How to Freeze Macarons and Macaron fillings
One of the most common questions asked about macarons is “Can you freeze macarons?”. The answer is yes, macarons can be frozen and they freeze very well! It is a genius idea to freeze your macarons and macaron fillings because it saves you a lot of time and eliminates stress!
As macarons are not that easy and quick to make, it is a great idea to bake them beforehand and freeze them! Macarons can last in the freezer for up to 3 months if stored correctly.
Holidays and birthday seasons are busy, so make a lot of macarons now and freeze them for later use! This way you will have a lot more free time afterward and can focus on more important things instead of baking.
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How to freeze macaron shells
The good news is, that you can easily freeze macaron shells! Freezing just the shells is a great option if you have leftover macaron shells or you just want to fill the shells with fresh filling later.
The best way to freeze macaron shells is to lay the shells next to each other in a plastic airtight container that is freezer safe. Make sure to tightly close the lid later. I have been using these extra-large storage containers, but feel free to use the ones you have at home.
The best way to pack macaron shells for the freezer is to place parchment paper between every shell layer so the macaron shells won’t stick together.
Whenever you want to use the frozen macaron shells, remove them from the freezer and fill them as you like. They won’t need to thaw first.
How long do the macaron shells last in the freezer?
Macaron shells last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you need them, let them defrost or fill them right away – they will taste magical anyways.
I personally won’t let the macarons sit in the freezer for over a month. I know that they last way longer, but I just like them to be as freshly made as possible.
Freezing macaron fillings
Can you freeze macaron fillings? – Yes, you absolutely can! Freezing your macaron fillings is an amazing idea that saves you a lot of time and sometimes even money. As there are many different fillings, there are also multiple ways how to freeze them.
Freezing the macaron filling is easy:
- Make the filling of your choice (buttercream, chocolate ganache, salted caramel, or lemon curd)
- Let the filling cool down completely (ganache, salted caramel, and lemon curd)
- Place the filling into small airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer-safe bags
- I recommend freezing the filling in multiple parts so you won’t need to melt all of it
- Make sure to tightly close the lid or bag and let as much air out as possible
- Write labels on the containers/bags with the filling’s name and the date you made these. I’ve been using these easy-to-use sticky labels.
- Place them into the freezer to enjoy later!
Freezing the filled macarons
The best way to freeze fully assembled macarons is to lay the macarons into an airtight freezer-safe container. Placing parchment paper between every macaron layer is highly recommended as by doing this, the macarons won’t stick together.
Fully assembled macarons with a filling last up to 3 months in the freezer.
The best fillings for frozen macarons are chocolate ganache, buttercream, and salted caramel filling. Why? Because they all are solid fillings and won’t make the macaron shells soggy.
Many bakers are also scared of freezing the lemon curd macarons, but if you are filling them like I am, using buttercream to “protect” macaron shells so the curd isn’t touching the shells, it won’t make it soggy at all.
Macarons filled with jams or curds that are placed directly into a macaron shell, won’t last that long in the freezer. They will last approximately a couple of weeks instead of several months. It also depends on how wet your curds and jams are.
The other things that play a big role here are climate and humidity. These aspects also have a big effect on how your macarons last. The moister the shells are, the shorter the lasting period.
One way to pack your macarons for the freezer is to lay them in an airtight freezer-safe container and place thin parchment paper between every layer. I lay my macarons into the boxes like the picture below shows – nicely next to each other.
The other very similar way is to stack macarons upright next to each other. Again – use parchment paper between the macaron layers.
Always use airtight containers to store your macarons. This will make them last longer in the fridge or in the freezer!
Is it better to freeze or refrigerate the macarons?
It totally depends on how long you need to keep the macarons. If you only need to keep macarons for a few days to one week, it is totally fine to just place them in the fridge. Remember that they last better if you place them into an airtight container.
Store-bought macarons are typically packed into paper or carton boxes and these are not airtight. You can place the entire macaron box into an airtight container so you don’t have to take the macarons out from their original package.
In case you need your macarons to last longer than one week, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The best containers for freezing the macarons
When freezing macarons, it is important to work with airtight containers that are freezer-safe. These containers keep macarons fresh and closed in so you can store them for a couple of months without worrying about freezer burn or spoilage.
I have tried a lot of different containers and I am going to recommend my favorites:
- 28 Pieces Food Storage Containers with Lids – A full set of matching containers that come in different sizes. I really like that you can find a suitable-sized container for anything you need to freeze.
- Large Food Storage Containers with Lids – I love these large containers, they fit up to 100 macarons! Perfect fit if you want to make a large batch of macarons in advance.
- Small Food Storage Containers with Lids – this set is perfect – the containers are in ideal sizes for storing the macaron fillings in multiple parts! I always recommend using small containers or bags to store the filling so if needed, you can only thaw as much as you need not the whole thing.
Here are some other helpful tools for freezing macarons:
- Ziploc Quart Food Storage Freezer Bags – Freezer-safe ziplock bags where to store macaron fillings like lemon curd, salted caramel, or chocolate ganache.
- 300pcs Removable Freezer Labels – Removable freezer safe labels to mark the date and name of the filling to the container/bag. It helps you to remember how long you can use the fillings.
- Disposable Piping Bags – Disposable piping bags are also great for storing macarons in the freezer. Make sure not to cut the holes before using the filling.
- Parchment Paper Sheets – Parchment paper sheets are super useful while loading a lot of macarons into the freezer – place these sheets between each macaron layer to protect them from being glued together.
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Freezing buttercream
One of the best macaron fillings for freezing is buttercream. Buttercream can easily be frozen and handles freezing very well.
How to store buttercream in the freezer?
Freezing the buttercream is easy. After making it, you can freeze it right away as it is not hot and you don’t have to wait for it to cool down.
For freezing buttercream, I like using airtight freezer-safe containers. The other option is to place the buttercream into the piping bags, tightly tie up the end of the bag and place it in the freezer.
The piping bag method is the easiest and quickest (no need to take the buttercream out of the containers to place into the piping bag later) but it takes a lot of space in the freezer because of its shape.
How to thaw buttercream?
If you need to use the frozen buttercream, I recommend taking it out from the freezer the day before you want to fill your macarons. Keep it in the fridge as it slowly thaws.
Once the time comes for using the buttercream, take it out from the freezer and bring it to room temperature for approximately 30 minutes before using. If you would like it to be extra fluffy, place the buttercream into the mixer and mix for a few minutes.
Freezing chocolate ganache
The other great macaron filling to be frozen is definitely chocolate ganache! There is no reason why you should not make this ahead.
Chocolate ganache is a simple, great dessert to make without needing any baking. It’s made by melting chocolate and whipping cream together, then adding in some fruit puree if you want more taste options.
How to freeze chocolate ganache?
If you love to bake, then you know how important it is to have a well-stocked freezer. One ingredient that should always be on hand is chocolate! It’s a widely adaptable ingredient that can be used in so many different types of recipes.
Making ganache can be a long process and the end product can be eaten in a matter of hours. Freezing chocolate ganache is easy. Transfer any leftover (completely cooled) ganache into an airtight freezer-safe bag or container and enjoy later!
Make sure to add labels on the bags or containers with information about the storage date and what is inside!
How to thaw chocolate ganache?
When you need to use the chocolate ganache, make sure you store it overnight in the fridge. Sometimes it can still be too hard and thick even after staying in the fridge. If that happens, transfer it to room temperature for about an hour. You can also heat it up gently until it’s spreadable with a microwave (try 10-second intervals).
Freezing lemon curd
Even if it seems odd, you can definitely freeze lemon curd. Place it in a freezer-safe container or freezing bag and put it into a freezer – it’ll freeze quickly! The best thing is that frozen lemon curd lasts for a very long time – up to 3 months!
As an added bonus, defrosting is super easy too, so why not make some extra lemon curd to enjoy later?
Using freshly made lemon curd is a perfect way to flavor up your macarons. It will make them a little sour and way more special.
For filling the macarons with lemon, you will also need buttercream. Usually, you need just a little bit of the curd and probably end up with leftover lemon curd.
If you want to save yourself time and money, use your freezer as much as possible.
How to store lemon curd in the freezer?
Lemon curd handles freezing very well, the creaminess of it holds up well to the freezing process. The biggest risk is freezer burn, but this is easily preventable if the curd is packed well.
It’s always best to freeze lemon curd as soon as it’s made (and completely cooled down). The fresher it is while freezing, the better it tastes later!
For the freezing lemon curd, I like using airtight freezer-safe containers. The other option is to put the cooled lemon curd into a piping bag, tie up the end of the bag and then place it in the freezer.
TIP: Above I have highlighted the containers and some other helpful tools I personally use in my kitchen for freezing macarons and fillings.
The piping bag method is the easiest and fastest. No need to take the curd out of the container to place it into the piping bag later.
Compared to buttercream – you won’t need lemon curd for as big quantities as buttercream. Lemon curd also has a smaller volume so it doesn’t take up so much space in the freezer.
How to thaw lemon curd?
If it’s time for you to use your lemon curd, here is the process of thawing it:
- Remove the lemon curd from the freezer and place it in the fridge to melt. I recommend taking it out the day before you need to use it
- Lemon curd can be split into parts when thawed
- To return the lemon curd to its original texture, mix it well before using
- Don’t refreeze previously frozen lemon curd
- Freezing it into smaller batches can help make sure that you don’t have any excess left over after thawing
Freezing salted caramel
Salted caramel sauce is a universal, rich dessert sauce that pairs well with many desserts. Salted caramel can be frozen very well and it lasts up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to freeze salted caramel?
Salted caramel can resist cold temperatures, this holds true to its creaminess that is well maintained during the freezing process. To prevent freezer burn, just make sure you store them in an air-tight container.
My favorite freezing method for salted caramel sauce is to use an airtight freezer-safe container. The other option is to pour the cooled sauce into a piping bag.
The piping bag method is the easiest and quickest: ultimately, you’ll be able to skip the messy process of transferring sauce from container to piping bag.
Salted caramel sauce isn’t fluffy and it takes less room in the freezer compared to the buttercream.
How to thaw salted caramel?
To thaw the sauce if it has been frozen, place it in the refrigerator a day before using it. If you don’t have that much time, leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours before using it.
If you want to use salted caramel as a runny sauce, microwave it (try 10-second intervals and stir between that time) until you get the consistency of your taste.
Enjoy your macarons!
Belli xx