Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe

Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe packs crisp almond shells, cool peppermint, and rich chocolate into a bite that tastes like candy-cane season in cookie form. It suits ambitious holiday bakers who want bakery-level macarons, and the total time lands around 1 hour 45 minutes active plus an overnight rest for peak texture. I make a double batch every December and stash a few for post-dishwashing snacking.

Why Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe Is Worth It

Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe delivers festive flavor with standout texture: smooth, shiny shells, chewy centers, and a chocolate peppermint ganache that tastes like classic peppermint bark. You get a showpiece dessert that freezes well, ships neatly, and disappears fast at cookie exchanges.

You also sharpen your macaron skills while you bake a flavor combo everyone knows and loves. The shells go with chocolate, white chocolate, or both, and the crushed candy cane adds sparkle without extra fuss.

Cool mint, deep chocolate, and airy shells made our holiday cookie platter vanish in minutes ★★★★★

Ingredients You Need

• Finely ground almond flour, 120 g (Bob’s Red Mill superfine works best; avoid coarse meal)
• Powdered sugar, 200 g (pre-sifted saves time; Costco and Domino both run smooth)
• Granulated sugar, 100 g (standard white sugar)
• Egg whites, 100 g, room temp (about 3 large; carton whites that list “for whipping” also work)
• Cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp (stabilizes meringue; sub 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
• Fine salt, a pinch
• Gel food color, 1 to 2 drops red or pink, optional (gel or powder only; avoid liquid color)

Chocolate peppermint ganache:

• Dark chocolate, 200 g, finely chopped, 60 to 70 percent cacao (Guittard or Ghirardelli melt smoothly)
• Heavy cream, 100 g (or coconut cream for dairy-free)
• Unsalted butter, 20 g, room temp, diced (optional for shine and softness; use vegan butter for dairy-free)
• Peppermint extract, 1/2 tsp (or 1/8 tsp peppermint oil; it runs stronger)
• Fine salt, a pinch

Optional toppings:

• White chocolate, 60 g, melted, for drizzle
• Crushed candy canes, 2 to 3 tbsp, for garnish

Equipment:

• Kitchen scale, fine-mesh sieve, two large sheet pans, silicone mats or parchment
• Stand mixer or hand mixer with clean, dry bowl and whisk
• Two 16-inch piping bags and a round tip 1/2 inch
• Oven thermometer, toothpicks, cooling racks

Quick Tips & substitutions

• Weigh everything. Macarons love precision.
• Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together twice for smooth tops.
• Wipe the mixing bowl and whisk with vinegar, then dry, to keep fat away from the meringue.
• Aim for stiff, glossy peaks that clump in the whisk but still look satiny.
• Fold to the lava stage: the batter flows slowly and forms a ribbon that disappears in 8 to 10 seconds.
• Use a template under your mat for 1.5-inch circles to keep sizes even.
• Rap trays hard on the counter 3 to 4 times to pop bubbles; poke stragglers with a toothpick.
• Rest shells until they feel dry to the touch; add a small fan if your kitchen runs humid.
• Bake one tray at a time for the most even feet and color.
• Use coconut cream and dairy-free chocolate for a vegan-style ganache.
• Peppermint oil runs strong; start tiny and taste.
• No gel color on hand? Skip it and keep chic, pale shells.
• Nut-free twist: use finely ground, blanched sunflower seed meal in place of almond flour; expect a slight nutty flavor shift.
• Yield targets 22 to 24 sandwiches, depending on piping size.

How to Make Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe

Prep and measure

1. Line two sheet pans with silicone mats or parchment. Set up a piping bag with a round tip.
2. Weigh all ingredients. Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together twice and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 300°F and place an oven thermometer inside to verify temperature.

Make the French meringue

1. Add egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to a clean bowl. Whip on medium speed until foamy.
2. Rain in granulated sugar gradually while whipping. Increase to medium-high and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
3. Add gel color and mix just to combine.

Macaronage and pipe

1. Add half the almond-sugar mix to the meringue and fold with a spatula. Add the rest and continue folding.
2. Stop when the batter flows like lava and forms ribbons that fade in 8 to 10 seconds.
3. Transfer to the piping bag and pipe 1.5-inch rounds, spacing 1.5 inches apart.
4. Rap the trays 3 to 4 times on the counter. Pop visible bubbles with a toothpick.

Rest and bake

1. Let shells sit until the tops feel dry and no batter sticks to your finger, about 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes. Rotate halfway if your oven runs hot in back.
3. Check doneness: touch the top and gently twist; the shell should not wiggle from the feet.
4. Cool on the pan 10 minutes, then slide the mat onto a rack and cool completely.

Make the peppermint ganache

1. Place chopped dark chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Heat cream to a simmer with small bubbles around the edge.
2. Pour cream over chocolate, cover 2 minutes, then stir from center outward until smooth.
3. Stir in butter, peppermint extract, and salt. Cool to room temp, then chill 10 to 20 minutes until pipeable.

Fill, mature, and decorate

1. Match shells by size. Pipe a nickel-size mound of ganache on half the shells and top with partners.
2. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle crushed candy cane if you like that classic peppermint bark look.
3. Place macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temp before serving.

Variations

• White chocolate peppermint: swap dark chocolate for white chocolate and reduce peppermint to 1/4 tsp.
• Tuxedo ganache: layer a thin swipe of dark chocolate ganache and a thin swipe of white chocolate ganache.
• Cocoa shells: whisk 10 g Dutch cocoa into the almond-sugar mix and add 5 g extra powdered sugar to balance.
• Candy cane crunch: fold 1 to 2 tbsp very finely crushed candy cane into the ganache for texture.
• Mocha mint: add 1 tsp instant espresso to the hot cream before pouring over the chocolate.
• Swirl shells: divide batter, tint half red, then stripe the inside of the piping bag for a barber-pole effect.

Ways to Serve

• Pile on a dessert board with peppermint bark, truffles, and fresh berries.
• Pair with hot cocoa, cappuccino, or a minty espresso martini.
• Wrap in clear boxes with ribbon for teacher gifts or neighbor drop-offs.
• Plate as an after-dinner sweet with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and crushed candy cane.
• Crumble one over vanilla ice cream for instant peppermint sundae vibes.

Storage

Refrigerate assembled macarons in an airtight container for up to 5 days; the texture peaks on day two after maturing. Keep them away from strong odors since shells absorb smells. Freeze shells or filled macarons without candy cane garnish for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp before serving. Add drizzle and crushed candy cane after thawing to keep the tops crisp.

Ally Sanders

Peppermint Bark Macarons Recipe

Peppermint Bark Macarons pack crisp almond shells, cool peppermint, and rich chocolate into a bite that tastes like candy-cane season in cookie form.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 48 minutes mins

Servings: 22

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

  

• 120 g finely ground almond flour
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 100 g egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1-2 drops red or pink gel food color

• 200 g dark chocolate (60–70% cacao), finely chopped
• 100 g heavy cream
• 20 g unsalted butter, diced and room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 pinch fine salt

• 60 g white chocolate, melted
• 2-3 tablespoons crushed candy canes

Instructions

 

1. Line two sheet pans with silicone mats or parchment and set up a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip.
2. Weigh all ingredients. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and place an oven thermometer inside to verify temperature.

1. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a clean, dry mixing bowl. Whip on medium speed until foamy.
2. Gradually rain in the granulated sugar while whipping. Increase to medium-high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
3. Add the gel food color, if using, and mix just to combine.

1. Add half of the almond flour–powdered sugar mixture to the meringue and gently fold with a spatula. Add the remaining mixture and continue folding.
2. Stop folding when the batter flows slowly like lava and falls in ribbons that disappear back into the batter in about 8 to 10 seconds.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared piping bag. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds onto the trays, spacing each about 1.5 inches apart.
4. Firmly rap the trays on the counter 3 to 4 times to release air bubbles, then pop any visible bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.

1. Let the piped shells sit at room temperature until the tops feel dry and no batter sticks to your finger, about 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating halfway through if your oven runs hot in the back.
3. Check doneness by gently touching the top of a shell and twisting; it should not wiggle away from the feet. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then slide the mat onto a rack and cool completely.

1. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just reaches a simmer with small bubbles around the edge.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, cover, and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy.
3. Stir in the butter, peppermint extract, and a pinch of salt until fully combined. Cool to room temperature, then chill 10 to 20 minutes until thickened and pipeable.

1. Match cooled shells by size. Pipe a nickel-size mound of peppermint ganache onto the underside of half of the shells, then top with their partners to form sandwiches.
2. If desired, drizzle the tops with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes for a classic peppermint bark look.
3. Place the filled macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to mature. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 macaron (about 1 of 22 servings, with ganache and without toppings): 120 calories; fat 7 g; saturated fat 3 g; carbohydrates 13 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 11 g; protein 2 g; sodium 25 mg. Values will vary based on brands, toppings, and portion size.