These strawberry mango Tajín macarons are the definition of summer in a bite. A creamy shortcut custard buttercream surrounds a tangy-sweet jam centre with just a hint of Tajín’s signature lime-chili kick. Fruity, lightly spiced, and just fancy enough to impress—without being fussy.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Jump To:
Why You’ll Love These Macarons
- Beginner-friendly custard buttercream with a shortcut custard made with Bird’s Custard Powder. No egg yolks to temper!
- Bright, fruity jam centre with a delicious combo of strawberry, mango, lime, and a little Tajín for a little kick.
- Easy-to-scale fillings so you don’t run out, or wind up with too many leftovers.
- A sweet & spicy flavour combo that’s unexpected, but completely addictive!
What is Tajín?
Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made from chili peppers, lime, and salt. It adds a punchy, tangy heat that pairs surprisingly well with fruit. It’s often sprinkled on mango or watermelon, and even popcorn. I figured it was about time I tried it in macarons, and I’m so glad I did!
Make Your Own Tajín Spice Blend
If you don’t have or can’t find ya bottle of Tajín, you can make your own. It won’t be quite the same as store-bought, but it work in a pinch! Just mix these ingredients together. Because this includes fresh lime zest, store it in the fridge and use it up within 3 days.
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
- ¾ tsp citric acid
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp cayenne (optional, for heat)
What Is Bird’s Custard Powder?
Bird’s has been a British staple for almost 200 years. It’s a cornflour-based powder that is used to make an egg-free custard. I use it in this recipe as the perfect shortcut to making a creamy and light custard buttercream that’s easy to scale.
How to Make Strawberry Mango Tajín Macarons
Make Macaron Shells
Use my master macaron recipe to make a batch of shells. Colour them dark orange-pink to match the filling, or however you like! Make a note of the weight of the egg whites you used. You’ll use that to scale the filling recipes to match.
Scale the Filling Recipes
My master macaron recipe uses 100 g egg whites by default. That gives you about 20–25 filled macarons. Use the chart below to scale the jam and buttercream recipes to match your batch size, no need for mathing!
Strawberry Mango Tajín Jam
| Weight of Egg Whites in Macaron Shells | 30 grams | 60 grams | 75 grams | 100 grams | 125 grams | 150 grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | 30 g | 60 g | 75 g | 100 g | 125 g | 150 g |
| Mango | 30 g | 60 g | 75 g | 100 g | 125 g | 150 g |
| Granulated Sugar | 15 g (1 tbsp) | 30 g (2 tbsp) | 37.5 g (2½ tbsp) | 50g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 62.5 g (4 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 75 g (5 tbsp) |
| Lime Juice | 9 g (2 tsp) about ⅓ lime | 18 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) about ⅔ lime | 22.5 g (1½ tbsp) about ¾ lime | 30 g (2 tbsp) 1 lime | 37.5 g (2½ tbsp) about 1¼ limes | 45 g (3 tbsp) about 1½ limes |
| Tajín | 0.9 g (⅓ tsp.) | 1.8g (½ tsp) | 2.25g (¾ tsp) | 3 g (1 tsp) | 3.75 g (1¼ tsp) | 4.5 g (1½ tsp) |
| Fine Sea Salt | 0.06 g (very small pinch) | 0.12 g (small pinch) | 0.15 g (small pinch) | 0.2 g (pinch) | 0.25g (pinch) | 0.3 g (pinch) |
Strawberry Mango Tajín Custard Buttercream
| Weight of Egg Whites in Macaron Shells | 30 grams | 60 grams | 75 grams | 100 grams | 125 grams | 150 grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird’s Custard Powder | 3.3 g (2 tsp) | 6.6 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 8.25 g (1 ½ tbsp) | 11 g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 13.75.g (2 tbsp + 2½ tsp) | 16.5 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) |
| Granulated Sugar | 4.5 g (1 tsp) | 9 g (2 tsp) | 11.25 g (2 ½ tsp) | 15 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 18.75 g (1 tbsp + 2½ tsp) | 22.5 g (2 tbsp minus ½ tsp) |
| Whole Milk | 36 g (2½ tbsp) | 72 g (¼ cup + 2 tsp) | 90 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) | 120 g (½ cup) | 150 g (⅔ cup) | 180 g (¾ cup) |
| Fine Sea Salt | 0.45 g (pinch) | 0.9 g (large pinch) | 1.1 g (scant ¼ tsp) | 1.5 g (¼ tsp) | 1.9 g (heaping ¼ tsp) | 2.25 g (heaping ¼ tsp) |
| Unsalted Butter | 29 g (2 tbsp) | 58 g (¼ cup) | 72 g (5 tbsp) | 96 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) | 120 g (½ cup + 1½ tbsp) | 144 g (⅔ cup) |
| Jam | 12 g (2½ tsp) | 24 g (1½ tbsp) | 30 g (2 tbsp) | 40 g (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) | 50 g (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) | 60 g (¼ cup) |
| Tajín (optional) | 0.23 g (scant ⅛ tsp) | 0.45 g (¼ tsp) | 0.56 g (heaping ¼ tsp) | 0.75 g (¼ tsp) | 0.96 g (heaping ¼ tsp) | 1.13 g (scant ½ tsp) |
Make the Strawberry Mango Tajín Jam
Add all the jam ingredients except Tajín to a small pot, and cook on medium heat until the fruit softens and the mixture thickens. Use a stick blender or a potato masher to break the fruits down. Add Tajín to taste and chill.
Make the Strawberry Mango Tajín Buttercream
Whisk custard powder, sugar, milk, and salt in a small saucepan until combined. Cook over medium heat until thickened, then chill completely. Then whip room temp butter until fluffy, then gradually beat in the custard. Add the jam and Tajín to taste.
Assemble
Pipe a ring of buttercream on a shell.
Fill the center of the buttercream ring with jam.
Sandwich with a second shell of the same size.
Refrigerate for 24 hours to mature, then bring up to room temp for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Storage, Make-Ahead Tips, and Freezing
Making the jam and buttercream in advance
You can make both the jam and buttercream up to 5 days ahead. Store in the fridge until ready to use. You’ll need to bring the buttercream back up to room temperature and re-whip it before piping.
Making the macaron shells in advance
Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to 3 months after cooling completely. Freeze them in a rigid airtight and food-safe container to prevent the shells from being crushed by other items in the freezer.
Assembled macarons freeze beautifully. Store in an airtight rigid container in a single layer, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring them back up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving for the best flavour and texture.
FAQs
Yes! Add Tajín in the jam to your taste, and don’t add it at all to the buttercream.
Take about a tablespoon of the buttercream out and melt it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Add it back to the rest of the buttercream and whip until it comes back together.
They’re not very spicy, and my kids loved them! They don’t use a lot of Tajín, so there’s only a mild kick.
Absolutely! You an add more Tajín to taste, or add some cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way!)
My master macaron shell recipe is a formula based on egg white weight, so basing the filling recipe on a batch of macarons made with 100 grams of egg white makes it easy to scale up or down. And if you like using a different macaron shell recipe, this should also give you a rough idea of how much filling to make.
It’s a shortcut that mimics the richness of custard (or crème anglaise), without having to temper egg yolks. It’s easy to scale the recipe quantity up or down and not be left with part of an unneeded yolk.
Absolutely! They get cooked down on the stove until their juices are reduced enough so the jam thickens, so frozen works beautifully. x
After chilling, the jam should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped. If it’s not firm enough, you can cook it on the stove a little longer or add some cornstarch (see below).
Cook it for a few minutes longer to allow more of the liquid to evaporate. Or you can cornstarch whisked with some water to make a thick slurry to the jam. Keep cooking until the jam thickens. Add
1½ tsp of cornstarch whisked into 1½ tsp water for the batch size scaled to a macaron recipe made with 100 grams of egg whites. Scale that up or down as needed!
Did you Try This Recipe?
Drop a comment below, and don’t forget to rate and review the recipe, it helps other bakers find it!
Strawberry Mango Tajín Macarons (Sweet & Spicy)
Ingredients
Method
- Add 100 g strawberries, 100 g mangoes, 50 g granulated sugar, 30 g lime juice, and a pinch fine sea salt to a small pot. Bring to a simmer, and cook while stirring and mashing the fruits until the juices have reduced and the mixture has slightly thickened.
- Add 1 tsp Tajín (or to taste). Transfer to a heatproof airtight container and refrigerate until needed.
- Add 11 g Bird's Custard Powder, 15 g granulated sugar, 120 g whole milk, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to a small pot and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil while whisking, until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate until cooled completely.
- Add 96 g unsalted butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Begin adding the custard 1 spoonful at a time, waiting until each addition has been incorporated before adding the next. Whip a couple more minutes until smooth and light.
- Add 40 g Strawberry Mango Tajín Jam and ¼ teaspoon Tajín (if you want a little extra kick). Beat until completely combined.
- Transfer the buttercream and jam to piping bags fitted with medium round (½" / 1.2 cm) piping tips, and find pairs of same-size macaron shells.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream on the bottom of a macaron, and fill the center of the ring with some jam. Place a matching shell on top and gently press it down until the filling just comes to the edge.
- Transfer the sandwiched macarons to an airtight container and refrigerate for about 24 hours, so the fillings can hydrate the shells and make them perfectly chewy! Bring them back up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Leave a Reply