How Much Does a Hundred Macarons Cost in 2025?

How much does a hundred macarons cost? It’s not a simple question. You can’t just Google it and get one answer-because the price of macarons swings wildly depending on where you buy them, who made them, and what’s inside. A pack of a hundred macarons might cost you £40 or it might cost you £200. And both could be perfectly reasonable.

What You’re Actually Paying For

Macarons aren’t just cookies. They’re tiny, delicate, hand-assembled pastries with a crisp shell, chewy interior, and a filling that’s often made from scratch. Each one takes time: piping the batter, letting them rest, baking them at just the right temperature, cooling them, filling them by hand, and packaging them without crushing them. A single macaron can take 10-15 minutes of skilled labor to make. That’s not counting the cost of ingredients.

Almond flour isn’t cheap. It costs about 3-4 times more than regular flour. Real vanilla bean paste? That’s £15 a bottle. High-quality food coloring? It’s not the kind you find at the supermarket. And fillings-whether it’s dark chocolate ganache, salted caramel, or raspberry coulis-require fresh fruit, real butter, and sometimes imported ingredients. These aren’t mass-produced snacks. They’re artisanal treats.

Price Ranges: What You’ll Actually See

In the UK in 2025, here’s what a hundred macarons typically costs based on where you buy them:

• Supermarket packs (pre-made, frozen): £30-£50. These are often made in bulk, with stabilizers and artificial flavors. They’re convenient, but you’ll taste the difference.
• Local bakery (small batch, fresh): £60-£90. This is where most people find the sweet spot-real ingredients, good flavor, decent presentation. A bakery in Brighton or London will charge this range.
• High-end patisserie (luxury brand): £100-£150. Think Ladurée, Pierre Hermé, or a top-tier London bakery. These use organic ingredients, rare flavors (like yuzu or black truffle), and hand-painted designs. They’re edible art.
• Custom order (wedding, corporate, themed): £120-£200+. If you want matching colors, edible gold leaf, personalized packaging, or a specific flavor combo, expect to pay more. Some bakers charge extra for delivery or same-day orders.

Let’s say you’re planning a birthday party for 20 people. You want everyone to have five macarons. That’s 100 pieces. If you go with a local bakery at £75, that’s 75p per macaron. Compare that to a store-bought chocolate bar at £1.50. Suddenly, macarons don’t seem so expensive.

Why Some Macarons Are Way Cheaper

Not all macarons are created equal. You’ll see online sellers offering 100 macarons for £25. Here’s what’s usually going on:

• Low-quality almond flour: Some use ground almonds or even peanut flour to cut costs. The texture suffers-crumbly, greasy, or too dense.
• Artificial flavors and colors: Instead of real fruit purees, they use flavor extracts and food dyes. The taste is one-dimensional.
• Machine-made: Some factories use automated pipers and conveyor ovens. The shells are uneven, the feet are weak, and they don’t last as long.
• No filling variety: One flavor repeated 100 times. No raspberry, no matcha, no sea salt caramel-just vanilla buttercream.

These macarons might look fine in a photo, but bite into one and you’ll know. They lack depth. They’re sweet, yes-but not complex. Not memorable.

How to Get Good Value

If you want quality without overpaying, here’s how:

1. Buy in bulk from a local baker. Ask if they offer a discount for 50 or 100 pieces. Many will give you 10-15% off for a larger order.
2. Choose a mix of flavors. Don’t get 100 of the same. A mix of 4-6 flavors (like 15 each of chocolate, pistachio, raspberry, lemon, salted caramel, and vanilla) costs the same per piece but feels more luxurious.
3. Check the expiration date. Macarons are best eaten within 3-5 days. If they’re sitting in a display for a week, skip them. Freshness matters more than quantity.
4. Ask about ingredients. A good baker will tell you if they use real vanilla, not extract. If they hesitate, that’s a red flag.
5. Consider seasonal specials. In spring, strawberry and lavender macarons might be cheaper because ingredients are in season. Winter flavors like orange and spice can cost more due to imported citrus.

Where to Buy in the UK (2025)

Here are a few reliable places to buy 100 macarons in the UK right now:

• Macaron Parlour (London, Brighton, Manchester): Known for balanced flavors and consistent quality. 100-piece box: £78. Free delivery over £60.
• Le Petit Paris (Bristol, Oxford): French-style, butter-rich fillings. 100 pieces: £95. They use real French butter and Valrhona chocolate.
• Amazon or Ocado (pre-packaged): £40 for a 100-pack, but check reviews. Many customers report dry shells or stale fillings.
• Local farmers’ markets: Often the best value. Artisan bakers sell 10 macarons for £8-£10. Buy 10 sets = 100 pieces for £80-£100. You support small business and get fresher product.

DIY: Can You Make 100 Macarons Yourself?

Yes. But it’s not easy. Here’s what it costs to make 100 macarons at home:

• Almond flour (500g): £12
• Powdered sugar (1kg): £3
• Granulated sugar: £2
• Eggs (200g whites): £4 (about 7 large eggs)
• Food coloring: £5
• Filling ingredients (chocolate, butter, cream, fruit): £20
• Piping bags, tips, baking sheets: £25 (one-time cost)

Total: £71. But that’s only if you don’t mess up. Most beginners waste 20-30% of their batch. That means you’ll need to buy ingredients for 120-130 macarons to end up with 100 good ones. Add in your time-6-8 hours of mixing, piping, baking, cooling, filling-and you’re looking at £85-£90 in materials and effort.

And that’s if you have an oven that heats evenly. If your oven runs hot or cold, you’ll have cracked shells or hollows. It’s a skill that takes months to master.

When to Splurge and When to Save

Here’s a quick rule:

• Splurge: For weddings, proposals, corporate gifts, or when you want to impress. The experience matters more than the price.
• Save: For casual gatherings, snacks, or if you’re just curious. A supermarket pack or local bakery mid-range option is fine.

Don’t feel guilty about buying cheaper macarons. But know what you’re getting. If you want flavor, texture, and freshness, pay for it. If you just want something sweet and pretty, a £40 pack will do.

Final Thought: It’s Not Just a Cookie

A hundred macarons isn’t just a dessert. It’s a moment. It’s the centerpiece of a celebration, the gift that says, "I thought about this." That’s why people pay £150 for them. They’re not buying sugar. They’re buying craftsmanship, care, and a little bit of joy.

So when someone asks, "How much does a hundred macarons cost?"-the real answer is: it depends on what you value.