Home · Recipes · Spring + Summer Sea Salt Caramel Macarons Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Apr 13, 2013Updated: May 25, 2018 View Recipe30 ReviewsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy. By far the most delicate and sophisticated of cookies, these sea salt caramel macarons are the perfect little treats for all sorts of occasions. No matter how to spell it (macarons or macaroons) or how you pronounce it, French macarons are by far one of the most beautiful bite sized desserts out there. I was first introduced to macarons in high school, during a French Club field trip to Paris. This was circa 1999, prior to the big macaron boom in the United States. I had no idea what a macaron was, except for those sweet coconut macaroons that my mom would make. Back then I don’t think my palette was refined enough to enjoy the macaron. It made little impact on me because I was in my omg-I-love-dark-chocolate phase, and Paris had plenty of chocolatier and patisserie shops to fill my obsession. By the time I graduated from college in 2007, cupcakes were all the rage. It seemed like the bubble was never going to burst until French macarons started to make their appearance at dessert tables at weddings, baby showers, and the sort. At this time, I, too, was allured by the magical qualities of a perfect French macaron. I made it a mission to try as many of the macarons sold around Los Angeles and Orange County. It was a pricey yet satisfying adventure. Since then, I say that I’m over it. I’m over you, French macaron. But then I see a display case full of these colorful, fragile, little jewels and all of a sudden, I relapse. Its one of those love-hate relationships. I love the way they taste, the way they fit between my fingers, but I hate how much they cost at bakeries and speciality stores. I understand that almond flour, especially blanched almond flour, is expensive, but I don’t get how some places charge more than $2 a piece for their macarons. My first birthday with my boyfriend he bought me 2 dozen macarons from Paulette (now called ‘lette); that’s when I knew he was totally head over heels in love with me. But seriously, what’s not to love about these precious little things. You get the crunchy shell, the decadent filling, and the explosion of flavor and textures in your mouth. I really like the combination of the sweet almond cookie against the salty, buttery caramel. Its amazing, and once I again, I love caramel macarons. Its best to measure all the ingredients out by weight, but if you don’t have a scale I’ve also included the approximate measurements in cups. Although if you want to be a serious macaron making machine, I highly suggest buying a kitchen scale. Sea Salt Caramel Macarons No ratings yet Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe IngredientsFrench Macarons:▢ 250 grams (about 2 1/2 cups) almond flour*▢ 250 grams (about 2 cups) confectioners’ sugar▢ 190 grams egg whites (about 6 large egg whites)▢ 65 grams (5 Tbsp) water▢ 250 grams (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) superfine sugar▢ 1 teaspoon dried egg white powderSea Salt Caramel:▢ 250 grams (about 1 cup) heavy cream▢ 350 grams (about 1 3/4 cup) superfine sugar▢ 2 teaspoons fine sea salt▢ 350 grams (about 1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons Instructions French Macarons:In a food processor, pulse together almond flour and confectioners’ sugar. Sift twice to ensure you will have a nice, smooth shell.Divide egg whites into two containers, 95 grams each. Take one portion and pour over sifted almond sugar mixture. Let egg white sit on top and set mixture aside.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip together second portion of egg whites and dried egg white powder. Whip on low-medium speed.Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan mix together water and superfine sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook mixture to 250 degrees F. Do not stir or agitate the mixture while it is heating up. If you must, you have gently swirl the pan by hand. Stirring it will cause sugar crystals to form.Once sugar mixture has reached desired temperature, remove from heat and pour a steady stream into the whipping egg whites. Add this point, the egg whites should be foamy before you add the sugar. After all the sugar has been added, increase speed to high until mixture doubles in size. Turn down to half speed and cool down to thicken. When mixture has cooled to about 120 degrees F is it ready to use. While you are waiting for the mixture to cool down, take the almond sugar mixture and fold into the egg whites sitting on top. Mix until the dry mixture is moist and wet.Fold 1/3 of whipped meringue into the almond sugar mixture. Continue to add 1/3 of meringue until all has been incorporated. Continue to fold mixture until the batter is not too liquidly and not too stiff. If you pull a line in the batter, it should slowly sink back together. Others have said it should flow like magma.Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with an 11mm plain round piping tip. Line a couple of baking sheet trays with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Pipe batter onto prepared baking sheet trays. I like to pipe 2 inch rounds, but you can choose to go smaller or larger. Pipe rounds at least 1/2 inch apart from each other. Once you are finished with one tray, tap the bottom of the tray against the table to release any air bubbles. Let shells air dry until shells form a skin. Depending on the temperature and humidity of your room, drying time can vary.Bake in a preheated 315 degree F oven. Bake for 8 minutes to allow feet to form. Then rotate the pan and bake for another 8-10 minutes until macarons are done. Remove sheet tray from oven and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before peeling macarons off parchment. Once macarons are cooled to room temperature, pair similar sized/shaped macarons together then fill with caramel.Sea Salt Caramel:Using a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the sugar on high until it melts. Lower the heat and allow the syrup to color. Make sure not to agitate the sugar to prevent crystallization. Remove from heat once syrup is aromatic and amber in color.Warm up heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds-1 minute. Add in warm cream to sugar syrup and whisk. Be careful as the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously. Continue to whisk until mixture has slightly cooled. Add in the butter and salt. Continue to whisk until homogenized. Let cool to room temperature. Notes You can use blanched or raw almond flour. I used raw almond flour (from Trader Joe’s) which results in that speckled brown shell. If you want a clean colored macaron shell, go with blanched almond flour. Caramel fillings should be heated to between 250-265 degrees F. Be careful not to heat beyond 270 degrees because the caramel will separate. Otherwise, if you have runny caramel thats more like caramel sauce. Author: Maryanne Cabrera Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says: April 13, 2013 Love your post! Macarons are on my bucket list to make this year. Your lovely post has convinced me! These are lovely, wonderful flavors! Thanks for sharing! Reply
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says: April 14, 2013 Your macarons look so good and I love the sound of the salted caramel filling! Reply
Maryanne says: April 14, 2013 Thanks, Rosie! The salted caramel is the best part. I made extra so I could drizzle it in my coffee and over vanilla ice cream…
Maria@pinkpatisserie says: April 14, 2013 I too fell out of love with the macaron, for awhile. But like you I’m back! Beautiful photos and that caramel looks heavenly! Happy to find you via TS! Reply
Erika says: April 16, 2013 Now I definitely have to buy a cooking thermometer! I’ve tried another recipe but it didn’t work for me so I guess I have to give yours a go :) Reply
Yii-Huei says: May 3, 2013 Your macarons are perfect! The flavour combination also sounds amazing :) I’ve never tried the Italian meringue method, but sure looks reliable. Reply
Rachel says: May 9, 2013 Hey, these look amazing! I looove your blog. Just wondering if I could leave the egg white powder out of this recipe? Would I add more egg whites? Reply
Maryanne says: May 9, 2013 Hi! Thanks, Rachel! The egg white powder allows the batter to have more protein and stability without added moisture. If you add more egg whites, you batter will be more runny and it will take longer for the shell to form. If you don’t want to use white egg powder, I suggest letting your egg whites mature by loosely covering the egg whites and letting them sit overnight (or two nights) at room temperature.
vy says: May 14, 2013 hi, how do you get the caramel filling to stay in the shell? i tried a salted caramel filing and each time the shells kept sliding off. Reply
Maryanne says: May 14, 2013 Hi Vy, sometimes caramel does not set up and harden if not cooked to the proper temperature. Caramel fillings should be heated to between 250-265 degrees F. Be careful not to heat beyond 270 degrees because the caramel will separate. Otherwise, if you have runny caramel thats more like caramel sauce, I suggest letting them chill in the freezer or fridge. Remove them just before serving so they don’t start sliding. Hope that helps!
Nicole @InfiniteLittlePleasures says: May 16, 2013 These look too perfect to eat! I just discovered your blog and absolutely love it. I featured this recipe in my blogpost here: http://infinitelittlepleasures.blogspot.com/2013/05/who-stole-cookie-from-cookie-jar.html Reply
fesal mohammed says: June 6, 2013 Tried other recipes for salted caramel, this one is by far the best. It’s so addictive! ! Used it with macaroons, my recipe is the French mmeringue one, it works for me, can’t be bothered with all that sugar thermometer business and who’s going to clean thepan afterwards! Thanks for recipe, you’re a star. Reply
myshutterspeedlife says: January 1, 2014 How much water do I add to the sugar to make the filling? Reply
Maryanne says: January 1, 2014 I melted the sugar dry without any water. It cooks faster without the water, but can also burn much faster. You can add as much as 1 cup of water to the sugar to cook it. The more water you add, the longer it will take to cook. I suggest adding between 1/4- 1/2 cup water.
Beatriz says: July 27, 2014 Hi, beautiful macarons!!, I just have one question, for the decoration did you add the salt over the macaron before baking or after baking them? I tried to put a pinch of salt before baking them but the salt seems to melt the top of the shell. Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: July 29, 2014 Hi Beatriz! Thank you! After piping the macarons onto baking sheet, I let them sit out for about 3-5 minutes to slightly set. Then I sprinkled over the sea salt on top. You can also sprinkle the sea salt right after removing them from the oven. If the salt doesn’t want to stick, lightly moisten the shells with a tiny bit of water or egg white.
Rachel says: August 24, 2014 Hi, I have used the caramel sauce to fill some chocolate macaroons. It is very runny and I followed the recipe correctly. I have just seen another recipe that uses a lot less butter. Is the amount on here correct? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: August 24, 2014 Hi Rachel, I’m sorry the caramel recipe didn’t work out for you. This is the caramel recipe I’ve been using for years.
Valentina says: November 15, 2014 Would you say that the shell is a basic one, in that it can be used as a base for other fillings? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: November 16, 2014 Yes, this is a basic macaron shell recipe. You can use other fillings.
Carmen says: September 6, 2015 Maryanne, the recipe is excellent, with the salse caramel, now , imagine the same recipe with our DULCE DE LECHE…. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! Reply
Marge says: December 19, 2015 Any chance I could use ready made caramel cubes, soften and stir in the sea salt? Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: December 21, 2015 Hi Marge. Yes, you can swap in caramel cubes and add sea salt according to taste.