Peppermint Twist Macarons are the centerpiece of my Christmas cookie plates. Melt-in-your mouth macarons made with the flavor of the season: peppermint.

Peppermint Twist Macarons are an easy macaron recipe with a buttercream filling. Perfect recette macarons for Christmas cookies and holiday parties.

Holy macaron!!! Has anyone else noticed the macaron craze? High on the list of food trends, macarons!

They seem to be making a big comeback, seen in pastry shops, food blogs, gracing the dessert menus in the most exclusive restaurants, served in lieu of cake at weddings and now… in your home.

Make sure to PIN Peppermint Macarons!

Often intimidating to prepare, the home cook tends to shy away from challenging their pastry skills.

The classic French cookie sandwich, recette macaron, isn’t particularly difficult to make, however there aren’t shortcuts for the tedious steps.

Understanding the basic anatomy of the perfect macaron helps. Here is some basic knowledge so you can make easy macarons.

First comes the ingredients. Originating in Europe, macarons call for caster sugar, a grain size somewhere in between US granulated sugar and powdered sugar.

You might be able to find it at your local grocery store, but you can also take regular white granulated sugar for a spin in the food processor to get the same effect or just use powdered sugar.

Skipping this step can lead to a grainy macaron. No one wants that!

Macarons also call for almond flour or almond meal. You can usually locate this in the baking section of your grocery store near the flour, but in a much smaller bag especially since gluten-free diets have become so popular.

The weight of the almond flour is necessary in achieving a light and slightly chewy peppermint cookies. It also makes these macarons a gluten-free cookie recipe. Double win!

The cookie base is classic meringue, made from egg whites, cream of tartar to stabilize the mixture, caster sugar and then lightly folded with an almond flour and powdered sugar mixture. Perfectly light and fluffy.

Fresh eggs do the best job of creating soft, stiff peaks. Some macaron makers opt to use a slightly different recipe and use almond paste for the distinct macaron cookie flavor, but honestly, after you add peppermint, it would drown out anyhow.

Add colors to your macaron base, but wait to add flavor to the cream center. Use gel food colors to not disrupt the fragile weight of meringue. Using liquid food coloring might impact the consistency and effect baking properly.

Filling for macarons also vary from classic buttercreams, to jams and even frothy, meringue based icings. This largely depends on personal preference. I prefer a buttercream, as it literally melts in your mouth.

Here you can add flavoring and color to add that special pizzazz. For my peppermint macarons, I used only vanilla, knowing that a small amount of peppermint can go a long way and I didn’t want to over flavor the sweet treat.

Just like meringue, macarons are super finicky about the oven and need to be at just the right temperature for an exact amount of time to allow it to crisp, but not dry out and crack.

What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron? A macaroon is a coconut cookie while macaron is meringue based.

Because of this, avoid making macarons on overly humid, rainy or snowy days. The moisture will prevent them from baking and crispy, leading to chewy macarons.

Lucky for you, I have foolproof, simple instructions to make the perfect macaron at home. Believe me, it has taken years for me to get to this point and now I plan to share this knowledge with you.

PRO TIP: Using parchment paper or a silicone mat will help your macarons release without breaking or cracking.

Remember, skipping steps and saving time will not help you in the long run.

More easy Christmas recipes:

Santa Cookies

5 from 14 votes

If you're looking an an easy, no-bake Christmas cookie, check out my Nutter Butter Santa Cookies! They're super festive, and simple to make.

View this recipe

Vanilla Macarons

4.88 from 8 votes

How to make French macarons, plus our favorite variations and tips and tricks for making homemade vanilla macarons foolproof!

View this recipe

Christmas Fudge (Almond Fudge)

4.72 from 7 votes

There is no better classic fudge recipe than this Christmas Fudge! Basically an almond fudge topped with festive sprinkles, it's perfect for cookies trays!

View this recipe

Tools for making Peppermint Twist Macarons:

Mini Food Processor– I use this thing daily! It is by far my most used kitchen appliance, it is small and I throw all the parts into the dishwasher, well except the base and cord, of course!
Frosting Tips– It is great to have a variety of frosting tips, not just the usual. Buying one can cost $3, so spring for a few extra and get the whole set.
Pastry Bags– Use pastry bags for desserts, but also sauces and artistic touches on plating!
Insulated Cookie Sheet– Insulated cookie sheets allow hot air to circulate around the entire cookie, resulting in even baking.