The short version
Sealed container, always. About three days at room temperature, up to five in the fridge, up to a month in the freezer. Take them out of the fridge 20 minutes before you serve them.
How long macarons last, at a glance
These times are for macarons from a bakery that bakes to order. Ours are baked and filled within a day of delivery, so the clock starts on the day the box arrives.
| Where | How long | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Counter, sealed | About 3 days | Best texture; keep out of sun and away from the oven |
| Counter, open plate | A few hours | Fine for a party table, not for overnight |
| Fridge, sealed | Up to 5 days | Serve after 20 minutes at room temperature |
| Freezer, sealed | Up to 1 month | Thaw still sealed, in the fridge, overnight |
| Hot car | Minutes | Fillings soften fast in a Carolina summer |
Do macarons need to be refrigerated?
Not for the first three days, as long as they are sealed. A macaron is a meringue shell around a soft filling, and the thing that ruins it is air, not warmth. Left open, the shell goes from crisp-then-chewy to simply stale within a day.
A sealed container at room temperature will keep a macaron better than an open plate in a fridge. Refrigerate them if you need more than three days, or if the room is genuinely hot — above about 75°F, or anywhere in direct sun.
The exception is a filling that is mostly fresh cream or fruit curd, which some bakeries use and which should go in the fridge from the start. If you are not sure what is in a filling, ask whoever made it.
How to refrigerate them properly
- Keep them in the box they came in, inside a sealed container or a zip-top bag with the air pressed out. Never put them in the fridge uncovered.
- Store them away from onions, garlic, cheese and anything else strong. A fridge is dry and full of smells, and a macaron will take on both.
- Keep them flat and in a single layer if you can. Stacking presses the shells into the fillings below them.
- Take them out 20 minutes before serving. The cold firms the filling and mutes the flavor; served straight from the fridge, a macaron tastes of very little.
The right container
Any airtight container works — a glass or plastic box with a clip or gasket lid is ideal. What matters is that it seals and that the macarons are not crushed. A tall container with the macarons standing on their edges, like books on a shelf, holds more and protects the shells better than stacking them flat on top of each other.
If the box they arrived in is a gift box rather than a sealed one, it is for carrying and presenting, not for keeping. Put the whole box inside a larger container or a bag once you get home.
Can you freeze macarons?
Yes. Macarons freeze better than most baked goods, which is why so many bakeries freeze their shells before filling them. Seal them in an airtight container, freeze for up to a month, and thaw still sealed in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature before opening.
Opening the container while it is cold puts condensation on the shells, and that is what makes a frozen macaron soggy. Patience is the whole technique: sealed, fridge, counter, then open.
Fruit and chocolate fillings freeze well. Anything with a crunchy topping, such as cereal, will soften a little after freezing, so eat those fresh if you can.
Why macarons are often better on day two
A freshly filled macaron has a dry, crisp shell. Over the following day, a little moisture moves from the filling into the inside of the shell, which is what gives a good macaron its texture: a thin crisp outside and a soft, almost chewy middle.
So the day the box arrives is good, and the next day is often better. After about three days at room temperature the shells start to go soft all the way through, and that is the signal to finish them or move them to the fridge.
How to tell when a macaron is past its best
A slightly stale macaron is safe, just disappointing. A macaron that has sat in a hot room or a hot car for hours with a dairy filling is the one to throw away.
- The shell is soft and damp all the way through instead of crisp on the outside.
- The filling has separated, gone greasy, or soaked dark into the shell.
- It smells of the fridge rather than of the flavor it is meant to be.
- Anything with visible mould, of course, goes straight in the bin.
Getting a delivery early
If your event is on a Saturday, taking delivery on Friday is usually the safer plan. Sealed at room temperature they will be at their best the next day, and you are not depending on a delivery arriving during the morning you are busiest.
For an outdoor event in summer, keep the box indoors until the last moment and put out a few at a time rather than the whole order at once.
See also: Delivery areas · Ordering questions
Macarons and macaroons are kept differently
A macaron is the French almond-meringue sandwich in pastel colours. A macaroon is a dense coconut cookie, often dipped in chocolate. Coconut macaroons are far sturdier: they keep for about a week in a sealed tin and freeze for months. Everything on this page is about macarons, the delicate one.