Macarons. Gorgeous, and a total pain to ship, because you bake a perfect pastel row in the morning, somebody drives it across town after lunch and by the time the lid comes off there are two cracked shells and a smear of ganache on the paper. Nine times out of ten? The box was just a bit off.
Below is how we’d size one, what bakeries tend to order from us, and then inserts (the boring bit that actually saves the macarons).
Start With One Macaron
Your usual French macaron lands somewhere around 1.5 to 1.75 inches across, call it 40 to 45 mm, and with the filling in it’s close to an inch tall, but every kitchen is a little different and plenty of shops do jumbo ones or minis, so honestly just line up five of yours on the counter, measure the fattest one and go from there. One number. Everything else follows it.
Next question is flat or standing. Standing on edge in a row is the look everyone knows and it packs more into a smaller box, while flat makes more sense for a single favor or when you’ve hand painted the tops and want them seen.
Macaron Box Sizes by Piece Count
Rough inside sizes, for regular 1.5 to 1.75 inch macarons. Starting points, not rules.
| Pieces | Usual layout | Rough inside size |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flat, in its own little cavity. | About 2 x 2 in, 1.25 deep. |
| 2 | Side by side flat, or stacked. | About 2 x 4 flat, or 2 x 2 x 2 stacked. |
| 3 | A short row standing up. | Close to 3 x 2, 2 in tall. |
| 6 | One standing row. | Close to 6 x 2, 2 in tall. |
| 12 | 2 rows of 6, standing. | Around 6 x 4 in, about 2 tall. |
| 24 | 4 rows of 6 (or 12 stacked on 12). | 6 x 8-ish, or 6 x 4 stacked. |
Make bigger macarons? Add a bit to each number, and let the height go to 2.25 or 2.5 inches for standing rows. Minis are the other way around, but the cavity matters more than the outer box with those.
Standing Rows vs Flat Cavities
The standing row is what most people picture, macarons tucked shoulder to shoulder like a little box of crayons. It looks great, and a row of 6 is probably the size we see most for counter sales and party favors. The catch is the fit. Too loose and they tip over and slide, too tight and you crush the edges putting them in.
Flat cavities take more space, but each shell gets its own spot and nothing touches. For one or two piece favors at weddings, that’s usually the nicer option. Our macaron boxes can be set up either way, and if you want people to see the colors before they open it, look at macaron boxes with a window.
Inserts: The Part That Saves Your Macarons
We’d almost always say use an insert. For standing rows, that means a channel cut to the width of your macaron with a few millimeters spare, so they stay upright but still slide in easily. For flat layouts, a cavity per piece. Either way the shells stop bumping into each other, which is where most of the cracks come from.
A couple of quick things we’ve learned:
- Leave about 2 to 3 mm around each piece. Less and they get scuffed going in.
- If you ship, add a little height above the row so a pressed lid doesn’t touch the tops.
- A tray and sleeve box is handy here, since the tray holds the insert and the sleeve slides over without dragging on the macarons.
What Bakeries Usually Order
Most of the bakeries we work with settle on two or three, usually a tiny 1 to 3 piece box for tasting and favors, then the 6 as the one that sells every day, and a 12 that comes out around the holidays or when an office orders a stack of them. Weddings? Pretty much always 1 or 2 pieces, in whatever colors the couple picked.
Selling cookies and cupcakes too? Then plan them all at once, same print, same feel, so a customer holding three of your boxes can tell they came from one shop. We wrote up cookie box sizes and cupcake box sizes in the same way, and it all lives under our bakery boxes range.
Macaron Box Sizes FAQs
What is the most common macaron box size?
The 6 piece box, with the macarons standing in a single row. Twelve is the next most common, mostly for gifts and holidays.
So what size box holds 12 macarons?
Two rows of 6 on their edges, which works out near 6 x 4 inside and 2 tall if yours are regular size. Jumbo shells, go up a touch.
Do macaron boxes need inserts?
If they’re leaving your counter, yes. Without one the macarons tip and rub against each other, and the shells crack.
Can I get macaron boxes printed with my logo?
Yes. Any of these sizes can be printed with your branding, with or without a window, and with an insert cut to your macarons. We’ll send a digital proof first, and a sample on request.
Want a price? Tell us your macaron size, how many per box and your quantity on our quote page and we’ll send a free quote and proof.