Pistachio Macarons: Step-By-Step Recipe w/ Video (2024)

These pistachio macarons are made with pistachio macaron shells and filled with decadent pistachio ganache. They’re bursting with pistachio flavor!!

Making These Pistachio Macarons with the French Method

There are a few different ways macarons are made. French macarons are considered easier to make while the Italian and Swiss methods use a few more steps but are more structurally sound.

French macarons also require less equipment. While I love Italian macarons, I like to keep things simple and used the French method for this recipe.

But do keep in mind that we will be filling these with Swiss meringue! While it’s ok to use French meringue to make the shells because they are baked in the oven, we need to heat up the egg whites that will be used in the filling to make them safe to eat.

Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Pistachio Macarons

I’ve made quite a few batches of macarons, and they definitely turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat.

These are the tools I like to use when I make these macarons:

• Immersion Blender or Food Processor
• Saucepan
• Kitchen scale
• Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
• 1 large piping bag (for macaron batter)
• 1 small piping bag (for pistachio ganache)
• Round piping tip (for macaron batter and pistachio ganache)
• Large, flat baking sheets
• Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
• Scribe or Toothpick

How to Make These Pistachio Macarons: Step-by-Step Process

While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!

Below are some photos and a video of the process to help guide you through this recipe.

Or if you’d like to see a long-form video, check out this video about how I make my French macaron recipe.

Step 1: Make the Pistachio Ganache

This pistachio ganache filling needs about 2 hours to set, so I recommend making it before the macaron shells. It can also be made up to a week in advance. I usually make it the night before.

It can be made with either an immersion blender or a food processor.

I prefer using an immersion blender because it gives the ganache a smoother consistency.

While it isn’t mandatory, I recommend adding a small drop of neon green gel food coloring.

This ganache is naturally a greenish-yellow color, but I usually add a bit of coloring to give it a brighter green color.

Step 2: Make the French Meringue

The next step is to make the French meringue.

Whisk the room-temperature egg whites on a medium-low speed until the surface is covered in small bubbles.

Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and continue to mix until the whisk begins to leave tracks. This is called the soft peak stage.

Gradually add the granulated sugar and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds. Then increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (KitchenAid 6 or 8).

Mix until stiff peaks form like in the photo below. Keep an eye on your mixer to avoid over-mixing the meringue.

Step 3: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue

Use a food processor to finely grind the pistachios. The mixture should look dry.

Stop mixing if the pistachios begin to release oil and look wet. Sift the pistachios through a fine mesh sieve to remove any large chunks of pistachio.

Then sift the superfine almond flour, powdered sugar, and ground pistachios into the meringue.

Use a rubber spatula to break up any big clumps and press them through the sieve.

Add in a small squirt of neon green gel food coloring at this point, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.

Don’t forget to scrape off the inside of the spatula intermittently. Sometimes meringue can get stuck there and not get mixed in properly.

Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted.

You should be able to draw a couple of figure 8’s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream once it is the right consistency.

If the stream of batter breaks before you’re able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.

Step 4: Pipe the Macaron Shells

Fill a large piping bag with macaron batter and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto 2 Silpat-lined baking sheets. Space them about 1 inch apart.

Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times.

This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can then be popped with a toothpick or scribe.

Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.

Step 5: Rest the Macaron Shells

Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin. On rainy days this can take up to an hour where I live!

They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked.

While the shells rest, preheat your oven.

Step 6: Bake the Macaron Shells

Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray in the middle rack of your oven.

Rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly.

Let the macarons cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the Silpat mat.

If they’re properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly and have a shiny bottom.

Step 7: Assemble the Macarons

Once the shells are cool, scoop the ganache into a small piping bag with a large round piping tip. Seal the top of the bag with a clip or rubberband, then set aside.

Pair up the shells, then pipe a large dollop of pistachio ganache around one macaron shell. If the ganache is too firm to pipe with straight out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to warm up.

Gently press a second shell on top of the filling to create a sandwich.

Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and store them in the fridge to let them mature overnight.

Letting the filled macarons rest overnight softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavor to develop.

When you’re ready to enjoy these macarons, take them out of the fridge and let them sit out for about 15 minutes before eating them to let them come to room temperature.

Troubleshooting These Pistachio Macarons

While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these macarons will turn out perfectly, I’ve learned that’s not how things always go.

Macarons are incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right. If you run into any issues, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!

Choosing the Right Filling for These Macarons

While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, almost all the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling.

The shell gives macarons an incredible texture, but the filling is what determines its flavor.

I think this pistachio white chocolate ganache pairs so well with the pistachio macaron shells, but you can also fill these with pistachio buttercream if you want a sweeter filling.

If you like a sweeter filling, I recommend folding finely ground pistachios or pistachio paste into a quarter batch of my hybrid buttercream or my American buttercream.

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 48 large macaron shells, which can be used to make 24 macarons.

You can double or halve this recipe as needed.

The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of the macarons you pipe. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches.

Tips for Making the Best Pistachio Macarons

• Wipe your mixing bowl, whisk, and baking mats with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making the meringue. It will help your egg whites whip up better!
• Separate your own eggs and age them if possible. Do not use egg whites from a carton.
• Measure the ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale. You really need to be precise with this recipe.
• Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
• Let thebaked and filled macarons mature. This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
• If your macarons don’t turn out, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.

Making These Pistachio Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make the pistachio ganache ahead of time if needed! It can last for up to a week in the fridge if it’s wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.

Don’t forget that these macarons need to mature overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.

Filled macarons can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.

Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for pistachio macarons, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!

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