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Home » Desserts » Salted Caramel Macarons

Salted Caramel Macarons

41 Comments By Jesseca on March 8, 2023

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These Salted Caramel Macarons combine the classic delicate French cookie with a sweet homemade caramel buttercream. Top everything with a sprinkle of fleur de sel salt for that perfect finish.

Looking for even more sweet caramel treats? Try my Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars, Easy Iced Caramel Coffee, and Salted Caramel Candies.

close up image of a macaron with a caramel drizzle on a white plate

Recipe Features

  • BEST Macaron Base: Macarons can be temperamental. This cookie recipe is tried and tested over and over to give you an almost fool proof cookie.
  • Easy to Customize: You can add almost any filling to these cookies.
  • Perfect Gift Giving Cookie: These are simply beautiful and the perfect gift to give any time of the year.

French macaroons are notorious for being unbelievably difficult to make. I was SO SO lucky the first time I made them… the second, not so much. I really think it just takes practice and lots of patience. That hasn’t stopped me from whipping up batches for almost every occasion. This recipe is almost fool-proof. Follow the directions to a T and you’ll be amazed at the bakery worthy cookies you can whip up in no time!

Be patient and you’ll find that these Salted Caramel French Macarons are well worth the effort. Delicate almond cookie base with a sweet caramel filling sprinkled with bits of salt. SO DANG GOOD.

almond flour in a bag sitting on a wooden cutting board

French Macaron Ingredients

Have you ever had a French Macaron before? Are you ready for this? Because I was not sure what to expect. They are so light and airy. They have the perfect crumble with every and oh my goodness are they amazing when paired with the right filling. And you only need 5 ingredients for the base!

  • Eggs: Specifically, egg whites. Make sure these are at room temperature. I take mine out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before I’m ready to start baking.
  • Sugars: A little granulated sugar paired with powdered sugar give you the slight sweetness the cookies need.
  • Almond Flour: Almond flour creates a finer smooth texture and creates less of a cakey finish. Super light and airy with a hit of almond flavor.
  • Salt: A pinch of salt is all you need to blend the flavors.

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE INGREDIENTS. This recipe is very particular on the ingredients used. No not substitute.

silicone baking mat filled with baked macarons

How To Make Macarons

  1. MEASURE: I like to start by measuring out all of my ingredients before I start the baking process.
  2. SHIFT: Shift the powdered sugar and almond flour. Set aside and whisk the egg whites with the granulated sugar to peaks.
  3. FOLD: Fold the flour into the egg mixture, stirring exactly 65 times. Do this by hand.
  4. REST: Pipe into rounds on parchment lined trays. Tap the trays 5 times on the counter to remove the air bubbles. Let them sit for 30 minutes.
  5. BAKE: Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees.
  6. FILL: Cool completely and fill.

Helpful Tools

  • Use a macaron mat like this one here. It will help keep your cookies uniform in size.
  • Shift all of your ingredients. Remove any large pieces of the almond meal/flour.
  • Buy a round pipping tip and pipping bags.
  • Use food color PASTE if you are going to color your cookies.
  • Use a flexible spatula to fold the batter
stack of caramel macarons on a white plate with salt sprinkled around

Recipe Notes:

Are macarons really that hard to make?

Yes and no. Macarons are notoriously known for being delicate and finicky. I have made 5 batches in a row that turn out gorgeous and 5 batches that were a complete waste. Getting the right consistency in your batter is an art form. After lots of practice I can confidently say that more times than not mine form perfectly. It takes patience. If I rush through the recipe I will fail. So take your time and practice, practice, practice!

Can you use regular flour to make macarons?

The short answer is no. The base of these cookies is the almond flour. It provides the flavor, texture, and beautiful feet that macarons are known for. Do not substitute for other flours.

Can I used store bought caramel in the filling?

Yes. However, I really feel like the homemade caramel buttercream or homemade caramel makes all of the difference.

Why didn’t my macaroons get the classic feet?

Most of the time improper texture will come from not mixing properly or skipping the rest time. Make sure you follow the stirring ingredients exactly and let the cookies rest the full 30 minutes.

Like this recipe? You will love my Smore Macarons, Salted Brownie Cookies, and Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars, Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

white plate stacked with French macarons that have been drizzled in caramel and sprinkled with salt

MORE MUST-TRY COOKIE RECIPES

  • Almond Biscotti

  • S’more Macarons

  • Caramel Thumbprints

  • Sugar Cookies

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4.67 from 18 votes

Salted Caramel French Macarons

Created by: Jesseca

Course Dessert, Desserts
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes minutes
24 sandwich cookies
These Salted Caramel Macarons combine the classic delicate French cookie with a sweet homemade caramel buttercream. Top everything with a sprinkle of fleur de sel salt for that perfect finish.
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Ingredients
 
 

Cookies:

  • 3 large egg whites room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • pinch of salt

Caramel Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce* room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Cookies:

  • Start by shifting the powdered sugar and almond flour together. I do this twice to make sure all of the large almond chunks are removed.
  • Whisk your egg whites until foamy. Add the salt and 1/4 cup sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Fold your flour mixture into your eggs, turning 65 times. Make sure you do this by hand to avoid over mixing.
  • Place your batter into piping bags and pipe 1 inch rounds onto two parchment lined baking trays. Tap each tray 4-5 times onto the counter to remove any air bubbles.
  • Allow the cookies to sit for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and bake exactly 20 minutes.
  • Allow to cool on a wire rack. Sandwich two cookies with salted caramel sauce and enjoy!

Buttercream

  • Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until soft and somewhat fluffy, about 1 minute at medium speed.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing slowly to combine.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl and drizzle in the vanilla and caramel sauce. Mix for 1 minute to fully incorporate into the frosting.
  • Stir in the cream until it has fully mixed into the frosting. Increase the speed to medium and allow to mix for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto the prepared cookies, sandwiching a small amount between two of the same size.
  • Optional, drizzle with extra caramel and sprinkle with a touch of finishing salt.

Notes

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ingredients for the cookie base. 
I use store bought salted caramel sauce, found in the ice cream aisle. Grab the sauce that is slightly thicker for a perfect buttercream filling. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Servings

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Kinslee says

    October 21, 2022

    So I used coconut flour instead of almond and my batter came out like crumbled cookie dough. Not liquid at all, I could not use the piping bag because it was so thick.
    Does the coconut flour make a difference? And did I do something wrong?

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      October 21, 2022

      Hi there, Coconut flour is not acceptable for these cookies and the ingredients need to be followed exactly. There are a lot of tips included in the post, but the biggest mistake I noticed is that you made substitutions. Make sure, especially for these cookies, that you use the ingredients listed.

      Reply
  2. H. says

    July 3, 2022

    I had trouble with the caramel. I added the cream slowly, and that worked well. But when I added the butter, a large amount of it did not incorporate into the caramel, so I had to drain it off eventually. Even after draining the excess butter, it was still quite buttery in a way that affected the final texture and also made it hard to pipe into the macarons. Seems like something in the ratios is off? The caramel does have a lovely flavor though!!

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      July 4, 2022

      Hello, H. Truth be told, it’s been a minute since I have made this caramel. I’ll add it into my schedule this week and see if I maybe mismeasured or wrote down the wrong amounts. I’ll touch back soon to update.

      Reply
  3. Aurelija says

    May 17, 2021

    Mine came out very flat 🙁
    What did i do wrong?

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      May 18, 2021

      Flat macarons can sometimes happen for a few different reasons. Most commonly, it’s due to over mixing the batter. Did you count the number of turns as you were mixing?

      Reply
  4. Zoe says

    May 24, 2020

    5 stars
    Tried it, and the caramel consistency is perfect! Soft but doesn’t run out of the shell! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      May 24, 2020

      Hi Zoe, I’m so glad these cookies worked out for you! One of my favorites for sure.

      Reply
  5. Zoe says

    May 19, 2020

    Hi! These look great. I’m wondering if it would be necessary to use a frosting “barrier” to keep the caramel in place at room temp. Once your caramel is set, is it firm enough to stay put as a filling, or does it slowly “ooze” out if left at room temp for a few hours? Do they need to be kept refrigerated? Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Rachel says

    April 12, 2020

    5 stars
    I made these and they came great and it was my first time! My caramel came perfect so I am sorry to say that everyone having a problem above did something wrong.

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      April 13, 2020

      Hi Rachel, I am so glad you loved this recipe. Caramel can be tricky. I am so glad you didn’t have any issues.

      Reply
  7. Fran says

    May 20, 2018

    I tried making these. The shells were perfect. My second attempt at macarons and I liked method and instructions-so easy. But I had a problem with the caramel. Made it twice but once it cooled it was hard. Even while warm, once I tasted it, it stuck to my teeth. Not one to give up, tried assembling a few and popped them into the fridge. Hard as a rock. Any tips? What can I be doing wrong?

    Reply
  8. Nikki says

    May 1, 2017

    What is fleur de sel and I don’t see when or where to add it,

    Reply
    • Gia says

      June 1, 2017

      Fleur de sel is basically sea salt 🙂
      It’s the salt she refers to in the last step.

      Reply
  9. Lindsey says

    October 2, 2015

    love this recipe! can’t wait to try to make them! when do you sprinkle the salt on top of the cookies? before baking or after?

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      October 7, 2015

      If you want the salt to stay on top I would sprinkle it before.

      Reply
  10. Angela says

    September 16, 2015

    I made the caramel twice and both times the butter would not fully incorporate into the mixture. I’ve made caramel before, not sure what went wrong.

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      September 18, 2015

      Hm… I haven’t made these in a while. I’ll try a batch today and see if I need to adjust anything with the caramel.

      Reply
  11. LiBby says

    September 2, 2015

    How many macarons does this recipe yield?

    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      September 3, 2015

      48 cookies which will be 24 sandwiched version total.

      Reply
  12. frances says

    July 6, 2015

    Please forward me the recipe. Would love tp make these

    Reply
  13. Hailey says

    April 4, 2015

    Hi, I just found your blog and I’m so glad I did! I have a question about this recipe though. I made the caramel and added the butter in the end, but as the caramel cooled the butter separated from the caramel and was just an oily layer on top. I made the mistake of not scalding the cream first, but other than that I think my proportions and directions were correct. Any idea what I did wrong?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      June 2, 2015

      I had a similar issue today, I now have a lump of hard toffee

      Reply
      • Emily says

        August 30, 2020

        Do you know the diameter of each shell in inches? Thanks!

      • Jesseca says

        August 31, 2020

        If I had to guess, I’d say roughly 1.5 inches. Probably a little under.

  14. Ryan Ohara says

    February 4, 2015

    When making the Carmel what kind of cream do I use? Whipping cream?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      February 5, 2015

      Yes, whipping cream.

      Reply
  15. Stacey says

    December 14, 2014

    I’m sorry, am I missing something? in the ingredients, it calls for 1/4 cup sugar but in the procedures, I don’t see where that goes. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I’m waiting to bake them right now, so I guess we’ll see how they turn out. 🙁

    Reply
    • Jesseca says

      December 14, 2014

      Oh NO! That was a total typo on my part. The 1/4 cup of sugar should be added to the egg whites. Thank you for pointing that out and forcing me to realize that I really should double check each recipe I type! ;0)

      Reply
  16. Diana says

    January 20, 2014

    Thanks so much for sharing this French macaron recipe! I made them for the first time following this recipe and they came out great!

    Reply
  17. Sumo says

    December 30, 2013

    These are just pretty! I am a bit scared of making macaroons, but I keep seeing them everywhere so maybe I need to give it a try!

    Reply
  18. Holly C. says

    December 28, 2013

    These are so cute! Don’t know if I’ve ever made cookies that look this perfect. 🙂 Yum.

    Reply
  19. Dina says

    December 27, 2013

    what a delicious flavor!

    Reply
  20. Jonie says

    December 23, 2013

    These look amazing! I love the idea of salted caramel and probably need to get these in my belly. Just sayin. Pinned!

    Reply
  21. Leanne says

    December 23, 2013

    These pictures are amazing! I kinda want to lick the screen. I love macarons and salted caramel make them heavenly. Pinned!

    Reply
  22. marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says

    December 23, 2013

    gorgeous and I bet delicious too!

    Reply
  23. Aimee @ Like Mother Like Daughter says

    December 23, 2013

    Now you have me scared to make macarons, but these look so delicious and beautiful! Gorgeous pics!

    Reply
  24. Lindsay @Artsy-Fartsy Mama says

    December 23, 2013

    Holy yum!! These look amazing!! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  25. Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says

    December 23, 2013

    These look & sound delicious! Love French macarons!

    Reply
  26. Yvonne @ TriedandTasty says

    December 23, 2013

    I love, love, love, love, love these pictures… these macaroons… and YOU! I’m so excited you posted these, I’ve been waiting for that yummy salted caramel recipe! What fun adventures making our macaroons together. Can’t wait for our next bake date 🙂 Pinning FOR SURE!

    Reply
  27. Holly Waterfall says

    December 12, 2013

    Jesseca, these look so perfect! and salted caramel?! yum!

    Reply

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Jesseca - Author of One Sweet Appetite

Welcome, I'm Jesseca!

I could not be more excited to have you join me in my kitchen! Everyday easy recipes are my specialty, which means you will find so many fast, quick, and delicious recipes throughout my site. My goal is to create go-to recipes using simple ingredients and pantry staples.

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