This Classic Madeleine Cookies recipe yields elegant, shell shaped sponge cakes that melt in your mouth. Dip them in chocolate and chopped pistachios for an indulgent finish.
What are Madeleine cookies?
Madeleines are traditional French sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape (that comes from being baked in a special Madeleine Pan). We like to refer to them as "cookies", but really they are mini buttercakes with a hint of lemon zest. These bite-sized treats are great for dunking in tea or coffee. Unlike traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies, Madeleines have a cake-like crumb, closer to a light & fluffy cupcake.
HINT: DUNK Madeleines in hot tea or coffee for that truly French feeling. Serve with IRISH COFFEE for an extra special treat.
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Ingredients
- EGGS
- GRANULATED SUGAR (½ cup)
- VANILLA EXTRACT: use pure vanilla extract if possible
- HONEY: local honey is our favorite
- LEMON ZEST: zest the lemons right before you are ready to use
- SALT: (a pinch)
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: good quality AP flour
BAKING POWDER - MILK: 2% milk or nut milk works fine
- UNSALTED BUTTER: melted butter
- PISTACHIOS: (OPTIONAL) we like to add pistachios for texture & crunch
- DARK CHOCOLATE (OPTIONAL): for dipping
Tools you need
- MADELEINE PAN
- PASTRY BRUSH
How to make Madeleines
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in vanilla, honey, lemon zest and salt.
- Add flour and baking powder, alternating with milk, and beat until blended.
- Gradually add cooled melted butter in a steady stream, beating until just blended.
- (OPTIONAL) Add ¼ cup chopped pistachios to mix and stir in.
- Spoon approximately 1 T batter into each cookie indentation of Madeleine pan (filling almost to top).
- Bake until puffed and brown (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes in pan, then flip onto cooling rack for an additional 15 minutes.
- Melt chocolate bars in double boiler (or in glass bowl over boiling water in a sauce pan).
- Dip Madeleines in melted chocolate, then dip in remaining chopped pistachios.
- Set finished madeleines on cooling rack for chocolate to harden (about 20 min).
Top tip
BRUSH THE PAN WITH BUTTER: we use a non-stick Madeleine pan, but even the best can use a brush of butter before pouring the batter in. Using a pastry brush, brush the pan with melted butter to ensure that the edges are slightly crispy.
Storage
STORE Madeleines in an airtight container for no more than three days. After that, they loose their crisp edges. We do not recommend freezing the batter (or the finished cookies) as some of the signature flavor and texture will be lost.
FAQ
1 heaping spoonful (approximately 1 Tbsp) will do. Fill each indentation almost to the top.
The "bump" is a sign that things are going great! Madeleine batter has a lot of air in it. When the batter is baked, steam escapes to form the signature bump.
You can bake them in mini muffin pans, but the signature shape and crispy edges will be lost.
More cookie recipes to try
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
- Mama's Cinnamon Rugelach
- Teekuchen Cut-Out Cookies
- Caramel Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Mom's Vienna Tarts
Madeleine Cookie recipe
These classic French cookies, with a kiss of chocolate & a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, are elegant, yet so easy to make!
- Total Time: 27 mins
- Yield: 20-24 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 Tbsp milk
- ¾ cup pistachios, finely chopped
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 3.5 oz bars dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in vanilla, honey, lemon zest and salt.
- Add flour and baking powder, alternating with milk, and beat until blended.
- Gradually add cooled melted butter in a steady stream, beating until just blended.
- (optional) Add ¼ cup chopped pistachios to mix and stir in.
- Spoon approximately 1 T batter into each cookie indentation of Madeleine pan (filling almost to top).
- Bake until puffed and brown (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes in pan, then flip onto cooling rack for an additional 15 minutes.
- Melt chocolate bars in double boiler (or in glass bowl over boiling water in a sauce pan).
- Dip Madeleines in melted chocolate, then dip in remaining chopped pistachios.
- Set finished madeleines on cooling rack for chocolate to harden (about 20 min).
Notes
BRUSH THE PAN WITH BUTTER: we use a non-stick Madeleine pan, but even the best can use a brush of butter before pouring the batter in. Using a pastry brush, brush the pan with melted butter to ensure that the edges are slightly crispy.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 7 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 195 mg
- Fat: 13.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
Keywords: Madeleine, cookie, French, chocolate, pistachio, French pastry, dessert, chocolate, cake, classic
Matt says
Beautiful bake on the madeleines. Would be perfect with afternoon tea!
Jackie says
thanks so much Matt! I love afternoon tea! Not enough opportunities to have it around here...
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
Yes Jackie! Madeleines and the other french desserts are among my favorite, too! So nice that you and Keith took a class together, it really is an awesome experience. Your madeleines look great, love that they're dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with chopped pistachios!
Jackie says
thank you so much Nicoletta! Yes, it was so much fun to do this together... thanks for the kind words!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
These look so pretty Jackie! And I bet they taste even better!! I tried making some of my own recently and they were a flop! I'll need to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Jackie says
thank you so much Mary Ann!! They were surprisingly easy, and very tasty too!!
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Amanda Yong says
I used this recipe to make madelines for the first time ever and they turned out so delicious!!! I will be using this recipe in the future!!!!!
★★★★★
Jackie says
Thank you so much Amanda! We are thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! Keep us posted if you make more!
★★★★★