Lemon Vanilla Madeleines and I go way back. I can’t believe I haven’t made them myself until just now! They used to sit in a little basket by my register at the Starbucks where I worked in high school. Oh man, I loved that job!
Especially at break time – just me at the cozy corner table with a green apron, Grande hazelnut latte, and a little package of madeleines. And a 15 minute timer… then back to work!
If you’ve never had a madeleine before, they are small, sweet, buttery cakes shaped like shells. The batter is easy to make, but you do need a special pan to make them. Don’t let that stop you though.
You can find the pans on amazon and they are not expensive.
I think the key to making really delicious madeleines is to avoid over baking them. Because they are so small, 30 seconds in the oven will make a big difference in their bake.
You’ll know they are done when the edges are golden brown, and the little bulge in the center is dry and springs back when you touch it. It took a little experimentation with my oven temperature to get the timing just right.
The lemon and vanilla flavors go so well together. A light dusting of powdered sugar makes them look so pretty – they almost sparkle! Although these aren’t traditionally thought of as a Christmas cookie (remember, they are technically cakes) I think they should be enjoyed all year round.
They go very well with a nice hot cup of tea on a cold winter day.
They are also an impressive treat to serve at a party. Most Americans are familiar with them but might not have ever eaten a homemade madeleine before. Such a treat!
I’m so glad I decided to finally give these a go! I hope you’ll try them too – and let me know if you have any tips or tricks.
PrintLemon Vanilla Madeleines
If you’ve never had a Lemon Vanilla Madeleine before, they are small, sweet, buttery cakes shaped like shells that are incredibly delicious!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 34 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, plus one egg yolk
- 3/4 cup (5 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) melted butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease the wells of the madeleine pan with butter.
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs with an electric hand mixer until they are pale yellow and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and blend. Add vanilla paste, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend again.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the batter and gently fold it in by hand.
- Slowly pour in the melted butter and fold the batter gently by hand until completely incorporated.
- Spoon the madeleine batter into each of the prepared wells, filling them 80-90 percent full. Or you can fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe them through a large tip into each well. Tap the pan on the countertop to settle the batter and release air bubbles.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown and tops of the cakes are just dry and springy to the touch.
- After cooling in the pan for 1-2 minutes, invert the pan and cool the madeleines on a cooling rack before dusting with powdered sugar if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Madeleine
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 6.9g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 5.4g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 36mg
Can they also be made as a drop cookie? Not as pretty but would it work?
Maybe mini muffin tins instead of a madeleine pan?
I’m curious if that would work… let me know if you decided to try it. Thanks!
I tried it, it worked
Janie, I’ve never tried them as a drop cookie before. I’m wondering if they would spread a lot due to the high butter content. I definitely recommend trying the madeleine pan, but another reader did have the suggestion of a mini muffin tin. Let me know if you decided to try!
Easy recipe, tastes great. I served them alongside homemade vanilla ice cream with some blueberry sauce I made. A bit hit. The pan you recommended worked great!
I’m so glad Michelle! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Do these freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think the fresher the better!
They freeze very well. Just omit the powdered sugar until you thaw them to room temperature.
Most Madeline recipes say that the batter needs to be refrigerator and then baked? Is that essential?
Hi Samantha, I did not chill the batter before baking, and the madeleines turned out beautifully!
Tried this recipe last night using Gluten Free Flour for my youngest who’s allergic to gluten and it turned out delicious. Making more tonight using regular flour for the rest of the family. Thanks for this delicious recipe!❤️
Oh wonderful, thank you!
Made these with coconut oil in stead of butter and they are absolutely delicious!!!
I want to make this for a tea I’m having on Saturday. Are these ok to make ahead of time if I chose to make on Thursday? If so, how would you store them? Thanks!
I like them better made the day of or one day ahead. Enjoy!
Thanks. I’ll just make early Saturday morning. 🙂 Looking forward to making them.
I made these yesterday morning for an afternoon tea I was having for my family. Delicious! Very easy to make. I was a little worried at first when I added the butter that it wasn’t all going to incorporate into mixture but it did! Will definitely make again. I clicked your link for Madeleine pan and they came right out of the pan no problem. Thanks!!!
So glad they worked well!
so good, thank you
Hey Julie, how do I prevent it from getting sticky after baking? It sticks on the plate while it cools down, also sticks when it is stored in the container. Hope to get an answer. Thanks! 🙂
These are one of my favorites. I have 2 pans, silver and dark non-stick. They always turn out darker in the dark pan, so I’m always adjusting time. Also, I have tried adding some coconut in them, but still prefer just lemon flavored. They are great ‘dunkers’.
I made these (without the powdered sugar on top) for Christmas cookie gifts. My husband taste-tested one (and then a couple more) and he loved them! I like that they are very easy to make. Really, the hardest part was buttering the Madeline pans to ensure they don’t stick. Very delicious recipe.
What a great idea for cookie gifts! I’m so glad they worked out well for you.
using a pan release mixture of flour , Crisco and vegetable oil, (equal parts)….works like magic every time!!
Perfection truly! My first time ever making them and they turned out great!
I can’t wait to make these! What kind of butter is used? Salted or unsalted?
Is the butter measured as ten tablespoons before it is melted or after? Big difference! The wording makes it unclear. Thank you. Cannot wait to try after I find out.
Measure before melting. Enjoy!