You are going to love these light and delicate earl grey macarons! The shells and filling are flavored with fresh ground earl grey tea that has these cookies tasting just like a cup of tea. This easy macaron recipe is perfect for beginners and will easily become your favorite flavor ever!
One of the first macaron flavors I ever developed was these earl grey macarons. The tea flavor is so light and delicate and everyone I share them with always says it's their favorite flavor.
If you've never had this flavor before, it has beautiful notes of bergamot orange which is similar to Meyer lemon, and hints of lavender, and grapefruit.
I have been putting earl grey in everything since I first made my earl grey cake!
This macaron recipe is super easy to follow and perfect for beginners. There are lots of step-by-step photos and helpful tips, tricks, and equipment, so make sure to read through the post before baking!!
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why you'll love these earl grey macarons
- Light, delicate, not too-sweet macarons.
- Ground tea in both the shell and filling.
- They taste just like a cup of earl grey tea!
- Easy-to-follow recipe with helpful tips, tricks, and process photos.
ingredient notes
- Almond meal: You can find almond meals at both Costco and Bob's Red Mill. Ideally, you want to use a super fine blanched almond meal which will give you super smooth shells.
- Granulated sugar: It's best to use granulated or cane sugar for this recipe.
- Egg whites: You should use fresh egg whites only unless you can find unpasteurized carton egg whites!
- Earl grey tea: The tea can be a loose leaf or from a tea bag and it should be ground finely with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below!
helpful tools & equipment
- Kitchen scale: I have this exact scale and use it every time I make macarons.
- Kitchen Aid stand mixer: I use this 5-quart mixer when making macarons instead of a hand mixer but you can use a hand mixer as well.
- Silicone baking mats: I prefer using reusable silicone baking mats but you can also use parchment paper.
- Large piping bags: Piping bags are necessary in order to pipe the batter into shells. In a pinch, you could use a zip-lock bag as well.
- Small round tip: This is the perfect sized tip for piping and gives you more control over the batter.
- Mortar and pestle: This tool is best to grind the tea leaves so that it's fine enough to pass through a sifter. You can also use a spice grinder as well.
expert tips for perfect macarons
- Use a scale: I always recommend weighing your ingredients when making macarons because it will give you the most accurate and consistent results.
- Prep everything first: Scaling or measuring all of the ingredients before starting will make the process go smoothly.
- Wipe your mixing bowl with vinegar: Wiping the bowl with vinegar will clean up any fat residue that can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- Turn your pan upside down: My top trick for perfect macarons is turning the pan upside down and piping the shells on the bottom of it.
- Use an oven thermometer: You don't want the shells rising too quickly or slowly. Chances are, your oven temperature is off by a few degrees so I always keep my oven thermometer on the lower oven rack.
- Let them mature overnight: Once filled and assembled, let the macarons mature in the fridge overnight. This will soften the shells and marry the flavor into the shell.
instructions
Step 1: Sift the ground tea, powdered sugar, and almond meal into a large bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: Whisk the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium-low until foamy, then add the cream of tartar. Continue whisking the whites while slowly sprinkling in the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to medium and mix until they hold a stiff peak, then use a spatula to transfer the stiff meringue to a large clean bowl.
Step 3: Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in thirds with a rubber spatula.
Step 4: Once all of it has been combined, use the spatula to scrape and deflate some of the batter against the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 5: Keep folding and scraping until the batter flows in slow ribbons off your spatula.
Step 6: Pipe 1-1 ½ inch shells spaced two inches apart on a lined baking tray. Drop the tray on your counter to release any air bubbles, then let them dry at room temperature.
Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 13-14 minutes or until the top doesn't budge from the feet. Let the tray cool completely on a wire rack before removing them.
Step 7: While the shells are baking and cooling, make the buttercream. Heat the milk until hot and then add the tea. Let it steep until the milk is cool and the color looks tanish. Then mix the butter in a mixing bowl or by hand until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar on low, then increase to high and mix until white and fluffy. Add in the milk and mix on low to combine.
Step 8: Pipe a dollop of the buttercream onto half of the shells and then sandwich it with the others. Let them mature in the fridge overnight to soften, then enjoy!
storage & freezing
- Fridge: You can store the assembled macarons in a sealed container in the fridge. If stored properly, they will stay soft and fresh for one week.
- Freezer: You can freeze both the shells and the assembled macarons. It's best to store them in a sealed container and place parchment in between layers if stacking. They will stay fresh for 1 month in the freezer.
NOTE: Macarons will naturally harden in the fridge. Before serving, let them sit out at room temperature until softened.
faq's
Yes! I always make them ahead of time and they are always best after maturing in the fridge overnight before eating them.
How long the shells dry will depend on how much humidity is in your house or kitchen. I live in a drier environment so for me this takes only 30 minutes, but I now take about 60 minutes in places where it rains more.
Yes! I recommend adding only gel food coloring like Americolor, while you are whipping the egg whites. Only use 1-2 drops to avoid too much liquid in the batter.
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Recipe 📖
Earl Grey Macarons
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
- 5 quart stand mixer, mixing bowl and whisk attachment
- large mesh sifter
- rubber spatula
- (2) silicone baking mats
- (2) baking trays
- large bowl
- 18 inch piping bag
- #12 Wilton round piping tip
- wire rack
Ingredients
For the Shells
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups blanched super fine almond meal
- 2 tablespoon earl grey tea leaves ground with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- 3-4 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
For the Buttercream
- 1 tablespoon 2% milk
- 2 tablespoon earl grey tea
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, almond meal, and ground tea until no lumps remain. Set aside.1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 ⅔ cups blanched super fine almond meal, 2 tablespoon earl grey tea leaves
- Add the room temperature egg whites to a bowl of a stand mixer. Whip the egg whites on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until white and foamy, then add the cream of tartar.¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, 3-4 large egg whites
- Slowly add in the granulated sugar and then increase the speed to medium high. Mix for 5-6 minutes until medium peaks, then add the food coloring. Continue whipping for 1-2 minutes longer or until stiff peaks form.½ cup granulated white sugar
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the almond meal/powdered sugar mixture into the stiff egg whites.
- Slowly fold and mix the batter smooth. The batter is ready when it flows slowly in ribbons off the spatula and you can draw a figure 8.
- Line an upside down baking tray with a silicone baking mat.
- Fill a piping bag with a small round piping tip and pipe the batter over the top of the tray into 1 ½ inch rounds spaced 2 inches apart.
- Tap the baking sheet on the counter to remove any air bubbles. You can pop them with a toothpick if desired.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature to form a skin, anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat your oven to 300F/149C.
- Bake each tray for about 13-14 minutes. The macarons are done baking when you gently touch the top of the shell, it should just barely budge from the foot. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Making the Buttercream
- Pour the milk into a small bowl and microwave or heat until hot, then add the tea leaves. Let the tea steep for 5-10 minutes or until the milk is cold and the color is tan-ish.1 tablespoon 2% milk, 2 tablespoon earl grey tea
- In a stand mixing bowl, mix the butter on low until smooth, then add the powdered sugar and salt and mix on low speed until completely combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Strain the steeped milk into the bowl and discard the tea leaves. Mix again on low until combined.
- Assemble the macarons, piping a dollop of the buttercream in the center of one shell and then sandwiching it with the other. Place them in a sealed container to mature overnight in the fridge to soften, then enjoy!
Nutrition
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Karla R says
I made these while I had COVID, they were the first ever macarons I’ve ever made and they were absolutely perfect. I didn’t have cream of tartar so I didn’t use it as I read that it’s not *technically* necessary but highly recommended. If you are able to go out to the grocery store definitely get the cream of tartar though. I am not sure exactly what it does but it seems important! Since I was sick, I “had to” eat the whole batch by myself, and I will say, they taste even better the next day. These are earl grey perfection! I will 100% be making these again and trying out the other cambrea bakes macarons recipes as well! A matcha macaron recipe would be amazing!
Cambrea Gordon says
Karla this review just made my whole day!!! I'm so so happy to hear how much you loved them. I will definitely add a matcha macaron recipe to my list! 🙂
Sal L. says
These macarons are my favorite flavor I’ve ever come across. The earl grey flavor is perfect and really great. They were a hit