Do Macarons Need To Be Refrigerated?

Macarons are incredible, colorful desserts that are the perfect snack after any meal. These light and fluffy treats will absolutely melt in your mouth when made right.

On the off chance you end up having leftovers, you might be wondering what the best way to store these delicious little cookies is? In the refrigerator? On the counter?

So, do macarons need to be refrigerated? Macarons don’t have to be refrigerated, but they will maintain their flavor and texture more optimally for up to 2 days if they are kept in a fridge. Alternatively, you can store the macarons out at normal room temperature or freeze them, with or without fillings.

Read to know more about how to preserve and refrigerate these baked treats!

How Should You Refrigerate Macarons?

If you have leftover macarons or you want to preserve them in advance, you can store them in the fridge or freezer for 2-3 days.  If not stored properly, they can get soggy or break apart.

You can either preserve macarons whole or the shells and filing separately.

Here are the three ways to refrigerate your macarons.

Option 1: Refrigerating Whole Macarons

If you have bought or made macarons at home, then you should put them directly into the fridge. Macarons stored in the fridge for more than 4 days will start to lose their crisp texture.

Place the macarons on the center shelf and not on the door of the fridge to avoid temperature fluctuations. 

Before you place them in the fridge, make sure to find an appropriate container to store them in.

For best macaron storage, grab a clean and dry airtight container. Make sure no moisture can enter as it will affect your macarons too. 

Use parchment paper in your container as it will keep the macarons from sticking to one another if they are placed in multiple layers.

A word of caution: make sure to use parchment paper and not wax paper, as macarons will stick to the wax paper and break apart when removing.

Option 2: Refrigerating Unfilled Macarons

If you are making macarons for a special occasion, and you want to prepare the macarons 2-3 days in advance, it is best to refrigerate the macaron’s shells and filling separately.

This is one of the best ways to refrigerate macarons in order to preserve their flavor.

• Place the shells carefully in an airtight container. Make sure the sides of the shells aren’t touching. 
• Put the filling of the macaron in the fridge in a separate airtight container. 

In this way, you can store your macarons for 7- 8 weeks. When the guests arrive or you want to have some macarons, assemble them and enjoy this delicious delicacy. 

Option 3: Freezing The Macarons

The great thing is that you can store your macarons for up to 3 months by freezing them without losing their texture or flavor.

• Before freezing, make sure the container you’re using is airtight to avoid freezer burn.
• Line your container with 2-3 layers of parchment paper.
• Before closing the lid, add another layer of aluminum foil and parchment paper on the top.
• Close the lid and safely put it into the freezer.
• You can freeze the shells and filings separately, as well.

The point is to have the macarons snugly nested so that no air or moisture enters inside the macarons and ruins their texture.

If you have frozen your macarons once and thawed them already, we do not suggest refreezing them.

How To Defrost Frozen Macarons

It is best to take the macarons out of the freezer 1 day before you need them and put them inside the fridge to defrost them slowly.

As opposed to placing the macarons on the counter to defrost or in the microwave, where the temperature change would be abrupt, using the fridge helps gradually bring the macarons up to temperature.

Can You Crisp Up Macaron Shells If They Get Soggy After Refrigerating?

So, the great news is you can crisp up the macaron’s shells when they get soft after refrigerating or defrosting. To do so, you can:

• Place the macarons shells in a warm or preheated oven at a low temperature for 10 minutes.
• Take it out, and let it cool for 2-3 minutes before filling them.
• Assemble them and voilà! You have crispy, delicious macarons!

Make sure to keep the filling from heating up when assembling, as it can melt and ruin your shells.

Can You Store Macarons On The Counter?

Most baked goods last only 1-2 days when stored at normal room temperature. The same goes for macarons.

As macarons are made with buttery fillings, storing them at room temperature can make them lose their texture and crunch, as the butter will soften or melt. 

If you want to keep the macarons out on the counter, try to use a container and not a resealable bag for storing the macarons as they could break.

If not kept in a proper airtight container, your sandwiched macarons can absorb the moisture in the air and turn too soft.

What Can You Do With Soft Or Broken Macarons?

If your stored macarons go stale due to improper packing, you can re-purpose these treats in several other recipes.

Some of our favorite ways to use old macarons include crumbling the macarons and using them as a dessert topping. You can also blend them with milk and ice cream to create a delicious milkshake!

The possibilities are endless, so feel free to get creative and let us know what you come up with in the comments!

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to properly refrigerate macarons, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

Do macarons need to rest?

No, macaron batter does not need to rest. If the batter is prepared properly at an ideal temperature, then you can go from making it to baking it! 

Why did my macarons crack?

There can be multiple reasons. A few causes could be that they weren’t being stored properly or, while preparing, the macarons that you piped weren’t dried out first.

The drying out process is essential. It lets skin form on the surface of the macaron. The skin will essentially prevent the air from escaping while the macarons bake. If there’s no skin, the air will burst out and crack the shell.

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