There are certain flavours that instantly make me think of autumn, and pumpkin spice is definitely one of them. The combination of warm cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves has a way of making everything feel a little cozier.
So naturally, I had to bring those flavors into one of my favorite delicate desserts: French macarons.
These Pumpkin Spice Macarons are filled with a creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin filling that tastes like autumn in every bite. They’re delicate, elegant, and just the right amount of cozy — the perfect little treat to make when pumpkin season arrives.
🎃 Why I Love These Pumpkin Spice Macarons
I love taking classic seasonal flavors and putting my own spin on them, and these macarons are exactly that.
Pumpkin spice is such a familiar autumn flavor, but pairing it with a delicate macaron shell makes it feel completely different. You still get all those warm, comforting spices, but in a dessert that feels a little more special.
These are the kind of macarons I would happily make for a fall gathering, a cozy afternoon with coffee, or simply because I’m in the mood for some autumn baking.
And let’s be honest — they’re also incredibly pretty on a dessert table.
🍂 Homemade Pumpkin Purée Makes Them Even Better
One thing I especially love about this recipe is using homemade pumpkin purée.
I prefer making my own pumpkin purée because I like knowing exactly what I’m putting into my food. Instead of something filled with additives or unnecessary ingredients, homemade pumpkin purée is simply made with real pumpkin.
If you’ve never made your own, I have a simple recipe that shows you exactly how to make homemade pumpkin purée. It’s an easy recipe to have on hand throughout pumpkin season, and you can use the purée in everything from desserts and breakfast recipes to savory dishes.
For these macarons, that homemade pumpkin flavor works beautifully with the warm spices.
🤎 The Pumpkin Spice Filling
The filling is really where these macarons come alive.
It has that lovely creamy texture you want from a macaron filling, but with the unmistakable flavors of autumn. Pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves come together to create a filling that is sweet, warmly spiced, and incredibly comforting.
I love that you don’t need an overwhelming amount of pumpkin spice to get that autumn flavor. A little goes a long way, especially when paired with the sweetness of the macaron shells.
If you’re a fan of pumpkin spice everything, this filling is going to be right up your alley.
🍁 Tips for Beautiful Pumpkin Spice Macarons
Macarons can sometimes feel intimidating, especially if you’re making them for the first time. They do require a little patience, but once you understand the process, they become so much fun to make.
A few things I always keep in mind:
Take your time with the macaron batter. The consistency of the batter makes a big difference to the final shells.
Use a kitchen scale. Macarons are one of those recipes where accurate measurements really matter.
Don’t rush the resting stage. Allowing the shells to rest before baking helps create that classic smooth top and beautiful macaron feet.
Let the filled macarons mature. I know it’s tempting to eat them straight away, but macarons often taste even better after they’ve had some time for the filling and shells to come together.
And most importantly, don’t be discouraged if your first batch isn’t perfect. Macarons definitely have a learning curve, but that’s part of the fun.
☕ The Perfect Fall Treat
There’s something about a little macaron alongside a warm cup of coffee or tea that feels especially lovely in autumn.
These Pumpkin Spice Macarons would be beautiful served at an afternoon tea, added to a fall dessert table, or packaged into a little box as a homemade gift.
They’re also a wonderful way to make something a little different with pumpkin. When we think of pumpkin desserts, we often go straight to pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, or cheesecake. I love that macarons give this classic fall ingredient a more delicate and elegant twist.
🎃 If You Love Pumpkin Spice…
If you’re anything like me and can’t get enough of pumpkin season, these macarons are definitely one to add to your autumn baking list.
And if you’re looking for another way to use homemade pumpkin purée, don’t forget to check out my Homemade Pumpkin Purée recipe. Making your own is simple, and I love having a batch ready to use throughout the season.
From pumpkin purée to pumpkin spice macarons, autumn is all about making the most of those cozy flavors and enjoying them in as many ways as possible.
These little macarons may be delicate, but they pack all the warmth and comfort I love about fall. 🎃🤎
🍂 More Autumn Recipes
If you’re looking for more cozy fall inspiration, have a look at some of my other autumn favorites:
Homemade Pumpkin Purée — A simple homemade staple made with real pumpkin and no unnecessary ingredients.
Apple Crumble Cheesecake — My go-to combination of two autumn favourites: classic apple crumble and creamy cheesecake.
Walnut & Pumking Pie Bars — Decadent bars inspired by pumpkin pie, combined with delicate flavour of walnuts. Perfect autumn staple.
Pumpkin Macarons
Equipment
- 2 baking trays
- 1 electric whisk/ standing mixer
- baking paper/teflon baking mat
- piping bag
- round piping tip
- silicon spatula
- immersion blender
Ingredients
Pumkin Spice Ganache
- 40 g pumpkin purèe (thicker)
- 80 g double cream
- 6 g honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 100 g white chocolate
Macarons
- 90 g egg whites
- 80 g white sugar
- 100 g icing sugar
- 120 g almond flour (finely ground almonds)
- orange/yellow food colouring
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Ganache
- Pour your measured double cream into a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 sec. intervals until hot. Go slow and steady as it shouldn't boil. Once hot, break white chocolate into pieces and add it to the cream. Let it sit for couple of minutes until the chocolate melts. Add in the rest of the ingredients and use immersion blender to carefully blend everything together. Pour into storage container and cover to touch with cling film. Store in the fridge until set, preferably overnight or at least 6 hours.
Macarons
- Start with measuring your almond flour and icing sugar. Make sure you sift them into your mixing wold to prevent any larger pieces of almonds getting into your batter as they would cause lumpy macarons. Measure your almond flour once you sift it. Add sifted sugar, mix properly and set aside.
- Measure your egg whites into heat proof bowl, add in white sugar and place on the top of small pot with some simmering hot water. The bowl should not touch the water. Keep mixing gently with a whisk until all the sugar melted. Once all the sugar crystals have melted, take the bowl off the heat and start whisking the egg whites with electric whisk on medium speed until you get glossy stiff peaks. Once you have whipped your meringue, add the almond flour and sugar and start folding the mixture slowly. When you have most of the ingredients combined, add your food colouring. Keep folding/macaronaging until you have smooth batter that is thick but still holds its shape little bit, it should not be runny.
- Transfer your macaron batter into a piping bag with round tip and pipe macarons on your baking at/making paper. Once the tray is full, give it a little bang with your hand to resolve nay air bubbles. No need to overdo it, just couple times is fine. You can use paper macaron size sheet underneath the mat to make sure they're all the same size. Let them sit for about 15-20 mins fr the shells to dry out. You can pre-heat the oven in the meantime to 135º-150ºC. Once your macarons are dry to touch, put them in the oven and bake for about 12-17 mins. Take them out of the oven and et them cool completely before removing from the mat, they could break if they're still hot.
Assembling
- Transfer your ganache into a piping bag with a round tip. Take one macaron shell and pipe some of the ganache, cover with second shell and continue until you fill all the shells. Place them into an airtight container and store in the fridge, they should rest overnight to mature.
