I love gingerbread so much that I even got a gingerbread cookie tattooed on my left hand! It’s no wonder I turned these delicious chocolate macarons into cute little gingerbread men! These macaron cookies are chocolate and filled with a ginger-spiced vanilla buttercream and caramel center. Absolutely DELICIOUS! I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! As always, feel free to customize the fillings and decorations to your liking. I know macarons can be intimidating, but I take you through every step of this recipe so that you’re left with the most delicious, beautiful end results :)

Chocolate macarons decorated with smiling gingerbread faces, pink cheeks, white icing hair, and small holly decorations, arranged on a black cooling rack.

How To Make Gingerbread Macarons

This recipe is so much easier to make than you might think. I’ll break down the steps below and even more in the recipe!

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Sift together powdered sugar, almond flour, and cocoa powder. Whisk and set aside.
Add egg whites to your stand mixer bowl. Start whisking on medium until foamy.
Add cream of tartar.
Slowly sprinkle in the granulated sugar while the mixer runs.
When the meringue starts getting thicker, add vanilla, brown food gel, and salt.
Whip until stiff peaks form — the mixture should stand straight up on the whisk.
Take the bowl off the mixer.
Sift in half of the dry mixture and gently fold it in.
Sift in the rest and keep folding until the batter flows like thick ribbons (macaronnage!).
Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

Pipe 2-inch circles on your prepared trays, leaving space in between.
Tap the trays on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles. This is important! I tapped my tray about 10-12 times :)
Let the piped macarons sit out for 30 minutes to form a shiny “skin.” To tell if this has happened, gently tap the top of a macaron. It shouldn’t stick to your finger.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Bake one tray at a time for 10 minutes.
Let them cool for a couple minutes on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack before decorating :)

Recipe Tips

Use room-temperature egg whites for better volume.
Sift your dry ingredients twice for smooth shells.
Don’t skip the resting period – the skin helps create perfect macaron feet.
Tap the tray firmly to remove air bubbles that cause cracks.
Use gel food coloring only! liquid coloring changes batter consistency.
Bake one tray at a time for consistent heat distribution.
If your macarons are hollow, your oven is likely too hot or your meringue was under-whipped.

A batch of brown macarons decorated with smiling gingerbread faces, white icing squiggles, pink cheeks, and small green and red holly accents, displayed on a cooling rack.

How to Store Gingerbread Macarons

These Macarons store great! Be sure to follow these tips :)

Refrigerator: Up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezer (filled or unfilled): Up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen macarons in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp before serving.
For best texture, let assembled macarons mature for 24 hours — this softens the inside and deepens the flavor.

Tips for Making Macarons

Weigh ingredients for accuracy.
Use fresh parchment or silicone mats for even baking.
Don’t overmix — the batter should ribbon smoothly but not run.
Check your oven temperature with a thermometer; most ovens run 10–25° off.
If your shells crack, your oven is likely too hot or the macarons didn’t rest long enough.
For perfectly round macarons, hold the piping bag straight up and pipe from the center out. And remember! You can use this recipe for plain chocolate macarons too :)

Gingerbread-style macarons with smiling faces, pink cheeks, white icing details, and small holly decorations, arranged on a black cooling rack.

Tips for Decorating Gingerbread Macarons

Keep your decorations simple and cute — the goal is a warm gingerbread “face.”
Use black buttercream for the eyes and smile.
Add pink dots for rosy cheeks – this is my favorite detail :)
Add red and green dots to create holly and berries.
Chill the macarons before decorating to keep the shells stable.
Pipe very gently — macaron shells can crack with too much pressure.