With a name that’s so similar, you’d expect these desserts to be about the same—right? Well, macaroons and macarons couldn’t look and taste more different. While both contain whipped egg whites and they don’t have flour, making them gluten-free, that’s about all that the desserts share. So what’s the difference between them?
Macarons
These desserts and meringue and almond-flour-based sandwich cookies with buttercream, jam, or ganache. They come in a variety of flavors. To make a French-style-macaron, egg whites are whisked to make a stiff-peaked meringue and then flavorings, almond flour, and powdered sugar are folded in to reduce air bubbles. The batter is piped into flat round circles to form the outer cookies of the sandwich and then the fillings are added. A good macaron is light and airy with a nice crunch on the outer shell.
Macaroons
These coconut-based treats are gluten-free and are made with whipped egg whites, shredded coconut, sugar, and other flavorings. They are then shaped into small balls or pyramids before they are baked. These desserts are common during Passover time since they don’t use flour. Over the past decade, unique flavors like salted caramel have been made and better ingredients have been used for a tastier dessert.
