Our Madeleine Recipe Includes the Classic and 8 Variations (2024)

1. Combine dry ingredients:

   Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

2. Cream eggs and sugars:

   Whisk together eggs and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

   

   After about 10 minutes of beating, the eggs and sugar will be pale and fluffy-smooth. Watch for the "ribbon" stage. When the beater is raised, a thick ribbon will slowly fall back into the bowl.

   

3. Sift dry ingredients into eggs and sugar, in two additions:

   Sift flour mixture over top in 2 additions, folding in after each addition.

   

   Don't stir (which will deflate the batter). Instead, plunge a rubber spatula into the bowl's center. Cut through to the edge, lift, and turn batter over the flour. Give the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat until flour is incorporated.

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4. Add melted butter, then honey and vanilla; refrigerate:

   Fold in melted butter in 2 additions, then honey and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.

   

5. Preheat oven; remove batter from fridge and prep pans:

   Preheat oven to 350°F. Let batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Generously butter 2 standard-size or 2 mini nonstick or aluminum madeleine pans using a pastry brush.

   

6. Pipe batter into molds:

   Transfer batter to a pastry bag, and snip tip to create a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe some batter into molds, filling each about three-quarters full.

   

7. Bake:

   Bake on middle rack until pale gold, 8 to 11 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for mini madeleines). Immediately shake madeleines out. Wash and rebutter molds. Repeat with remaining batter. Dust baked madeleines with confectioners' sugar.

   

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   If using a nonstick pan, which heats up faster than a traditional one, go by the shorter baking time.

Storing Madeleines

• Madeleine batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Madeleines are best enjoyed the day they are made. They become dry over time. If you have any leftovers, dunk them in coffee or tea as you eat them.
  

Variations

We'll always love the classic, but we couldn't resist experimenting with a range of flavors.

Chocolate

Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to flour mixture. Fold 8 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate into batter before baking. Dust baked madeleines with cocoa powder.

Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Use only 1 1/2 sticks butter; add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil to melted butter. Sprinkle a very small pinch of sea salt into buttered madeleine molds before piping in batter.

Maple

Omit honey. Reduce 1/2 cup pure maple syrup by half over medium-low heat, about 15 minutes; add to melted butter. For maple glaze, whisk together 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Let cool for at least 1 hour. Brush onto scalloped side of baked madeleines. (Makes enough for 1 batch.)

Jasmine Green Tea

Grind 1/4 cup best-quality jasmine green tea in a spice grinder until powdery; add to flour mixture.

Black and White

Transfer half the batter to a bowl. Stir 4 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder into half the batter. Pipe chocolate batter into one half of each mold, then pipe vanilla batter into remaining half of mold.

Spice

Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger to flour mixture. For cream cheese glaze, stir together 6 ounces room-temperature cream cheese and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk. Dip scalloped side of each baked madeleine into glaze, and wipe excess off sides. Grate cinnamon sticks over glaze, dusting tops. (Makes enough for 1 batch.)

Peanut Butter

Use only 1 1/2 sticks butter, and add 1/4 cup natural peanut butter when melting butter. Sprinkle madeleines with 1/2 cup chopped peanuts before baking. Cut baked madeleines in half lengthwise through center, and sandwich each with strawberry jam.

Lemon

Reduce 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice by half over medium heat, about 15 minutes; add to batter with 1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest (from 4 lemons) before adding flour mixture. For lemon glaze, whisk together 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons). Dip scalloped side of each baked madeleine into glaze, and wipe excess off sides. (Makes enough for 1 batch.)

Other French Dessert Recipes to Try:

• French Macarons
• Papillons (French Butterfly Cookies)
• French Meringue Cookies
• Chocolate Charlotte
• French Fruit Tart