troubleshooting tips for common macaron issues

A comprehensive macaron troubleshooting video to fix the most common 13 macaron issues, possible causes and how to avoid them! Let's perfect these little cookies together!
Visual Troubleshooting Guide: www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.co...
Timestamps for specific macaron issues:
00:01:32 - Uneven, grainy top with nipples
00:03:07 - Cracked shells
00:04:57 - Erupted shells
00:05:14 - Too crispy interior
00:06:24 - Flat shells, spread out too much
00:07:26 - Hollow shells
00:07:57 - No feet
00:10:46 - Bulging feet
00:11:25 - Soft, wrinkly shells
00:13:11 - The batter is too thick
00:15:04 - Blotchy shells
00:17:22 - Lopsided shells
00:19:06 - No bottom/Sticky bottom/ Stuck to parchment/Concaved/Inverted shells
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VIDEO CREDITS:
Editor: Temuujin
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[@TheNarrowGate101]

I am binge watching your videos; you have excellent content. Thank you for sharing your hard earned macaron wisdom in a sincere way to us newbies out here. It is very appreciated.

[@ShineeD]

My pleasure. So happy you found my videos helpful! Thank you for your feedback!

[@erikyenokyan7033]

Thank you so so much, I could really fix my problem that was happening to mi a year. There are a lot of people talking about solving macaron problems but non of the helped me. You are the best!!! God bless you !!❤️🙏🏻

[@matokmm]

Your videos are so helpful with the macaron baking process! I've been baking them for about a year now, and both your videos and your recipes are extremely helpful and user friendly. These troubleshooting tips are just what I needed today before I kick off my last few batches of macarons for Christmas next week! 👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️

[@CaliJohnsons]

Thanks for this! You’re given us a lot of great information! I live in Texas and with all of the challenges this weather has caused us, I haven’t been able to bake macarons for over a week. I’m looking forward to some normalcy soon.

[@ShineeD]

Ah, my heart goes out to you!! Hope you didn't get as much damage, and will be able to get back to baking soon! Thank you for your sweet comment.

[@tacocatt6808]

This helped me! My first attempt at macaroons failed a bit because they stuck to the tray too much and spread out a bit too far, now I know how to fix it and was a lot better after trying again and watching this video! Thanks :D

[@ShineeD]

Yay, I'm so happy this was helpful! Thank you so much for your feedback!

[@rosemarybrando5625]

Great video! Very helpful 😁

[@phanyho5417]

You are very helpful..thank u for the all the information.

[@elizabethcoker1570]

Oh my gosh! I just had the problem where my batter got looser but then stayed thick! I was baffled too!! I think you are spot on about the aging because I accidentally aged these longer than I usually do. Also when I remeasured my egg whites before starting, I noticed I lost A LOT of moisture and had to add nearly another half egg white. 😅 Phew! I thought my beginner’s luck was starting to wear off! 😂

[@mlle_francophile]

Very good tips. Thank you

[@Jafda62]

Very complete. Thanks

[@ShineeD]

Just skip it.

[@dalalaziz4695]

You are the best ❤️👍🏼 l really love you 💐👏🏻

[@stelecook5678]

Thank you for saving lifes! Greet from Vienna 👍👍

[@ShineeD]

Haha thank you!!

[@patriciaguerrero2414]

Thank you

[@bjazz68]

Thank you.

[@Kyulama7]

for me i always face too crispy interior , too thick batter , and bulging feet so I'm gonna try these tips hope it work

[@ShineeD]

Hope you'll make a perfect macaron to your satisfaction, Lama. Let me know if you need any help!

[@caroldebiase9532]

Thanks for all the great info. Im a hobby baker and I’m new to macaron making . I only used airbake pans with silicon mats. 10 failed attempts. I had almost every issue you mentioned. I am not giving up! I just bought nordicware cookie sheets. I notice that some videos show macaron mats on top of inverted pans. Which baking pans do you recommend.? Very informative videos. Thank you

[@ShineeD]

Hi, Carol. First, I applaud you for not giving up! These little cookies worth it. I have no experience with airbake pans, so I can't comment on those. And silicone mats are my least favorite mats for baking macarons. I prefer parchment paper or teflon. Silicone conducts heat poorly, so you may need to bake them longer. Depending on the oven, you may want to invert your baking sheet for better air circulation. I use heavy-duty aluminum bakes half baking sheets from Sam's Club, but nordicware has similar ones. Let me know if you need troubleshooting. And good luck!

[@caroldebiase9532]

@@ShineeD thank you so much for your help… not giving up !(yet)

[@marcellalee1898]

May i ask why do my macaron turn brown when its still underbake? what shouldi do about it?

[@annanguyen1841]

Hi shinee I’ve been watching your video a lots and you give us a lots of trick and details about macaroons…but I have One problem for my macaroons …my macaroons sell getting softened when I get filling them and put in the Refrigerator …my filling cream cheese butter with Strawberry jam..and another filling it lemon curd….Please let me know if you have time…thanks so much 💕

[@ShineeD]

Hi, Anna. Macarons with wet fillings tend to mature and soften faster. They mostly require about 8 hours to mature in the fridge. Wet fillings: cream cheese frosting, jams and curds. To prevent, you could smear a little bit of buttercream on the bottom of each shell before filling them.

[@CyborDax]

Thank you very much. One question from me. What causes the skin to not form before baking? My batter doesn't lose shape when I pipe, but I've been told the skin is important so that it helps to form the feet. But I can never get the skin to form. Have tried leaving in fridge, on counter surface, closed windows, no air con. (I'm based in the UK), away from oven, on top of oven (outside of oven on the gas hob). Even tried fanning too, but nothing. My merangue I think is good as I had stiff peaks, can form peaks, turn the brown upside down over my head and notning moves. Any advice greatly appreciated. I just got some almond flour in my hand and squeezed... It stuck together.. So oily.. Will follow your video for roasting / drying them

[@ShineeD]

It's usually due to humidity. In humid climates, macarons take long time to develop skin. How long have you rested your macarons? If they don't develop skin even after 2 hours, I recommend looking into no-rest method.

[@bethkop12]

I've been having the issue where my batter gets thicker as I macoranage...pretty sure my almond flour is too oily! And i was food processing it, probably making it even worse. I have a new bag of the same stuff so I'll try drying it out in the oven

[@ShineeD]

Yeah, you may be over-processing the almond flour. Also, if you weighed your egg whites, trying increasing it by 2g. I had another reader with thick batter issue recently, and it worked perfectly when she increased her egg white amount by 2g. Yep, just 2g made a difference.

[@sushi603]

How long does it take to mix the meruinge with a hand mixer?

[@allisonscanlan4144]

I had very thick batter and I think you are right that the ingredients were unbalanced because the recipe called for 1 and 3/4 cup powdered sugar compared to the 3 egg whites which seems like way to high of dry ingredients

[@ShineeD]

My basic macaron recipe has been my go-to since 2012, and it's been made by hundreds of my readers with great success. I'm saying this to say that the recipe ratio is solid. Now, I'm actually not sure what recipe you're talking about, because my recipe doesn't call for 3 egg whites and 1 and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar.

[@allisonscanlan4144]

@@ShineeD oh yeah sorry I didn't even know you had a recipe, I will have to try it next time. I was talking about the recipe I followed which didn't work out. I thought your video was for trying to assist people with processes/recipes that didn't work

[@jols910]

Now one new issue what I have is after combining dry ingredients to meringue and just to mix uniformly ingredient I am getting flowing consistency, I not even started folding it, as soon I just combing almond flour mixture to meringue iam there with piping consistency, so many folding so much to get the consistency why I am not Please advise

[@janebasile9845]

Thank you for your fabulous videos. I have a question. My daughter has baked perfect macarons in Montreal. However, making them in Colorado she has had a few problems. Some variables are a) altitude is 5000 feet/low humidity and b) we have a convection oven. In the next batch, while applying all the tips you give in your troubleshooting video, should any adjustments be made for altitude/low humidity and convection? For example, would you rest less? Would you reduce the baking time by the normal 1/3 and check at 10 mins for doneness, or alternatively use the oven on regular (not convection) bake? Many thanks for any insights you have!

[@ShineeD]

Hi, there! Thanks for reaching out. Low humidity is only advantageous, and I don't think it affects the cookies. I have no experience with baking in high altitude, so I can't advice anything specific. And since I don't know what kind of issues your daughter had, I can't offer much advice either. But to answer your questions... Rest time: rest for 15 minutes and bake. Convection: If possible, bake on regular setting. But if you only have convection settings, reduce the oven temp by 15 degrees. And yes, you can definitely start checking at 10min mark. Hope this helps. Let me know. Good luck!

[@kimlai6045]

Hi, Do you know what is the reasons why my Macarons shell become soft after leave it in the fridge? Any tips?

[@ShineeD]

Hi there! Could you please give me more details? Are you talking about filled macarons? If so, what type of filling did you use?

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

I personally want to add to make sure your mixing bowl has no oil or grease or fat on it. I clean mine by wiping it with vinegar before I make my meringue.

[@ShineeD]

Agreed! I personally don't wipe my stencils with vinegar, but you're right, everything should be squeaky clean with no trace of fat.

[@allisonscanlan4144]

Why is this just curious

[@vatansever4381]

You are adorable 🥰

[@heifetz87]

The issue here is that oven temperatures vary. 300 f might be too hot for some ovens so how do you know what temperature you need to set your oven at so that you don’t undercook your macarons ?

[@ShineeD]

Yep, that's why I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of the oven.

[@evy4366]

I sometimes get very tiny feet when I really want nice tall feet... Meringue is nice and stiff, batter is not over mixed, it's good enough to form figure 8. Could it be oven temperature issue? What temperature do you recommend and bake for how long? Thank you!

[@ShineeD]

Nothing is wrong with tiny feet, in my opinion. Temperature definitely plays a huge role in feet development. Every oven is different and you’ll have to play with yours to figure out what works best for your oven. I bake my macarons at 300F for about 18min.

[@evy4366]

@@ShineeD thank you so much for your kind and prompt response! You are amazing. I will get oven thermometer and check.

[@norhanrashad2965]

How can I fix oily almond plz

[@mikaru9428]

Hi!I have a question.Why does my macaron stick to my baking paper?I burnt my macarons before but the burnt macarons still stuck.The super burnt ones were the one that didn’t stick to the baking paper.Do you know why?(I also use the French method)

[@ShineeD]

Hi, there. What kind of baking paper are you using? Parchment paper or wax paper? I recommend parchment paper. Macarons shouldn't stick to parchment paper unless they were under-baked.

[@mikaru9428]

@@ShineeD I used non stick baking paper.I’m not really sure if it’s wax paper or parchment paper.

[@WL1006]

I always have a problem where I need to bake very much longer with my macaroons… was it because I place a tray below the bottom of my actual macaroons tray? Which level shall I actually place my macaroons tray?

[@ShineeD]

Hi, Wendy. Every oven is different, and you'll need to play around with oven temp and bake time a little. And yes, placing a tray on the bottom will most definitely make a difference. I have a dedicated video on baking part of making macarons. I think it'll be helpful to you. Watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4vMdWZqr5x5iJY

[@evy4366]

Also, the color dies in the oven. I know it's due to high temperature, but if I lower it, it is either undercooked, or again, feet is very very tiny. What do I do?

[@ShineeD]

Depends on food coloring brand too. I’ve never had fading issue with Americolor gel colors.

[@aseelathasmeem]

i tried it today... for the first time... i did not get any feet developed.... i tried with second batch it went and chewy on top and got some feet... may i knw why..? what should i do to get it perfect

[@ShineeD]

Hi, there. I'm not sure what you mean chewy on top? Was that the only problem?

[@madihasiddiquii]

My macarons didn't develop feet and they got stuck to the tray. Is it because of the tray? My tray is deep with 1 or 2 inch walls and the tray is in black color. What could be the issue?

[@madihasiddiquii]

I made macarons with 2 egg whites. 60 gram almond powder, 60 gram powdered sugar. 45 grams caster sugar. 3 tbsp cocoa powder.

[@lolitalajo620]

Hiii! can i use hair dryer in drying macarons?

[@ShineeD]

I don't recommend any direct fan over the macarons as it could cause lopsided shells.

[@dalalaziz4695]

I followed all your instructions and steps carefully and put the macarons in the oven for 18 minutes, but the mixture did not cook from the inside .. and I could not take it out from the mat and cooking paper, what is the reason?

[@ShineeD]

So, every oven is different. My baking time may not work perfectly for you. You'll need to adjust your baking temp and baking time to your oven, and it'll take a few times to find that sweet spot. For starters, do you have an oven thermometer?

[@dalalaziz4695]

@@ShineeD no I don’t have.. Should I buy one ? And wich one should I have?

[@ShineeD]

@@dalalaziz4695 Yes, ovens aren't accurate and often lie about the internal temperature. And that's why you need to double check and adjust the baking temp and time accordingly. It's very inexpensive, and I have mine linked in this post: www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/8-tools-make-perfect-macarons/

[@MeReview7]

the batter is too thick and thicker as I mix it, I had this problem when I made macaron with swiss technique

[@ShineeD]

I have no experience with Swiss method. But my friend @piesandtacos is a pro with Swiss method. Maybe ask her?

[@yiman7370]

Thanks for the advice but I'm really tired of keep trying, some had feet some didnt but they had sticky bottom. I dried the almond flower, I tried all tricks I found on the internet... If u let it to try for too long wont raise etc. it's just tiring like a roulette receipe. I give up tbh it's just time consuming, electricity and food

[@ShineeD]

Please watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXuYipZtj8t_ipo Even though it's for those who're about to make the first macaron, you'll find helpful tips. Also, check out my Macaron 101 playlist, where I deep dive into each aspect of making macaron in details. kzbin.info/aero/PL96TTOuRcp_5drrvTJPrGsF7ezLEWyQkU

[@92TampaChick813]

My macarons do not have No feet but they rise so nice and high in the oven then they get small feet when they cool I’m not sure how to fix this 😞

[@ShineeD]

I believe it's pretty typical for the feet rise and then go down slightly.

[@sydneydo4145]

Do you know why is my top not forming and it just turns out like a cookie instead?

[@ShineeD]

Possibly too high humidity. It can be both due to weather (environment) and ingredients.

[@Whatareevenbirds]

is it there a possiblity that environment can change the macarons? Ive been baking macarons for a while, and all of a sudden, my macarons started becominng cracked, lopsided and no feet. Ive been using the same recipe, same temperature, same technique, nothing changed, but my macarons still end up being bad... Please, i really dont know whats going on 😭😭

[@ShineeD]

Hi, Catherine! I hear your frustration, and believe me, I've been there too! The weather and ingredient condition plays a huge play in the final outcome. One time, my macarons were turning out soft and wrinkly batch after batch, I had to quit for a few months. Turned out, my almond flour had been oily, causing macarons with wrinkly thin skin. I'm sharing this to encourage you to try with brand new almond flour, powdered sugar, or look even further into smallest detail that might have been changed. Are you using the same eggs? Is weather different now? Just throwing out some ideas... Hope you can get to the bottom of the issue. Keep me posted.

[@joallyreyes8391]

I’m trying to make macarons I don’t know what I did wrong but it doesn’t grow.

[@ShineeD]

Do you mean they don't have ruffled feet? Then check out "no-feet" section in my Macaron Troubleshooting Guide here: www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/french-macaron-troubleshooting-guide/#No_feet