The filling of a macaron is what makes them so yummy. Usually the shells themselves don’t pack much of a flavour punch and it’s up to the filling to bring those desired flavours to the table. That’s why having a good filling is important, and choosing the right filling is a big deal.

If you need a macaron recipe, I highly suggest you read my post on how to make successful macarons. It has my favourite macaron recipe and is full of tips, tricks and warnings so that you have all of the knowledge to make a successful batch! In this post, I am going to give you two simple fillings that can be used while making macarons. The two fillings in question are 1) buttercream and 2) ganache. Although only two recipes, they allow for a solid base to create your own flavours.

Choosing the Right Filling

Out of these two fillings, one is sometimes better than the other when it comes to what kind of flavourings you plan to add. For instance, if you plan to add oily flavourings (such as lavender oil) to the filling, you want to use the buttercream recipe as it will support the added oil nicely. If you add oil to the ganache, it won’t solidify and instead stay liquidly.

On the other hand, flavourings based on glycerine or alcohol pair incredibly well with a white chocolate ganache (for example, vanilla extract). I cannot get enough of the combo of strawberry and white chocolate (which pairs extra well with pink shells). Most gourmet food stores sell expansive varieties of flavouring and I believe Michaels also sells some as well.

Note on Double Boiler Method

A double boiler is used in all of the frosting recipes in this post. A double boiler is made by simmering about an inch or so of water in a saucepan then placing a bowl on top. You put your ingredients in that bowl (preferably glass but stainless steel also works) so that they receive indirect heat from the steam. This method prevents the egg whites in the buttercream from cooking and the chocolate in the ganache from burning.

Infusing Flavours Into Ganache

Using an infusion method, you can sneakily add some fancy flavours into the ganache without throwing off its chemistry. To do this, heat up the whipping cream until hot but not yet simmering, and steap in some vanilla beans, loose leaf tea such as earl grey, or herbs like lavender. Steep for five minutes, strain and then immediately add to the melted chocolate.

Some Filling Inspiration

Here are some flavour ideas that will help you get started!

White macaron shells with vanilla buttercream
Brown macaron shells with chocolate filling/ganache
Yellow macaron shells with lemon white chocolate ganache
Pink shells with strawberry white chocolate ganache
Green shells with matcha buttercream
Purple shells with lavender buttercream
Taupe shells with earl grey buttercream

Also, If you’re here from my YouTube video, I used the buttercream recipe with a few drops of culinary lavender oil to make my filling, but you can also make lavender ganache by infusing food grade lavender buds into the cream before combining it with the melted chocolate

Here’s the recipe!