These cookie dough macarons are soft and chewy on the inside, with a light crunch on the outside. The macarons are made with aquafaba instead of egg whites, and they're filled with no-bake chickpea cookie dough!
Foolproof Macarons Filled with Edible Cookie Dough
Okay, so you know that funky juice in canned chickpeas? That is aquafaba, which is a starchy liquid that creates thick, white fluff when whipped, similar to egg whites.
So for these chewy cookie dough macarons, I experimented with substituting egg whites with aquafaba. I took my chocolate strawberry macarons recipe and tested it several times to get just the right ratio of aquafaba swapped in for the eggs. The end result is a more stable batter that's less likely to crack in the oven. And they stay crispy on the outside & soft on the inside for days!
I also add cream of tartar, since the proteins in aquafaba needs that added acid to stabilize & form stiff peaks.
Macaron Tips from My Kitchen
- When mixing in the whipped aquafaba, fold it in gently to prevent losing too much air. All that air is what helps the macarons rise in the oven.
- Let the macarons dry out before baking them, otherwise they will crack in the oven. It's best to gently run your finger over them to feel if they're dry, rather than watch the clock, since macarons take longer to dry out if it's hot and humid. In the summer when we didn't have AC, I once had to rest my macarons for 3 hours.
Cookie Dough Macarons
developed & tested by:
These cookie dough macarons are soft and chewy on the inside, with a light crunch on the outside. The macarons are made with aquafaba instead of egg whites, and they're filled with no-bake chickpea cookie dough!
Ingredients
Chocolate Macarons
- 1 ⅓ cup powder sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 10 Tablespoons aquafaba, divided (liquid from the can of chickpeas)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Cookie Dough Filling
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Make the Edible Cookie Dough
- Strain the chickpeas from the can, reserving the liquid (aquafaba) for the macaron shells. Rinse the chickpeas in running water and dry them on a clean kitchen towel.
- Add the chickpeas with the rest of the vegan cookie dough ingredients, except the chocolate chips, into a food processor. Blend everything until it is smooth and creamy.
- Add the chocolate chips and blend for 5 seconds, just to distribute the chocolate chips. Set aside in the fridge.
Make the Chocolate Macarons
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat & set aside.
- Sift the powder sugar, almond flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk it all together and set aside.
- Add the cream of tartar and five tablespoons of the aquafaba into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a high speed until it forms soft peaks (this usually takes me about 30 minutes).
- Add one tablespoon of granulated sugar at a time while the mixer is whisking on high speed. Continue whisking until it forms soft peaks (this usually takes another 5 to 10 minutes).
- Add the remaining five tablespoons of aquafaba to the dry mixture of powder sugar, almond flour and cocoa powder. Mix until there are no dry pockets remaining.
- Add one big dollop of the vegan meringue to the almond flour mixture and mix it in with a spatula to loosen the mixture. Then gently fold the rest of the meringue into the almond flour mixture.
- Pipe even-sized circles of the macaron batter onto your prepared baking sheet. Drop the pan a few times on the counter so all the air bubbles rise to the surface of each cookie and pop. Pop any remaining air bubbles with a toothpick. Let the macarons sit out on the counter until they are dry and the batter doesn't move or feel wet or sticky. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the temperature and moisture in the air.
- Preheat the oven 250°F. Bake the macarons for 30 minutes. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes.
Assemble the Macarons
- To assemble your cookie dough macarons, smooth out a dollop of the chickpea cookie dough onto one macaron cookie. Add another macron cookie on top and gently press down to make a sandwich. Repeat with the rest of the macarons. Enjoy!
Notes
- Aquafaba: I recommend using aquafaba from canned chickpeas, which can go straight into your batter. If you're cooking dry chickpeas at home, you'll want to reduce the liquid the chickpeas were cooked in until it feels slightly slimy and not watery.
- Storing: Store macarons at room temperature for up to 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 macaronCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 28mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 0.02IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!
Meena says
I've been wanting to try macarons for years, but I have an egg allergy. My mom and I made these vegan macarons, and I absolutely love them! Thanks for all the tips on macaron-making too. The first batch we made cracked a little, but I think that's because they weren't fully dry when I put them in the oven. The second batch turned out perfectly. Definitely going to make these again soon!
Tammy says
I've been making macarons for several years now, but I haven't ever tried vegan macarons. These were so good! I gave half the batch to a friend, and she said she honestly couldn't tell the difference between regular and these vegan macarons. Wonderful!
Yum-number1 says
Woah vegan macarons?? This is a whole new level!! I would like the baby macaron please â¤ï¸
strawberryandcream says
Haha! The baby macaron was the most fun to eat, I love mini foods! :3
infinitelyadaydreamer says
These look incredible! So delicious x
strawberryandcream says
Thank you!! As I was writing the post, they had already been eaten up and now I want to make more lol