Vegan Cookie Dough Macarons

These vegan cookie dough macarons are soft and chewy on the inside, with a light crunch on the outside. Best of all, they're filled with vegan cookie dough for the ultimate plant-based decadence!

For more macaron recipes, try chocolate strawberry macarons and strawberry pop tart macarons.

All About Vegan Macarons

There are three types of traditional macarons: Italian, Swiss and French.

These vegan cookie dough macarons are most similar French macarons, which are delicate cookies made from raw sugar whipped into egg whites to form an airy, fluffy structure.

By substituting the egg whites with aquafaba, we can create delicious macarons that are vegan!

And macarons are naturally gluten free since they're made with almond flour.

It's okay if your first batch doesn't come out perfect. Making macarons can be a finnicky process. But you'll feel so proud once you nail them! And for easier sandwich cookies, try Linzer raspberry cookies.

Macarons, like many French pastries, require careful preparation and execution. But trust me when I say that if I can bake these, anyone can! I've tested this recipe numerous times in my macaron troubleshooting guide. Which means you can enjoy delicious vegan macarons, without any unnecessary fails or fuss!

Supplies

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Silicon spatula
• Stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Piping bag with a medium round nozzle
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat
• Food processor

Ingredients

Vegan Chocolate Macarons

• Powdered sugar
• Almond flour
• Cocoa powder
• Aquafaba
• Cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar

Vegan Chickpea Cookie Dough

• Canned chickpeas
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Creamy peanut butter
• Brown sugar
• Chopped chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips

How to Make Vegan Macarons

For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below!

Make the Vegan Cookie Dough

1. Strain the chickpeas from the can, reserving the aquafaba for the macaron shells.
   Rinse the chickpeas in running water and dry them in a clean kitchen towel.
2. Toss the chickpeas into a food processor with the rest of the vegan cookie dough chickpea ingredients.
3. Blend everything until it is smooth and creamy. Set aside in the fridge.

Make the Vegan Macarons

1. Sift the powder sugar, almond flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk it all together and set aside.
2. Pour the aquafaba and the cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on high speed until it forms soft peaks.
3. Add one tablespoon of granulated sugar at a time while the mixer is whisking on high speed.
   Whisk until it forms soft peaks.
4. Add the remaining aquafaba to the dry mixture.
5. Add one big dollop of the vegan meringue to the almond flour mixture and mix it in with a spatula to loosen the mixture.
6. Gently fold in the rest of the vegan meringue.
7. Pipe the macaron batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Drop the pan a few times on the counter so all the air bubbles rise to the surface of each cookie and pop.
8. Let the macarons sit out on the counter until they are dry and the batter doesn't feel wet or sticky.
9. Preheat the oven 250°F.
10. Bake for 30 minutes. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble the Macarons

1. Add a dollop of the chickpea cookie dough onto one macaron cookie.
2. Add another macron cookie on top and gently press down to make a sandwich.

What is Aquafaba?

You know that funky juice in canned chickpeas? That is aquafaba. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans create a starchy liquid called aquafaba when they are cooked.

And aquafaba is the perfect egg replacer when making vegan-versions of meringue and marshmallows. When whipped and combined with sugar, it creates thick white fluff, just like egg-based meringue.

Recipe Tips

• Dry Chickpeas: If you're cooking dried chickpeas at home, you'll want to reduce the liquid the chickpeas were cooked in until it feels slightly slimy and not watery.
• Mixing the Batter: When mixing in the whipped aquafaba, fold it in gently to prevent losing too much air. The air that's whipped into the aquafaba is what helps the macarons rise and become light in the oven.
• Air Bubbles: Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles after piping the macarons onto a baking sheet.
• Dry Out: Let the macarons rest and dry out before baking them, otherwise they will crack in the oven. Macarons may take longer to dry out if it's hot and humid in your kitchen. In the summer when we didn't have AC, I once had to rest my macarons for 3 hours.

Storing

Store your cookie dough macarons in an airtight container at room temperature for up 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

I recommend storing your macarons in a single layer, to avoid the shells from getting squashed and cracked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use instead of eggs in macarons?

Aquafaba is a great substitute for egg whites in macarons since it whisks up airy and fluffy for the perfect macaron texture.

Does aquafaba need to be reduced?

If you're using aquafaba from canned chickpeas, you don't need to reduce it on the stove. However, if you use aquafaba from dried chickpeas that you boiled, you should reduce it.

What does cream of tartar do in vegan macarons?

The proteins in aquafaba needs the acid in cream of tartar to stabilize it so it can form stiff peaks as it's whipped.

What can I use instead of cream of tartar?

White vinegar provides the acidic properties that stabilize aquafaba like cream of tartar. However, it will change the balance of wet and dry ingredients in the batter, so I recommend using cream of tartar.