Savory Macarons Are The Tiny Sandwiches You Need At Your Next Tea Party

Nothing says "fancy tea party" more than the colorful presence of macarons. These special French sandwich cookies are unbeatable in both presentation and taste and can take your basic friend-and-family get-togethers from casual to classy. Traditional macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) are meringue cookies sandwiched with a filling such as buttercream, ganache, or various jam flavors, with chocolate, lemon, pistachio, and raspberry macarons among the most popular. Although almost everyone loves a sweet macaron, why not get creative with your party food and entice your guests with some savory macarons? To truly impress your guests while you sip (and spill) tea, try offering them macarons made with savory ingredients instead of — or in addition to — sweet ones. 

Savory macarons are mini sandwiches that will satisfy your guests with their delicious flavors while looking fabulous on a tiered serving tray or platter. The tiny sandwiches are not only delectable and eye-catching but can be a perfect, non-messy finger food to nibble while chatting with friends. And just as with sweet macarons, there are tons of ingredient options for savory macarons, allowing you to have almost as much fun making them as you and your friends will have while eating them. 

The macaron shells — the two cookies that hold the filling — for savory macarons can be made with the same ingredients as sweet macarons: egg whites, sugar, and almond flour. You can also add other ingredients to boost the savory flavor. For instance, add ground freeze-dried fruits and veggies like tomatoes or beets, nuts and seeds like pistachios or sesame seeds to your meringue ingredients. You can also use flour that is less sweet than almond flour, such as pumpkin or sunflower seed flour. 

Redditors on the macaron subreddit had some advice to give in response to the question, "Any tips on how to make the shells less sweet?" including adding a pinch of salt, incorporating dry flavorings with a slightly bitter taste such as ginger, matcha, or clove, and excluding the vanilla extract used in some meringue recipes. Some unique ideas for savory macarons include a pizza macaron with a tomato-flavored shell and mozzarella filling or a macaroni and cheese macaron incorporating cheese powder in the shell. 

However, sometimes the sweet shell provides the perfect balance to the savory filling and works well with combinations like salmon or prosciutto with cream cheese and goat cheese paired with apricot or avocado. You can also add food dye to the shells to complement the filling, such as a red shell for a tomato, feta, and basil filling or green for a pistachio macaron.

Goat cheese is commonly used as a filling in savory macarons — the tangy flavor of the cheese complements fruits and nuts like apricots, cranberries, figs, and walnuts. The combination of goat cheese and cranberry sauce in a macaron evokes the flavor of Thanksgiving in a convenient tiny sandwich. Salmon, prosciutto, and bacon are also perfect for savory macaron fillings. For a mouthwatering savory snack, try making smoked salmon macarons filled with either a salmon mousse or thin slices of smoked salmon or lox combined with cream cheese or horseradish. 

You might appreciate caprese macarons made with mozzarella, basil, and fresh tomato or tomato paste if you enjoy Caprese salad. For this super tasty savory macaron, layer mozzarella, thin slices of tomato, and a basil leaf in between two macaron shells or on top of a single shell, with drizzled balsamic glaze and olive oil on top.

Or, for a version that more closely resembles a typical macaron, try adding red food dye and tomato paste to your macaron shells and making your filling out of a mixture of mascarpone or mozzarella cheese and basil. The creamy texture of the mascarpone, similar to cream cheese, makes it super easy to spread on the shells. The result is a strikingly bright red macaron that not only looks like a work of art but tastes like the yummy Italian salad we all love.