What's better than mint chocolate chip ice cream? Mint chocolate chip macarons!!! If you are a mint chocolate chip lover then you are going to just love these macarons.
They have all of the same flavors as the original ice cream but in macaron cookie form. The shell is dyed a soft pastel mint color, sprinkled with some chopped chocolate chips, and then filled with super silky peppermint buttercream with more chopped chocolate chips inside!
The key to the peppermint buttercream is to only use a TINY little drop of peppermint extract. Those extract flavors can be pretty powerful, and there's nothing worse than the overpowering mint flavor that tastes like tooth paste (GROSS).
recipe instructions
- Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together into a large bowl. If there are any large pieces of almond meal, discard them. Set the bowl aside.
- Add your room temperature egg whites to a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping on medium speed (3-4) for 1 minute until foamy.
- When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar.
4. After adding the cream of tartar, start sprinkling in the sugar. Do not add too much at once or it will deflate your egg whites! Once all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high (5-6) for 6-7 minutes, or until the whites get glossy, shiny, and hold a stiff peak! The photo above is an example of medium peaks, which means we need to keep beating them!
5. Using a rubber spatula, add the whites to a large bowl. Sprinkle in ⅓ of the dry ingredients and gently fold them into the whites. Try not to fold too aggressively, you want to preserve as much air as possible in this step. Continue adding the dries in thirds until all of it has been added.
6. Once all of the dry ingredients are added. Add 1 drop of gel forest green food coloring. Then use the spatula to scrape the batter against the sides of the bowl. Every few scrapes test to see if the batter is ready. Pick up some of the batter and let it flow back down into the bowl. If it flows slowly and looks like ribbons, try to form a figure '8'. If you can make a figure 8 without the batter breaking, it's ready! Another key sign that it's ready to pipe is the batter will just barely look shiny.
7. Fill your piping bag with a #12 round tip. Better to have a smaller tip than a larger one! Flip a sheet pan upside down and lay down your parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Pipe directly from above into desired size.
8. Grab your pan and firmly tap it on the counter. Make sure you tap all sides of the pans. This will release any air bubbles to the surface and will flatten your shell so there are no piping lines.
9. Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that come to the surface for the smoothest shell possible. Then sprinkle the tops of the shells with chopped dark chocolate chips.
10. Let them sit at room temperature (make sure they are not under any vent or fan this will cause the shells to bake lopsided!) until they form a skin. You should be able to touch the top of the shells with your finger and it shouldn't leave a mark.
11. Bake the macarons at 275-300 for 13-14 minutes. Do not open the oven too soon. 10 minutes into their baking, open the door and touch the top of the shell. If it moves from the feet of the shell, bake it for a few more minutes. The top should not move from the feet when they're ready!
12. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before removing.
making the mint buttercream
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of very soft unsalted butter. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 1-2 minutes until it's smooth and lump-free.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add in the 1 cup of powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Make sure to mix it in completely before adding more.
3. When all of the powdered sugar has been added, add 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 small drop of peppermint extract (add a tiny bit more for a stronger flavor, just be mindful that a little goes a long way!). Mix the milk and extract in on low until combined.
4. Then turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip the buttercream for 2-3 minutes until its very light and fluffy.
5. Add the chopped ⅔ cup of dark chocolate chips and mix on low until fully combined.
6. Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and pipe a dollop onto half of a macaron shell. Sandwich with the other shell and allow the mint chocolate chip macarons to sit overnight in the fridge to mature for the best macaron experience!
faqs
I always recommend using gel colors only. They are thicker than most colors so there isn't any extra liquid that could affect the ratio of the batter. I always use Americolor food coloring for the truest color!
Macarons last for 4-5 days if kept in the fridge. I recommend keeping them in an air-tight container in the fridge and taking one out as needed to enjoy. You can also freeze them for about a month!
It's completely optional, however, I highly recommend you do it. Overnight the moisture from the buttercream has an opportunity to soften the shell and gives the cookie a better texture. But you can totally eat them on the same day and they're still delicious!
more macarons to try
Mint Chocolate Chip Macarons
Ingredients
- 124 grams powdered sugar about 1 ¼ cup
- 140 grams almond meal about 1 ⅔ cup
- 110 grams sugar about ½ cup
- 107 grams egg whites, room temperature about 3 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- chopped dark chocolate chips, for tops of shells
- forrest green/dark green gel food coloring
Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream
- 1 cup very soft butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 drop peppermint extract
- ⅔ cup chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, scale the 140g almond meal and 124g powdered sugar. Sift both of them into a larger bowl and discard any large pieces. Set aside.
- In a stand mixing bowl, add the 107g room temperature egg whites and begin whisking on medium speed (speed 3-4) for 1-2 minutes. When the whites get foamy, add the cream of tartar.
- Very slowly, begin adding the 110g sugar by the spoonful, sprinkling it into the whites as they whip. When all of the sugar is added increase the speed to medium high (speed 5-6). Whip for about 6-7 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed. Stop mixing.
- Add the whipped egg whites to a large bowl.
- Add ⅓ of the almond meal/sugar mixture to the whites. Fold very gently with a spatula until combined. The add the next ⅓ and fold to combine. Continue until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add 1 drop of forrest green/dark green food coloring to get a mint color.
- Using your rubber spatula, scrape the batter against the side of the bowl. Every few scrapes, pick up the batter and let it fall into the bowl. The batter should flow slowly in ribbons. Try to make a figure 8 with the batter. If it falls without breaking, its ready!
- Line an upside down pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and fill a piping bag and round tip with the batter. Pipe directly over the top of the parchment. When the pan is full, rap and drop the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. You can use a tooth pick to pop any bubbles that come to the surface. Sprinkle the tops of the shells with a bit of chopped dark chocolate chips.
- Preheat your oven to 300. (If your oven in on the hotter side, lower temperature might be better ie: 275-285)
- Allow the macarons to sit out to dry and form a skin. This can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes depending on the level of humidity in your house. They are ready to bake when the shell can be touched without it sticking to your finger or leaving an impression.
- 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 to cool completely before filling!
Making the Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream
- In a mixing bowl, add the very soft 1 cup unsalted butter. Mix with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes until smooth and lump free.
- Add the 1 cup of powdered sugar a little bit at a time with the mixer running on low. Make sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
- When all of the sugar has been added, add the 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 drop of peppermint extract. Add more or less extract as desired for a stronger/weaker flavor. (one drop goes a long way!) Mix on low until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer up to medium high and whip until the buttercream is super light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ⅔ cup of chopped dark chocolate chips to the buttercream and mix to combine.
Assembling the Mint Chocolate Chip Macarons
- Match up the shells in pairs. Pipe some of the mint chocolate chip buttercream onto middle flat side of the cookie and use its other half to sandwich them together.
- Allow the macarons to sit in the fridge to mature over night for the best flavor!
andrew says
i made these for my mom for mother’s day and they were amazing! everyone agreed they taste exactly like mint chip ice cream and the peppermint wasn’t too strong which we loved.
Jen says
Mmmm I tried these today. I love mint chocolate chip and these did not disappoint. I added a drizzle on top of melted peppermint chips which drove the flavor profile home. Thanks for the great recipe!