French Madeleine Cookies Recipe
This French madeleine cookies recipe yields soft cake-like cookies. They are known for their shell-like shapes and spongy texture.
If you’re wondering whether madeleines are cookies or cakes, well, it depends who you ask. In my opinion, madeleines are mini french cakes, but they are often referred to as cookies due to their size. Whatever you call them, they taste absolutely delicious!
Why this recipe works: This French madeleine recipe requires whipping the batter for a total of 10 minutes to yield light and pillowy cakes. The batter is also chilled to relax the gluten and help the madeleines rise in the oven.
Overview: How to make madeleine cookies
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease madeleine pan.
- Whip batter: Combine eggs, vanilla and salt on high speed until pale in color, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add sugar and continue whip on high speed for 8 more minutes.
- Fold in ingredients: Add flour 1/4 cup at a time, folding the batter gently just until incorporated. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around the edges of the bowl. Fold in gently.
- Chill the batter: Cover the bowl and chill the batter for 45 minutes.
- Bake madeleines: Divide batter evenly among madeleine pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove madeleines from the pan, cool slightly and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
I own this madeleine pan and love it! The light colored aluminized steel keeps the madeleines from burning.
What is the ribbon stage?
The ribbon stage is when eggs and sugar are whipped together until light in color and thick in consistency. The batter has reached the ribbon stage when it forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted out of the bowl (as pictured above). Whip the batter on high speed for 8 full minutes to reach the ribbon stage for madeleines. You can do this with the whisk attachment for a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make madeleine cookies without the pan? Yes, but the texture will be off. Bake the batter in a mini muffin tin for the same amount of time. The texture won’t be as light and fluffy, but the madeleines will still have good flavor.
Do you have to chill madeleine batter? No, but it helps with the texture. The flour is folded in gently at the end so it hasn’t had time to hydrate. Chilling the batter hydrates the flour and relaxes the gluten. This step helps the madeleines rise higher while baking.
Why do madeleines have a hump? There is a lot of air in madeleine batter. When the batter is cooked, steam escapes creating the signature hump or belly.
Storing madeleine cookies
Madeleines have a delicate texture are best when eaten the day they are baked. However, they may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. They taste delicious dunked in a hot cup of tea or coffee.
I don’t recommend freezing madeleines as they will lose their texture, but if that doesn’t bother you then madeleines may be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Wrap the cookies securely in a freezer bag and remove any air. Store in the freezer and defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature.
If you have lots of lemons, try my recipe for lemon bars or lemon poppy seed bread.
Madeleines are one of the most easy-to-make delicate cookies. They are so soft and light in texture you can’t help but have more than one. Dip a madeleine in your afternoon tea and enjoy!
Get the Recipe: French Madeleine Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (93 g) all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a hand mixer works too), combine eggs, vanilla and salt on high speed until pale in color, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add sugar and continue to whip on high speed for 8 more minutes. Batter is done when it holds a ribbon when the whisk is lifted.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour into the batter in thirds (1/4 cup at a time). Fold gently just until incorporated. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around the edges of the bowl so it doesn't deflate the batter. Again, fold in gently making sugar to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and chill the batter for 45 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease madeleine pan (I used my magic cake pan release for this recipe, but greasing the pan with butter works just as well).
- Remove the batter from the refrigerator and divide the batter evenly among a madeleine pan with 16 molds. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove madeleines from the pan, cool slightly and dust with confectioners' sugar.
14 Comments on “French Madeleine Cookies Recipe”
Such little bites of heaven! Exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth; perfectly light and sweet!
These look so delicious and yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this!
This French madeleine cookies looks delicious and so easy to make!
These cookies were my favorite growing up! I’ve never tried to make them, so now I’m going to, thank you for the easy recipe
These sound incredible and I can’t wait to give them a whirl in my own kitchen. I love the cake-like texture and seashell shape.
These Madeleine cookies look so fancy and elegant! Must try them!
I’ve never made madeleines before, but you make it look so attainable! Definitely need to try these!
Hello, I tasted my first Madeleine a few days ago and decided I want to try making them myself. I’m going to purchase the pan and I want your opinion if I will get a good quality pan by buying it online? I don’t want to spend a lot of $ on it; I don’t know how much they usually cost. Also, in the recipe directions you say to remove the Madeleines from the pan after they come out of the oven. So they don’t need the usual cooling time before doing that? Just turn the pan over and they will pop out?
Sounds pretty easy! Where can I find the spray you said you use on your pan before filling it? I forgot the name of it already but I can’t recall ever seeing it in the grocery stores. Thanks for all your help! Debra C.
Hi Debra – The USA madeleine pan linked in the recipe card is the one I own. It’s good quality and works well for this recipe. I recommend taking the madeleines out of the pan when they come out of the oven otherwise the bottoms will brown too much. Bakers Joy cake pan spray works or you can make your own with my magic cake pan release. I hope this helps!
YUM I LOVE THESE LITTLE COOKIES, NEVER HAD THEM IN A LEMON FLAVOR, I KNOW THEY WOULD BE GREAT….. THANKS
I just finished making them n I can 200% tell u they are very easy to make n so delicious ,my grandson/nephew has to have a few after meals so my niece buys them all the time but they went up in price alot that’s why I decided to try your recipe n Wow Wow im glad I did couse I can honestly say there’s better then the store brought. Thank you so much.
Just out of curiosity why do you use no baking powder?