Pumpkin Spice Macarons

Ready for a homemade macaron that is perfect for Fall and Thanksgiving? These Pumpkin Spice Macarons have pumpkin spice in the cookie shell and are filled with a vanilla bean buttercream.

I’ve been making a lot of macarons and I’ve had so much fun playing around with different flavor combinations. These Pumpkin Spice Macarons are the perfect cookie to nibble on while you sip on a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy the crisp autumn breeze. These little cookies are full of pumpkin spice flavor and a beautiful orange color. Plus the vanilla bean buttercream filling is just delicious!

What you need for Pumpkin Spice Macarons:

• Powdered Sugar
• fine almond flour
• pumpkin pie spice
• egg whites, room temperature
• salt
• White Granulated Sugar
• orange gel food color

What you need for Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

• butter, room temperature
• Powdered Sugar
• vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• milk or heavy cream

Using different flavored buttercreams and fillings:

I picked a vanilla bean buttercream for these Pumpkin Spice Macarons because I liked the way it paired with the pumpkin spice cookie shell, but you could totally change that up if you wanted to.

You could make a cream cheese frosting to sandwich in the middle of these Pumpkin Spice Macarons or maybe even a brown butter cinnamon sugar frosting. I personally love pumpkin spice and chocolate together so I think a chocolate ganache filling would be delicious as well.

Tips for making Pumpkin Spice Macarons:

First, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond flour, and pumpkin pie spice until no lumps remain. This helps keep the macaron shells smooth and evenly flavored.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the room-temperature egg whites with a pinch of salt until white and foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue whipping on high until stiff peaks form.

Once the egg whites are ready, mix in the orange gel food color. Then gently fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites using a rubber spatula.

Keep folding until the batter is smooth and flows slowly. The batter is ready when it “melts” back into itself when drizzled on top.

Pipe 1-inch circles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or macaron baking mat, leaving space between each one. Tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.

Little tips at the top of each piped cookie? Dip your finger into a little water and pat the tip down on the cookie top.

Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. This helps them develop that delicate shell.

Bake until the tops are matte and dry to the touch. If the bottoms stick or tear when lifted, bake a few minutes longer and test again.

How to make the vanilla bean filling:

Beat the butter until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar until combined and creamy. Then whip in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.

If the filling needs to be thinned a little, add milk or heavy cream until it reaches a smooth, pipeable consistency.

Pipe the filling onto the flat side of half the macaron shells and sandwich them with the remaining shells.

Q&A:

• Can I use a different filling?

Yes! Cream cheese frosting, cinnamon buttercream, brown butter frosting, or even chocolate ganache would all be delicious with these pumpkin spice shells.

• Why are my macaron bottoms sticky?

Sticky bottoms usually mean the macarons need a little more baking time. Test one by gently lifting it from the pan. If it tears, bake for 3 to 5 more minutes and test again.

• How should I store Pumpkin Spice Macarons?

They’re best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

More Macaron Recipes that you’ll love:

• Strawberry and Cream Macarons
• Bananas Foster Macarons
• Chocolate Chip Macarons

Ingredient amounts and recipe directions are below with a print option!

Pumpkin Spice Macarons

Pumpkin Spice Macarons

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes 15 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes 15 seconds

A Pumpkin Spice Macaron is the perfect cookie to nibble on while you sip on a pumpkin spice latte and and enjoy the crisp autumn breeze.

Print

Ingredients

Ingredients for Macarons:

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• 1 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar
• 4 ounces (by weight) fine almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3-4 drops orange gel food color

Ingredients for Filling:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 teaspoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, almond flour and pumpkin pie spice until no lumps remain. 

Combine room temperature egg whites and pinch of salt in bowl of an electric mixer.

Whip egg whites until white and foamy. 

Slowly add in 1/4 cup granulated sugar and increase speed to high.

Set timer for 15 minutes and let egg whites whip on high until stiff peaks form.

Whip in 4-5 drops orange gel food color. 

Using a rubber spatula gently fold almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into whipped egg whites.

Slowly fold and mix until batter is smooth. Batter is ready when it "melts", when drizzled on top of itself.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a macaron baking mat. 

Fill a piping bag with the batter, snip the end.

Pipe 1-inch circles onto the baking sheet, leaving 1-inch space between each macaron. 

Tap the baking sheet onto the counter to remove air bubbles.

Let macarons sit at room temperature 1 hour before baking. 

Preheat oven to 325F.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are matte looking and dry to the touch. Test 1 macaron by lifting it gently from baking sheet. If bottom tears apart, bake for 3-5 more minutes and test again. 

Remove from oven and allow the macarons to cool completely on baking sheet. 

**Little tips at the top of each piped cookie? Dip your finger into a little water and pat the tip down on the cookie top.

For Filling: 

Add butter to bowl of mixer. Beat until smooth. 

Mix in powdered sugar until combined and smooth. 

Whip in vanilla paste or vanilla extract. 

Add milk or heavy whipping cream to thin filling if needed. 

Pipe filling onto the flat surfaces of 1/2 of the macarons.  

Sandwich macarons bottoms with macaron tops. 

Best if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

If you make this recipe, leave me a comment or snap a picture and share it on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #bigbearswife — I love to see what you’re cooking from the blog!

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