Pumpkin Spice Macarons - with White Chocolate Ganache

How to make pumpkin spice macarons with French meringue and a real pumpkin ganache filling. Deliciously fun with the fall macaron flavours of Autumn in Paris. Also great for Halloween and Thanksgiving parties.

What is the Secret to Good Macarons?

Having lived in Paris for over 30 years, I've sampled countless macarons which can be an expensive hobby! From the sublime to the disappointing, the best macarons in Paris share a common trait: they're not overly sweet.

The secret is to avoid overloading the filling with unnecessary sugar. The shells already contain plenty. This delicate balance ensures a harmonious flavour experience. For example, this raspberry macaron filling contains no added sugar, just the acidity of raspberries. Less sugar = more flavour. What's more, the shells are perfectly crisp on the outside and fondant in the inside.

Pumpkin Macarons with Real Purée

Many pumpkin macaron recipes use pumpkin spice, but I wanted a truly pumpkin-flavoured treat. These macarons are less sweet than most, thanks to a filling made with real pumpkin purée instead of sugary buttercream.

For an authentic pumpkin macaron flavour, use puréed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. While canned pumpkin purée is common in the U.S., it's harder to find in France. (At our frozen food store, Picard, you can now buy puréed pumpkin mixed with sweet potato - good too.) Fortunately, it's easy to make your own by roasting pumpkin.

Potimarron, a popular French variety, is ideal for this recipe. It's darker, denser, and has a more intense flavour. Plus, you can eat the skin and it's less watery.

Pumpkin Spice Macarons Recipe - Ingredients

To make pumpkin spice macarons, first gather all your ingredients and weigh them all using kitchen scales (here's why we weigh rather than use volume for macarons). Here's what you'll need:

• Egg whites - organic only, aged for 3-4 days in the fridge, then brought up to room temperature. Whites can also be frozen (defrost well before use at room temp. but don't refreeze macarons)
• Superfine sugar (caster sugar)
• Almond flour (ground almonds) - find the finest you can, otherwise pulse in a food processor and sieve further
• Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
• Powdered colouring (orange or brown) - optional, but just a pinch is needed
• White chocolate - minimum 34% or 35% Ivoire. Either in drops or broken bits
• Heavy cream - 35% fat whipping cream (crème fleurette in France)
• Pumpkin purée - either from a can, defrosted purée, or purée your own, roasted for 25 minutes
• Pumpkin spice - or 4-épices in France. See below how to make it.

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Ganache Filling

First make the ganache filling. Heat the cream with the spices in a saucepan until nearly boiling, then melt in the white chocolate.

As soon as the chocolate melts, take off the heat and add the pumpkin purée.
If making from scratch, add the chopped roasted pumpkin and blend for 1 minute using a hand mixer until smooth.

Set aside to cool for about 2 hours at room temperature (or chill if too warm in your kitchen!)

Note on the pumpkin purée - While my recipe states 75g/3oz purée, I used 100g(3.5oz) for maximum flavour. Although really tasty, the result was a drier filling texture, so I recommend sticking to the recipe quantity below - unless you really want more of the pulp in there.

What is Pumpkin Spice? How to Make Your Own

What exactly is pumpkin spice? It's easy to make your own:

• stir together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg plus a pinch of ground cloves or all spice.

While it's not used in French cuisine, our nearest equivalent is Quatre-épices (cinnamon or pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) without the allspice.
More popular in France in Autumn/Winter is pain d'épices (gingerbread spice) which is similar and found ready prepared to make our famous French gingerbread (pain d'épices). The only difference is the addition of either ground cardamom or aniseed to replace the allspice.

Adding Flavour and Colour to Macaron Shells

While it's best to keep macaron shells simple to avoid interfering with the meringue, you can add subtle flavours and colours.

For these pumpkin macarons, I added a touch of pumpkin spice to the batter and sprinkled a bit on top before baking.

I also experimented with turmeric for a much lighter, natural yellow hue. Although the colour was less vibrant than food colouring, it added a subtle spiced flavour.

What Colouring is Best for Macarons?

There are two schools of macarons and colour: adding pretty colours to show their flavour, either intensely or subtle, or simply omitting any colouring whatsoever.

If adding colour for pumpkin spice macarons, add only a tiny pinch of powdered colouring (either orange or a pinch of red and yellow) to the meringue. Powders need far less and are easier to use, as they don't affect the meringue like liquid-based colourings.

Making Pumpkin Spice Macaron Shells with French Meringue

Detailed instructions how to make the macaron shells using French meringue are given step-by-step in both my pastry books, Mad About Macarons (2010) and Teatime in Paris (2015). Many internet recipes today say what I wrote back then, with all my extensive tips! Now end 2024, I am happy to finally be able to share them here but please support my books!

Prepare 3 flat baking sheets (without a lip) topped with baking paper (not waxed). I much prefer paper to silicone - find out reasons why in my macaron silicone mat review (unsponsored).

Weigh out the egg whites at room temperature in a large mixing bowl. Sift the ground almonds with the icing sugar using a medium sieve in another large bowl. Discard any large, coarse almond pieces and stir well together.

Whisk the egg whites well to glossy firm peaks adding the caster sugar gradually.
If using, add the powdered colouring towards the end of mixing. Just a pinch goes a long way so add carefully.

Incorporate the beaten whites into the almond flour and powdered sugar using a large flexible spatula. The batter will be a bit thick and clumpy at this point but mix well until well incorporated (no need to fold).

What is Macaronage?

When mixed together, press down well using a patisserie scraper, going back and forward to press out the oxygen from the whites (known as 'macaronage'). Do this for no more than 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth, shiny, and forms a ribbon on the scraper.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a plain 1cm tip (the bag should be pushed into the tip to prevent the mixture from escaping).
Pipe out the rounds of about 3cm maximum, leaving a good space between each as they spread out.

Leave to air for at least 30 minutes (this helps produce the macaron 'feet') until firm to the touch. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/360°F/Gas 4.

Bake in the centre of the oven, one tray at a time, for about 12 minutes. Test after 8 minutes. Touch the top of a macaron and gently move your finger side to side. If there is a 'wobble', cook for 3-4 minutes longer until firm.

Marry up the macaron shells in pairs on the baking paper, one row flat side up and one row flat side down.

Stir the pumpkin ganache filling until smooth and manageable and transfer to a piping bag with a 1cm plain tip. Pipe onto the upturned shells then place its partner on top, using a circular motion to 'squash' (get it?) the shell down on the filling.

Macaron Ganache Fillings: How Long do They Keep?

Chocolate ganache macaron fillings are best kept at least 36 hours before eating. Macarons can keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container or cake box in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before eating, to best enjoy their flavours.

Can You Freeze Macarons?

You certainly can. As long as your whites were not frozen, macarons freeze well. Either freeze them whole with their fillings or just the shells. This is handy to make them in advance when preparing for parties.

More Macaron Fall Flavours

• See my Top Ten Halloween macaron ideas
• be inspired for Pink October with pink macarons
• salted caramel macarons

The basic French recipe for macaron shells with even more tips are well explained, step by step in both my books Mad About Macarons! (2010) and Teatime in Paris! (2015).

Part of this recipe was first published 28 October 2014 but is now completely updated with the full recipe and tips.