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These dairy free pistachio and marshmallow macarons were inspired by Watergate salad. You know, that green fluffy dessert you had as a kid! I made delicious pistachio macaron shells and filled them with fluffy dairy free marshmallow frosting.

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Pistachio Pudding Inspiration

To truly channel the flavors of Watergate salad, I should have included some pineapple in this recipe, but that seemed over complicated. My husband gave me this idea back in December because he loved that green fluff as a kid! I was going to use freeze dried pineapple, but apparently that’s not a thing.

So anyways, I decided to make a sophisticated version of this fluffy salad. The pistachio macarons have so much flavor on their own that I could eat them straight up! But throw in this dairy free marshmallow frosting and it is a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

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Dairy Free Marshmallow Frosting

It’s important to note that marshmallow fluff is made with egg (or gelatin), so this frosting is not vegan. And if you do not need to stick to a dairy free diet, you can use regular butter for this recipe.

The marshmallow fluff softens the buttercream enough that I did not need to add any liquid. I wanted a very marshmallowy flavor and texture, so this frosting is fairly soft and fluffy. It would likely be too soft for a cake. But in these pistachio and marshmallow macarons, it is perfect!

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Pistachio Macarons

I have been making macarons for over a year now, and I still learn something new with every batch. They are such temperamental cookies that I don’t always know what will happen until the first batch comes out of the oven. But, with practice and experience, I get better each time.

Instead of using a new recipe, I decided to create my own macaron recipe. I cut my classic macaron recipe in half, and then substituted half of the almond flour for pistachio. Pistachios are very fatty nuts and I worried if I used the full amount, the oils would ruin the macarons.

Blunders

As the recipe is written, the flavor of the pistachio macaron shells is delicious! They taste exactly like a pistachio and the almond flour does not minimize the flavor at all. Unfortunately, I did not have as much luck with this batch as I have had with others. I ended up with more lopsided macarons than I would have liked. Luckily, I feel that I know where a lot of my issues were. I always consult Indulge with Mimi for troubleshooting. So, let’s chat about what went wrong…

Under Whipped Meringue

This one is 100% my fault. I only whipped my meringue for 5 minutes, when I’ve done up to 10 minutes with other batches. My son was fussing at me for making noise and I convinced myself that the whites were strong enough. They weren’t. Next time, I’m putting his headphones on before I start whipping!

Over Mixed Batter

When your meringue is too soft, that means you need to be super gentle with your macaronage (aka how you combine the dry ingredients with the meringue). My favorite sturdy spatula was dirty and I was lazy and just went with a flimsier tool. Which meant I had a lot of difficulty scraping the bottom of the bowl while folding and had to fold for too long.

Related Reading: Dairy Free Vanilla Macarons

Make Your Own Pistachio Flour

To make your own pistachio flour, start by chopping up your nuts first. The less time you need to grind them, the better your flour will be. Pulse for roughly a dozen 2- 3 second pulses. Then sift out the large chunks and weigh out your pistachio flour. Repeat until you have enough.

You will end up with a decent amount of leftover pistachio chunks. Don’t waste them! Sprinkle them on some of your shells, throw them in a smoothie, or top your yogurt/ oatmeal/ cereal. Pistachios are not cheap, so use them well.

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Disclaimer

While my batch did not come out 100% perfect, I’m sharing this with you so that you can learn from my mistakes. I once had a reader get angry with me for reporting on my blunders. Now, that’s just silly.

Macarons are extremely technical cookies. There are a million factors that can affect the outcome. Since I know this recipe has worked with other flavors, I know it is a sound recipe. But I made some errors and I want to tell you so that you are better prepared to make your own macarons.

Enjoy!

Why are pistachios so delicious? I mean, those buttery, delicious nuts make these dairy free pistachio and marshmallow macarons heaven in a bite. If you know someone who is crazy for the little green nut, make sure to send them this recipe!

Dairy Free Pistachio and Marshmallow Macarons

These macaron shells get so much flavor from the pistachio flour and pair deliciously with a fluffy dairy free marshmallow frosting.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword almond, Dairy Free, Frosting, Gluten Free, Macarons, Nuts

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 45

Total Time 2 15

Servings 30 Macarons

Calories 77kcal

Author Colleen

Ingredients

Macaron Base

53 grams almond flour
53 grams pistachio flour*
106 grams powdered sugar
41 grams egg whites room temperature

Italian Meringue

45 grams egg whites room temperature
118 grams granulated sugar
45 grams water

Dairy Free Marshmallow Frosting

4 oz plant butter softened
8 oz powdered sugar sifted
3- 4 oz marshmallow fluff
1/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Pistachio Macaron Shells

Cut parchment paper to fit your baking sheet or line with silicone mats. Set aside.
Place almond flour, pistachio flour, and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse to grind as finely as possible. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, discarding any large bits, and whisk to combine. If you have a lot of larger chunks, pulse these again with a scoop or two of the finely ground mixture.
Place the 45 grams of egg whites for the Italian Meringue into the bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water and place over medium- high heat. DO NOT stir once the sugar begins to boil. Stir just to combine and leave it be after that.
When the sugar hits 203℉ begin to whip the egg whites in the stand mixer at medium speed to soft peaks. If the egg whites hit soft peaks before the syrup is ready, bump the speed to low.
Once the syrup hits 245℉, remove from the heat. Bump the mixer's speed down to medium- low and very slowly pour the syrup into the bowl, making sure not to hit the whisk. It's best to aim for the edge of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and whip for about 5- 8 minutes, or until the whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the 41 grams of egg whites. Stir about ⅓ of the meringue into the flour mixture until well combined. You can be a bit rough with this first addition. Now gently fold in the remaining meringue until just before you hit ribbon stage.
Transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip (2A). Holding the bag straight up, pipe circles onto your baking sheet by applying even pressure (don't try to draw a circle). If you are using a template, you want to fill the circles until just shy of the edge. They will spread a bit in the next step.
Firmly bang baking sheet on the counter several times to even the batter and loosen any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any surface bubbles and even out any bumps. Bang the sheet on the counter again.
Let the macarons sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour to form a skin. When you touch the surface it should feel dry.
About 30 minutes before the macarons are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 310°F. Once the macarons are dry, bake one sheet at a time for 14- 16 minutes, rotating the sheet every 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them and adjust the baking temperature and time as needed.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5- 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Dairy Free Marshmallow Frosting

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat until creamy again. Scrape the bowl down.
Add the remaining sugar and beat until creamy. It should be quite stiff. Add half of the marshmallow fluff and the vanilla. Beat until combined, then scrape the bowl down. If the frosting is not too soft, add the remaining fluff and beat. Taste and adjust flavor as necessary.

Notes

*To make your own pistachio flour, chop up 100 grams of shelled pistachios. Then pulse in your food processor and sift out the large chunks.
This frosting is very soft and will not hold up on a cake.