honey and orange madeleines

Honey and Orange Madeleines

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Sweet and fragrant with the scent of warm honey and vibrant orange, these honey and orange madeleines are to-die-for! These French little cakes are one of my favorite sweet treats to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Honey and Orange Madeleines

I’ve always been naturally inclined to love anyone or anything with the name Madeleine. This is because I used to be obsessed with the cartoon “Madeline” as a young girl. 

I loved to watch the 12 little French girls go through daily life in Paris and experience French cultural traditions, such as enjoying a gouter, or late-afternoon snack, like most French children do.

Le gouter can be anything sweet, like a chocolate biscuit, bread with jam, or even these honey and orange madeleines.

honey and orange madeleines

The first time I had a madeleine, I wasn’t particularly impressed. I remember the madeleine being really dry and dense.

What’s so special about these? I thought. And then one day, I decided to make madeleines at home. The madeleines were so moist and lovely, I could hardly believe that these simple French cakes could taste so different from one recipe to another.

While my previously shared recipe for classic madeleines is fabulous, these [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MSDD2NC” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]honey[/easyazon_link] and orange madeleines are my preferred flavor combination when it comes to these delicate French cakes. 

honey and orange madeleines

Firstly, the aroma of these honey and orange madeleines is just intoxicating. There’s no doubt that there are honey and orange flavors present in these.

And those flavors truly shine through each bite. The [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MSDD2NC” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]honey[/easyazon_link] provides a sweet, floral quality, while the orange provides brightness and slight zing to balance out the flavors. The madeleines are truly addicting; you can’t just have one!

You can enjoy these madeleines as is, you can sprinkle them with [easyazon_link identifier=”B00E0Y8PTA” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]powdered sugar[/easyazon_link] for a classic approach, or you can dip them in melted [easyazon_link identifier=”B009RVKB7A” locale=”US” tag=”monpetitfour-20″]chocolate[/easyazon_link] for an indulgent twist. However you decide to finish them, just know that these honey and orange madeleines are going to be a staple in your baking repertoire. 


honey and orange madeleines

Honey and Orange Madeleines

Yield: 19
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes

Sweet and fragrant, honey and orange flavored little butter cakes. 

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tablespoon a orange zest
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm
  • butter and flour for pan
  • powdered sugar and/or melted chocolate, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a madeleine pan with a couple tablespoons of melted butter. Prepare the molds by sprinkling some flour in the pan; shake the pans from side to side and dump excess flour (preparing the pan like this will prevent the madeleines from sticking).
  2. To a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs. Beat on medium speed until the eggs are a lighter yellow and foamy - about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the granulated sugar, honey, allspice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Note: You might need to warm the honey for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave to make it pourable. Beat the mixture on medium speed until everything is combined.
  4. Gradually, on low speed, add in the all-purporse flour until its incorporated. While the speed is still on low, pour in the melted butter. Mix just until the butter has been blended into the batter.
  5. Distribute the batter among the molds, filling them each with about a tablespoon of batter. Bake the madeleines for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 6 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, and the cakes should spring back when you slightly press down on them with your finger. Flip the madeleines out onto a cooling rack, and once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or dip in melted chocolate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 19 Serving Size: 19 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131
honey and orange madeleines

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32 Comments

  1. I have a madeline pan but have never used it so I will make your recipe soon. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  2. Overall, great recipe! So nice to have a variation on the classic.

    I suggest adding extra zest and letting the mixture sit a few minutes before pouring/scooping into the pans. The batch(s) I did that way came out a nicer golden brown rather than a darker brown!

    Great taste, nice hump on the back, fairly fool proof with easy instructions – will make again.

  3. Hi Beeta! I just finished making these and they are fantastic!! I used a silicone madeline tray instead and they popped right out. The orange, allspice and honey flavor is an elegant change from the lemon and vanilla ones that I usually make.
    Your directions are spot-on except mine took 3 minutes more in the oven, probably my oven temp is off.
    I dipped them in melted chocolate and they taste great.
    Thank you so much!! 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Trish! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe <3 Love the melted chocolate topping 😉

  4. Do you think there’s a way to incorporate fresh or dried cranberries for a Christmas effect to these? Orange and cranberry plus that hint of honey would be devine I believe. Just unsure how to execute the use of cranberries properly. Thanks for this recipe! I’m very excited to try it. My Madeleine pan comes in in a couple days ❤️❤️❤️

    1. Hello! I think the dried cranberries may be easier to just mix into the batter because they don’t really contain any liquid or moisture like fresh cranberries do. I’ve never tried mixing in cranberries, but I’ve done additions like mini chocolate chips with successful results so I would think that as long as there aren’t a ton of dried cranberries in the batter, it wouldn’t weigh down the madeleines or affect their texture. Please let me know how it goes if you try! 🙂

  5. Beeta, I just got a Madeleine pan for Christmas and I cannot wait to try the recipe! I love orange and lemon in anything so these will be special for my first try at them! Yum!

    1. Hi Susan! That is so exciting! You will love these madeleines then. Please share the photo or tag @MonPetitFourBlog once you’ve made them, as I’d love to see! 🙂

      XO

  6. Mes enfants adore l’heure de gouter et tes madeleines sont parfaits ! J’en suis sûre que toute ma petite famille aimerait beaucoup. xoxo
    ps: Très belles photos 😉

  7. Aahh how much I love madeleines. I can only imagine how dreamy it must have tasted with the orange and honey flavors. I don’t have a madeleine pan, but I think I am going to invest in one just to make this recipe.
    Lovely photos, as always. <3

    1. The orange and honey just really elevate these madeleines, that’s for sure! Thanks so much, Aysegul <3

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