Lemon Blueberry Vegan Macarons Recipe

Lemon and blueberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations for Vegan Macarons. I added blue food coloring gel to the frosting in these macarons to make a beautiful color contrast with the yellow shells. Lemon Macarons are my favorite to make, because the fresh citrus flavor really balances out the rich sugary shells and frosting. These vegan macarons are filled with blueberry fruit filling, and lemon frosting.

How to Make Vegan Macarons

Let me start by saying macarons are finicky little buggers, and until you get a good feel for the process, they can drive you absolutely crazy. That being said, once you get it right, it’s worth any troubles, because they are fantastically delicious. Making macarons is actually one of my favorite things. I love how delicate they look, and how amazing they taste. I also love that I can take basically the same recipe and fill it with any number of different flavors to change it up! It’s also worth saying: it took me a lot of trial and error and learning moments to figure out the perfect recipe for my macarons.

Making Aquafaba Meringue

First step in making vegan macarons, is to make the aquafaba meringue. I whip the daylights out of the aquafaba until it is far beyond stiff peaks. Add the extracts and then SLOWLY add the sugar while continuing to whip it. I sprinkle the sugar into the meringue one teaspoon at a time. Once the sugar is added, the meringue should be so stiff that you could do a little dance while holding it upside down over your head and it won’t even shift. If it’s not that stiff yet, keep whipping.

How to Macaronage

Next, you need to add the almond flour and icing sugar. Use a sieve to sift it into the bowl with the meringue. Fold it together with a rubber spatula. This is a very important part, called the “macaronage”. When I do this, I carefully scoop my spatula underneath the ingredients, folding it over onto itself, then press it against the bowl. Repeat this process about 60-70 times, until the batter is like thick ribbons and slowly flows back into itself.

Baking Macaron Shells

Scoop the batter into a piping bag with a half inch tip, and pipe into 1 1/2″ – 2″ circles on a silicone baking sheet. Let the pan sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 235’F. Bake them for 30 minutes, then let them cool on the pan.

Filling Macarons

Pipe a circle of frosting onto half of the macaron shells, and fill the centers of the frosting with blueberry filling. Place the empty macaron shells on top to make a little cookie sandwich.

Storing and Freezing Vegan Macarons

Store the macarons in an airtight lock and seal container in the fridge. You can freeze the shells for vegan macarons in an airtight container as well; however I don’t recommend freezing them with the filling and frosting. It would be best to freeze the shells, let them defrost, then frost and fill the shells once they are at room temperature again.

Vegan Macaron Troubleshooting

The perfect macaron should have a smooth, thin shell on the outside, with a full, soft chewy center, and even “feet” around the base of the cookie shells. Unfortunately, I have learned that all sorts of crazy things can happen when making macarons. From explosions, to meltdowns, lopsided feet, no feet at all, or just coming out as empty hollow shells. Here are a few suggestions to help you along the way if you happen to come across any undesirable results:

If your macarons are exploding out the sides, try reducing the oven temperature. This could also mean your macarons have been over mixed.   

If your macarons are not developing feet, try drying the shells in a cool dry spot for 30 – 60 minutes before baking, and/or turning the oven temperature up ten degrees.   

If your macarons are lopsided, try adjusting your piping technique: pipe the macarons straight from the top, not at an angle. Lopsided macarons could also be caused by convection oven or by using a fan in the drying process.   

If your macarons are exploding out the top, it is possible that you have overmixed your batter, and/or that you need to dry them longer before baking. Try letting your macarons dry under a fan for an extra thirty minutes before baking. I have also found that my macarons will get macaron nipples if I bake them on a lower oven rack. I have the best success when I bake the macarons on the second highest rack in the oven near the top. 

Yield: 24 Macarons

Lemon Blueberry Vegan Macarons

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These Vegan French Macarons are lemon flavored, and filled with blueberry jam and lemon frosting. Vegan, Gluten Free

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling

• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 4 tsp  Corn Starch
• 4 tsp Cold Water

Macaron Shells

• 3/4 Cup Aquafaba
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Almond Flour, finely ground
• 3/4 Cup Icing Sugar
• 1 tsp Lemon Extract
• 2-3 drops Food Coloring Gel - (optional)

Lemon Frosting

• 1/4 Cup Vegan Butter
• 1 Cup Icing Sugar
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract
• 2-3 drops Food Coloring Gel - (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Blueberry Filling: Over medium-high heat, in a small saucepan, stir together the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice, until the sugar dissolves.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water until the cornstarch is all dissolved.
3. Stir the cornstarch water into the blueberries, and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to a storage container to keep in the fridge and let cool while you prepare the macaron shells.
5. Prepare the Macaron Shells: Sift together the almond flour & icing sugar. Set aside.
6. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the aquafaba on high.
7. Add the cream of tartar when the aquafaba starts to get frothy.
8. Once the aquafaba reaches soft peaks, add the vanilla extract and lemon extract.
9. When the meringue reaches stiff peaks, continue whisking on high, and slowly add the sugar, one teaspoon at a time, until stiff glossy peaks form and all the sugar is incorporated. If you are using food coloring, add the drops food colouring now.
10. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and sift the almond flour/icing sugar onto the meringue.
11. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together until combined and the batter resembles the consistency of pancake batter (the batter should flow off the spatula in a consistency that looks like ribbons when it's lifted away from the bowl).
12. Using a piping bag, pipe the batter into 1 1/2” circles, equally spaced out on a silicone lined baking sheet.
13. Pop any visible air bubbles with a toothpick, then let the baking sheet sit at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes.
14. Bake at 235°F for 30 minutes.
15. Remove the shells from the oven, and let cool at room temperature before removing from the pan.
16. While the macaron shells cool, prepare the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the vegan butter, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Add the icing sugar and food colouring, and beat until smooth.
18. Assemble the macarons: Use a piping bag to pipe a circle of frosting around the inside edge of a macaron shell. Fill the middle with blueberry filling, then sandwich it together with another macaron shell. 
19. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 1g

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