Lemon Raspberry Macarons Recipe (video)

closeup raspberry lemon macaron

Macarons – the elusive, dreamy cookie recipe that haunts home pastry chefs! This French macaron recipe for sweet lemon raspberry macarons filled with a tart lemon filling is the first macaron recipe I ever tried! To add the most raspberry flavor, I add freeze dried raspberry powder to the macaron batter for real raspberry flavor, plus some more on top as garnish. The zesty lemon buttercream filling is the perfect complement to the sweet raspberry cookies!

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Tips For Making Lemon Raspberry Macarons!

I won’t lie – I took me three attempts at this recipe before getting it right! I was so frustrated by round 3, I almost gave up on making them again! But I’m so glad I pushed myself to try again and again. Now, I absolutely LOVE making macarons! They’re one of my favorite desserts to make and I experiment with different flavors all the time. In my video tutorial, I’m breaking down the recipe to show you to make these elegant cookies! 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.

lemon raspberry macarons with lemon buttercream filling

Storing French Macarons

These raspberry macarons are perfect all on their own, or you can use them to garnish a cake (I do that all the time!). Once you have the cookies assembled, I recommend placing them into an airtight container and set them into the refrigerator to ‘mature’ for 1 to 3 days. This will allow the macaron shell to soften, creating an unforgettable cookie! When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply take them out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving them, to allow the filling to thaw.

Lemon Buttercream Filling

These delicate raspberry cookies are filled with a simple lemon buttercream made with lemon juice and lemon zest! This recipe would also work great with my newest Lemon Buttercream recipe, featuring lemon extract and citrus acid to make the lemon filling extra tart!

fluffy lemon buttercream recipe; lemon frosting

More Recipes!

Looking for more fruity macaron recipes? I’ve got you covered with so many different options! Check out some of my other unique macaron recipes!

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Lemon Raspberry Macarons video recipe

Supplies/Tools

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Lemon Raspberry Macarons Recipe (video)

1 hour 30 minutes prep + 15 minutes cook
20 cookies
The best lemon raspberry macarons with freeze-dried raspberries and lemon buttercream frosting!

Ingredients 

  • 110 grams almond flour
  • 200 grams confectioner's sugar
  • 10 grams freeze-dried fruit powder, plus more for decorating
  • 100 grams aged egg whites, or at room temperature
  • 50 grams white granulated sugar
  • gel food coloring

For Lemon Buttercream:

  • Lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
  • Confectioner's sugar, about 2 cups

Instructions

  • I've read multiple recipes that ask for aged egg whites, some for up to 3 days. I've tried the recipe with fresh egg whites brought up to room temperature and aged ones and didn't see a big difference. I think the most important part is that they are not cold and straight out of the refrigerator!
  • I've premeasured all my ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Place a bowl onto your scales, tare the weight, which will set the scale to zero and sift the flour into the bowl. Discard any large pieces that didn't pass through.
  • For the berry flavor in this recipe, I'm using freeze-dried fruit, which I found at Trader Jo's. Simply place the berries into a food processor, pulse for a few seconds and sift through fine mesh strainer.
  • Now, I'm going to place my egg whites into my mixer bowl and add my sugar. Turn your mixer on high and whisk until stiff peaks form. (turn the bowl over, egg whites should not move)!
  • Sift into a large bowl the flour, confectioner's sugar and fruit powder. Gradually fold in the flour into the egg whites. Mixture needs to have a specific consistency. Not too thick or too thin, should fall off of your spatula in a ribbon.
  • I've lined 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheated my oven to 300F. The first time I made these cookies, I set my oven to 325F and they started to burn. Watch your cookies when they're in the oven and open the door if you think you see any color on them!
  • Transfer batter into a pastry bag tipped with a round tip. If you have the time, you can draw circles on the back of the parchment paper to use as guides. Otherwise, just freehand it!
  • Pipe onto your parchment paper. Tap pan multiple times to release any air bubbles. Then, let pan stand for 1 HOUR (very important, do not skip this step!) to form a thin film over the top.
  • I bake my cookies for 15 minutes.
  • Once you take them out, let them stand for a few minutes before removing them. Let them cool completely before filling.
  • For filling: Whisk the butter in medium-sized mixing bowl for a few minutes until fluffy. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar until buttercream is the right consistency. Pipe onto one cookie, top with another.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg