Make these perfectly soft & chocolatey chocolate madeleines in easy steps! I'm sharing all the tips for creating delicious madeleines with classic bumps, as well as three fun ways to decorate them with dark chocolate.
Jump to:
- What Are Madeleines?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Tips For The Ingredients
- Tools You'll Need To Make Chocolate Madeleines
- Step-By-Step Tutorial To Make Chocolate Madeleines
- Chocolate Coating
- The Success Tips
- Troubleshooting Tips
- How To Store Chocolate Madeleines
- VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
- More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Printable Recipe
- Best Chocolate Madeleines
What Are Madeleines?
Classic madeleines are traditional little French cakes that are baked in a special pan to create a shell-shaped design.
The buttery cake is so soft inside with toasty & lightly crispy edges. The signature shell shape and cute belly hump on the other side have been loved by people worldwide for centuries.
The origins of the Madeleine are said to date back to the 18th century in Commercy and Liverdun, two communes of the Lorraine region of France.
This recipe is the chocolate version of the classic madeleines.
Are Madeleines cookies or cakes?
Although they are sometimes called "madeleine cookies" due to the small bite-size look, they are technically small butter cakes that are designed to stay soft and moist inside. The ingredients are very similar to pound cakes or other types of butter cakes, which are typically larger. Whether or not they want to call them cakes or cookies may also depend on the culture or region they grew up in.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- As simple as we can get: There is no need to whip eggs with this recipe; all you need to do is whisk, whisk, whisk... and the classic madeleine batter can be made within 10 minutes!
- The amazing texture: Chocolate tends to make cakes heavier and drier. I tested it multiple times to create soft madeleines with the perfect amount of chocolate flavor.
- Make it ahead: You can make the batter ahead (3 hours to a couple of days!) and bake whenever you want to serve the freshly baked madeleines!
- The fancy look: This simple yet gorgeous butter cake will surely impress your family and friends on every occasion. Enjoy them as morning treats for your family or snacks with a cup of tea or coffee. I like dipping it in a hot coffee. YUM!
I have a list of madeleine recipes, including vanilla and lemon madeleines. You can also make an assorted madeleine box using different flavors and gift it to someone special!
Tips For The Ingredients
Madeleine Batter
- Granulated sugar: It helps create a softer texture and extends shelf life.
- Salt: A little bit of salt goes well with the chocolate flavor.
- Egg: It contributes a lot to pushing the cake up in the oven with additional help from baking powder.
- Milk: It helps to make moister madeleines.
- Honey: It helps to keep the cake moist. You can also alternate it with the same amount of sugar.
- Oil: Oil creates a slightly lighter madeleine texture at room temperature. I used olive oil. Use any other regular oil.
- Cake flour: Madeleines get heavier and do not rise as much in the oven with all-purpose flour. Use cake flour for a fluffier and tender texture.
- Cocoa powder: Any cocoa powder works, but use high-quality or Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the best results. My frequent choices are Valrhona's, Cacao Barry's, or Hershey's Special Dark.
- Baking powder: It helps to push the cake up in the oven.
- Unsalted butter: The fat helps to create a softer texture.
For a Madeleine pan
- Unsalted butter (soft): Madeleines often stick to the pan with just a coating of butter. And the edges won't get crispy enough. Flour does an excellent job of taking them out from the pan easily and making the crispy edges.
- All-purpose flour: Cake flour does not work the best when dusting on a pan since it is lumpier. Bread flour creates crispier edges, and all-purpose flour is the second.
- Cocoa powder: I normally sift just all-purpose flour for plain madeleines, but the surface of the madeleines gets paler for chocolate madeleines, which does not look the best. Adding ⅓ - ¼ of cocoa powder to all-purpose flour solves the problem!
Chocolate Coating (Optional)
- Dark chocolate: Coat chocolate on the surface if you want to go a little bit fancier! I'm showing the 3 ways in the "chocolate coating" section below.
Tools You'll Need To Make Chocolate Madeleines
- Non-stick madeleine mold
- Sieve
- Pastry brush
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag
Can I bake madeleines without a madeleine pan?
Yes, It is possible. Be sure to use a non-stick pan. Try not to bake them in much larger pans since it takes a lot longer to bake them, and the texture gets heavier with more weight. Always adjust the baking time accordingly.
Step-By-Step Tutorial To Make Chocolate Madeleines
- As preparation, melt butter and sift flours: cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, salt, eggs, milk, honey, and oil until evenly combined. There is no need to whip eggs.
- Add the sifted flour mixture and mix well until smooth.
- Add warm melted butter and mix until combined. Switch to a spatula and scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill the batter in the fridge for more than 3 hours. You can make it a few days in advance.
- Meanwhile, prepare the madeleine pan. Coat soft butter all over the surface evenly and dust all-purpose flour on top. Shake the pan to ensure the flour is coated evenly, flip, and toss on parchment paper or a kitchen sink to remove the excess flour. Chill it in the fridge or freezer until right before use.
- Pour the chilled batter into a piping bag and pipe up to about 90% of the mold capacity.
- Bake (preheated) at 365ºF (185ºC) for 8 - 10 minutes until the top stops bubbling and gently bounces back when touching it. Adjust the baking time and temperature depending on the oven.
- Lay them over the madeleine pan to cool them. Do not face the bumps down to prevent them from sticking to the pan or getting squished. Try not to cool the hot madeleine on a wire rack since the surface can get the marks. Enjoy them while they are warm, or coat chocolate on the surface to make a decadent chocolate dessert! (See the instructions below.)
Chocolate Coating
Chocolate-covered madeleines
- Pipe 10 g (about 2 tsp) of tempered chocolate on each mold. Read this post to see how you can temper dark chocolate with simple steps.
- Place a madeleine on top of it and wiggle a little bit to ensure the chocolate is coated all over the surface. Repeat it to coat as many madeleines as you want.
- Chill the pan in the fridge for more than 1 hour. The madeleines should come out easily when the tempering is done successfully.
2. Chocolate-dipped madeleines
Dip the madeleines in melted chocolate. Attach any topping before it dries and gets matte.
You can use melted chocolate chips for this method. Use tempered chocolate for a shinier, more beautiful look.
3. Madeleines with piped chocolate lines
Drizzle melted chocolate on the surface of the madeleines and attach toppings. Use melted chocolate chips or tempered chocolate for a better look.
Variations for the decorations
Have fun decorating the chocolate madeleines with any ingredients you desire! Here are some ideas:
- White chocolate or milk chocolate.
- Chocolate chips
- Mixed nuts
- Gold leaf
- Pistachios
- Freeze-dried fruits
- Sprinkles
- Cacao nibs
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
The Success Tips
- Butter: It's essential to use warm, melted butter to prevent it from hardening as you mix in the cake batter. It should feel very warm when you touch it. (104 - 122ºF | 40 - 50ºC)
- Madeleine Batter: By chilling the madeleine batter, the glutens in the flour get rested, which helps the cake to rise more in the oven. The cold batter also creates bigger madeleine bumps in the oven due to the temperature gap. I recommend chilling it for more than 3 hours.
- Madeleine Pan: By chilling the prepared pan until right before use, the coated butter gets hard and sets nicely, which creates more even, beautiful caramelization on the surface of the madeleines.
- How to pipe: Use a pastry bag to divide the batter easily and equally. Doing so with a spoon would be very challenging since the batter gets firmer once chilled completely. The madeleine humps get smaller when it's not filled enough, and the cake spreads widely when it's filled too much.
- Baking: One batch of the recipe makes about 16 - 17 Madeleines with a regular-sized madeleine pan. * It varies slightly depending on the capacity of the madeleine pan you use.
- After you chill them: The madeleine gets firmer when it's chilled due to the butter inside. Leave them at room temperature to enjoy a better texture, or simply heat them in the microwave. My husband likes to heat the chocolate-covered madeleines until the chocolate melts slightly. I can't deny, the melted chocolate and fluffy cake tasted pretty amazing!
Troubleshooting Tips
Madeleines can be over-baked easily since they are small. Check for the doneness once the bubbling calms down on the bumps. The top should bounce back gently when touching it.
The common causes and solutions:
1. The batter was not rested enough in the fridge before baking them. - Chill it at least for 3 hours or longer!
2. The quantities of ingredients were off. - I recommend using weight measurement to be the most precise.
3. The oven: Ovens play a considerable role. For example, a small toaster oven might not do a great job as a convection oven. When using a regular home oven, the cause of this is often the temperature not being high enough. This is especially the case when it takes a longer time to bake them. Try a much higher temperature and see if it fixes the issue.
How To Store Chocolate Madeleines
Wrap them with plastic wrap or bag each of them in small plastic gift bags to prevent them from getting dried. Put them in an airtight container or ziplock for double protection.
Store them at room temperature or in the fridge, whichever you like:
- At room temperature: for up to a few days (in a shaded, cooling place).
- In the fridge: for up to 5 days
Madeleines could get dried quickly, mainly because they are so small. I recommend eating them right away for the best taste!
Can I make the madeleine batter ahead?
Yes! The great thing about this Madeleine recipe is that you can make the batter ahead and use it later whenever you need it. You can make it a few days ahead.
VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
To learn how to make the fluffy chocolate madeleines visually and have a deeper understanding of each step, watch the video tutorial!
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More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
If you are a chocolate lover, also try other simple & delicious chocolate dessert recipes!
Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
If you have a question about the tutorial, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Best Chocolate Madeleines
Equipment
- Sieve
- Pastry brush
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag
Ingredients
Madeleine batter (for 16 - 17 madeleines)
- 85 g (7 Tablespoons) Granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 100 g (2 eggs) Egg
- 15 g (1 Tablespoon) Milk
- 20 g (1 Tablespoon) Honey
- 20 g (5 teaspoon) Oil
- 100 g (⅘ cups) Cake flour
- 24 g (¼ cup) Cocoa powder
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- 100 g (7 Tablespoons) Unsalted butter
For a Madeleine pan
- Some Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 Tablespoon All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Cocoa powder
For chocolate coating (Optional)
- Some Dark chocolate
- Some Any topping
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
Chocolate Madeleines
- As preparation, melt butter and sift flours: cake flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, salt, eggs, milk, honey, and oil until evenly combined. There is no need to whip eggs.
- Add the sifted flour mixture and mix well until smooth.
- Add warm melted butter and mix until combined. Switch to a spatula and scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill the batter in the fridge for more than 3 hours. You can make it a few days in advance.
- Meanwhile, prepare the madeleine pan. Coat soft butter all over the surface evenly and dust all-purpose flour on top. Shake the pan to ensure the flour is coated evenly, flip, and toss on parchment paper or a kitchen sink to remove the excess flour. Chill it in the fridge or freezer until right before use.
- Pour the chilled batter into a piping bag and pipe up to about 90% of the mold capacity.
- Bake (preheated) at 365ºF (185ºC) for 8 - 10 minutes until the top stops bubbling and gently bounces back when touching it. Adjust the baking time and temperature depending on the oven.
- Lay them over the madeleine pan to cool them. Do not face the bumps down to prevent them from sticking to the pan or getting squished. Try not to cool the hot madeleine on a wire rack since the surface can get the marks. Enjoy them while they are warm, or coat chocolate on the surface to make a decadent chocolate dessert!
Chocolate Coating
- Chocolate-covered madeleines:1. Pipe 10 g (about 2 tsp) of tempered chocolate on each mold. Read this post to see how you can temper dark chocolate with a few simple steps.2. Place a madeleine on top of it and wiggle a little bit to ensure the chocolate is coated all over the surface. Repeat it to coat as many madeleines as you want.3. Chill the pan in the fridge for more than 1 hour. The madeleines should come out easily when the tempering is done successfully.
- Chocolate-dipped madeleines:Dip the madeleines in melted chocolate. Attach any topping before it dries and gets matte.You can use melted chocolate chips for this method. Use tempered chocolate for a shinier, more beautiful look.
- Madeleines with piped chocolate lines:Drizzle melted chocolate on the surface of the madeleines and attach toppings. Use melted chocolate chips or tempered chocolate for a better look.
Video
Notes
How to store them:
Wrap them with plastic wrap or bag each of them in small plastic gift bags to prevent them from getting dried. Put them in an airtight container or ziplock for double protection. Store them at room temperature or in the fridge, whichever you like:- At room temperature: for up to a few days (in a shaded, cooling place).
- In the fridge: for up to 5 days
Ann says
Hi,
I’m using a non-Dutch process/natural cocoa powder, and the madeleines came out quite dry. Could that be the issue?
Also, when I tried to do a chocolate coating, it always stuck to the pan no matter how long it had been frozen. Any tips on that?
Aya Caliva says
Hi, I'm sorry that happened. I tried with natural cocoa powder too, it worked fine, but I also felt the madeleines felt slightly moister with dutch processed cocoa powder. I also overbaked them for a few minutes while filming at a same time, so it might be just that. Did you also try the recipe with dutch processed cocoa powder? Please let me know if the madeleines felt moister.
Also, the madeleines feel drier when it's colder due to the set butter inside. If they were chilled in the fridge, leave them at room temperature or even heat them a bit with the microwave. For the best tastes, I recommend consuming them right away.
About the chocolate coating, did you temper couverture chocolate? - For the method, you'll need to use tempered couverture chocolate. The tempered chocolate should set gradually even in a cooling room when done successfully. Let me know if it was not the case!
Rhea says
Hello,
You said the honey can be replaced with the same amount of sugar. Can brown sugar be used instead of the honey? I know it also adds moisture to other bakes as well. Thanks in advance!
ayacaliva says
Hi, Yes you can!
Mariyah says
I made madelines for the 1st time and it came out perfect.I want to try this recipe with natural cocoa powder instead of dutch processed cocoa. May I know what adjustments I need to make in the recipe to make it with natural cocoa powder.
ayacaliva says
I'm glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing. You can use the same amount of natural cocoa powder. The flavor is slightly different, so adjust the amount after the first trial as you like!