When I was in law school, one of the things I did to give my brain a break from all the studying was learn to make macarons. They are one of those treats that are intimidating for some home bakers, but they are way easier than they seem! And the flavor varieties are endless! Case in point? These delicious Fruity Pebbles macarons inspired by one of our favorite breakfast cereals, even if we don’t actually eat Fruity Pebbles for breakfast at our house. Instead, they are more of an afternoon or evening snack/treat or I use them as an ingredient in other treats like our Fruity Pebbles rice krispies treats or Fruity Pebbles Cookies. The shells are really just a classic almond flour shell with a few crushed Fruity Pebbles sprinkled on top before baking. Then they are filled with a cereal milk buttercream made by soaking some Fruity Pebbles cereal in milk to infuse it with flavor. Add some additional crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal to the filling for a little extra crunch and you’ve got a creative fun macaron flavor that is different from the standard flavors you can get from bakeries for a fraction of the cost. And if you like cereal-inspired desserts, you might also want to check out our Cinnamon Toast Crunch Krispy Treats or our Lucky Charms Snack Mix!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Almond flour – We recommend Blue Diamond (best choice) or Costco almond flour (second choice). Both of these almond flours are already finely sifted and provide the best texture for this macaron recipe. Egg whites – You do not need to age the egg whites. This recipe can be made with egg whites straight from the refrigerator. I do not recommend using egg whites from the carton, they do not produce a strong enough meringue. Sugar – You need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar for the shells, and powdered sugar for the fruity pebbles buttercream filling. Cream of tartar – The cream of tartar is optional but highly recommend it to be used in the recipe. It helps the egg whites in creating a strong meringue. Marshmallow cream – The marshmallow cream can be excluded, but it really helps to bring out the sweet taste of the fruity pebbles cereal and gives a little more oomph to what would otherwise just be a basic buttercream frosting. Salted butter – For the best flavor in your macaron filling. Milk – For making the cereal milk and thinning the frosting to a pipeable consistency. Gel food coloring (affiliate link) – I went with pink for these macarons, but any of the colors of Fruity Pebbles would be cute like blue, yellow, or purple.
How to Make Fruity Pebbles Macarons
Tips for Success
Prep and weigh all ingredients before starting. Things move quickly and easier to having everything weighed out to make the macaron shells. You want to flip your baking sheets upside down. I know this sounds weird, but this helps provide better airflow to the macarons and more even baking. Having the correct oven temperature for macarons is critical. I recommend having an oven thermometer. If you have problems with cracked shells or spreading macaron shells, consider lower the temperature by about 10 – 15 degrees. You could even pipe a few macarons on the mat to dry and test the oven temperature instead of doing a full pan. Gel food coloring (affiliate link) is what is recommended for making macarons. You can also use powder food coloring. I recommend adding the food coloring at the end of making the meringue in order to avoid streaks. You can also add it during the macaronage stage, this is helpful if you want a darker color. Keep in mind adding too much food coloring can cause your macarons to have a funky taste or leave coloring on a person’s mouth/teeth.
Storage Instructions
For best results, allow macarons to mature for at least 24 hours, although you can absolutely enjoy them the same day they are made. But for the best taste and flavor, macarons need to mature for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Kitchen stand mixer – I recommend the 5 QT Kitchenaid mixer Glass/metal bowls Food scale Fine mesh sieve Disposable piping bags Wilton 12-round piping tip – You may be able to also use the Wilton 10. You can use the large piping tip but it makes it a bit more difficult to pipe the batter. Macaron mats – Please note these are not the exact ones that I used in my photos, but they are similar. Baking Sheets Food Coloring – I recommend ChefMaster or Americolor gel food coloring (affiliate link). I used ChefMaster fuchsia which is sold in a package of colors.
People can get hung up on whether or not their macarons develop feet, and while they are a sign of a properly made macaron, it’s not the end of the world if it takes a batch or two to figure it out. Even without feet, these will still be tasty to eat. Macarons should be stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to five days. Take them out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Freezing Macarons
You can absolutely freeze macarons! They freeze and thaw great so you can have a yummy treat anytime you want one! I recommend storing them in a freeze-safe air tight container. They should be good in the freezer up to one month. When removing, place them in the refrigerator the day before you plan to serve them or let them thaw on the counter for an hour or two.
More Macaron Recipes
Apple Pie Macarons Lemon Macarons Chocolate Macarons Jolly Holiday Raspberry Rose Macarons Peppermint Macarons
Pistachio Macarons
25+ of the Best French Macaron Flavors
Cookies and Cream Macarons
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