These Fruity Pebble macarons are a colorful, fun and fruity twist on classic macarons! My recipe includes lots of tips and tricks for full, flavorful, and flawless macarons!
Fun Fruity Pebble Macarons
Fun, bright and colorful, these are my kid’s favorite addition to my macaron collection. My recipe incorporates pulverized Fruity Pebbles in the cookie shells, throughout the Fruity Pebbles frosting filling, and even includes a few extra Fruity Pebbles on top. They aren’t simple, they aren’t foolproof (don’t trust anyone who tells you they have a foolproof macaron recipe for ou), but they are a worthwhile endeavor and they’re fun!
Most of my notes from my original recipe and chocolate macarons apply here, particularly those regarding macaronage. If you’re new to making macarons, I highly recommend reading through that original post and even watching the video before starting this recipe, though of course I include a few extra tips below, too.
What You Need
We’ll use just 8 ingredients. Here’s what you need, besides Fruity Pebbles, of course!
- Egg whites. When separating your eggs, take care to not get any (not even a drop!) of egg yolk in with your egg whites, as this can prevent your meringue from whipping to stiff peaks. I don’t recommend using liquid/carton egg whites to make Fruity Pebbles macarons.
- Almond flour. I like to use superfine, blanched almond flour for a more uniform and pretty final result. Unblanched will work just as well, but you will be able to see the brown bits of almond shells in your macarons after they are done baking.
- Sugar. We’ll use two sugars for these Fruity Pebble macarons: powdered sugar and granulated sugar. Both add sweetness and stability to the meringue.
- Cream of tartar. While you can always make these Fruity Pebble macarons without cream of tartar, I recommend using it. It acts as a stabilizer for your meringue (I consider it to be “training wheels” for my macarons), and it can be very helpful for beginner macaron makers. You could use an equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar in its place, if you don’t have cream of tartar.
- Vanilla and salt. For flavor, of course! I opt to skip the vanilla in the frosting, but I like the flavor it adds to the shells of these Fruity Pebbles macarons.
SAM’S TIP: If you cannot find it, you can make your own “superfine” almond flour! To do this, simply pulse together the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor. I do 15 1-second pulses, stir, and repeat. Just be careful to not overdo it though, or you could end up with almond butter!
As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Macaron Making Tips
- Use weights instead of cups for the most accurate results. This is helpful for most recipes, really. A kitchen scale is an inexpensive and invaluable tool in the kitchen!
- Make sure all of your equipment is clean, dry, and grease-free. Even a tiny bit of grease can prevent your egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Room temperature egg whites work best, so try to set yours out ahead of time. If you forget, don’t fret! I have a post that details how to quickly bring eggs to room temperature. Just make sure to dry them well before cracking.
- Do NOT use carton egg whites! They might work for you, but honestly they yield inconsistent results, and it would be a shame to spend time all that time whipping just to end up with a too-soft meringue.
- It’s important to gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites (while beating) to create a stable meringue.
- Humidity plays a major role in macaron making, and fruity pebbles macarons are no exception. In high humidity, it might take longer for the macarons to form a skin before baking. You need to be able to lightly run your finger over the macaron before baking it.
- Oven temperature is critical. Every oven is different, so you may need to experiment to find the best temperature and position in your oven.
- Maturing is helpful in developing the flavor and filling any hollows. If your Fruity Pebbles macarons look hollow (meaning there’s empty space when you bite into a shell), let them sit for 24 hours in the fridge. They should fill out after that time.
SAM’S TIP: Make sure to save some extra cereal for sprinkling on the tops of your Fruity Pebbles macarons after piping! This adds some fun color, especially since the cereal that we’ll grind up and fold into the batter isn’t as noticeable.
How to Make Fruity Pebbles Macarons
Prep
- Separate your egg whites from your egg yolks, taking care to not get any yolk in with your whites. Make sure you place your whites in a clean, dry, and grease free bowl, then set aside.
- Pulverize or crush your Fruity Pebbles cereal into a fine powder.
- Sift the powdered sugar, crushed Fruity Pebbles, and almond flour into a medium sized mixing bowl. This will help filter out any too-large lumps.
- Use a whisk to mix these ingredients together, then set aside.
Meringue
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, then stir in the cream of tartar and salt. Mix this together for about 30 seconds.
- Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, with the mixer on medium speed. Beat the mixture for about 30 seconds after each addition to make sure the sugar is being incorporated properly.
- Add the vanilla, then whip the meringue on medium-high until it reaches thick, fluffy, stiff peaks.
Macaronage & Assembly
- Fold in the almond flour mixture in three parts, being gentle and mixing until just combined before adding the next portion.
- Macaronage – Keep folding the batter, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and cutting through the center as you go. Make sure to periodically smoosh the batter against the side of the bowl to help deflate it. Continue this process until the batter is smooth and can ribbon off the spatula into a continuous figure-8. If the figure-8 holds its shape for more than 10-15 seconds, keep mixing. If it starts to relax back into the batter, it’s ready.
- Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe straight down onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing 1 ½ inches apart. Tap each baking sheet firmly on your countertop, then sprinkle additional Fruity Pebbles on top of each macaron. Let the macarons rest until they form a skin on top, about 25 minutes.
- Bake the macarons for 10-11 minutes in the center rack of a 325F (160C) oven, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the shells cool completely before pairing off and filling with Fruity Pebbles frosting.
SAM’S TIP: I find it helpful to place my piping bag into a large cup, fold the top over the edge of the cup, and pour my batter in that way. This is especially helpful if you don’t have a helper in the kitchen to hold your piping bag for you while you fill it!
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not age my egg whites most of the time, but if you are a beginner, live in a humid environment, or have struggled with making meringue before, it’s a good idea to age the egg whites before making these Fruity Pebbles Macarons.
To do this, simply pour your egg whites in a liquid measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in the top. Place this in the fridge for at least 24 hours and bring to room temperature before using.
Macaronage is a critical step for making macarons. During this process, we will deflate, smoosh, and scrape the batter to work some of the air out (not all of it, though!) and achieve the proper homogenous consistency.
You’ll know your batter is ready when you can let it ribbon off your spatula and make a continuous figure-8. Your figure-8 shouldn’t hold its shape for more than 15 seconds; if it does, you need to keep smooshing and scraping. Just be careful though, because you can go too far and deflate the batter too much!
Yes! I recommend using a gel food coloring (I like Americolor gels). Add the food coloring in step #7 with the vanilla extract.
I can’t wait to hear how you like these Fruity Pebble macarons! Let me know in the comments what other fun macaron flavors you would like to see 😊
Enjoy!
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Fruity Pebble Macarons
Ingredients
- 145 grams (1 ⅓ cup) almond flour see note
- 145 grams (1 ¼ cup) powdered sugar
- 10 grams finely crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal 3 Tablespoons, plus additional for topping, if desired
- 110 grams egg whites room temperature (about 3 egg whites/110ml/just under ½ cup)
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ batch Fruity Pebbles Frosting click link
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Before you begin: Those new to making macarons should read through the post and watch the video before beginning. Ensure that all of your equipment (bowls, spatulas, beaters, etc.) are completely clean, dry, and grease free. Avoid letting rubber, silicone, or plastic materials come in contact with the egg whites when whipping them.
- Begin by preparing several baking trays by lining with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together almond flour, powdered sugar, and crushed Fruity Pebbles.145 grams (1 ⅓ cup) almond flour, 145 grams (1 ¼ cup) powdered sugar, 10 grams finely crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal
- Pour egg whites into a separate large (clean, dry) mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed until foamy (about 30 seconds).110 grams egg whites
- Add salt and cream of tartar and stir on medium speed for 30 seconds.⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- While mixing on medium speed, add granulated sugar, approximately 1 Tablespoon at a time and beating for 30 seconds after each addition until all sugar has been incorporated.90 grams granulated sugar
- Add vanilla extract and beat on medium/medium-high speed until a thick, fluffy meringue with stiff peaks forms.½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gradually add the almond flour/powdered sugar/fruity pebble mixture to the meringue in thirds, using a spatula to gently fold until just-combined before adding the next portion.
- Continue folding the mixture with broad strokes of the spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and cutting through the center. Periodically smooth the mixture against the bowl to help deflate it. Continue to fold until it flows smoothly from the spatula and falls from the spatula in a continuous ribbon that you can form a figure-8 with. This figure-8 should hold its shape for about 10-15 seconds before the edges relax back into the batter.
- Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a round tip with the batter. Pipe batter into 1 ½" circles onto the prepared baking sheets, being sure to hold the piping bag straight up and down and flicking your wrist after piping each shell to complete the macaron. Space at least 1 ½” apart . If desired, sprinkle lightly with additional crushed Fruity Pebbles after banging.
- Firmly tap each baking sheet on countertop several times to release any air bubbles. Arrange rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 325F (160C).
- Allow the macarons to rest until they form a skin on top that feels dry and not sticky to the touch (usually at least 25 minutes).
- Bake macarons (one tray at a time) in center rack of oven for 10-11 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Once finished baking, the feet should appear dry and the tops of the macarons shouldn’t sink or compress if lightly pressed.
- Allow macaron shells to cool completely before pairing off the shells and sandwiching them around Fruity Pebble frosting. For optimal results, let the macarons sit in an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours, then allow to reach room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.½ batch Fruity Pebbles Frosting
Notes
Almond flour
While not required, I prefer to use superfine, blanched almond flour. I personally like Bob’s Red Mill brand. Unblanched will work but you will see bits of the almond in the end result.Piping Tip
I like the Ateco 804 best, but any round open tip will work.Storing
Macaron shells can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for several months. To prevent moisture build-up after freezing, allow frozen shells to reach room temperature before opening the container. Filled Fruity Pebble macarons can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If freezing, mature the macarons in the fridge for a day before freezing. Thaw them in the container either in the fridge or at room temperature, ensuring the container is not opened until they are fully thawed to avoid condensation.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Dawn Francett
When topping them with the additional fruity pebbles, do you top them with the crushed fruity pebbles or whole? TIA ❤️
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We do a little bit of both 😊 Hope you love them, Dawn!
Julia
they were so delicious and was easy to follow the recipe. loved them!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they were a hit for you, Julia! 🥰
Sidney
Could you make this recipe with another fruity cereal? Like fruit loops?
Sam
Hi Sidney! I think fruit loops would work just fine here. 🙂