Friends, I am dying to share these with you! I created this recipe a couple years ago, and they were sooo delicious, but I wanted to wait to share them with you until I decorated them like little donuts, and I am sooooo incredibly happy with the results. These Donut Macarons are to die for delicious and unbelievably adorable.
How to Make Donut Macarons
Making these donut macarons is not as hard as you think. Follow along with me and you too can make these cute little treats!
Make the Donut Macaron Shells
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’m wary of making macarons in any shape that’s not a circle! So I like to come up with fun and unique shapes that still involve circles, haha. Enter donut macarons! All you have to do is make your macaron batter (we have a killer step-by-step recipe blog post here) and pipe a ring around the the circle template.
It’s okay if you don’t pipe them perfectly. Mine were a little wonky but still came out soooo adorable! You’ll bake these for 1 minute less than you would normal macarons and they should be perfectly cooked.
Pipe the Maple Buttercream
Make your Maple Peanut Butter Buttercream by adding 1 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter to our favorite American Buttercream recipe.
Once the macarons are cool, pipe your peanut butter maple buttercream around your donut macaron. I pipe the buttercream in a perfect circle using a Sultan tip. I love using this tip if I have other fillings to put in the middle of my macarons, and conveniently this works well if there’s a hole in the middle of your macaron!
Decorate with Royal Icing
After they’re filled comes decorating! Make your royal icing donut glaze (recipe below!) and color with 1 drop of Chefmaster Buckeye Brown color for “chocolate” donuts or leave it plain for “glazed” donuts. Pipe a small, thin, wavy line around the macaron and decorate with your favorite sprinkles. Let them sit until hardened completely.
Enjoy!
After you’re done, be so proud of yourself and enjoy a bite of your delicious and adorable macaron. If you make these macarons, be sure to tag me on IG so I can celebrate with you!
Donut Macarons
Equipment
- baker's half sheet pans: high quality baking sheets with rimmed edges
- KitchenAid stand mixer
- parchment paper or silpat baking mats (with macaron template)
- oven thermometer
- piping bag
- Wilton Tip #12
- food scale that will measure in grams or ounces
- scribe (a sharp, pointed tool), or a toothpick
- digital minute timer
Ingredients
- 160 grams egg whites room temperature
- 88 grams granulated sugar
- 256 grams powdered sugar
- 200 grams almond flour
- 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
- Peanut Butter Maple Buttercream recipe below
- Donut Glaze recipe below
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 285 for steel pans, or 300 for aluminum pans. Preheat for at least 10 minutes.
- Measure out your granulated sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
- Measure powdered sugar, almond flour together, then use a sifter to combine. This will make them smooth and lump-free. Set aside.
- Place your bowl on the surface of your food scale. Hit the "tare" button to zero out the weight of the bowl. Now measure the room temperature egg whites into the bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer.
- Add the clear vanilla extract.
- Place bowl on mixer stand (this recipe is for the KitchenAid mixer), and attach the wire whisk beater. Set timer for one minute. Turn mixer to Speed 4, and slowly add sugar to egg whites, shaking it in a little at a time during that first minute.
- When timer goes off, set mixer to Speed 6, and set timer for 2 minutes.
- When timer goes off, set mixer to Speed 8, and set timer for 1 and 1/2 minutes (90 seconds). Coloring may be added just before this last mixing. Egg whites should look silky, yet stiff enough to hold the peak.
- Now we'll make the macronage: blend in dry ingredients, by moving a flexible spatula around the bowl, then cutting down through the middle, making sure to scrape the bottom for the flour and incorporate it into the meringue. You know you are done when the batter rolls off the spatula in a continuous ribbon. Batter will be thick…but can flow like a ribbon.
- BAKER'S NOTE: I have several videos of making macronage in my Instagram Highlights.
- Insert Wilton #12 tip into the small opening of your piping bag. Scoop the macronage into the bag, filling only half-way full, leaving room to twist the top closed in order to keep the batter from spilling out the top. Pipe the macrons by applying pressure until the batter flows out. Pipe in a circle around the outer edge of your macaron template.
- NOTE: if you will be using parchment paper — search for online — then download a template of circles and place underneath your parchment paper. You'll remove this before baking.
- Once the full pan is piped, gently (or aggressively–no judgement here) bang the pan down onto the counter to release air bubbles. I usually place a towel on the counter before banging the pan. Use your scribe or toothpick to pop any large bubbles, in order to create smooth shells.
- PREP FOR BAKING, METHOD ONE: Place your parchment paper or silpat mat on the bottom of an upside-down baker's half sheet. Pipe your circles. Let rest about 5 minutes, bang (see above) then place them to bake in a pre-heated oven.
- PREP FOR BAKING, METHOD TWO: Place your parchment paper or silpat mat on the inside of a baker's half sheet (like normal). Pipe your circles. Let rest until your finger can glide across the top of the mac without stickiness, often up to 30 minutes. Bang (see above), then place them to bake in a pre-heated oven.
- Bake for 19 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, DO NOT — I repeat — do not remove from pan until they are completely cooled.
- This recipe yields 36-42 completed cookies (about 72-84 shells).
- Prepare the Maple Peanut Butter Buttercream and the Donut Glaze
- Pipe buttercream in a ring around the outer edge of the shells. Top with another macaron. Pipe the donut glaze in a thin wavy line as shown in the video above and top with sprinkles. Let dry until set. Enjoy!
Maple Peanut Butter Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter Let sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- 250 grams powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter
Instructions
- Place butter in bowl of mixer, and attach paddle flat beater. Mix on medium speed until butter breaks up and is starting to look smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt; mix for 30 seconds until combined.
- Add in maple syrup and peanut butter.
- Measure powdered sugar on scale. Slowly add to the mixer, 1 cup at a time.
- PRO TIP: Start the mixer speed back up slowly after adding the cup of powdered sugar, otherwise, pull out the mop.
- Once ingredients are all mixed, turn the mixer to medium high and set timer for five minutes.
- Use in your macarons!
- NOTE: American Buttercream will keep up to two weeks in the fridge, and one day at room temperature.
Donut Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tbsp meringue powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp water plus more if too thick
- 1 drop food coloring we used Buckeye Brown from Chefmaster
Instructions
- Mix the meringue powder and water on high speed until dissolved and frothy. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until combines.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the food coloring) and mix for 2 minutes on high. If too thick add more water. It should hold a soft peak.
- Add the food coloring. Pipe!
I want to hear from you: a comment or review!