Macarons are French cookie sandwiches that have been trending in Kansas City. These sweets are adorably petite and colorful and come in endless flavors. Unfortunately, they are sold more online than they are in storefronts. I love them so much and I spent so much money on them that I taught myself to make them, but it takes four hours to prepare them and they have to sit overnight. So my friend and I went on a mission to track down the top macaron bakeries in KC.
Sasha’s Baking Co. (Au Bon Macaron)
105 W. 9th Street Kansas City, MO 64105
Decorations: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Macarons: 4/5
Total: 14/15
The first thing I noticed walking into Sasha’s Baking Co. was the ballroom chandelier. Everything in the bakery was balanced between classy and urban. There was an exposed brick wall on one side and a Tiffany blue dresser acting as a table for the cash register on the other. The bakery was huge and had plenty of seating.
At the counter, there were trays of macarons in all different colors and flavors, from almond to maple bacon. The bakery gets their macarons from an online store called Au Bon Macaron. Most bakeries get their macarons from online stores because they require the proper tools and practice to perfect. We ordered a pistachio macaron and a pumpkin spice macaron.
After we sat down, a waitress brought us water, which we weren’t expecting at a bakery. I thought this added a very special touch to a little bakery and was completely unique from all of the shops we visited.
First, I tried the pistachio macaron. It was smooth and had the perfect pastel green color, but it wasn’t very light. Macarons are supposed to be more fluffy. When I bake them, I let them sit for at least an hour before putting them in the oven. This creates a film on the outside so that the macarons are almost hollow, but still appear round. Then I tried the pumpkin spice macaron. It was just as dense as the other but the flavor was amazing.
I thought Sasha’s Baking Co. was great overall. Their macarons weren’t perfect, but they more than made up for it with decorations even fancier than the French confections and amazing service.
15 E 3rd St Kansas City, MO 64106
Decorations: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Macarons: 5/5
Total: 13/15
One of the great things about Bloom Baking Co. is its location — the River Market. Just walking up to the store was an adventure, walking past exotic food markets and a coconut vendor. When we walked in, the employees were very welcoming and got us our treats quickly.
The inside of the bakery had a very casual vibe, with concrete floors and a metal spiral staircase in the corner contrasting the pastel confections. The problem was they didn’t have seats inside and they only had about two tables outside.
They had a huge array of flavors. We ended up ordering a pistachio macaron and a lemon poppyseed macaron. First I tried the pistachio. It was love at first bite! It was so fluffy and light and the flavors were amazing. It tasted like a cloud made of almonds, pistachios and sugar. When I tried the lemon poppyseed macaron, it tasted like I really was eating a bite-sized lemon poppyseed muffin.
Overall I really liked Bloom Baking Co. The atmosphere from the River Market was great. The macarons were, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever eaten.
Little Freshie (Au Bon Macaron)
811 West 17th Street Kansas City, MO
Decorations: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Macarons: 3/5
Total: 11/15
Little Freshie is known for their snow cones, but they also sell macarons from Au Bon Macarons. While they sold the same product as Sasha’s, Little Freshie had a completely different atmosphere. It was very casual, with metal stools that looked like they were straight out of an art classroom.
The employee was very welcoming. She told us all about Au Bon Macarons and asked us for feedback. She even wished us luck on our macaron mission.
Though they sold the same macarons as Sasha’s Baking Company, they didn’t have as many flavors. We ended up getting a pistachio macaron and a raspberry macaron. Neither of the macarons were as fluffy as I had hoped, but they stayed true to their flavors. The buttercream in the raspberry macaron was some of the best buttercream I had ever eaten.
In all, I thought it was a great store, but the macarons weren’t all that special. They made up for it with good service, though.
Clock Tower Bakery (Colors Macarons)
7911 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS
Decorations: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Macarons: 2/5
Total: 9/15
Clock Tower Bakery isn’t known for their macarons, but they are partnered with an online store called Colors Macarons so they make and sell them in the bakery. When I saw the decorations, I could tell the bakery was English-themed and I thought tea and macarons made a great combo.
I thought the theme was a great idea, but it didn’t really follow through. The walls and furniture were brown with an occasional picture of a Union Jack or telephone booth on the wall. The bakery had a lot of seating, but all the tables were very smooshed together.
The employees got us our macarons and had us pay really quickly, but were still very welcoming. We were barely at the counter for 30 seconds, but they still managed to ask how we were and wish us a nice day. We ordered a pistachio and a salted caramel macaron.
The first thing I noticed was that the macarons were flat and the colors were unnaturally dark instead of light and pastel. When I bit into the pistachio macaron, it was hard and chewy. I didn’t think it was that bad because macarons can get chewy when they’re refrigerated, but then I bit into a huge piece of pistachio. The salted caramel macaron was so crunchy I could barely bite into it. It felt like both macarons were frozen. Aside from this, they had really strong flavors.
Overall, I was disappointed. The macarons were hard even though they were baked fresh in the store and the decor was a little boring.
