Vegan Lemon & Vanilla Macarons

Share this...

Pinterest

Facebook

Twitter

Yummly

Email

Print

Spring is bright, happy, and bold!  What better way to capture the flavor of the season than by whipping up vegan lemon and vanilla macarons.  Let’s fill pretty yellow vegan macarons with a swirl of vegan lemon and vanilla bean frosting.  To make it interesting, I’m adding a piece of candied lemon peel in the center.

This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission as an Amazon Associate (or other affiliate program) from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products that I use and trust. 

Jump to Recipe

Vegan Macarons: Trials & Tribulations

This was not my first time attempting vegan macarons.  Last time, I used an Italian meringue recipe and it was an absolute flop.  Italian meringue is my jam, but I decided to try something different for round two.

I got the measurements for my vegan macaron shells from Pies & Tacos.  This one uses a French meringue.  The French method is not my favorite, but I did use it last year during Macaron March to make lavender and honey macarons, so I figured I was due to try again.

Making the Vegan Meringue

Honestly, I was surprised with how easy it was to whip up this vegan meringue.  From start to finish, it took about 12 minutes.  It could take you a little more or a little less, so keep an eye on it.

It is incredibly important to have stiff peaks!  Whip the meringue until it shoots straight up to the sky and won’t budge if you move the whisk around.  To check, stop your mixer and gently swirl the whisk attachment in the meringue.  Then lift it out to inspect those peaks.

Print Recipe

Don’t Over Macaronage

With vegan macarons, you 100% do not want to mix the batter all the way to ribbon stage.  The batter should move around easily in the bowl, but it won’t flow off your spatula.  If you’re not sure, it’s best to leave it under mixed.

If the batter is over mixed, your vegan macarons will spread and vomit their macaron guts everywhere.  My batter was still quite thick and only a bit flowy, yet I may have still over mixed because I got a lot of explosions.  More on that later!

Oven Temperature

I used to bake my macs at 300℉.  Then, for no apparent reason, I had to drop my temp to 275℉.  That’s what I started my vegan macarons at, but it quickly became obvious that my temperature was too high for these bad boys.

First I dropped it to 265℉, and that helped, but it wasn’t enough.  So I went all the way down to 250℉.  That’s the temperature I stuck with, but I’d even play around with lower temps next time to see if I can get fewer explosions.  

Related Reading: Basic Tools You Need to Make Macarons

Blunders & Troubleshooting

It’s Macaron March, so I’m all about trying something new, like these vegan lemon and vanilla macarons.  And when you’re trying something new, it’s not always a success right off the bat!  If you are new to making vegan macarons, I suggest splitting the batter onto 3- 4 baking sheets so that you can experiment a bit with oven temperatures.

Jump to Recipe

Exploding & Spewing Macaron Guts

Your oven is too hot.  I started at 275℉, which is way too hot for these vegan macarons.  Dropping the temperature to 250℉ made a big difference.  It’s also possible they didn’t rest long enough.  Each tray got a little better, so make sure they are dry to the touch before baking.

Lopsided

Again, this can be another issue caused by an oven that is too hot.  And, because they are macarons, it could be from an oven temp that is too low.  But, since I was also having explosions, I easily figured out that it was a high temperature.

Hollow

Yet again, high oven temperature.  But over mixing can also be a culprit.  While I thought I had only barely mixed the batter, I will try fewer folds next time.

Top Tips for Vegan Macarons

• Pulse your dry ingredients together in a food processor and sift out any large chunks.  
• Whip your meringue to stiff peaks.  It’s best to whip at a medium speed for longer.  Keep an eye on it!
• Use caster sugar.  Can’t get it?  Pulse your sugar in a food processor to make it super fine.
• Use a toothpick to smooth any nipples and remove any air bubbles on your piped macarons.
• Bake one pan at a time and adjust the temperature and baking time if necessary.

Fun Ways to Fill Macarons

Don’t forget to breathe once those little beasts, I mean, beauties come out of the oven.  The hardest part is over.  Now you’ve just got the easy bit… filling them!  There are so many fun ways to fill macarons.  Check out this video to see how I use different piping tips and fillings to create unique macs.

Final Thoughts

All said and done, I’m tickled pink with these vegan lemon and vanilla macarons!  They’re not perfect, but I learned a lot.  Next time, I’m going to try setting my oven to 225℉ and folding a bit less.  That should solve a lot of my issues.  And, the most important thing is that they taste amazing.  A smooth, bright citrus flavor that just screams SPRING!  It’s absolutely delicious.

Look at these two shells.  The bottom shell is pretty darn hollow.  This was one of my first good shells that was baked at a higher temperature.  But the top shell is only a tiny bit hollow.  This one was baked at a lower temp.  They may not be perfect, but I’m not complaining!

Enjoy!

If you get a chance to whip up a batch of these vegan vanilla macarons, let me know how they worked for you.  That candied lemon peel adds a delicious explosion of citrus and we’re all crazy for it in my household.

Do you love baking, food, or gorgeous food photos?  Then I think you might be interested in following @bakesandblunders on Instagram!  Go check out my account and don’t forget to say hi.  Happy Baking!

Print

Vegan Lemon & Vanilla Macarons

Vegan French macarons filled with lemon and vanilla frosting as well as a piece of candied lemon peel.

Pin this Recipe!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Keyword almond, Cookies, Dairy Free, Frosting, Gluten Free, Lemon, Macarons, Vegan

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 25 macarons

Calories 111kcal

Author Colleen

Ingredients

Vegan Macarons

• 110 g powdered sugar
• 110 g almond flour
• 75 g aquafaba
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 66 g caster sugar*
• 3 drops yellow gel color

Vegan Lemon & Vanilla Frosting

• 4 oz plant butter softened
• 8 oz powdered sugar sifted
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 drops yellow gel color
• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Candied Lemon Peel

• 1- 2 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar divided

Instructions

Vegan Macarons

• Line baking sheets with parchment, silicone mats, or teflon sheets. Fit a piping bag with a round tip, set aside. Measure all ingredients.
• Place powdered sugar and almond flour in a food processor and pulse 8- 12 times. Sift into a large bowl and discard any large chunks.
• Place aquafaba and cream of tartar in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on low (2) for a minute or until it becomes opaque and slightly thickened. Increase the speed to medium (4) and whip for another 1- 2 minutes, or until the whisk begins to leave tracks in the meringue.
• Bump the speed up a bit (6) and begin adding the sugar one spoonful at a time. Whip until you have very stiff peaks. The entire meringue will probably take about 12- 15 minutes, more or less.
  
• Add your dry ingredients and gel color. Gently fold the batter until it is combined and moves easily in the bowl. You do NOT want to get to the traditional ribbon stage.
• Pipe your shells onto your baking sheets, tap the sheets to release any bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles or air pockets.
• Begin preheating the oven to 250°F**. Let the shells rest until the are dry to the touch. When ready, bake for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing.

Vegan Lemon & Vanilla Frosting

• Beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl down as needed.
• Add a third of the powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until creamy, about 1- 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down. Repeat with the remaining sugar.
• If the frosting is too thick, add dairy free milk a teaspoon at a time, beating on low between additions, until the frosting reaches the right consistency.
• Divide your frosting in half. To one half, mix in the zest, juice, and gel color. To the other half, add the vanilla. Adjust the flavors as necessary.

Candied Lemon Peel

• Peel the lemon(s) and cut the peel into ¼ inch thick slices. Place in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• In the same saucepan, add 1 ½cups of water and 1 ½ cups of sugar to a boil. Add the lemon peel and simmer for 30 minutes, or until softened.
• Use a slotted spoon to sieve the lemon peel out of the syrup. Toss the orange peel with the remaining sugar and transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Let the peel dry for a day or two.
• Before using, chop the candied lemon peel into smaller pieces.

Assembly

• Match up your macaron shells so that they are ready to be filled.
• Fit a piping bag with a round tip. Fill one side of the bag with lemon frosting, and use a spatula to fill the other side with vanilla frosting.
• Pipe a swirl onto one macaron shell. Place a piece of candied lemon peel in the center and top with the other macaron shell. Repeat. You will have about 25 completed macarons.

Notes

• I used Country Crock plant butter (avocado).
• *This is optional.  You can use regular granulated sugar, or pulse granulated sugar in a food processor so that it is more fine.
• **You may need to lower the oven temperature.  Use 3- 4 baking sheets and just bake one at a time.  If you have lopsided or exploded macarons, try lowering the temperature.

My Favorite Products for this Recipe