Pumpkin seeds make a macaron shell that tastes like something between a cookie and a praline. The malt powder pushes it further into that roasted, almost caramel territory, which is not where most macaron recipes go. I started making these for a friend whose daughter had a severe tree nut allergy, and the pumpkin seed version stuck around long after I could have gone back to almonds.
The shells crack the same way. They have feet. They are slightly chewy in the center and crisp on the outside. If you handed someone a macaron without telling them, they would not guess the base is pumpkin seeds.
How to Make Nut Free Macarons
Getting the Pumpkin Seed Flour Right
Grind the pumpkin seeds with the powdered sugar in short pulses. You want a fine powder, not paste. If the food processor runs too long, the oils release and you end up with pumpkin seed butter. 
Sift the mixture twice. Any chunks left behind go back into the food processor for another round. This step is the difference between smooth shells and lumpy ones.
Piping and Resting Before the Oven
Pipe rounds about 3 cm (1.25 inches) across, leaving 2.5 cm (1 inch) between each one. Tap the tray hard on the counter three times to release air bubbles.
Let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking. The tops should feel dry to the touch. Skip this and the shells crack in the oven.
How to Make Nut Free Macarons
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: Makes 24 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
These elegant nut-free macarons are a delicious surprise for anyone with allergies. A perfect treat for special occasions or a sophisticated dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (115 g) toasted pumpkin seeds
- 8 ounces (230 g) powdered sugar
- 0.75 ounces (21 g) malt powder
- 0.25 ounces (7 g) cocoa powder
- 5 ounces (144 g) egg whites
- 2.5 ounces (72 g) sugar
- the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean
- 0.5 tsp (2 g) salt
- 8 ounces (230 g) of your favorite vanilla buttercream
- 1 ounce (28 g) barley malt syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C).
- Fit a large pastry bag with a plain tip, set aside.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, grind pumpkin seeds, powdered sugar, malt powder, and cocoa for one minute.
- Sift this mixture, reserving any bits that don’t pass through.
- Repeat processing and sifting until all the mixture passes through a sieve, then set aside.
- In a stand mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla bean, and salt.
- Whip on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- Increase speed to medium-high and whip for another 3 minutes.
- Increase speed to high and whip for 3 minutes.
- Whip for a final minute on the highest speed until stiff and dry.
- Add the dry ingredients at once and fold in with a rubber spatula until a cake batter consistency is achieved.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- After piping, rap the sheet pan firmly against the counter two or three times.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the macarons peel cleanly from the parchment paper.
- Cool thoroughly before removing from the parchment.
- Whip the buttercream and barley malt syrup together.
- Use as a filling, sandwiching approximately 1/2 Tablespoon buttercream between each cookie pair.
- Store the macarons refrigerated overnight before consuming.
Notes
- For a smoother batter, ensure your dry ingredients are finely ground and sifted multiple times.
- To prevent cracking, ensure the macarons are completely cool before attempting to remove them from the parchment paper.
- Sunflower seeds can be substituted for pumpkin seeds, but the flavor profile will change slightly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 20
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds?
Yes. Sunflower seeds work but produce a slightly lighter, more neutral shell. Toast them the same way and grind with the powdered sugar. The texture holds up well.
Why did my macaron shells crack?
Usually because the batter was too dry or the shells did not rest long enough before baking. Let them sit until the surface feels completely dry when you touch it lightly, about 20-30 minutes.
How far ahead can I make these?
Assembled macarons keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They actually taste better after a day, once the filling softens the shell slightly. Unfilled shells freeze well for up to a month.
From a person with nut allergy – THANK YOU!
Thank you! As a nut-free macaron lover, this is exactly what I needed!
I found this macaron recipe while looking for any sort of substitute for almond flour because my husband is severely allergic to nuts. THANK YOU for creating and posting this recipe — this was my first ever attempt at making macarons and they turned out incredible and delicious! Some of mine cracked on the top and deflated, but most turned out just perfect. A couple of tips I learned during my process of making these: you can pipe them closer together than I expected as they don’t really spread once they’re baking. Second, after piping them let them sit out for 20 minutes or so before baking! I had two sheet pans (and a little bit extra) worth of cookies, and baked them one at a time in my oven. The second pan that sat out while the first cooked yielded WAY better feet on the macarons, it was so exciting to watch! There’s definitely a learning curve, but this recipe is so simple and straight forward. I love it! The flavor is amazing and so similar to the “real” thing, in my casual opinion :)
Thats fantastic to hear Shelby!
Can diastatic malt powder be used for the malt powder called for in this recipe?
Thanks for the recipe! I don’t have any nut allergies and have no pumpkin seeds at hand, can i use wheat flour instead?
These were great! I made them without the malt powder since I couldn’t find any. I did add 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar to the egg whites. Other than that, for my first macaron attempt, they taste great and look pretty good too. Got the little feet, chewy texture with the crunchy top. Very happy with this nut-free version!
Can you freeze these?
This is the beginning of my macaron journey after a lifetime of wistfully walking past French bakeries. I subbed malted milk powder as I couldn’t get regular malt powder in time, and did matcha flavoring instead (subbbed cocoa powder with matcha, and did a berry buttercream frosting),
This was my first attempt so of course it wasn’t the best. My shells cracked but some got their little feet at least, and they weren’t hollow. The taste and texture were outstanding. Gonna do some tweaks in my macronage in coming weeks and see how things go. May also try peanut flour in the future (I got the lucky allergy where peanuts and coconuts are fine, but tree nuts aren’t) and sunflower flour.
Hi- thanks for this recipe. My son has a nut allergy. I substituted Sunflower seeds because I didn’t have pumpkin seeds. The fat content was similar and the taste was great. I also didn’t have any malt and just omitted that step. They came out perfect. Thanks again!
Wow! These look amazing. I can’t wait to make them!
when you say pumpkin seeds do you mean pepetas? or the ones with the shell?
I’m not sure why you’re leaving angry comments on a 9 year old recipe, but in the spirit of kindness here’s what I found after a quick Google search: https://www.google.com/amp/s/tasty.co/amp/recipe/nut-free-macarons
looks good
What is the purpose of the malt powder and can it be substituted?
I need all purpose flour recipe!!