Homemade Santa Claus Macarons with Sugar Cookie Buttercream — The Cutest Holiday Dessert Ever

Christmas baking season is all about festive desserts, bright colors, and treats that bring joy to both kids and adults. If there’s one dessert that ALWAYS steals the show during the holiday season, it’s the French macaron. Elegant, vibrant, delicate, and endlessly customizable, macarons easily become the star of any Christmas dessert tray.

These Homemade Santa Claus Macarons filled with Sugar Cookie Buttercream are adorable, delicious, and surprisingly achievable — even if you’re not a macaron expert. The combination of crisp macaron shells, creamy filling, and sweet Santa decorations makes these treats irresistible.

Whether you’re preparing a holiday dessert board, participating in a cookie exchange, or creating festive content, these Santa macarons are guaranteed to shine.

---

❄️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ Cute Santa design

Perfect for kids, gifting, and holiday photos.

✔️ Classic macaron texture

Crisp shells + chewy centers.

✔️ Sugar cookie buttercream filling

Rich, creamy, and packed with holiday flavor.

✔️ Festive and giftable

Looks bakery-perfect every time.

---

🎅 Ingredients You Need

Macaron Shells

• Almond flour
• Powdered sugar
• Egg whites
• Granulated sugar
• Red gel food coloring

Sugar Cookie Buttercream

• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Almond extract (optional)
• Milk or cream

Decorations

• Royal icing or melted white chocolate
• Black edible marker
• Red gel coloring

---

🎁 How to Make Santa Claus Macarons

1. Prepare dry ingredients

Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together to ensure smooth shells.

2. Make the French meringue

Beat egg whites until foamy, gradually add sugar, and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
Add red food coloring if tinting shells for Santa hats.

3. Fold the batter (macaronage)

Gently fold meringue into dry ingredients until batter flows like thick lava.
This step creates shiny, smooth shells.

4. Pipe your Santa shapes

Pipe round circles for faces and smaller red hat shapes above them.
Tap trays to remove air bubbles.

5. Rest the shells

Let sit 25–45 minutes until the tops form a skin.
This helps the macarons develop feet while baking.

6. Bake the shells

Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 14–16 minutes, or until tops are firm and no longer jiggle.
Cool completely before decorating.

7. Decorate your Santas

Use royal icing or white chocolate to add:

• Beard
• Hat trim
• Pom-pom

Draw eyes using an edible black marker.

8. Make sugar cookie buttercream

Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and milk until fluffy and thick.

9. Fill and sandwich

Pipe buttercream onto one shell and top with another.
Chill for at least 1 hour for best texture.

---

⭐ Tips for Success

• Always sift almond flour and powdered sugar.
• Let macarons rest until the shells are dry to the touch.
• Use gel coloring, not liquid.
• Chill macarons overnight to improve texture and flavor.
• Handle decorated shells gently — they’re delicate.

---

🎉 Holiday Decoration Ideas

• Add sanding sugar to Santa hats for sparkle.
• Use a mini heart sprinkle for Santa’s nose.
• Add white chocolate drizzle for a snowy finish.
• Tint the buttercream red or green for extra festive filling.

---

🎄 Serving & Gifting Ideas

These Santa macarons are perfect for:

• Christmas dessert trays
• Cookie exchange parties
• Holiday-themed treat boxes
• Gifting to neighbors, teachers, coworkers
• Christmas Eve dessert spreads
• Holiday content creation & Pinterest boards

---

🍪 Storage

• Refrigerate up to 4 days
• Freeze unfilled shells up to 2 months
• Store filled macarons airtight

Macarons always taste better the next day after the flavors meld.