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.

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!