The short version
Two to three per person alongside other desserts. Four to five per person if macarons are the dessert. Round up rather than down — a leftover macaron keeps for days, and running out at your own party does not.
By guest count
Anything over 200 pieces needs a custom order and at least 14 days, because that many boxes cannot be baked in a single morning.
| Guests | Alongside other dessert | Macarons as the dessert |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 24 pieces | 48 pieces |
| 15 | 36 pieces | 72 pieces |
| 20 | 48 pieces | 96 pieces |
| 30 | 72 pieces | 144 pieces |
| 50 | 120 pieces | 240 pieces |
| 100 | 240 pieces | 480 pieces |
Adjust for the room
Add a little if the group skews younger — children eat more of them than adults do, and faster.
Add a little if the macarons are out for a long event rather than served at one moment. A table that is open for three hours empties more than a dessert course does.
Take a little off if there is a cake as well. Cake is filling in a way macarons are not, and people will take one of each rather than three macarons.
Why more flavors makes a table look fuller
Three flavors of twelve look like considerably more than one box of thirty-six, for the same count and the same price. If the table matters, split the order across flavors and colours rather than ordering one large box.