Dubai Chocolate Macarons (Pistachio and Chocolate)

My Dubai Chocolate Cake and Dubai Chocolate Mochi have been very well received on the blog. That rich combination of deep chocolate, nutty pistachio and crisp filo pastry creates something luxurious yet texturally exciting. The contrast between smooth ganache, creamy pistachio and delicate crunch is what makes Dubai chocolate flavours so special.

Since starting my macaron journey, I knew I wanted to adapt those flavours into Dubai Chocolate Macarons. After a few rounds of testing, I can honestly say this version captures everything I love about the original desserts but in elegant French patisserie form.

These Dubai Chocolate Macarons are indulgent, refined and full of contrast: crisp shells, chewy centres, silky ganache and pistachio cream mixed with chopped filo pastry.

If you love chocolate and pistachio together, this one is for you.

Why you’ll love these Dubai Chocolate Macarons

Each macaron offers layers of flavour and texture:

• Chocolate shells flavoured with cocoa powder
• Pistachio shells topped with crushed pistachios
• Chocolate ganache that melts in your mouth
• Homemade pistachio cream combined with finely chopped filo pastry
• Optional marble-effect shells for a beautiful finish

They look impressive but once you understand the technique, they are absolutely achievable.

The macaron shell base (Swiss method)

To make these Dubai Chocolate Macarons, I use my standard Swiss method shell base, the same one I use in my Tiramisu Macarons and Macaron Cakes with minor flavour adjustments.

Ingredients

• 120g egg whites (fresh or bottled/cartoned)
• 110g caster sugar
• 140g almond flour (blitzed in 10 short pulses)
• 130g icing sugar (sieved directly into the almond flour)
• 10g cocoa powder (for chocolate shells)
• Green gel food colouring (for pistachio shells)
• Crushed pistachios (for decoration)

Making the Swiss meringue

Place the egg whites and caster sugar into the metal bowl of your stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

Using the whisk attachment, stir continuously to prevent the egg whites from cooking. After about 1 minute, the mixture should reach roughly 45°C and the sugar should be fully dissolved. You can test this by rubbing a little mixture between your fingers. It should feel smooth, not grainy.

Remove the bowl from the heat immediately and place it onto the stand mixer:

• Mix at speed 2 for about 2 minutes to eliminate large bubbles.
• Increase to speed 5 and whip until stiff peaks form.

Avoid whipping at very high speed, medium-high produces stronger, more stable meringue.

Fresh egg whites usually take 12-15 minutes. Bottled egg whites can take up to 20 minutes. Making macarons has definitely trained my patience.

Sign of a properly whipped meringue

A strong meringue is key to achieving shells with defined feet and structure without being crumbly.

Here is exactly what I look for:

• The meringue should gather in the whisk and form a firm peak.
• Inside the bowl, the meringue should form a solid mass rather than sliding around.
• When you swirl the whisk through the meringue, you should feel resistance.

Once you’ve reached this stage, you’ve truly won half of the battle.

Preparing the dry ingredients

While the meringue is whipping, blitz the almond flour briefly (around 10 pulses). I no longer sieve almond flour after blending, as I find it unnecessary if pulsed properly.

However, I always sieve the icing sugar directly into the almond flour. Icing sugar often contains lumps and sieving ensures even distribution, smoother shells, better coating of the almond particles.

Whisk the almond flour and icing sugar together thoroughly.

Divide both the meringue and dry ingredients into two equal portions if making both chocolate and pistachio shells from the same batch.

If you’re new to macarons, I recommend making one colour at a time.

Macaronage

Work with one bowl at a time, covering the second bowl with a tea towel to prevent drying.

Chocolate shells

Add half of the dry mixture to the meringue and sieve in the cocoa powder. Using the paddle attachment:

• Mix on speed 1 for 15 seconds
• Scrape down the bowl
• Mix for another 15 seconds

Then finish by hand with a spatula.

You should only need a few additional folds. Stop as soon as the batter flows slowly like lava. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 10 or 12 nozzle. I prefer 1.25-inch macarons.

Piping and baking

Pipe onto a silicone or teflon mat placed on the back of your baking tray. Tap the tray firmly to remove air bubbles.

I do not rest my shells. Bake at 145°C (fan off) on the lower shelf:

• Leave the door slightly open for 2-3 minutes
• Close the door and bake for 18 minutes
• Open the door slightly for 2 minutes before removing

The gradual cooling helps prevent cracking from sudden temperature changes.

Pistachio shell differences

For pistachio shells:

• Add a tiny amount of green gel colouring during macaronage
• Sprinkle crushed pistachios after piping
• After 10 minutes of baking, place an empty tray on the shelf above to prevent browning

Wiggle test

Gently nudge the top of a shell. If it moves separately from the feet, bake 1-2 minutes longer. If it feels stable and does not wobble, they are done.

Allow shells to cool completely before removing from the mat.

Marble effect shells

If you have leftover batter, pipe strips of each colour onto cling film, roll into a log, insert into a piping bag and pipe as normal.

This creates a beautiful marbled effect, perfect for elevating your Dubai Chocolate Macarons visually.

The Dubai Chocolate filling

For authentic flavour, I strongly recommend using homemade pistachio cream (as in my Dubai Chocolate Cake recipe). Shop-bought versions can taste mild and slightly artificial.

You will need:

• Chocolate ganache
• Pistachio cream mixed with finely chopped toasted filo pastry

You will likely only need half a batch of filling for this shell recipe.

Assembling the Dubai Chocolate Macarons

For chocolate shells:

• Pipe a ring of pistachio cream and filo mixture
• Fill the centre with chocolate ganache
• Sandwich gently

For pistachio shells

• Pipe a ring of chocolate ganache
• Fill the centre with pistachio filo cream

The contrast makes each bite rich and layered.

Storage and maturing

Like most macarons, Dubai Chocolate Macarons taste even better after 24 hours in the fridge. This allows the filling to slightly soften the shells for that perfect chewy texture.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Final thoughts

Bringing my Dubai Chocolate flavours into macarons feels like a natural progression in my macaron baking journey. These Dubai Chocolate Macarons combine French patisserie with Middle Eastern-inspired flavours, creating something both elegant and indulgent.

If you’ve loved my Dubai Chocolate Cake and Mochi, this macaron version might just become your new favourite too.

And as always, I’d genuinely love to hear how you get on if you make them.