Apple Crumble Macarons – A Little Taste of Autumn in Every Bite

My Apple Crumble Cake has become such a hit with family, friends and colleagues that I thought, why not turn it into macarons? And I’m delighted to say that these Apple Crumble Macarons turned out absolutely heavenly!

Imagine the warmth of cinnamon, the sweetness and juiciness of apples, the creaminess of cream cheese frosting and the buttery crunch of walnut crumble….All packed into one delicate little macaron! It’s a wonderful combination of flavours and textures, with a little taste of autumn in every bite.

I developed this recipe by adapting my much-loved Apple Crumble Cake, hoping to capture all those comforting flavours in a completely different form. The challenge was to bring together the soft, cinnamon-spiced apple filling, creamy frosting and crunchy crumble while keeping the delicate texture of a French macaron. I’m so pleased with how they turned out and the best part is that the fillings are surprisingly simple to prepare.

Related Recipes

How to create a Merry-Go-Round Macaron Cake

Autumn Macaron Shape Templates: Pumpkins and Leaves

1 hr Intermediate

The Most Accessible Basic Macaron Recipe (A Simple Guide for Beginners)

1 hr 35 mins Beginner

So, let’s get baking!

The Macaron Shells

For the shells, I used my trusty, go-to basic French macaron recipe, which I’ve been using since I started making macarons. It’s straightforward and accessible recipe that works beautifully with all sorts of flavours and fillings. You can find my basic macaron recipe here.

To give these macarons an apple-inspired appearance, I divided the batter into two portions, adding a few drops of light green food colouring to one half and pink to the other. The result was a lovely selection of pastel pink and green macarons, inspired by the colours of fresh apples.

Once the shells were baked and completely cooled, they were ready for the fillings, which are really what make these macarons so special!

Cinnamon Apple Filling – The Heart of the Macaron

This is where the magic begins! The apple filling is inspired by the delicious, cinnamon-spiced apple layer in my original Apple Crumble Cake. It’s sweet, slightly tangy, beautifully fragrant and has a lovely caramel-like flavour from the brown sugar.

To make the filling, I peeled, cored and chopped fresh apples into small cubes before transferring them into a small saucepan. I then added a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, some brown sugar, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

I placed the saucepan over a very low heat and let the apples cook gently for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. As the apples softened, they released their lovely juices, which gradually combined with the brown sugar and cinnamon to create a wonderfully fragrant, caramel-like sauce.

Once the apple cubes were nice and soft, I mixed a little cornflour with cold water to make a slurry, then poured it into the saucepan and stirred well. I let the mixture cook for another minute or two until the sauce thickened beautifully.

And there you have it, a delicious cinnamon apple filling that’s sweet, juicy, slightly caramelised and wonderfully fragrant!

One thing to remember is that the filling needs to be thick enough. You don’t want too much moisture making those delicate shells soggy. I also made sure the filling was completely cool before assembling the macarons.

Buttery Walnut Crumble – For That Irresistible Crunch

An apple crumble wouldn’t be an apple crumble without its signature buttery, crunchy topping, would it?

For this element, I went straight back to the walnut crumble recipe from my original Apple Crumble Cake. The crumble is wonderfully simple to make, with butter, flour, sugar and walnuts coming together to create those delicious golden, crunchy crumbs.

The only adjustment I made for the macarons was to chop the walnuts much more finely than I normally would for the cake. Because macarons are so delicate, you don’t want large chunks of crumble interfering with the filling or making the shells difficult to sandwich together.

Once baked for about 10-12 minutes, I left the crumble to cool completely before using it. I must admit, it’s rather difficult to resist nibbling on those delicious buttery crumbs while waiting!

Cream Cheese Frosting – A Lovely Creamy Contrast

Next comes the cream cheese frosting, which brings everything together beautifully.

I love using cream cheese frosting in my Apple Crumble Cake because its gentle tanginess balances the sweetness of the apples and crumble so well. Naturally, I wanted to recreate that same combination in these macarons.

For this, I used my usual cream cheese frosting recipe which you can find in this Red Velvet Christmas Tree recipe.

I started by beating the softened butter and icing sugar together until pale, light and fluffy, then added the vanilla extract and mixed briefly. Finally, I added the cream cheese and beat everything together for just a few more seconds until smooth and combined.

Be careful not to overbeat the frosting once the cream cheese has been added, as this can make it too soft. You want a smooth, creamy frosting that’s firm enough to pipe a neat ring around the edge of each macaron shell.

The cream cheese ring is particularly important because it creates a little barrier to hold the apple filling in the centre, keeping everything nicely in place.

White Chocolate Drizzle – The Finishing Touch

I wanted these macarons to look just as tempting as they taste, so I decided to decorate the tops with a little white chocolate drizzle and some extra walnut crumble.

Not only does this make them look pretty but it also gives a little hint of delicious filling waiting inside.

To prepare the drizzle I simply melted some white chocolate and added a tiny amount of vegetable oil to make it a little more fluid and easier to work with. I then transferred the melted chocolate into a small piping bag and snipped off a tiny corner.

I drizzled thin lines of chocolate over the top macaron shells, then while the chocolate was still wet, gently dipped them into a plate of walnut crumble so that a few golden crumbs would stick to the surface.

It’s lovely how the little pieces of crumble look against the pastel pink and green shells. Such a simple decoration but it adds a lovely finishing touch!

Assembling the Apple Crumble Macarons

Now comes my favourite part – bringing all those delicious elements together!

Once all the fillings were prepared and completely cooled, I paired up the macaron shells according to size and placed the bottom shells upside down ready for filling.

Use a piping bag fitted with my choice of nozzle, I piped a neat ring of cream cheese frosting around the outer edge of each bottom shell, leaving a little space in the centre for the apple filling.

I then piped a small amount of the cinnamon apple filling into the middle of each cream cheese ring and sprinkled some walnut crumble over the top. Be careful not to overfill the macarons, as you want all those lovely layers to stay neatly inside when the shells are sandwiched together.

Finally, I gently placed the decorated top shells over the fillings and pressed very lightly until the frosting reached the edges.

A Little Patience Makes Them Even Better

As tempting as it is to eat these macarons straight away, I always recommend allowing them some time to mature in the fridge.

I placed the assembled macarons in an airtight container and refrigerated them overnight. This allows the filling to soften the inside of the shells lightly, creating that lovely macaron texture – a delicate, crisp exterior and a soft, slightly chewy centre.

Because these macarons contain fresh apple filling and cream cheese frosting, I recommend enjoying them within a day or two for the best texture, as the moisture from the apple filling and the cream cheese will gradually soften the shells.

I like to take them out of the fridge a few minutes before serving, just enough time for the flavours to come through.

Apple Crumble in a Macaron

I couldn’t be happier with how these turned out!

With the very first bite, you get the delicate macaron shell, followed by the smooth cream cheese frosting, the soft and juicy cinnamon apples and finally that lovely buttery crunch from the walnut crumble.

All the flavours I love about my Apple Crumble Cake are there, just in a much smaller and rather adorable package.

For me, baking is often about experimenting with familiar flavours and finding new ways to enjoy them. These Apple Crumble Macarons are a perfect example of that – taking a much-loved homemade cake and turning it into something a little different, while keeping everything that makes the original so delicious.

If you’re a fan of apple crumble, cream cheese frosting or simply love experimenting with macaron flavours, I really hope you’ll give these a try.

And if you do, I’d love to hear how they turn out!

Happy baking!

Print Recipe

Delicious

Apple Crumble Macarons – A Little Taste of Autumn in Every Bite

Author: Thao @ summerandspice Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: Non-Vietnamese Courses: Pudding Recipe Keys: Cake Dessert Macarons

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 60 mins Cook Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Cooking Temp: 140  C Servings: 30

Description

A delicious twist on the classic apple crumble cake, these delicate French macarons are filled with creamy cream cheese frosting, sweet and juicy cinnamon-spiced apples, and crunchy walnut crumble. Finished with a drizzle of white chocolate and more buttery crumble, they bring together all the comforting flavours of autumn in one irresistible little treat.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

For the macaron shells

• 120 g egg whites (from fresh eggs or bottled/cartoned egg whites)
• 110 g caster sugar (granulated sugar works too)
• 140 g fine almond flour
• 130 g icing sugar (sifted)

For the cinnamon apple filling

• 2 medium apples (peeled, cored and finely diced)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• A pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 1 tablespoon cold water

For the walnut crumble

• 30 g walnuts (finely chopped)
• 35 g light brown sugar
• 15 g butter (melted)
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon plain flour/cake flour
• A pinch of salt

For the cream cheese frosting

• 100 g butter (softened at room temperature)
• 80 g icing sugar
• 200 g full-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the decoration (optional)

• 50 g white chocolate
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons of prepared walnut crumble

Instructions

1. Macaron Shells

   • Prepare the macaron batter following my basic French macaron recipe (link in the blog post).
   • Divide the batter into two equal portions, adding a few drops of light green food colouring to one and pink to the other. 
   • Pipe and bake the shells according to the original recipe. 
   • Allow the shells to cool completely before filling. 
   Mark as complete

1. Cinnamon Apple Filling

   • Peel, core and finely dice the apples into small cubes. 
   • Transfer the apples to a small saucepan and add the cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. 
   • Cook over a very low heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and juicy. 
   • Mix the cornflour with cold water to make a smooth slurry, then pour it into the saucepan. 
   • Stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture thickens into a lovely, glossy sauce. 
   • Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before using. 
   Mark as complete

1. Walnut Crumble

   • Prepare the walnut crumble following my Apple Crumble Cake recipe (link in the blog post). 
   • Chop the walnuts finely to create smaller crumbs suitable for the delicate macarons. 
   • Bake for about 10 minutes at 180°C until golden and crunchy, then allow to cool completely. 
   Mark as complete

1. Cream Cheese Frosting

   • Prepare the frosting following my Red Velvet Christmas Tree Cake (link in the blog post). 
   • Beat the softened butter and icing sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. 
   • Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly. 
   • Add the cream cheese and beat for just a few seconds until smooth and combined. 
   • Avoid overmixing, as this can make the frosting too soft for piping. 
   • Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your choice of nozzle. 
   Mark as complete

1. White Chocolate Decoration

   • Gently melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. 
   • Add a tiny amount of vegetable oil and stir until smooth.
   • Transfer the melted chocolate into a small piping bag and snip off a tiny corner. 
   • Drizzle thin lines of white chocolate over the top macaron shells.
   • While the chocolate is still wet, gently dip the shells into a plate of walnut crumble or sprinkle a few crumbs over the top. 
   • Leave the chocolate to set completely. 
   Mark as complete

1. Assembling the Macarons

   • Pair the macaron shells according to size, placing the bottom shells upside down.
   • Pipe a ring of cream cheese frosting around the edge of each bottom shell, leaving a small space in the centre. 
   • Spoon or pipe a little cinnamon apple filling into the centre of each cream cheese ring. 
   • Sprinkle some walnut crumble over the apple filling for an extra crunch. 
   • Gently place the decorated top shells over the fillings and press lightly until the frosting reaches the edges. 
   • Transfer the assembled macarons to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours and textures to develop. 
   • Remove from the fridge a few minutes before serving and enjoy!
   Mark as complete

Nutrition Facts

Servings 30

---

Amount Per Serving

Calories 161.54kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 9.44g15%

Cholesterol 15.19mg6%

Sodium 62.9mg3%

Potassium 76.28mg3%

Total Carbohydrate 16.9g6%

Dietary Fiber 0.95g4%

Sugars 14.77g

Protein 3.47g7%

---

Vitamin A 49.24 mcg

Vitamin C 0.78 mg

Calcium 60.36 mg

Iron 0.19 mg

Vitamin D 0.04 mcg

Vitamin E 0.2 mg

Vitamin K 0.92 mcg

Vitamin B6 0.02 mg

Vitamin B12 0.09 mcg

Phosphorus 65.05 mg

Magnesium 6.31 mg

Zinc 0.32 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: Apple crumble macarons, apple macarons, cinnamon apple macarons, autumn macarons, fall macarons, French macarons, apple crumble dessert, cream cheese macarons, walnut crumble, homemade macarons, macaron filling ideas, apple cinnamon filling, autumn baking recipes, apple dessert recipes, Summer and Spice.

Rate this recipe