Madeleines — Ad-Free Recipe, Ingredients First

These little sponge cakes reward brown butter and a rested, chilled batter. The cold batter hitting a hot pan is what gives madeleines their trademark bump; skip the rest and they bake flat.

Vegetarian

Contains dairy · eggs · gluten

Make it vegan: use plant milk, oil, or a vegan cheese for the dairy, and a flax or aquafaba egg for the egg.

Make it gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free flour blend (check the other labels too).

The Ingredients — and where to get them

Cook for 24 madeleines

Flour

The light crumb of the sponge; don't overmix once it goes in or they turn tough.

1 cup

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Butter

Browned to a nutty amber, it flavors the whole cake; the milk solids toasting is the point.

1/2 cup

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Eggs

Whipped with sugar for volume; they carry the batter's rise.

2 eggs

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Sugar

Whipped with the eggs to a pale foam that lightens the crumb.

1/2 cup

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Lemon zest

Grated fresh into the batter for a bright edge against the brown butter.

1 lemon

Local / market

The Rundown

Greedometer ●●●●● A fair little treat

A reasonable little indulgence. · plan ahead — needs marinating, soaking, or resting time

EffortSome doing

Cook it with

Air fryerSheet pan

The Method

Brown the butterMelt butter over medium until it foams, smells nutty, and the solids turn amber; cool slightly.
Whip eggs and sugarBeat eggs, sugar and lemon zest 3-4 min until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
FoldGently fold in the flour, then the brown butter, keeping the batter airy.
Chill the batterCover and refrigerate at least 1 hour; the cold shock is what forms the hump.
BakeSpoon into a buttered shell pan and bake at 375F for 10-12 min until the humps rise and the edges brown; eat the same day.

The Toolkit

Madeleine pan · Hand mixer · Microplane · Small saucepan · Rubber spatula

Straight Answers

Can you make Madeleines in an air fryer? — Yes

Yes — this is exactly what an air fryer does well. Work in a single layer so the air can move, and shake or flip halfway for even crisping. It runs a touch faster than the oven, so check early.

Can you freeze Madeleines? — Yes

Yes — freeze it well-wrapped, then reheat or toast straight from frozen. Frost or glaze after thawing.

Can you make Madeleines ahead of time? — Yes

Yes — it needs the chill time to set, so making it ahead is the whole point.

Is Madeleines gluten-free? — Not as written

Not as written — it contains gluten. Make it gluten-free: swap in a gluten-free flour blend (check the other labels too).

Is Madeleines vegan? — Vegetarian, not vegan

It’s vegetarian but not vegan as written — it has dairy and egg. Make it vegan: use plant milk, oil, or a vegan cheese for the dairy, and a flax or aquafaba egg for the egg.

Community Notes

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© 2026 5best2buy.com · Recipe No.364

Madeleines, and where to source it