Eggless French Macarons aka Big Macs
Gorgeous macarons inspired by Shop Drawn for my Runways to Recipes series!
Hi bakers!
It’s been a while, but I’m ready with a slew of recipes coming your way! I’ve been on the road, hitting up Dallas, San Antonio, Charleston, and French Polynesia all in the last month! I’m finally home after some time,e and I’ve been in the kitchen whipping up some sweets!
What You Missed!
You might have seen me on Taste of Home’s Instagram page lately! I’m a part of their new Creator Program! I’ll be sharing and creating more recipes on their platform of the next few months so keep a look out for them! First up was this chocolate mayo cake! It’s simple, extremely moist and absolutely delicious. You can find the full recipe including an egg substitute on my blog!
Eggless Raspberry Big Macs
My recent macaron project for my Runways to Recipes series is here! This month's experiment: eggless raspberry macarons decorated to resemble a maxi dress from Shop Drawn ( an indie Indian designer I love!)
For those unfamiliar, aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) works surprisingly well as a substitute for egg whites in macarons. I’ve used aquafaba in the past for my eggless macaron recipe, and over the past few years, I’ve tweaked my recipe to make it foolproof (for the most part!). You can’t even tell the difference between a regular macaron shell and these! They had that characteristic crisp shell and chewy interior, without using any eggs!
Tips for Successful Eggless Macarons
If you're trying eggless macarons for the first time, here are some things I've learned:
Use a scale! The ratios in this recipe are extremely sensitive, so please be sure to use a scale! In fact, I won’t even give you volume measurements to make sure of that!
Add acid: A small amount of cream of tartar or lemon juice helps stabilize the protein in the meringue. This helps make sure your meringue is strong enough to handle the mixing!
Be patient with whipping: It takes longer than egg whites—usually 10-15 minutes to reach stiff peaks. I used this brand of garbanzo beans that I got from Costco! Also you NEED to use a stand mixer for this recipe. I’ve learned that hand mixers just dont have enough power to whipe the aqaufaba into a stiff enogh meringue.
Watch humidity: Like traditional macarons, eggless ones are sensitive to moisture in the air. If it’s raining outside, I’d skip this recipe for a sunnier day!
Blend the almond meal and powdered sugar: Blending the almond meal and powdered sugar helps make sure our macaron shells aren’t bumpy or rough on the outside.
Give them space!: I have learned that aquafaba macarons tend to spread a lot more then regular macarons do, so be sure to give your macarons at least 1-2 inches of spaces when piping!
Rest properly: Let them sit until they form a skin before baking. Since everyone’s homes are different, the time it takes to dry out will vary. It took me 1.5 hours. You know it’s ready when you gently touch the side and top of the shells and it doesn’t stick to your finger.
Lower temperature: I've found that baking at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period works better with aquafaba. If you’ve ever had your feet bubble out and flatten, it’s because the oven is too hot.
Let them cool!: Let the shells cool completely before removing from the parchment paper or silicone mat! It might stick otherwise.
After my shells were baked and cooled, I decorated the macarons to resemble the abstract patterns on Shop Drawn's maxi dresses.
For the decorating, I used:
Edible markers for fine details
Food coloring mixed with vodka for a watercolor effect
A small, fine brush for application
The vodka evaporates, leaving just the color behind. This technique allows for more control than working with straight food coloring.
The process takes time but I think it was totally worth it! The decorative approach works just as well with traditional egg-based macarons if you're not ready to try aquafaba.
I almost didn't want to eat them. Almost. But let's be real - they were too delicious to just stare at!
This recipe is for paid subscribers. If you’re looking for free recipes, check out my blog Milk & Cardamom.
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