DIY Macaron Tower On The Cheap
Ever wondered how to make a macaron tower? You know those beautiful French wedding cakes you see on Pinterest and magazines?
What Is A Macaron Tower Called?
A classic French wedding cake is called a croquembouche, meaning “crunch in the mouth”. But this isn't one of them. The true croquembouche tower is made from cream puffs held together with caramel and wrapped with spun sugar. The spun sugar gives it the distinctive “crunch”.
If you are feeling ambitious, you can find a traditional recipe here.
A macaron version emerged over time to create a cleaner leaner version of the croquembouche that has picked up steam and grown in popularity over the years.
This tutorial however, is not for a cake, it's simply a way to display your cookies and the highlight of your dessert buffet. I'll walk you through how to make a macaron tower, and even better….how to do it on the cheap.
Macaron Tower Supplies
You don't need very many items to put together a macaron tower.
- Macarons
- Styrofoam cone
- Toothpicks
- Decorative items {
- ribbon or flowers}
How Many Macarons Do You Need To Make A Tower?
It really depends on how large you want to make it. This SMALL cone used 50 macarons.
- Top Tier – 2 stacked flat
- 2nd Tier – 6
- 3rd Tier – 8
- 4th Tier – 10
- 5th Tier – 11
- 6th Tier – 12
If you apply the side of the macaron to the cone instead of the edge it takes up more surface area and you will use less cookies.
Where To Find Affordable Macarons
Look at Costco, they carry a box of 36 in assorted colors. Trader Joe's carries a 12 pack in the freezer, andTarget also has a box of 12 in the frozen food section of some locations. {call and ask before making the trip}
Or ask around to friends and family. My talented cousin made these for me at an affordable price. Lots of people are learning to make macarons themselves. Mostly because they are beautiful and delicious. But they also represent a baking challenge, which is probably why they are so expensive in local bakeries.
How Do You Stick Macarons On A Cone?
There are a couple of ways to get your cookies to stay put.
- Traditional caramel
- Royal Icing
- Toothpicks {cleanest way to go}
Begin Assembling Tower
Now that we've gotten our supplies, found a reliable source of macarons, and figured out how to attach them, we're ready to start.
Use your cookies to measure around the base. You want the cookies touching if possible to make a ring around the perimeter. If you end up with a gap try to keep the spacing uniform between the macarons all the way around.
Then use your toothpicks to mark each place, pushing them in at a slight upward angle.
Continue Adding Macarons
Continue adding macarons in rings around the cone. You can alternate colors by row, create a swirling pattern, use ombre colored cookies, or create a rainbow. The color combinations are truly endless. But this soft pastel white and pink works perfectly for a baby shower or Valentine's celebration.
Macaron Tower Tips And Tricks
Things to make your macaron tower assembly go as smoothly as possible:
STABILITY: Rest each new row on the row below so the macarons don't try to twist. Also attach each cookie with the toothpick at an UPWARD angle. Straight in or angled down doesn't work.
SPACING: Try to space each row to line up between the macarons in the row below. The gives your cookies balanced support on each side. Depending on the size of your cone it might not be perfect. Mine wasn't.
PROFESSIONALISM: If you want it to look professional, you need to “hide the mechanics”. That's fancy for….cover up the foam!
Finishing Details {To Hide The Mechanics}
Ribbon is the most affordable option to hide the foam. Especially if you can find something perfect in your ribbon stash! Pieces don't need to be long 2-3″ at most. And half a toothpick will work.
Simply insert toothpick at the center line of each piece of ribbon.
Then gently press the ribbon pick into each gap. BE CONSISTENT. Add a ribbon between each cookie, or every other one, but stick with it.
If you find yourself with larger gaps, use thicker ribbon, or add some flowers. You can pick up affordable flowers in grocery store floral departments to keep the price down. Trader Joe's is the best but others like Smith's, and Harmon's can also be great.
Add To Food Table & Enjoy!
And you're done! Place your tower gently on a cake stand and wait for the ooh and ahhs of your guests. Now that you know how to make a macaron tower you're armed with the power to dramatically enhance the centerpiece of any table!
And don't be surprised if your family asks you to bring one to the next holiday dinner!
If you do try out a DIY Macaron tower of your own I want to see it! Please share and tag @partieswithacause on Facebook and Instagram. I also want to hear about any secret macaron sources I might not be aware of.
Pin it for later
Additional Valentine Reading
- Romantic Valentine's Day Mantel Decor
- Queen of Hearts DIY Playing Card Art
- Cranberry Brie Tart Easy Holiday Appetizer
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So pretty! I got a 36 pack from Costco do yon think I could make a tower with the macarons flat instead of on the side?
I think so but I’m not sure how well they’ll hold with toothpicks. You might want to try “gluing” them onto the cone with thick frosting.
Perfect directions. I’m making macarons for someone for a Halloween party and was trying to figure out how to display them. I didn’t know a tower would be this simple!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear it. It really isn’t bad. It just takes a lot of macarons to cover the cone. You can use flowers, greenery or ribbons to cover any gaps or holes in your rings. As long as you focus on getting each ring/row level (straight) you should be in good shape. Try to add the next row in between the macarons below. It doesn’t always work perfectly but that helps reduce the gaps. Best of luck! I hope you have fun.
Hi! how tall was the cone and what does its base measures? how “small” is it? thank you!
This is a small tower that ended up approximately 12″. You could, of course, get a taller cone but it’ll take more macarons. Best of luck!
Lovely! How many macarons were used for this? Planning to make one but trying to figure out how many I’ll need. Thanks a bunch!
I used about 50 macarons for this small cone. I have the tiers mapped out for you in the post above. Thanks so much for stopping in! Best of luck with your tower.
I love how you put little ribbons in the middle to hide the gaps. Very pretty I just may have to do this for my next baby shower.
It was a hit and the gaps really bugged me. There’s no way around gaps as the cookies are round – the ribbon really helped. You could use something else like flowers, or sugared grapes to make it feel even more fancy for a baby shower. I hope you do make one – and I want to see.
Bri, this is amazing! I’ve always wanted to make a macaron tower — now I can with your DIY tutorial. Thank you!
It’s so much easier than they look. I love when things appear super fancy and are pretty simple to assemble. I’m all about quick and easy….but beautiful!
I’ve always wondered how people get them to stand. Thanks for the step by step!
It’s so much easier that it looks isn’t it!? You can also turn them sideways so they look like buttons using the same toothpick method but I like the look of these a little better.
That is so clever! Love how you added in the ribbons
They were necessary to cover the holes but I love the added texture and shimmer they brought. Thank you so much.
What a delicious and beautiful way to serve those macarons! I love them and will definitely try making one!
I was surprised at how easy it was. The only trouble is getting enough macarons! I hope you do try it and let me know how it goes.