Reindeer Macarons
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Get ready to sleigh the holiday season with our adorable Reindeer French Macarons! A double chocolate macaron with crisp and chewy chocolate meringue cookies sandwiching a rich and luscious chocolate ganache filling, simply decorated like Rudolph (or the other reindeer if you’d like) for a playful yet sophisticated Christmas cookie even the most discerning of foodies will love!
Reindeer French Macarons Recipe
This week is officially Christmas Macaron week over here at Sugar, Spice and Glitter as we are flooding the blog with 5 new Christmas Macaron recipes after updating our viral Santa’s Belt Macarons.
We’ve already posted our Snowman Macarons and later this week we’ll be sharing Little Debbie-inspired Macarons, Grinch Macarons and Eggnog Macarons – but today, it’s all about these cute Reindeer Macarons!
From it’s rich double chocolate-almond flavor to it’s utterly satisfying textural combination of a light and crispy shell that gives way to a chewy cookie interior and thick, luscious chocolate ganache, there is a lot to love about this easy Reindeer Macaron (not to mention it’s cute but minimalist decorations that are super easy to do at home, no matter what your level of dessert decorating skill).
Below, I’ve provided some tips, answers to FAQs and also slight variations on this recipe to make it truly your own – and if there is anything else I can do to help make your macaron baking experience better (other than hoping on a flight and doing it for you), please don’t hesitate to let me know!
A big myth with macarons are that they are super hard to make. While they are definitely a recipe that needs to be followed to the letter (!) they don’t deserve their reputation as incredibly tricky or technical.
Practically no one is intimidated by making boxed pasta – even though it needs to be cooked the perfect amount of time to not be too crunchy or too mushy. It needs to be drained and enjoyed quite quickly after making for best results. To make the perfect pasta, you have to rely on visual and textural cues, while timing things well. The same principles exist with macarons.
For example, the egg whites need to be beaten for a full 4-8 minutes so they become fluffy and shiny. They cannot be over-beaten or under-beaten (so watch them carefully). The finished macaron batter should flow like lava – thick, without clumps.
Reindeer Macaron Variations:
- Fill with a thick jam or a fruit curd
- Use cream cheese frosting as a filling. To make, combine 4oz cream cheese with 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons cream.
- Replace the ganache with a buttercream frosting
- Use a marshmallow creme filling, either straight from the jar or combine 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons cream
- Replace the ganache with Nutella
- Add powdered flavouring, like crushed dehydrated strawberries or other freeze-dried powders, to give the shells a fruity flavor (about 1-2 teaspoons is plenty)
- Add spices like cinnamon, matcha powder, etc
- For a vegan option, you can use aquafaba (chickpea water) and whip up to a meringue-like consistency
- Almond flour can be replaced with finely ground pistachios or hazelnut, as long as it’s super fine
Reindeer Macaron FAQs
How to store macarons: These macarons can be stored in the fridge for a week, or at room temperature for 2-3 days (as long as you only use a ganache filling).
How to freeze macarons: It’s best to freeze the macaron shells without the filling, as the filling can soften the texture of the meringue cookies, however you can freeze them with the filling if you don’t mind the slightly softened texture.
To freeze the macarons, flash freeze on a baking sheet or tray for one hour before transferring to a ziptop freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers, with each layer of cookies separated by parchment paper. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) The macarons can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours, then bring out and let come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving or enjoying.
More Pro Tips for Making Macarons:
- Carton egg whites can be substituted; however, we do recommend freshly separated eggs for better results.
- Room temperature egg whites whip up quicker than cold egg whites.
- Meringue powder is recommended to help stabilize the egg whites while whipping – but it is optional.
- Egg white powder (available online) is recommended to help fill the gaps in the macaron shells and make them fuller.
- Once baked, always store the shells in an airtight container. It does not take long for them to dry out and lose their chewiness.
Check out the below video to see how to make homemade macarons (it doesn’t show this exact recipe but it will show you the textures you will want to aim for when making these chocolate macarons):
Reindeer Macaron Ingredients
- Almond flour
- Powdered sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites
- Meringue powder OR Cream of tartar
- Egg white powder (optional)
- Dark chocolate cocoa powder
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- Dark chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
Reindeer Macaron Decorations:
- Dark chocolate chips
- Red cinnamon candies OR M&Ms
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: Separate the egg whites the day before; allowing egg whites to rest in the refrigerator overnight helps relax the proteins so they whip with better structure and stability. Bring them to room temperature before mixing.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Kitchen scale
- Sifter
- Silicone Spatula
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment or Silicone baking mat with macaron template
- Pastry bag (or a Ziptop bag)
- Large round metal tip
How to Make Reindeer Macarons
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Separate the eggs and retain the egg whites – be sure that there is no yolk, or they will not whip up. Beat egg whites until foamy in the bowl of the mixer with the whisk attachment, about one minute.
Add in the meringue powder or cream of tartar. Slowly add granulated sugar in three increments and mix well after every addition on medium speed. Once all the sugar has been combined, increase the speed to medium / high and mix for another five minutes. Mixture should be very stiff peaks and balled up in the whisk attachment and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and egg white powder (optional) together in a fine mesh strainer and gently sieve, leaving behind any larger chunks and discarding.
Pour the sifted dry ingredients into the whipped mixture and stir only enough to incorporate. From here, slowly start to fold, deflating the mixture and occasionally checking for consistency. Take special care to scrap the bottoms and sides of the bowl to ensure no dry ingredients are hiding. To check the consistency, pull a scoop of the mixture up with your spatula and let the mixture drop back into the bowl.
When it’s ready, it should flow nicely off the spatula, ribboning as it falls and then re-incorporating back into the mixture within about a 20 second count. The mixture should be the consistency of lava. Too few turns will result in tall macarons with a “peak”. Too many turns will result in the macarons spreading outward like traditional cookies rather than upward to get the nice, ruffled edges (feet).
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round metal tip. If you do not have a tip, then just a straight cut across will do. Also, if you do not have a pastry bag, a Ziploc will also work.
Prepare your baking pan by turning it upside down if it has a rim to it. Place your mat on the pan or your template with parchment paper covering it.
Holding the bag approximately ½ inch above the template and perpendicular to the pan, using the center as a bullseye and slowly squeeze the bag, keeping it in one place until the mixture reaches the inner circle of the template (provided). The mixture should settle to the outer line. Pipe out all the rounds until all batter has been used.
Take the entire baking sheet with the piped rounds on it and firmly hit the sheet on the counter several times, releasing any air bubbles and settling the batter. Any stubborn air bubbles can be popped with a toothpick.
Allow the piped rounds to rest for at least 30 minutes (that’s for our climate in the Colorado mountains. Higher humidity areas will need to increase this rest time). The tops should no longer be sticky/tacky. Sacrifice one shell to test by gently touching the surface. If it sticks to your finger, it’s not ready yet. Allow it to rest until you can touch it without sticking to your finger.
Once they have rested for about 30 minutes, place the tray in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. If baking more than one tray at a time, make sure to rotate the pans halfway through the cooking time. Let them cool on the pan. When cooled, very gently remove from baking sheet. Store in an airtight container stacked on their sides until ready to fill.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache:
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the dark chocolate chips and heavy cream for 1 minute. Remove and stir thoroughly. If needed, heat for an additional 15-30 seconds and stir well again until all chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and allow to cool until ready to assemble.
When ready to assemble, lay out the macaron shells and partner up with similar size shells. Fill one half of the shells with a the ganache. Pipe a mound in the center and then top with the remaining shell to create the cookie sandwich.
Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 15 second increments and stir well between each interval until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag.
Cut a small hole in the end of the chocolate bag and pipe two antlers, two eyes and a nose on each macaron. Place a red candy on the nose, if desired, to create a Rudolph reindeer.
Pin this Double Chocolate French Macaron for a fun and festive addition to your holiday baking:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our French reindeer macarons recipe:
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Macarons
Get ready to sleigh the holiday season with our adorable Reindeer French Macarons! A double chocolate macaron with crisp and chewy chocolate meringue cookies sandwiching a rich and luscious chocolate ganache filling, simply decorated like Rudolph (or the other reindeer if you'd like) for a playful yet sophisticated Christmas cookie even the most discerning of foodies will love!
Ingredients
Macaron Ingredients:
- 130 g almond flour (approx. 1 1/3 cups loosely packed)
- 130 g powdered sugar (approx. 1 cup)
- 90 g granulated sugar (approx. 1/3 cup)
- 100 g egg whites (approx. ½ cup – about 3 large eggs worth)
- ½ teaspoon meringue powder OR cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon egg white powder (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- 10 oz dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Reindeer Macaron Decorations:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup red cinnamon candies or M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Separate the eggs and retain the egg whites – be sure that there is no yolk, or they will not whip up. Beat egg whites until foamy in the bowl of the mixer with the whisk attachment, about one minute.
- Add in the meringue powder or cream of tartar. Slowly add granulated sugar in three increments and mix well after every addition on medium speed. Once all the sugar has been combined, increase the speed to medium / high and mix for another five minutes. Mixture should be very stiff peaks and balled up in the whisk attachment and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and egg white powder (optional) together in a fine mesh strainer and gently sieve, leaving behind any larger chunks and discarding.
- Pour the sifted dry ingredients into the whipped mixture and stir only enough to incorporate. From here, slowly start to fold, deflating the mixture and occasionally checking for consistency. Take special care to scrap the bottoms and sides of the bowl to ensure no dry ingredients are hiding. To check the consistency, pull a scoop of the mixture up with your spatula and let the mixture drop back into the bowl.
- When it’s ready, it should flow nicely off the spatula, ribboning as it falls and then re-incorporating back into the mixture within about a 20 second count. The mixture should be the consistency of lava. Too few turns will result in tall macarons with a “peak”. Too many turns will result in the macarons spreading outward like traditional cookies rather than upward to get the nice, ruffled edges (feet).
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round metal tip. If you do not have a tip, then just a straight cut across will do. Also, if you do not have a pastry bag, a Ziploc will also work.
- Prepare your baking pan by turning it upside down if it has a rim to it. Place your mat on the pan or your template with parchment paper covering it.
- Holding the bag approximately ½ inch above the template and perpendicular to the pan, using the center as a bullseye and slowly squeeze the bag, keeping it in one place until the mixture reaches the inner circle of the template (provided). The mixture should settle to the outer line. Pipe out all the rounds until all batter has been used.
- Take the entire baking sheet with the piped rounds on it and firmly hit the sheet on the counter several times, releasing any air bubbles and settling the batter. Any stubborn air bubbles can be popped with a toothpick.
- Allow the piped rounds to rest for at least 30 minutes (that’s for our climate in the Colorado mountains. Higher humidity areas will need to increase this rest time). The tops should no longer be sticky/tacky. Sacrifice one shell to test by gently touching the surface. If it sticks to your finger, it’s not ready yet. Allow it to rest until you can touch it without sticking to your finger.
- Once they have rested for about 30 minutes, place the tray in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. If baking more than one tray at a time, make sure to rotate the pans halfway through the cooking time. Let them cool on the pan. When cooled, very gently remove from baking sheet. Store in an airtight container stacked on their sides until ready to fill.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache:
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the dark chocolate chips and heavy cream for 1 minute. Remove and stir thoroughly. If needed, heat for an additional 15-30 seconds and stir well again until all chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and allow to cool until ready to assemble.
- When ready to assemble, lay out the macaron shells and partner up with similar size shells. Fill one half of the shells with a the ganache. Pipe a mound in the center and then top with the remaining shell to create the cookie sandwich.
How to Decorate Reindeer Macarons:
- Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 15 second increments and stir well between each interval until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag.
- Cut a small hole in the end of the chocolate bag and pipe two antlers, two eyes and a nose on each macaron. Place a red candy on the nose, if desired, to create a Rudolph reindeer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
25Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves these easy reindeer macarons as much as my family does!
For more scrumptious cookies, check out our full cookie recipe collection here:
For more decadent desserts, check out our full dessert recipe collection here:
These are absolutely adorable! The reindeer design is so festive, and the double chocolate with ganache sounds incredibly rich and indulgent—perfect for the holidays, even while taking a break from the Dinosaur Game.