Soft and chewy with a sweet crunch, these French vegan macarons are a delicious, eggless alternative to the traditional version! Filled with soft buttercream which can be flavoured or coloured to your preference for a pretty afternoon treat or dessert!
Macarons were one thing I was a huge sucker for before I went vegan. It didn’t matter how ridiculously overpriced I thought they were at the time, I just had to try every flavour available at whichever stall or market I was at.
But after making my own macarons, I realised that they were in fact very reasonably priced for the amount of effort that goes into making them.
Now I don’t want to scare you, but making eggless macarons is not for the faint-hearted! Unless you’ve made them before, it’s probably not going to be a walk in the park.
It’s really important that you follow the instructions to a tee and even then, it may take a few tries before you get them right.
BUT saying that, it definitely is possible, and I want to help you do so. I’ve written as much detail as I can in the instructions below to help you get them right the very first time!
I always make sure to say here on my blog that I’m not a professional, I’m just a regular gal who likes to bake! I’ve never had any training or schooling. I’m always trying to learn more about baking and find ways to get better at it.
2019 was the first time I ever made vegan macarons. The most popular ways to make them are by using either the Italian method or the French method.
I took one look at the Italian macaron method and immediately wrote it off. It seemed way too complicated for a macaron beginner like I was! So I decided to go with the French method.
I had originally adapted a recipe I found online last year and it worked OK but I didn’t quite have my technique down. I wasn’t happy with how they looked so decided to redo this post.
So I had a look at LOADS of non-vegan recipes online this time and found one that used almost equal amounts of ingredients. After working out the aquafaba equivalent of the egg whites, I took a chance at adding equal amounts of the rest of the ingredients.
Shockingly, it worked first time! I found this really exciting because the last time I tried to make egg-free macarons, it took at LEAST 3 attempts.
These vegan macarons came out beautiful with tall feet, peeled easily off of the tray and were filled nicely inside. Hurrah! I tested the same recipe a few more times and I think it is pretty foolproof if you follow my top tips.
Traditional macarons are not vegan, however, vegan macarons do exist! You can buy macarons that have been specifically made to a vegan recipe or you can make your own at home with aqua faba instead of eggs. Macarons tend to be gluten-free and vegetarian most of the time but this can vary, depending on the filling.
How To Make Vegan Macarons
If you’re new to vegan baking, or you’ve never heard of aquafaba, let me enlighten you.
You know that gloopy, yellowish water that comes out of canned white beans (such as chickpeas or broad beans)? Yeah… that’s the main ingredient for this recipe.
But don’t be alarmed. As odd as it looks (and smells) at first, you’ll soon be amazed at how perfectly it mimics egg whites. It fluffs up and makes soft meringue peaks just the same!
The most important thing to know about aquafaba though, is that you need to reduce it before you start trying to whip it up. When attempting meringues in the past, I learned the hard way that if you don’t reduce it beforehand, the meringue is very likely to deflate into a puddle while it bakes. Sad times.
Related post: best vegan desserts
Step 1: Reducing the Aquafaba
To reduce aquafaba simply means to chuck it in a pot and simmer it until it reduces in volume (i.e. getting rid of the excess water content).
I used the liquid from two 400g (14oz) cans which gave me around 250g of aquafaba. Which brings me to my next point…
I would HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale for this recipe as it’s super important that all the ingredients are accurately measured. One little mistake can destroy all of your hard work (yes, I am speaking from personal experience).
Whatever your beginning weight of aquafaba is, you want to reduce it by half. I placed 250g of aquafaba into a pot over high heat and weighed it periodically until it reached 125g. This can take around 5-10 minutes.
Note that while it’s reducing, the aquafaba will let off a weird aroma- sort of like soup. But don’t worry, your eggless macarons won’t taste like that AT ALL.
Once you’ve reduced it sufficiently, allow it to cool thencover and place it in the fridge overnight, or at least for a few hours. You’llnotice that it becomes sort of gelatinous, like egg whites.
Easy Vegan Macaroons
FAQ
Can vegans eat macarons?
Do macaroons contain dairy?
What is macaroon made of?
Why are macarons not vegetarian?
Are macarons vegan?
Traditional macarons are not vegan, however, vegan macarons do exist! You can buy macarons that have been specifically made to a vegan recipe or you can make your own at home with aqua faba instead of eggs. Macarons tend to be gluten-free and vegetarian most of the time but this can vary, depending on the filling.
Is macaroni healthy to eat?
Macaroni made with refined flour is unhealthy but if it is made with whole grains can be a better choice. Whole grain pasta is lower in calories and carbohydrates, high in fiber and most micronutrients. Refined pasta is higher in calories and lower in fiber. This may increase risk of heart disease, high blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Are coconut macaroons vegan?
Homemade vegan coconut macaroons that are toasty and golden on the outside and sweet, moist, and chewy on the inside. Made with just 4 simple ingredients (plus a tiny pinch of salt) and naturally gluten-free! Hey friends it’s coconut time!! And it’s all squashed up in perfect vegan coconut macaroon form.
Can vegans eat macaroons with milk chocolate toppings?
On the other hand, however, macaroons with milk chocolate toppings are not safe for vegans. As the name itself suggests, milk chocolate contains milk in one form or the other. If a pack of macaroons at the bakery is deliciously vegan at the core but uses milk chocolate topping, abandon it.