Earl Grey Macarons

Crisp, delicate and slightly chewy macaron shells filled with a sweet, fragrant earl grey buttercream. These macarons are the perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

Earl grey is one of those flavours that pairs amazingly with desserts because of its fruity and floral nature. So why not use this elegant flavour in an elegant dessert! These macarons are crisp and slightly chewy with a smooth French buttercream flavoured with earl grey.

For those of you that aren’t following me on Instagram I hold a weekly baking QnA. You can ask me any problems you have been having with your baking and I try my best to answer as many as I can. From the questions I noticed that the majority of questions seem to be directed towards macarons. Macarons are definitely a finicky dessert and can be hard to perfect, so here is another macaron recipe with a compilation of frequently asked macaron questions!

At-a-Glance Specs – What You’ll Need Before We Start Rolling

Earl Grey Macaron Guide

If you are looking for a definitive guide to help you master your macarons I have an ebook which outlines the steps to make French and Italian macarons in detail. It includes photographic steps as well as a guide to the best ingredients and equipment needed to get that perfect macaron!

Optional – My Favourite Extras That Add a Little Magic

• Vanilla extract
  A small splash gives the buttercream a soft London Fog-style flavour.
• Lemon zest
  This brightens the bergamot and keeps the filling fresh.
• Honey
  A tiny amount adds warmth and a soft floral sweetness.
• Brown gel food colouring
  This gives the shells a soft brown tea colour without adding extra liquid.
• Finely ground Earl Grey tea
  A tiny pinch can add more tea flavour, but it must be very fine.
• Orange zest
  This brings out the citrus side of the bergamot.
• Tea extract
  A drop can boost the Earl Grey flavour if your tea is too gentle.

My favourite extra tip: Keep the add-ins light. Earl Grey is elegant, so it works best when the flavour is clear, not crowded.

Substitutions – Smart Ingredient Swaps That Still Taste Amazing

• Earl Grey tea bag can be swapped with loose-leaf Earl Grey
  Loose-leaf tea can give a stronger flavour. Strain it well so the buttercream stays smooth.
• Regular Earl Grey can be swapped with decaf Earl Grey
  This keeps the flavour but lowers the caffeine.
• Plain Earl Grey can be swapped with vanilla Earl Grey
  This gives a softer London Fog-style flavour.
• Milk can be swapped with cream
  Cream gives a richer buttercream. The filling may feel heavier, but it will taste smooth and lush.
• Earl Grey buttercream can be swapped with Earl Grey ganache
  Ganache is richer and more stable. It tastes less buttery, but pairs beautifully with the tea.
• Brown gel colour can be skipped
  The flavour stays the same. The shells will just look lighter and more natural.

My swap tip: Do not add brewed tea to the macaron shell batter. Too much liquid can change the texture and make the shells spread.

Troubleshooting – Quick Fixes I’ve Learned from My Bakery Kitchen

Comparison – How This Recipe Stacks Up Against Other Desserts

How To Make Earl Grey Macarons

• Sieve the almond meal and icing sugar into a medium bowl.
• Remove any large almond pieces left in the sieve.
• Add the egg whites to a large clean bowl.
• Beat with an electric mixer until foamy.
• Slowly add the white sugar.
• Beat until stiff peaks form.
• Add your food colouring of choice and beat until the colour is even.
• Fold the almond meal and icing sugar into the meringue in 2 to 3 additions.
• Scrape around the bowl and through the centre as you fold.
• Press the batter around the bowl, then fold it back into the centre.
• Keep folding until the batter flows slowly and the lines fade back into the bowl.
• Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
• Pipe 1.5 inch circles onto a lined baking tray.
• Allow the shells to dry for 1 to 2 hours, or until dry to the touch.
• Bake at 140°C for 10 to 15 minutes.
• The shells are ready when they barely wiggle on the baking paper.
• Remove from the oven and let them cool fully.
• To make the buttercream, combine the Earl Grey tea leaves and milk in a small saucepan.
• Heat until steaming and fragrant.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolk with sugar.
• Slowly add the warm Earl Grey milk while whisking.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
• Heat gently, stirring often, until slightly thickened.
• Remove from the heat and let it cool fully.
• Once cooled, add the room temperature butter.
• Beat until light and silky.
• Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag.
• Match similar sized macaron shells together.
• Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of one shell.
• Top with a matching shell.
• Place the filled macarons in an airtight container.
• Mature in the fridge for 1 day before serving.

Tips – My Personal Tricks for a Professional-Looking Result

Choose A Strong Earl Grey Tea

Earl Grey is the whole mood here, so use a tea you actually like drinking. A weak tea will disappear once it meets the sweet macaron shells.

I like a bold Earl Grey with a clear bergamot scent. It should smell citrusy, floral, and a little cosy before it even hits the buttercream.

Understand The Bergamot Flavour

Earl Grey is black tea flavoured with bergamot, which gives it that soft citrus and floral note. That is what makes these macarons taste elegant rather than plain tea-flavoured.

If your tea smells flat, the buttercream will taste flat too. Start with good tea and half the work is done.

Steep The Milk Gently

Heat the milk until it is steaming, not boiling hard. If the milk boils too much, it can taste scorched and the tea can turn bitter.

At TuCha, I’m always testing tea drinks, and the same rule applies here. Gentle heat gives you a smoother flavour.

Strain The Tea For A Silky Buttercream

If you use loose-leaf tea, strain it well before making the buttercream. No one wants gritty little tea bits in a smooth filling.

Tea leaves are lovely, but they need to know their place.

Cool The Custard Before Adding Butter

The Earl Grey custard needs to be cool before the butter goes in. If it is too warm, the butter can melt and the filling can split.

It should feel cool to the touch, not fridge-cold and not warm. That middle ground gives the silkiest result.

Use Gel Colour For Brown Shells

For the soft brown colour, use a tiny amount of brown gel food colouring. You can also use a little beige with brown for a milk-tea shade.

Avoid liquid colour. Macarons are already delicate little divas, and extra liquid can throw off the batter.

Taste The Buttercream Before Filling

The Earl Grey flavour should be clear but not bitter. If it tastes too soft, you can add a tiny pinch of finely ground tea or a drop of tea extract.

Do this slowly. Tea flavour can go from elegant to too much very quickly.

Keep Tea Out Of The Shells Unless It Is Finely Ground

Large tea leaves can make shells gritty and uneven. If you want tea-speckled shells, grind the tea very finely first.

I would not add brewed tea to the shells. That is too much liquid for such a sensitive little batter.

Let The Filled Macarons Mature Overnight

The recipe already rests the macarons overnight, and it really matters here. The shell softens, the centre turns chewy, and the Earl Grey flavour settles into the buttercream.

It is a tiny lesson in patience, which macarons love teaching us.

Variations – Fun Twists and Flavours Inspired by My TuCha Dessert Experiments

London Fog Macarons

Add vanilla to the Earl Grey buttercream for a soft London Fog flavour. It makes the filling taste creamy, floral, and gentle.

This is the café version of wearing a soft jumper on a rainy day.

Earl Grey Lemon Macarons

Pipe a small dot of lemon curd in the centre of the buttercream. The lemon brightens the bergamot and keeps the filling from tasting too sweet.

It is fresh, sharp, and very afternoon-tea friendly.

Earl Grey Honey Macarons

Add a little honey to the buttercream or drizzle a tiny amount into the centre. Honey brings warmth and soft floral sweetness.

This one feels simple and elegant, which is exactly the Earl Grey energy I like.

Earl Grey Milk Tea Macarons

Make the buttercream a little creamier with vanilla and a touch more milk-tea flavour. It gives the macarons a soft bubble-tea-shop feel.

This is the one I’d happily sneak onto a TuCha dessert tray.

Earl Grey Chocolate Ganache Macarons

Swap the buttercream for a dark chocolate Earl Grey ganache. The chocolate makes the tea taste deeper and more grown-up.

It is rich, smooth, and very much a dessert-with-tea moment.

Earl Grey Raspberry Macarons

Add a small raspberry jam centre inside the Earl Grey buttercream. The tart fruit cuts through the sweet shell and makes the bergamot feel brighter.

Keep the jam small so the shells do not soften too quickly.

Earl Grey Orange Macarons

Add a little orange zest to the buttercream or pipe a tiny orange curd centre. Orange works so well because it supports the citrus note in bergamot.

It makes the macaron feel sunny, soft, and very pretty on an afternoon tea plate.

Earl Grey Lavender Macarons

Add a tiny amount of lavender to the buttercream with the Earl Grey. Go very light here, because lavender can become perfume-shop energy fast.

When balanced well, it tastes soft, floral, and elegant.

Earl Grey Brûlée Macarons

Add a small caramel centre inside the Earl Grey buttercream. You get a soft tea flavour with a deeper caramel finish.

It is cosy, creamy, and very social-friendly for a dessert tray.

Serving Suggestions – How I Like to Present These for Maximum Wow

Serve With Hot Earl Grey Tea

This is the most natural pairing. The tea in the cup brings out the bergamot in the buttercream.

It feels calm, classic, and very afternoon-tea table.

Pair With A London Fog Latte

A London Fog latte gives you Earl Grey, milk, and vanilla in one cosy drink. It makes the macarons taste even creamier.

This pairing is soft, fragrant, and very café-core.

Add Them To An Afternoon Tea Box

Place the macarons with shortbread, mini cakes, berries, and little tea sandwiches. The pale brown shells make the whole box look soft and elegant.

It is pretty without trying too hard.

Serve With Lemon Slices And Fresh Berries

Lemon and berries make the plate look fresh and bright. They also balance the rich buttercream.

This is a simple way to make the macarons feel lighter.

Pair With Milk Tea

For a TuCha-style serve, pair these with roasted oolong milk tea or jasmine milk tea. The tea-on-tea pairing sounds cheeky, but it works.

The milk tea rounds out the floral Earl Grey flavour beautifully.

Add To A Dessert Table

These macarons are lovely for bridal showers, birthdays, and soft pastel dessert tables. The flavour feels elegant, and the colour is easy to style.

A little tea dust or a neat chocolate drizzle makes them look extra polished.

Serve With Dark Chocolate Truffles

Dark chocolate gives a rich contrast to the floral tea buttercream. It makes the Earl Grey taste deeper and less sweet.

This is a lovely pairing for a grown-up dessert plate.

Style With A Small Tea Dust Finish

A tiny dusting of finely ground Earl Grey or cocoa gives the shells a soft café look. Keep it light so the tops still look clean.

It is a small touch, but it photographs beautifully.

Common Mistakes to Avoid – Lessons I’ve Learned After Dozens of Batches

Over-Steeping The Tea

More steeping does not always mean better flavour. If the tea sits too long, the buttercream can taste bitter.

You want strong and fragrant, not tannic and grumpy.

Making The Tea Flavour Too Weak

Macaron shells are sweet, so the filling needs enough Earl Grey flavour to stand up. If the infused milk tastes barely like tea, the final buttercream will be too soft.

The tea should taste a little stronger than you want the final filling to taste.

Adding Hot Custard To Butter

Hot custard melts the butter and can make the filling split. Let the custard cool before beating it with butter.

This is one of those small steps that saves the whole batch.

Leaving Tea Leaves In The Filling

Loose tea leaves can make the buttercream gritty. Strain the infused milk well for a smooth finish.

Grit is for determination, not buttercream.

Using Liquid Food Colouring

Liquid colour can loosen macaron batter and make the shells harder to control. Gel colour is much safer.

For brown shells, start with a tiny amount. You can always add more, but you cannot un-brown a macaron.

Adding Brewed Tea To The Shell Batter

Brewed tea adds too much liquid to the shells. That can change the batter and make the macarons spread or crack.

If you want tea in the shells, use a tiny amount of very finely ground tea instead.

Adding Too Much Tea Powder To The Shells

Tea powder sounds harmless, but too much can dry the shells or make them rough. Macarons notice everything.

Start with a tiny amount if you want a speckled look.

Skipping The Maturing Time

Freshly filled macarons can taste crisp and separate. After a day in the fridge, the shell softens and the Earl Grey flavour deepens.

It is the part where the macarons stop being biscuits and become macarons.

Earl Grey Macarons

Print Recipe

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Crisp, delicate and slightly chewy macaron shells filled with a sweet, fragrant earl grey buttercream. These macarons are the perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Units MUS Scale 1x2x3x

Macaron Shells

• 50 g Almond meal
• 45 g Icing sugar
• 37 g Egg whites
• 37 g White sugar

Earl Grey Buttercream

• 1 Egg yolk
• 20 g White sugar
• 25 g Milk
• 1 Earl grey tea bag
• 85 g Unsalted butter

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Instructions

Macaron Shells

1. In a medium sized bowl sieve the almond meal and powdered sugar together
2. If there are large chunks of almond meal remaining in the sieve dispose of them
3. In a large clean bowl add the egg whites, and using an electric mixer beat until foamy
4. Slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks
5. Add your food colouring of choice and beat until well distributed
6. Fold the sieved almond meal and powdered sugar into the meringue in 2-3 additions, scraping around the bowl and down the centre
7. Once all folded in, press the batter around the bowl and before folding it into the centre
8. Continue until you notice that the lines that form when the batter falls back into the bowl slowly start to disappear
9. Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe out 1.5inch circles
10. Allow to dry for 1-2 hours
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 140°C for 10-15 minutes (I find that it’s usually done at 13, but it depends on your oven so make sure to check! If you give your macarons a wiggle they shouldn’t be moving, that’s when they’re ready)
12. Remove from oven and let cool

Earl Grey Buttercream

1. Combine the earl grey tea leaves and milk in a small saucepan, heat until steaming
2. In a medium sized bowl beat the egg yolk with sugar, then slowly add the heated milk/tea
3. Transfer the yolk/milk mixture back to the saucepan
4. Heat stirring often until the mixture has thickened
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool
6. Once cooled add the room temperature butter and beat until light and silky
7. Transfer to a piping bag
8. Match similar sized macaron shells with each other
9. On the flat side of one shell pipe a blob of buttercream
10. Top with a matching shell
11. Place in airtight container in the fridge for a day to mature (gives deeper flavour and chewy texture!)

Catherine Zhang

My name is Catherine, a food blogger and dessert lover. If I look familiar you may have seen me on NETFLIX's Zumbo’s Just Desserts S2! As an Australian-Chinese pastry chef and recipe developer I share recipes and tips on desserts inspired by amazing flavours, fresh produce and of course my Asian background.

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