Guys, I think I have a problem. I mean, I don’t even really like cheesecake, but this is the 4th cheesecake macaron recipe I’ve brought to the blog this year. Maybe I like it more than I thought? Anyway, say hello to the newest cheesecake mac – pumpkin cheesecake macarons!
I’ve never actually had pumpkin cheesecake, but when I was thinking of autumnal treats to bring to the blog this year, pumpkin cheesecake macs kept jumping to the top of the list.
Let’s talk a little bit about these macarons. The shells have a little pumpkin spice, just like my pumpkin spice macarons and they’re orange because we really want to evoke that pumpkin feeling. Just like all of my other cheesecake macs, these are drizzled with a little white chocolate and topped with graham cracker crumbs. We all know cheesecake isn’t cheesecake unless graham cracker crumbs are involved!
The filling is where the pumpkin flavour really shines through in these pumpkin cheesecake macarons. It’s made of cream cheese, a little butter, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and a splash of vanilla. It’s SO GOOD, you guys. I’m not really a pumpkin fan, but I’ve done nothing but bake with it for the last couple of weeks and I think I like it now?
Between all of this cheesecake and pumpkin, I don’t even know who I am anymore.
Pumpkin and apples. That’s all I want to bake with this fall.
If you have any other cheesecake suggestions for macarons, let me know! Otherwise, go crazy with these pumpkin cheesecake macs!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons
Ingredients
- Macaron Shells:
- 275g almond flour
- 250g powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 210g egg whites
- 210g sugar
- Orange gel/powder food colouring (optional)
- White chocolate (for drizzling)
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
- Step 1 Shells:
- Step 2 To start, put the almond flour, powdered sugar, and pumpkin spice in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Sift into a bowl to ensure there are no lumps.
- Step 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure it’s clean and dry), beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the sugar, about 2 tbsp at a time, beating on a medium speed. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase speed to medium high and beat until a thick glossy meringue forms. Add in the food colouring, beating to combine. The mixture should form stiff peaks and you should be able to tip the bowl over your head with none of the mixture coming out.
- Step 4 With a large, flat rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into egg whites until combined. Repeat until all of the almond mixture has been added. Fold to combine until you see no streaks of almond flour in the batter. The batter should be pretty fluid, a lot of people describe as a lava-like consistency. It should run smoothly off the spatula when you pull it out. This part comes with practice. Once you know the consistency, you’ll just be able to feel when it’s ready.
- Step 5 Pipe the batter into circles onto parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bang the tray a few times on a table to remove air bubbles and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before baking. To see if they’re ready for baking, touch your finger to them. If you get batter on your finger, they need to rest longer.
- Step 6 While resting, preheat your oven to 300°F with a rack placed in the lower third of the oven. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes (this depends on your oven, my old one was fine at 15 minutes, this one needs 17-18). The shells should cool completely before you remove them from the parchment/silicone.
- Step 7 Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Step 8 Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Step 9 Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, beating for 3-5 minutes, until it has reached a thick, but pip able consistency.
- Step 10 Assembly:
- Step 11 Match up shells. On one half of each pair, drizzle some white chocolate on top and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
- Step 12 On the other half, pipe some of the filling and sandwich the two shells together.
- Step 13 Macarons should be refrigerated until ready to eat. They will have the best consistency if they are taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating.
