Soft, chewy, and delicate – not to mention how all the stars must align to make sure that your macarons get the perfect feet. These gluten-free petite desserts are hard to make, but certainly easy to consume.
After downing several dozen French macarons from various local businesses in the Triangle area (all in the name of “research” for this blog post), it is safe to say that we have stores that can give a tough competition to patisseries in France. Here are our favorite French macarons in the Triangle. All these local business offer rotational flavors, holiday specials, and custom macaron gift boxes.
Asali Desserts and Cafe, Cary – NC
Seasonal flavors coupled with the perfect chewy texture, you cannot miss the macarons from Asali Desserts and Cafe in the McGreggor Village in Cary, NC. You know what the best part about this place is? You can enjoy some drool-worthy Mediterranean desserts, cakes, coffee, and teas in addition to the macarons.
Their macaron sandwich collab featuring Andia’s Ice Cream is a must have and don’t even get us started about the Baklava cheesecake and Kanafa (we will definitely talk about that in a separate blog post)!
Little Blue Macaron, Raleigh – NC
This new-to-us macaron place is one of the businesses that was floated during the pandemic. Little Blue Macaron does not have a store front yet, but you can find the macarons in various coffee shops in and around Raleigh, Cary, and Apex. The best part is you are never too far from treating yourself to a Little Blue Macaron. Oh, did we tell you Little Blue Macaron also has vegan macaron flavors? That’s right!
You will find flavors such as matcha, Thai tea, and ube being featured frequently. Our favorite place to grab these macarons are from Cha House Cary, an awesome bubble tea and snack spot on Kildaire Farm Road.
Lucettegrace, Raleigh – NC
This contemporary patisserie in downtown Raleigh serves some of the finest seasonal desserts in the Triangle. Lucettegrace was the first French pastry shop we visited when we first moved to Raleigh.
We have been visiting Lucettegrace for the last five years and are yet to come across a dessert that hasn’t impressed us. They also offer lunch and cater for events.
Their macaron boxes are part of our holiday gifting to each other especially during Christmas and all their seasonal and holiday-centric desserts are always a crowd puller.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to have their macaron ice cream sandwich when they bring it back in the summer.
Sweets by Shayda, Durham – NC
Sweets by Shayda’s first retail store opened a couple of months ago in Durham and has already become our go-to place for French pastries in the Durham area.
Right from their pastry offerings to their flower wall, everything about this place is so welcoming. Trust us when we tell you that their pastry case is sure to entice you into getting more than macarons!
They also offer coffee and other pastries and we hope to try those offerings soon.
Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets, Durham – NC
This local Asian eatery in Durham will churn out some of the best macarons in the area. Apart from their delicious handmade noodle bowls and fresh dumplings, Rose’s is also known for their baked goods.
While we have been long-time fans of their seasonal ice cream sandwiches where everything is made in-house (please get it, it’s life changing), we recently tried the macarons and can assure you that your trip to Rose’s cannot be complete without the desserts.
We tried the macaron offering they had for Valentine’s Day and were blown away by their flavors. They also sell macarons by the piece and we highly recommend the crème brûlée flavor.
We hope you enjoyed the list we have shared on this blog post. We know that this is only a small list and there are so many more places we are looking forward to trying soon!
