Pumpkin Spice Macarons (video)
Fall is finally here – leaves turning colors, cozy sweater weather and everything pumpkin spice! My Pumpkin Spice Macarons recipe will warm up your fall with incredible flavors! These macarons start with a spicy macarons batter, then filled with a spicy pumpkin buttercream and a surprise caramel center. If you enjoy all things pumpkin spice, these are for you! Enjoy these with a cup of coffee in the morning!
Watch My Macaron Video Tutorial!
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions and for all the sweet and spicy details! Want to receive new recipe updates? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Perfect for Fall!
I always look forward to fall after the long summers we have in California. Our warm weather extends well into October – it’s 80 degrees outside as I’m writing this! It can take a while to get into the fall-mood but once I pull out my pumpkin spice candles and decorative glass pumpkins, I can’t be stopped. I love these pumpkin spice macarons because they fill my home right up with their warming aroma. It’s completely irresistible!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Macarons
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for this French macaron recipe:
- Almond Flour: use fine almond flour for best results. Finely ground almond flour will yield smooth macaron shells and a better batter.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: for making the macarons and for the buttercream.
- Egg Whites: for making the macarons. I suggest having the egg whites at room temperature for best results.
- Cinnamon: I add cinnamon to both the cookies and the filling for maximum pumpkin spice flavor!
- Pumpkin Puree: canned pumpkin puree is the best and easiest choice for the pumpkin buttercream.
- Caramel: you can use store-bought caramel, or make a batch of homemade caramel sauce.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Macarons
These spicy pumpkin macarons are made with three components!
- Cinnamon & Spice Macarons: I use a classic French macaron batter using egg whites, almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon and other spices. Pipe 1 1/2-inch cookies onto baking sheets and let the cookies rest for an hour before baking. Allow the cookie shells to cool completely before filling them!
- Pumpkin Buttercream Filling: these pumpkin spice macarons are filled with a delicious pumpkin buttercream made with pumpkin puree and butter. The buttercream is seasoned with more cinnamon and nutmeg for extra flavor!
- Caramel Filling: For this video recipe, I used store-bought caramel for the surprise caramel centers. The caramel adds great flavor to these pumpkin macarons. If you have the time, I recommend trying my ‘Home-Made Caramel Sauce’ recipe. It’s super easy to make and great for this and many other recipes!
Tips for Making Pumpkin Macarons
Many bakers dread making macarons because these little cookies can be a little finicky, but set that fear aside! I’ll walk you through the steps with my precious instructions so you can make these at home. And don’t get disappointed if your first attempt doesn’t work well. My first three attempts at making macarons failed horribly! But practice makes perfect! Here are a few crucial tips for making these cookies:
- Whisk the egg whites just until they reach stiff peak stage. Under mixing will result in a flat batter; over mixing can cause the cookies to spread while baking.
- Fold the batter thoroughly, flattening the egg whites against the side of your mixing bowl. BUT, be careful – you don’t want to over mix the batter! That will also cause your cookies to be just flat, shapeless disks.
- Allow those cookies to REST! Let the cookies stand for an hour at room temperature, allowing a thin shell to form on the outside. This shell gives the cookies their shape so it’s crucial! If your macarons are cracking on top, you might need to let the cookies rest longer. If you live in a humid climate, extend the timing even more as humidity and moisture will prevent a shell from forming.
- For best results, store the macarons in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, allowing the cookies to ‘mature’. Remove the macarons to room temperature to thaw for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.
More Recipes!
Looking for more fall-flavored desserts to enjoy? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Try these ‘Maple Pumpkin Eclairs’ next – the pumpkin filling is amazing!
- And I love my ‘No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake’ – super fluffy, creamy and delicious!
- Pumpkin Donuts – classic sugar donuts, plus a pumpkin cream filled variety!
- Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cake – the best pumpkin cake ever, with salted caramel frosting!
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – the best fall cinnamon rolls with double pumpkin, cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing!
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Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- This set of jumbo cake decorating tips includes a simple round tip and star tips for filling.
- Get a set of disposable pastry bags – no more washing any bags!
- You can use parchment paper or these silicone mats for baking.
- I love my classic KitchenAid stand mixer – a must for every kitchen!
- And this kitchen scale is a must for making perfect macarons!
Pumpkin Spice Macarons (video)
Ingredients
- 120 g almond flour
- 200 g confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp EACH: all-spice, cloves, nutmeg
- 100 g egg whites
- 50 g white granulated sugar
For Pumpkin Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- sprinkle of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce, for filling
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Prepare a large pastry bag tipped with a simple, round tip.
- Prepare the macaron batter. Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl: almond flour, confectioner’s sugar and spices. Prepare the meringue in a separate mixing bowl. Whisk the egg whites and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks form, then add the meringue to the dry ingredients.
- Fold the meringue into the dry ingredients, folding from the bottom and flattening the meringue against the sides of the mixing bowl. Fold until the batter reaches ribbon stage and settles back down onto itself within 10 seconds. Transfer the batter into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe 1 to 1 1/2 inch disks of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies an inch apart.
- Allow the cookies to set for 1 hour at room temperature, allowing the cookies to form a thin shell on the outside. Preheat the oven to 320F. Bake the macarons for 17 to 18 minutes, until the cookies have a light golden edge. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool completely on the pan.
- Prepare the buttercream. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened butter, vanilla and spices for a few minutes on high speed until the butter is fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, whisking on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree last, mixing for about 20 seconds, just until it’s mixed in. If the buttercream begins to separate, add an additional 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag.
- Pair the macaron shells by size. Pipe the buttercream around the edge of the cookies, leaving a bit of space in the middle for the caramel sauce. Add the caramel sauce, then top with the second half.
- For best results: Store the macarons in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, allowing the cookies to ‘mature’. Remove the macarons to room temperature to thaw for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.
These turned out amazing! I made these yesterday to hand out during Thanksgiving and people loved them! Thank you for this delicious recipe, Tatyana.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Can you please give the conversion measurement in cups for the egg whites.
Hi Nelda! You’ll need approximately 3 large egg whites. I do recommend using a kitchen scale for macarons. It will be about .4 cups.
What brand of almond flour do you recommend? And do you use branched or non-blanched? I can’t wait to make these for the holidays!
Hi Stephanie! My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill but I find it to be a little expensive. Costco also sells great almond flour for an unbeatable price! You’ll want blanched, finely ground almond flour. Make sure it’s not almond meal. Enjoy!