Triple Chocolate Peppermint Macarons

Chewy chocolate macaron shells filled with whipped chocolate peppermint ganache, then dunked in melted chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies.

How freakin’ cute are these babies?! They made an appearance in my 2020 Christmas Cookie Box and I’d say they basically stole the show. They’re mostly chocolatey, with a hint of peppermint for that festive holiday twist on my OG Triple Chocolate Macs.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- macarons are not “easy” to make. That doesn’t mean they’re impossible or that you can’t do it. It just means it’s not a chocolate chip cookie and they take practice and the careful following of the recipe instructions. If it’s your first go at it, I recommend reading through the recipe carefully before you even start. Then gather and measure out all of your ingredients so they’re ready to go, and you have one less thing to stress about. That said, I believe in you! You got this! Let’s do it.

How to Make Triple Chocolate Peppermint Macarons

Make the Chocolate Macaron Batter

*Macarons shells freeze rather well, so you can totally do this step ahead of time, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them until you’re ready to use them.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the 85 g of egg whites and mix until combined. It will seem like it won’t come together, but just keep mixing until it becomes a thick paste. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, heat the water and sugar over medium high heat. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. Once the syrup reaches 200 degrees, add the remaining egg whites and a pinch of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and begin whipping on medium speed. Continue to monitor the temperature of the sugar syrup. Keep whipping the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Once the sugar syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove it from the heat. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup. Once all of the syrup is combined, add the vanilla extract and turn the mixer up to high and mix until stiff peaks form.

Add 1/3 of the egg white meringue into the almond flour mixture and combine by folding it in with a rubber spatula. Once it’s pretty well incorporated, add another 1/3 and do this until all of the meringue is incorporated into the almond flour mixture.

Continue folding the batter together until it reaches a ribbon-like texture. You should be able to pick the macaron batter up with the rubber spatula and have it run off back into the bowl in a smooth ribbon – without breaking. Another test is to take some of the batter on your spatula, and try to make a figure 8 back into the bowl. If you can complete the entire 8 shape without the batter breaking, it’s good to go!

Pipe, Rest, and Bake the Chocolate Macarons

Fit a piping bag with a small round tip and fill it with the batter. This will be enough batter to fill 2 large piping bags. Or you can fill one bag, pipe the shells, then refill the bag. Just be sure to cover the macaron batter that’s left in the bowl with a kitchen towel if you’re not putting it into a bag right away.

Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment or a silicone macaron mat. Pipe the batter straight down, then pull it away by doing a quick circular motion at the top. Once all the cookies are pipes, rap the cookie sheet on the counter 4-5 times to release any air bubbles. Pop the stubborn ones with a toothpick. Let the macarons rest on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. Letting them rest is essential in getting those cute little feet on the sides.

Preheat the oven to 395 degrees. Once the cookies have rested for 30 minutes, test if they’re ready by lightly touching the top. A thin skin should have formed and it shouldn’t stick to your finger. If it’s still tacky, let rest another 15 minutes. Bake at 395 for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Make the Whipped Peppermint Ganache

Making whipped ganache is much easier than it sounds, so don’t let it intimidate you. Easier even than making buttercream I would argue.

In a microwave safe bowl, add the heavy cream. Heat it in the microwave for 1 minute. It should be pretty hot, but not boiling. Add the chocolate into the bowl and let it sit for 1 minute. Using a spatula or whisk, mix until the chocolate is melted and smooth. It should become completely smooth, but if there is still some chunks of chocolate, pop it back in the microwave in 15 second intervals until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and mix to combine.

Let the ganache sit on the counter until it is room temperature, stir it occasionally. Once the ganache is thick and room temp, use a handheld mixer to mix the ganache. This incorporates air and it will become thick, and smooth, and very similar in texture to buttercream. Fit a piping bag with your favorite tip and fill it with the whipped peppermint ganache.

Fill and Garnish the Chocolate Peppermint Macarons

Match up the cookies in pairs and pipe some whipped peppermint ganache on half of the cookies. Take the other half and press it together. Melt some semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate and dunk the tops of the macarons into the chocolate. Sprinkle them with the crushed peppermint candies.

Set the finished macarons on a cookie sheet and leave on the counter until the chocolate sets. Enjoy right away, or place them into the fridge where they will keep over the next few days. I actually prefer to eat macarons chilled.

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If you loved these Triple Chocolate Peppermint Macarons, be sure to check out my S’mores Macarons, and my Pistachio Macarons.