French Madeleines are light, airy, cake-like cookies that are easy to whip up and will remind you of your favorite Parisian bakery. You can flavor them any way you like, and you don’t need any special equipment to make them!
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk or sift to combine.
Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat until the mixture thickens and is fluffy, pale yellow, and about double in volume. When it’s ready, the batter should fall off the beater in ribbons. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes using a handheld electric mixer or about 4 to 5 minutes using an electric stand mixer.
Beat in the vanilla bean paste and almond extract.
Beat in the flour mixture 1/3 at a time until combined, being careful not to over-mix. (Or use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour so you’re more likely not to over-mix.)
Add the melted and cooled butter and beat just until incorporated.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a Madeleine pan.
Add a slightly scant 1.5 tablespoon scoop of batter to the buttered and floured wells in the pan. Don’t tap the tray to flatten the batter, we want it airy.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookies comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the Madeleines to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once they’re cooled, you can dust them with powdered sugar. Alternatively, you can drizzle melted chocolate on top or dip them in melted chocolate. If you want, top with sprinkles before the chocolate sets.
Faith's Tips
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, or 18 servings (each serving is 2 cookies).
Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the optional toppings.
Madeline Pan: The wells in the Madeleine pan I used to make these are 3 inches tall by 2 inches wide.
To Make Madeleines Without a Mold: In Paris, I found Madeleines that weren’t shaped like shells at quite a few different pastry shops and bakeries! If you don’t have a Madeleine pan, you can make these cookies without a mold. Simply use a nonstick mini muffin pan or even a regular nonstick muffin pan instead (but still butter and flour it).
Storage: These are best enjoyed the first day. But if you have to store them, you can pop them into an airtight container layered between pieces of parchment paper. Stored this way, you can keep Madeleines on the counter for up to 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
French Madeleines Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 119Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 71mg3%
Potassium 23mg1%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 0.2g1%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 210IU4%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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