Beginner Friendly Pandan Macarons

These pandan macarons are the perfect beginner friendly macaron recipe. A chewy pandan macaron shell is filled with a pandan coconut buttercream. Learn all the tips and tricks on how to make macarons in this blog post including how you know your meringue is whipped enough and a foolproof way to know if your batter is mixed enough.

I have been trying to make macarons for forever, and while I have made a couple recipes in the past like my matcha macarons and Vietnamese coffee macarons, I wanted to improve my macaron skills. That’s why I went back to basics and even took a class on macaron making, so I could learn all the ins and outs of making macarons. These pandan macarons are the result of all that effort. They’re perfectly pandan-y – chewy, crispy, and full of pandan flavor.

How I developed this recipe

I must have tested this recipe at least 10 times, experimenting with different oven temperatures (310 vs 300), oven positioning, various amounts of wet and dry ingredients, and even silicone vs parchment paper. That was after I took a macaron class to make sure a professional could tell me if I was doing anything wrong. It was actually really helpful! I’m so stoked about actually learning how to make these things. Now, I can make all kinds of Asian-inspired flavors. I’m thinking ube macarons, DURIAN macarons, and black sesame macarons!!

I will write down all my findings in a separate beginner macaron recipe, but I will break down my biggest findings below.

1. I highly recommend using 300 degrees F vs 310 degrees F. At 310, my macarons were getting too brown.
2. See my tip section for the best way to know if you’re done with macaronage aka mixing the wet and dry ingredients. This is by far the place where almost everyone gets it wrong because you have to make sure it’s just right. You can’t over mix or under mix.
3. There is not a huge different between silicone mats vs parchment paper. The macarons tend to be dryer with parchment paper, but with a silicone mat, the bottom tends to be more sturdy. I made successful macarons with both, so choose whichever one you like. Personally, I prefer the silicone mat because it tends to doesn’t slip and the macaron shapes are printed on the mat.
4. Make sure your meringue is at stiff peaks before continuing onto the next step. My macaron teacher made it seem like if the mixture is super thick then its fine, so I went with that for a few tests, but the macarons had a thin skin, and it was hard to dry them out before baking. See the tip section for the best way to know if your meringue has been whipped enough.
5. Super important for egg whites to be room temperature. It’s harder to whip cold egg whites into meringue. If you forget to take out your eggs, warm them up in room temperature water for a few minutes.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Pandan Macaron Shell

• Almond flour – Macarons are an almond flour based cookie, making them gluten free! This provides the structure to the cookie.
• Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness and structure to the cookie.
• Egg whites – Egg whites are whipped into a meringue which makes the shells puff up and creates the “feet”.
• Cream of tartar – Provides stability to the meringue.
• Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar creates a glossy look and makes the shells sweet.
• Pandan extract – Provides the pandan flavor and vibrant green color. It’s hard to find pandan extract, so I order it online on Amazon.

Pandan Buttercream

• Unsalted butter and powdered sugar – A basic buttercream recipe is a 2 to 1 ratio of powdered sugar to butter.
• Coconut cream – Typically, heavy cream is used to give the buttercream its creamy texture, but I chose coconut cream for this recipe because it goes well with pandan. Feel free to substitute with heavy cream.
• Pandan extract – Provides the pandan flavor and vibrant green color.
• Salt for seasoning

What is pandan?

Pandan is a plant found in Southeast Asia. In cooking, we usually only use the leaves to flavor food, but since pandan leaves are difficult to find I use pandan extract most of the time. It can be used in drinks like soy milk, in savory foods like coconut rice, and also in desserts like pandan cake and pandan crinkle cookies. In Vietnamese cuisine, the most popular way to enjoy pandan is in banh bo nuong which is a chewy, light tapioca cake. Taste-wise, pandan tastes grassy, vanilla-like, and floral. Personally, I think it tastes similar to coconut milk because a lot of Vietnamese food that utilizes pandan also utilizes coconut milk. Pandan and coconut milk are a classic combination.

Tools you will need

• Kitchen scale – I highly highly recommend a kitchen scale. Every ingredient must be precise for best, most consistent results.
• Food processor – A food processor helps break the almond flour and powdered sugar down, so the macaron shells have a smooth texture.
• Fine mesh sieve – Sifting the dry ingredients helps make the macaron shells smooth.
• Stand mixer or hand mixer – I highly recommend using a hand mixer or stand mixer (my preference) to whip the meringue.
• Piping bags and tips – This helps you pipe out the macaron shells. A round pastry tip helps keep in uniform and round.
• Spatula – This is what I use to mix the wet and dry ingredients.
• Silicone mat – You can use a silicone mat or parchment paper. I prefer a silicone mat with a macaron guide.
• Baking sheets – You will need 2 baking sheets for this recipe.

How to make pandan macarons

Making the meringue

Combine 75 grams of almond flour and 100 grams of powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times until you see a fine powder. Sift into a bowl and set aside. Add 2 egg whites and 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar to a stand mixer. Whip on medium speed (speed 6). Once the mixture is foamy and there are small bubbles in the bowl, start adding 50 grams of granulated sugar. Add a tablespoon at a time so you don’t deflate the mixture.

Once you’ve added all the sugar, increase the speed to 8 and whip until stiff peaks. One way to know if you’ve whipped the meringue enough is to invert the bowl and if the meringue doesn’t fall out, you’re good! Add 1/4 tsp of pandan extract to the meringue and whisk until combined.

Making the macaron batter (macaronage)

Combine your wet ingredients with your dry ingredients. Sift 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold until combined. Sift the rest of the dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold the mixture until the batter slowly falls off the spoon in a steady, unbroken stream like ribbons. You have mixed the batter enough once you can draw a figure 8 without the batter breaking. Another thing to look for is if the edges of the figure 8 soften and slowly absorb into the batter over the course of a minute. One last thing you can use as a test is to spoon a tablespoon of the batter onto a plate. As you lift up the spoon, a peak will be left over. If that peak settles into the batter over 10 seconds, it is done. This is such a crucial step, and one that is the most difficult to get right.

Add a round pastry tip to a pastry bag and snip the end. Spoon the batter into the pastry bag. I like to use a #10 round pastry tip.

Piping and baking the macaron shells

Prep 2 baking sheets by placing silicone mats onto the baking sheets. Following the macaron template, pipe the batter onto the silicone mats. Slam each baking sheet on the counter twice. Let the macaron shells dry for at least 40 minutes until you can run your finger over the top without batter getting on it. It can take up to 1 hour.

Move your oven rack into the top third of the oven. If your heat source is coming from the top, move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven. This prevents the macaron shell from browning. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (149 degrees C).

Once the macarons have dried out, bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. Bake 1 tray at a time. They’re done if you gently push the macarons and the macarons are not loose. If they move a bit, bake them for another minute and check again. Cool the macarons for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet until completely cool.

Making the pandan buttercream and putting it all together

While the macarons are cooling, make the pandan buttercream. Whisk 1/3 cup of softened unsalted butter. Add 2/3 cup of powdered sugar to the bowl and whisk until combined. Lastly, add 1 tbsp of coconut cream, 2 drops of pandan extract, and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Whisk until combined. Add the buttercream to a piping bag.

Now it’s time to put it all together! Pair of the macaron shells by size. Not all your shells will be the same size so it helps to match up your shells by size before adding the filling. Pipe the buttercream onto half the macaron shells. The amount of buttercream should be slightly smaller than the macaron shell. Place the second half on top. You can enjoy right away, but for the best flavor, let the macarons mature in the fridge for 24 hours.

Tips on how to make the perfect pandan macarons

Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients

Every ingredient must be precise, so I highly recommend a kitchen scale. I’ve tried making macarons with volume measurements, and I’ve had inconsistent results.

Sift the dry ingredients

Sifting the dry ingredients helps create a smoother macaron shell. I like to sift it twice just in case.

How do you know your meringue is whisked enough?

This is such an important step because the meringue provides lift to the macaron shells, making them airy. The meringue has been whisked enough if the mixture has stiff peaks meaning when you lift the whisk out of the mixture, it stands straight up. Another foolproof way to know is to invert the bowl. If the meringue stays stuck to the bowl, it’s done. I personally prefer the second method.

How do you know you have mixed the batter enough?

This is called macaronage which is a Frenchy way of saying mixing wet and dry ingredients for macarons. I wrote a huge paragraph in my recipe for this since this is the step where most people mess up. There are a few things you can look for to figure out if you’re done with macaronage.

1. The batter should fall off the spatula in a steady stream like ribbons. If the batter breaks, it’s not ready.
2. You should be able to draw a figure 8 with the batter without it breaking.
3. The edges of the figure 8 should settle a bit/soften over the course of a minute.
4. Finally, you can also make a test macaron by scooping out a tablespoon onto a plate. As you lift the spoon, a peak should be left over. That peak should start to settle into the macaron over the course of 10 seconds.

Dry out the macaron shells for at least 40 minutes

This is an important step. Let the macarons sit out for at least 40 minutes, so a dry skin forms. This helps it stay uniform and prevents it from spreading in the oven.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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