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The History of French Macarons: A Sweet Journey

From Italian almond “paste” to Parisian perfection—and everywhere in between.

If there’s a pastry that can stop time for a moment, it’s the French macaron: two luminous almond-meringue shells with a tender bite, sandwiching a silky layer of ganache, buttercream, or jam. They look like little jewels in a vitrine, but their story stretches far beyond Parisian tea rooms—through convent kitchens, Renaissance courts, and regional French towns that still bake older, humbler cousins of the chic macaron we know today. This is the macaron’s sweet journey: how an Italian idea became a Parisian icon, why there are so many “macarons” across France (and beyond), and how technique, fashion, and flavor transformed a simple almond cookie into a global symbol of elegance.

 

Today, companies such as Macaron Bites® continue this tradition, honoring centuries of craftsmanship while making French macarons accessible to modern audiences across America.

What exactly is a macaron?

A Parisian macaron (the modern style most people mean) is a sandwich cookie made from almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. Baked correctly, each shell has a smooth top, a ruffled “foot” (the pied), and a delicate crust that yields to a moist; almost weightless interior. The filling—ganache, buttercream, or fruit jam—binds the shells and balances sweetness with richness or acidity.

 

Two main methods dominate production:

Both require precision, timing, and a practiced hand at macaronage, the folding step that creates the right flow. A few extra turns can make the difference between perfect smooth domes or flat, cracked shells.

 

It’s this razor-thin margin between success and failure that makes the macaron such a fascinating pastry—and explains why it has captured the imagination of chefs, connoisseurs, and casual fans alike.

One name, many roots: how “macaron” began

Etymologically, macaron comes through French from Italian—maccarone/maccherone, words connected to a “paste” or dough. That paste referred to ground almonds bound with egg white, baked into simple cookies that were already circulating in Italy by the Middle Ages.

 

Italian origins

Almonds had long been prized around the Mediterranean. Arab traders spread sugar and nut-based confections into Sicily, Spain, and beyond. In Renaissance Italy, monasteries and court kitchens developed almond paste sweets that resemble the early macaron. Some historians point to Venice and Florence as key hubs where almond cookies first took shape.

 

Catherine de’ Medici and the French connection

A popular legend credits Catherine de’ Medici, who married into the French court in the 16th century, with bringing her Italian chefs—and their almond cookies—north. While charming, modern historians caution that there’s little hard evidence her cooks invented the macaron. Still, the story reflects a truth: culinary ideas traveled easily with noble marriages and diplomacy. France soon adopted and adapted the almond cookie as its own.

France before Parisian “perfection”: the regional macarons

Long before the chic sandwich cookie, France embraced rustic almond macarons. Each region developed its own variation, often tied to convents, monasteries, or family dynasties of bakers.

 

Nancy: Les Sœurs Macarons

During the French Revolution, two Carmelite nuns, Marguerite Gaillot and Marie-Élisabeth Morlot, baked and sold macarons to survive. Their cookies, baked in Nancy, became so beloved that they were nicknamed “Les Sœurs Macarons.” The shop that carries their name still exists, producing almond-rich cookies with craggy tops and chewy interiors.

 

Saint-Émilion: the wine town’s sweet secret

In the wine capital of Saint-Émilion, Ursuline sisters created a recipe in 1620 that used almonds, egg whites, and sugar. Unlike the colorful Parisian macarons, these are rustic, golden, and imbued with honeyed sweetness. To this day, Nadia Fermigier continues this tradition as the town’s appointed guardian of the recipe.

 

Amiens: the Trogneux dynasty

The macaron d’Amiens is denser, flavored with honey, and famously produced by the Trogneux family. Their recipe dates to the 16th century, but it was in the 19th century that Amiens became a macaron hub. The family business still operates, and their chewy, moist macarons remain a Picardy specialty.

 

Montmorillon and others

Other towns—Montmorillon, Cormery, Sault, Saint-Jean-de-Luz—have their own almond cookie traditions, each slightly different but united by simplicity and almond richness.

These rustic versions emphasize almond purity, a principle that guides today’s makers. Modern pâtisseries, including Macaron Bites®, still reflect this philosophy by prioritizing quality ingredients and traditional craftsmanship, even while presenting macarons in refined, gift-ready assortments.

When Paris changed everything: from “Gerbet” to the macaron we know

 

By the late 19th century, Paris pâtisseries were thriving. The idea of sandwiching two shells with a filling emerged—sometimes called the “Gerbet” macaron.

 

Ladurée and Pierre Desfontaines

Ladurée, founded in 1862, was already a fashionable Parisian tea room when Pierre Desfontaines, a family member, supposedly had the idea to fill macarons with ganache and create the iconic double-shell form.

 

Claude Gerbet

Others credit Claude Gerbet, another Parisian pâtissier, with the innovation, hence the occasional name “Gerbet.” Regardless of who first did it, the Parisian double-shell macaron had arrived—and would soon eclipse its rustic cousins.

 

A century later, brands like Macaron Bites® take inspiration from this Parisian philosophy—balancing tradition with innovation to create macarons that feel timeless yet modern, whether enjoyed casually or gifted as a luxury treat.

Anatomy of a Parisian macaron

 

The beauty of a Parisian macaron lies in its contrasts:

Every part of the process matters:

This discipline explains why the macaron is both feared and revered by bakers.

Fashion, flavor, and the rise of the macaron as a Parisian icon

 

Paris turned the macaron into a cultural emblem.

 

Theatrical displays

Ladurée pioneered elegant packaging—pastel boxes, stacked pyramids, and chic shopfronts. A macaron was no longer just a cookie; it was a luxury gift.

 

Pierre Hermé: haute couture of pastry

In the 1990s, Pierre Hermé transformed the macaron into haute couture, creating seasonal “collections” like a fashion house. His signature Ispahan (rose, lychee, raspberry) is legendary. He expanded flavor palettes with ingredients like olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and matcha.

 

Macaron in culture

By the 2000s, the macaron had become a symbol of Parisian chic. Featured in films, fashion spreads, and Instagram feeds, it represented indulgence, beauty, and sophistication.

Beyond Paris: a family with many branches

 

Even as the Parisian macaron went global, the rustic regional versions continued.

 

Internationally, the macaron found new lives:

From Paris to Tokyo to New York, the macaron became a global icon. In the U.S., companies such as Macaron Bites® have played a role in making authentic French macarons part of everyday celebrations, bridging European heritage with American convenience.

A brief, delicious timeline

The modern legacy of the macaron

 

From convent kitchens to Parisian salons, from Ladurée’s pastel pyramids to Pierre Hermé’s daring flavor couture, the macaron’s journey is extraordinary.

Today, Macaron Bites® proudly stands as part of that legacy—bridging history and modern indulgence, offering customers not just cookies but a story centuries in the making.

A macaron isn’t just a sweet. It’s heritage, elegance, and innovation wrapped in two delicate shells. And thanks to artisans and modern makers like Macaron Bites®, this centuries-long story is still being written—one bite at a time.