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Last Updated on November 2, 2025 by becky
Featuring a pair of classic French macaron shells, chocolate “taco meat,” buttercream “lettuce,” royal icing “sour cream” and fondant “taco fixings,” these cute taco cookies really do look just like the real thing.
Why Do I Love These Taco Cookies?
If you know me, you know how much I adore foods that look like other foods. I’ve played around with this concept lots of times in the past—see also: my sushi cookies, corn dog cake pops, white chocolate deviled eggs, or cheeseburger macarons. (I also love other stuff that looks like real food, like candles, or those fake dessert displays you sometimes see in restaurants!)
With this recipe, I’ve aimed to recreate all of the best parts of a classic taco: the bright yellow hard corn shell (complete with hand-painted speckles, of course!); the taco meat; the shredded lettuce; the cheddar cheese; the chopped veggie toppings; and the big dollop of sour cream on top.
These taco cookies really do look remarkably like the real thing. But Instead of meat, cheese, and spicy salsa, you’ll find chocolate ganache, buttercream, and sweet royal icing, all sandwiched between a pair of classic French macaron shells.
Taco Macaron Recipe Ingredients
To make these taco macarons, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Almond Flour – To make the French macaron shells, choose finely ground almond flour, not coarse almond meal or ground almonds. If you haven’t made macaron shells before, you might find that you need to test a few different brands to find the one that works best for you.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – You’ll sift confectioner’s sugar (also known as icing sugar, 10x sugar, or powdered sugar, depending on your location) with the almond flour before folding it into the meringue. In addition, you’ll use confectioner’s sugar to make the buttercream “lettuce” and royal icing “sour cream,” so make sure you have plenty on hand.
- Egg Whites – For making the meringue (for the macaron “taco shells”) and the royal icing (for the “sour cream.”) . Use the whites from fresh eggs, not cartons of egg whites. And you won’t need the yolks for this recipe, but don’t throw them away—they’re great for making lemon curd or pastry cream!
- Caster Sugar – Or superfine sugar, in the US. Finer than granulated, caster sugar makes the meringue silky-smooth.
- Fondant – You’ll need a block of white fondant to make the toppings. (I usually buy Bakerpan, Wilton, Renshaw, or Dr. Oetker, but feel free to use any brand you’d like.) You can also use red and yellow fondant instead of white + food coloring.
- Gel Food Coloring – You’ll need gold or yellow gel food coloring to tint the shells, plus brown to paint the details. In addition, you’ll need red, green, yellow, and black gel food coloring to color the buttercream and fondant.
- Dark Chocolate – To make the chocolate ganache which stands in for “taco meat.” For best results, choose a good-quality dark chocolate, rather than cheap chocolate chips.
- Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. You’ll use whipping cream to make the chocolate ganache, and a splash more to moisten the buttercream.
- Unsalted Butter – For the buttercream “lettuce.”
Painting the Shells
To make my macaron shells look like taco shells, I’ve carefully dotted each one with a few speckles of brown gel food coloring, and a fine-tipped, food-safe paintbrush.
For best results, I recommend mixing the gel coloring with a small amount of flavorless alcohol (such as vodka) to help speed the drying process along. If you don’t consume alcohol, you can thin the gel coloring with water instead.
Making the Fondant “Fixings”
To make the fondant cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, start by coloring large marble-sized balls of white fondant with a few drops each of black, yellow, and red gel food coloring. With gloved hands, knead the color evenly into each ball of fondant.
To make the shredded cheese:
To make the shredded cheese, flatten the yellow fondant into a thin pancake (if you’d like, you can use a fondant roller for this step) then use a sharp chef’s knife to slice it into small strips and pieces. No need to be perfectly precise!
To make the black olives:
Shape the black fondant into tiny balls, each about 1/4-inch in diameter. With a toothpick or cocktail stick (or the tip of a pointy fondant tool), poke a hole in the middle of each ball so it resembles a sliced black olive.
To make the chopped tomatoes:
With your hands, roll the red fondant into a thin (about 1/4-inch in diameter) tube, then use a sharp chef’s knife to chop the tube into pieces.
My finished fondant toppings:
Helpful Tools and Equipment
Before making these taco cookies (or my cheeseburger macarons!) you’ll want to gather a few pieces of equipment. (If you get really into macaron-making, I also recommend consulting this page to see all of the macaron tools I love!) You’ll need:
- Fondant Tools – A set of plastic fondant tools is useful for shaping the fondant toppings and correcting small mistakes.
- Toothpicks or Cocktail Sticks – I use a toothpick (cocktail stick) to pop the bubbles in my piped macaron shells before baking. These will also come in handy for making holes in your fondant olives!
- Tweezers – I keep a pair of metal tweezers in my knife bag for adding garnishes or applying gold leaf. For this recipe, I used my tweezers to position the olives and tomatoes on top of each taco. (Make sure you’re using a set of tweezers reserved for baking projects only—don’t use the ones from your makeup kit!)
- Food-Safe Paintbrushes – I used a thin-tipped, food-safe paintbrush to paint the brown dots on each shell. Like the tweezers, make sure you’re using a paintbrush reserved for food projects only; not one you’ve used for arts and crafts.
- Disposable Piping Bags – You’ll need one piping bag for the macaron shells, and a second for the buttercream filling. I prefer disposable bags for easy cleanup, but you can use a reusable bag if preferred. (If using a reusable bag, reserve a separate one for macarons only. Residual oils from ganache or buttercream can ruin a batch of macaron shells.)
- Piping Tips – I used a 5/8-inch round tip to pipe the macaron shells and ganache, a star tip for the buttercream, and a smaller round tip for the sour cream. You can go slightly bigger or smaller with your piping tips if desired, or pipe the buttercream with an open star or other decorative tip.
- Mesh Sieve – You’ll need a fine mesh sieve or sifting the confectioner’s sugar and the almond flour. Sifting removes coarse pieces of almond, hard sugar pieces, or bits of shell. Do not skip the sifting step.
- Kitchen Scale – Do not attempt this recipe without a scale. See my notes below.
- Parchment or Silicone Mats – For lining your trays. I prefer silicone because it doesn’t slip around like parchment, but it’s up to you. Some bakers also use mats printed with a round template, but I just pipe mine freehand.
- Hand or Stand Mixer – Also a non-negotiable! You’ll need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the egg whites and sugar into meringue for the macaron shells.
- Rubber Gloves – To avoid staining your hands,I strongly suggest donning a pair of rubber gloves before you knead the food coloring into the fondant.
Troubleshooting the Macaron Shells
Macarons are finicky, and notoriously difficult to master. If you haven’t made macaron shells before (or haven’t made them recently) don’t get discouraged if the first few batches are a total fail. I’m made macaron shells more times than I can count, and I still get a batch of “macawrongs” every now and again.
Note that the resting and baking times indicated in my recipe are the timings that work for me. Yours will vary depending on your oven, trays, and kitchen temperature. If you already have your own go-to timings and temperatures, definitely use those instead. If not, feel free to use mine as a starting point.
Here are a few additional tips to help you troubleshoot your first few batches of macaron shells. (For a more in-depth exploration, I also recommend reading through my traditional French macaron recipe.)
- Pop the bubbles. After piping, tap your tray firmly on the countertop to remove any air bubbles. The shells will spread and flatten slightly, and the bubbles will pop. If you still spot some bubbles after tapping, pop them with a toothpick.
- Weigh your ingredients. “Tante pour tante” (equal parts almond flour and confectioner’s sugar) plays a crucial role in making macarons, and you can’t precisely measure these ingredients with a measuring cup. You can purchase a good, affordable kitchen scale from Amazon, a supermarket, or a big box store. Don’t attempt to measure by volume.
- Prep your trays. You can line your trays with a silicone baking mat, or if you’re new to piping, you can even buy silicone mats with macaron guides printed on them) or sheets of parchment. Do not pipe directly on a greased or unlined tray—macarons are not choux buns!
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
For the shells: The drying/resting time will vary depending on the temperature and humidity levels in your kitchen. Mine usually require about two hours of resting time before they’re ready to bake. For this reason, I suggest making the shells the day before you plan to assemble your tacos. After cooling, layer the shells between sheets of parchment and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also make the shells and freeze them in an airtight container for up to one month.
For the buttercream: The buttercream can be prepared up to two days in advance, transferred to a piping bag, and refrigerated until ready to pipe.
For the toppings: I recommend making the chocolate ganache, royal icing, and fondant toppings on the day you plan to assemble the cookies.
To store: Store finished taco macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Other macaron recipes you might enjoy:
Cheeseburger Macarons
Red, White and Blue Macarons
Classic French Macarons
Cinnamon Chai Macarons
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
PrintTaco Cookies (Taco Macaron Recipe)
The cutest taco cookies made with French macaron shells, chocolate taco meat, buttercream lettuce, and fondant taco fixings.
- Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: About 4 hours
- Yield: 10 taco macarons 1x
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
Ingredients
Macaron Shells:
65 grams almond flour
65 grams confectioner’s sugar
50 grams egg whites
45 grams caster sugar
Gold or yellow gel food coloring
Brown gel food coloring, to decorate
Chocolate Ganache “Taco Meat”:
75 grams chopped dark chocolate (1/2 cup)
60 milliliters whipping cream (1/4 cup)
Buttercream “Lettuce”:
15 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 tablespoon)
100 grams confectioner’s sugar (3/4 cup)
15 milliliters whipping cream (1 tablespoon)
Pinch fine sea salt
Neon brite green gel food coloring
Royal Icing “Sour Cream”:
30 grams egg white (white of 1 egg)
170 grams confectioner’s sugar (1 1/4 cups)
Fondant “Olives,” “Cheese” and “Tomatoes”:
45 grams white fondant
Yellow, red, and black gel food coloring
Instructions
Macaron Shells:
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl, using a bench scraper to help push the sugar through the sieve. Sift the almond flour into the same bowl. Discard any large clumps or pieces of hard sugar. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, continuing to mix on medium-high speed until the mixture turns thick and glossy, and stiff peaks form. Mix in the gold or yellow gel food coloring.
Add the sugar-almond flour mixture to the bowl. (No need to be delicate—just dump it all in in one go!)
With a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. At first, the batter will feel very thick, clumpy, and dry.
Continue folding, gradually deflating air from the mixture, until the batter flows from the spatula like lava. To test whether the batter is ready to pipe, use your spatula to make a figure ‘8’ shape with the batter—it should take about 8-10 seconds to sink back into the bowl. (If it takes longer than this, it’s too thick; if the ‘8’ disappears instantly, you’ve gone too far. Test frequently to avoid overmixing.)
Scoop batter into a piping bag fitted with a 5/8-inch round piping tip.
Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto prepared tray, allowing a few inches of space between the rounds.
Firmly tap the tray on a table or countertop to remove the air bubbles. If any bubbles remain, gently pop them with a toothpick.
Set tray aside on a flat, level surface. Allow macaron shells to rest, uncovered, at room temperature until a ‘skin’ forms on top of each shell, and macarons feel dry to the touch. Depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, this can happen in as little as 30 minutes, or it might take several hours.
Preheat oven to 140° C / 285° F. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until shells no longer “dance” on their feet (jiggle slightly) when touched.
With a food safe paintbrush, dot each macaron shell with tiny brown polka dots, mimicking the texture of a taco shell. (For more on painting the shells, see my notes in the post above.) Set aside while you prepare the fillings.
Ganache:
Melt the chopped dark chocolate over a double boiler or bain marie.
Meanwhile, add the whipping cream to a small saucepan and warm gently over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.)
Remove from heat. Whisk the warm cream into the melted chocolate.
When ready to assemble, briskly whisk until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag.
Buttercream:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the softened butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, alternating with the cream and mixing well after each addition.
Add the gel food coloring and mix until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar or milk to adjust the consistency. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Royal Icing:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip egg white to soft peaks.
Add confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on high speed until you’ve incorporated all of the sugar and the meringue turns thick and glossy, with stiff peaks. If necessary, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The royal icing should be thick but pipeable.
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop each royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Toppings:
To a large marble-sized ball of white fondant, add a few drops of black food coloring. With gloved hands, knead the color evenly into the fondant. Repeat with the rest of the fondant and the yellow and red gel coloring.
With a fondant tool and a sharp knife, shape into olives, cheese, and chopped tomatoes. (For more detailed instructions and tips on making the fondant toppings, see my notes in the post above.)
Assembly:
Pair the macaron shells according to size. (You should have 8-10 pairs total.) Pipe a thin stripe of royal icing across the bottom edge of one half of each pair, then join with the second shell. Use your fingers to hold the two shells together until the royal icing sets just enough to hold the shells together.
Sit upright on a parchment or silicone-lined tray and set aside to dry, about 15 minutes.
In the bottom of each “taco” pipe a strip of chocolate ganache.
Pipe the ganache with squiggles of buttercream lettuce.
Top with the fondant cheese and tomatoes.
Pipe a dollop of royal icing “sour cream” on top.
Sprinkle with fondant black olives to finish.
Store taco macarons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Note: The temperatures and timings above are the the ones that work best for me, but all ovens are different. If you have a “tried and true” temperature and bake time for making macarons, use that instead. If not, try mine and adjust as necessary. I suggest checking the macarons every few minutes, beginning at the 15-minute mark.
