before getting started:
- Read through the recipe at least twice to fully understand the method and equipment needed.
- Measure out all macaron ingredients prior to starting and allow the egg whites to come to room temperature.
- Have your piping bag, piping tip and piping template ready to go before making the batter.
- You can make the pumpkin ganache filling the day before or the day after making the shells to break up the work.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Macarons
This post and recipe may feel long and daunting but don’t worry. Stick with me here and I’ll fill you in on everything I know about making macarons!
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Kitchen scale – this is non-negotiable! A good scale is required to properly measure out the ingredients for the macaron shells.
- Candy or Infrared Thermometer – needed to measure the temperature of the sugar syrup. A candy thermometer will attach to the side of your saucepan and sit in the liquid syrup. I find that it’s such a small amount of syrup that you need a very small saucepan to properly submerge the candy thermometer in for an accurate temperature reading. If you run into a similar issue, try using an infrared thermometer or this digital candy thermometer instead.
- Heavy duty stand mixer – such as a KitchenAid. We’ll use this to whip the eggs whites and sugar syrup into a thick and glossy meringue.
- Large sieve – or food processor. You’ll need the almond flour and confectioners sugar to be well sifted and free of any large lumps.
- Large mixing bowl – for mixing the batter.
- Large rubber spatula – to fold the meringue and dry paste mixture together.
- Piping bag & round piping tip – to create even and round piped macarons.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats – to line the baking sheets and prevent sticking.
- Macaron Piping Template – you can either sketch or print out your own circle template on paper or use a baking mat like this one that already has the macaron sized circles on it!
- 2-3 High quality baking sheets – higher quality baking sheet pans will resist warping in the oven.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
- Consistency of dry ingredients – use a finely ground almond flour and sift together with the confectioners sugar, discarding any large granules. If necessary, use a food processor to grind the two ingredients into a fine powder.
- Sugar Syrup – carefully monitor the temperature of the syrup so as not to overheat it. Heating beyond 244°F will cause the sugar to become too firm.
- Meringue – whip the meringue just until stiff peaks are reached. Meringue should be thick and glossy. If you over mix it will become lumpy and dry, causing hollow shells. Also, be sure the stand mixer bowl is very clean before whipping the egg whites. There should be no liquid or oil residue in the bowl, otherwise it can prevent the eggs whites from whipping up properly.
- Macaronage (mixing) – swipe the spatula around the outside of the bowl and cut through the middle of the batter to combine the meringue with the dry ingredient/paste mixture. The batter should flow smoothly but not become runny. Stop mixing often to check the consistency. Better to under mix than over mix. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the batter as it falls off the spatula without it breaking.
- Piping – hold the piping bag straight up and down. Apply even pressure while piping each round. Release pressure before flicking away the piping tip.
- Air Bubbles – bang the baking sheets on the counter to release any air bubbles that may be trapped in the piped macarons. If any stubborn air bubbles remain, use a toothpick to pop them. Air bubbles can lead to cracking or bumpy shells, so best to get rid of them.
- Drying – allow the macarons to dry at room temperature until a ‘skin’ forms on the outside of the shell. The shell should not be sticky when lightly touched. The ‘skin’ encourages the macarons to pop up when baking, rather than spread out, creating the little ruffled feet at the bottoms of the shells.
Check out More Macaron Flavors!
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Pumpkin Spice Macarons
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min (includes resting)
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 min (includes resting)
- Yield: ~ 30-35 filled macarons
Description
Pumpkin spice macaron shells filled with a flavorful creamy pumpkin spice ganache. The ultimate macaron flavor for fall and the holidays!
Ingredients
Scale
Macaron Shells
- 150 grams almond flour, ground finely
- 150 grams confectioners sugar
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 110 grams egg whites (divided into two 55 gram portions)
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 43 grams water
- 5 drops orange gel food coloring (optional)
Pumpkin Ganache
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, diced & room temperature
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If desired, place a template under the parchment paper with 1 1/4 – 1/12 inch diameter circles to use as a piping guide. (I like using these baking mats/template for piping even sized macarons.)
- Sift together the almond flour and confectioners sugar into a large bowl, discarding any large granules remaining in the sieve. (If there are a lot of large pieces remaining, place all of the almond flour and sugar into a food processor and grind for about a minute, then sift again. There should be very few large granules left.) Add in the pumpkin pie spice and whisk to combine. Add in the first portion of egg whites (55 grams) to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix the egg whites into the dry ingredients to form a thick paste.
- In a small saucepan, add in the granulated sugar and water. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the mixture closely while cooking. Begin heating on medium-high and bring the temperature to 240°F.
- Meanwhile, while the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the second portion of egg whites (55 grams) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until the egg whites are frothy and form tight small white bubbles. Once the sugar syrup reaches 244°F reduce the mixer to low speed and very carefully add the hot syrup into the egg whites in a slow stream along the side of the mixing bowl. Avoid hitting the whisk when adding the syrup to prevent it from splattering around the sides of the bowl.
- Once all of the syrup is added increase the speed to high and whisk for 3-4 minutes, until soft peaks form. At this point, stop the mixer and add in your gel food coloring (if using). Continue whipping the egg whites for a few more minutes until they are thick, glossy and form stiff peaks. The meringue should have cooled down to room temperature.
- Take a large spatula full of the meringue and add it into the almond-sugar paste. Fold the meringue into the paste to begin loosening the consistency. Add in the remaining meringue and continue folding into the batter, sweeping the spatula around the outside of the bowl and then cutting through the middle to combine. Keep mixing until the batter falls off the spatula in a “ribbon” and moves like slow lava. You should be able to draw a figure “8” with the batter as it falls off the spatula. The “ribbon” should smooth itself back into the bowl of batter after about 10 seconds. This is when the batter is ready to pipe.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a medium sized round tip. Secure the end of the piping bag with a bag clip or a rubber band to prevent the batter from spilling out of the top. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in even circles, about 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Gently but firmly tap the baking sheet on your work surface a few times to release any air bubbles from the piped macarons. Use a toothpick to pop any stubborn air bubbles.
- Let the piped macarons sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes to dry out and form a skin. They should no longer feel sticky when lightly touched.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake one sheet at a time for 12-14 minutes. Macarons are done when the tops are set and there is little to no jiggle from the “feet” when lightly tapped. Let the macarons cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.
Pumpkin Spice Ganache
- Cook the pumpkin puree in a small saucepan over medium low heat until bubbling. Once bubbling cook for 2 minutes before removing from the heat and setting aside. Clean out the saucepan.
- In the same small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until simmering. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and whisk in the cooked pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
- Finely chop the white chocolate and add to a large heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream/pumpkin mixture over the white chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to mix until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth. (If needed, heat the ganache in the microwave in 15 second increments until chocolate is fully melted.)
- Add in the diced butter and mix again. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until the ganache is set.
- Once the ganache has firmed up, add to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe the pumpkin ganache into the center of one macaron shell. Place a second macaron shell on top and gently sandwich the two together. Repeat until all macarons are filled. Store filled macarons in the fridge.
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