Coconut Macaroons
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Soft and chewy on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside — these are the perfect coconut macaroons.
As a coconut lover, I’ve tried dozens of recipes for coconut macaroons over the years, and these are my all-time favorite. Chewy and rich on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside, they are delicious plain but even more irresistible dipped in dark chocolate. They also keep well for days on end, making them the perfect holiday cookie to bake ahead or give away. (Be sure not to confuse coconut macaroons with French macarons, which are delicate meringue-based sandwich cookies with a sweet filling.)
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Macaroons
- Sweetened flaked coconut: The base of the macaroons; I recommend Baker’s Angel Flake for the best results, as there’s a lot of variability in coconut depending on the brand.
- Sweetened condensed milk: A key ingredient for making macaroons, sweetened condensed milk is a canned milk product from which water has been removed and sugar has been added. It’s sticky-sweet and makes the best macaroons. Many recipes call for it but, in my experience, they all have the same problem: too much liquid, which causes the sweet batter to pool around the edges of the macaroons and burn in the oven. This is because recipe developers want to keep their recipes neat and tidy with one whole bag of coconut and one full can of sweetened condensed milk. For this recipe, you’ll use just shy of one can. You’ll have to sacrifice some sweetened condensed milk (try adding it to you coffee!), but your macaroons will be perfect.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Egg whites: Provide structure and help the macaroons hold their shape.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate (optional): For dipping or drizzling.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.
Mix until well combined.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.
Stiff peaks look like this when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
Add the egg whites to the coconut mixture and fold until combined.
Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are deeply golden and the tops are lightly golden.
Let the macaroons cool on the baking sheet for a minute, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
If you’d like to dip the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and return to the lined baking sheets.
Refrigerate for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
Wondering with to do with those leftover egg yolks? Check out these recipes: Chocolate Cream Pie, Coconut Dream Pie, Millionaire’s Shortbread, Molten Chocolate Cakes, Tres Leches Cake, Rugelach, Banana Pudding Parfaits and Rum Cake.
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Coconut Macaroons
Soft and chewy on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside — these are the perfect coconut macaroons.
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz bag sweetened flaked coconut, such as Baker's Angel Flake (see note)
- ⅞ cup sweetened condensed milk (see note below on measurement)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If dipping the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals, until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
- Note: There is a lot of variability in coconut depending on the brand you purchase. For the best results, I recommend Baker's Angel Flake (see package in the first picture on this page).
- Note: ⅞ cup = ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons
- Note: Make sure to use parchment paper (NOT wax paper) on the baking sheets. The macaroons will stick to wax paper.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The macaroons can be frozen for up to 3 months. (If you plan to dip them in chocolate, wait until you thaw them to do that.) Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 macaroon (nutritional data includes optional chocolate)
- Calories: 134
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 81 mg
- Cholesterol: 4 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Hello! Is there any particular magic derived from baking these on two cookie sheets as opposed to one large sheet? Is the moving from level B to level A and vice versa, and the rotating from back to front, really necessary?
I have them in the oven, two sheets, will rotate etc, but for future reference, I would like to know. Thanks
Hi Dawn, I don’t think they will all fit on one sheet but if you can, it’s no problem. As for rotating the pans, I do think it’s best as most ovens heat unevenly. Hope that helps!
You might be right…but since they are such an excellent cookie, I will be putting it to the test in the not-to-distant future. One thing that the moving up and down, back to front did was ensure that I kept my eye on them and I removed them based on their appearance/color, rather than relying on a specific time. At least one person said: These are the best coconut macaroons I have ever had! I thought so, too!
Recipe worked perfectly. Husband said they reminded him of Mounds bars. Dipped and drizzled in Guittard organic bittersweet chocolate 74%.
I love this recipe. So simple. I had didn’t have much time so I skipped melting the chocolate took a short cut by laying each hot cookie on a chocolate melt. A few minutes later I turned the cookie over and spread the melted chocolate and let cool until it hardened. It is not as pretty as it doesn’t come up onto the sides of the cookie but still tasty. I was able to get ready for my function and deliver freshly made cookies which were a big hit. This recipe is going in my favorites file.
Can i use aluminum foil if i don’t have parchment for the cookie sheet?
Hi Debbie, I think parchment paper is best here, but you could try non-stick foil. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, long-time fan! Can I substitute culinary coconut milk for a dairy free recipe?
Hi Mary, I don’t think coconut milk would work, but perhaps you could try cream of coconut. (I read online that it can be a reasonable substitute for sweetened condensed milk.) Just a disclaimer that I haven’t tried it; I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do!
Would a sweetened condensed coconut milk work then? Haven’t tried the recipe yet but it looks promising, but some of my family are dairy free.
Hi Maria, I’ve never used sweetened condensed coconut milk in anything, but I suspect it should work. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them with it!
I made these yesterday and my family loved them so much I had to make another batch today! They are so delicious that some of them were eaten before I had a chance to dunk them in the chocolate. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Absolutely amazing recipe!!
Lots of compliments on these. Thank you for the recipe.
I am so pleased with this recipe after trying others that were overly sweet or tasted chalky. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used 3 1/3 cups sweetened and 2 cups unsweetened coconut. The results were perfect for my taste. The added chocolate was great. I dipped 1 dozen as shown and drizzled chocolate on top of the other dozen. Thank you for yet another perfect recipe to add to my “Jenn Recipes”.
3 1/3 cups ? I tried it and it is mushy.. I think it is too much.
Hello! I was wondering if these can be made into orange coconut macaroons? If they can be, how much orange peel/juice would I put in?
Sure, Evelyn. I’d go with the peel and since orange zest is quite strong, I’d start with 1 teaspoon. I’d love to know how they turn out!
Hi. I’ve made your recipe last year for Passover and they were amazing. I made them again just last night and something is off. I’m thinking I pulled them out of the oven too soon because they are not crispy on the outside as I remember them being. The bottoms are too blond and not enough brown all around. They are also stickier than I remember. Do you think I can put them back in the oven for a bit to crisp them up?
Yep!