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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Hands down the best recipe I have ever gotten!!!! I’ve never made these before but they are my dads favorite so tried them and O.M.G!!! Kid you not, I come back to this page 4 times a year every year to make these cookies on every holiday!!!
Made these Macaroons and they sticked to my parchment then I read another recipe said to spray the parchment because they will stick
Hi Dottie, I’m sorry you had a problem with these sticking! Are you sure you used parchment and not wax paper?
Mine didn’t stick. Maybe your oven temperature wasn’t correct. Do you have an oven thermometer ?
After watching GBBS I wanted to find a recipe similar to Prue’s coconut macaroons, but in American measurements. In order to get Prue’s more cake-like macaroon I pulsed the coconut in a food processor for about 10 seconds and added 2-3 TB of white flour (Prue’s calls for rice flour, but white flour works just as well). I then substituted the tsp vanilla for 1/2 tsp almond extract, as I like the combination of almond and coconut flavors. They came out great!! I’ll try adding some chopped roasted almonds some time, and maybe chopped maraschino cherries another time. Great recipe!
Fantastic tips! I’ve got rice flour in my pantry (I use it in Shortbread) and I’m going to try your pulsing the coconut suggestion.
Help! Baker’s Angel coconut seems to be out everywhere. Even online. Is there another brand you can suggest? Thanks!
Hi Amy, I’ve heard that from a few other people. The only other brand I’ve used is my local store brand. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Baker’s Angel is just a brand. I purchased shredded coconut from my local bulk food store and it worked just perfect.
Unfortunately I must have not added the right amount of condensed milk or my egg whites needed more whipping as the macaroons turned out a bit runny. Not as pretty as yours.😢
Oh my… coconut macaroons are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. Why I never looked for a recipe until now I have no clue. Thank goodness I stumbled upon this one! My daughter and I made these at Christmas. So easy, so perfect. Didn’t change a thing, didn’t need to. Perfection!!
I made these yesterday, and while they are delicious, I did experience some pooling at the base of my macaroons. I tried to research and troubleshoot, and one website suggested lowering the oven temp, but that didn’t help. Any suggestions? I followed the recipe exactly, so I’m not sure why they came out a little runny on the pan. Variance on egg whites? Maybe if I weighed in grams it would be better? Like I said, baked up great and I covered the pooling at the base in chocolate anyway, but I want to get them perfect!
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Rachel, A little pooling around the bottom is normal, but the macaroons may be a little runny on the bottom if the egg whites aren’t stiff enough. Make sure you beat those egg whites to a stiff peak. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much! I’ll give it another try.
These coconut macaroons are simply DELICIOUS with and without the chocolate. I share them with my family, friends and neighbors ❤️
Thank you SOOO much Jenn 🥰
We made these last night and they came out perfect and look beautiful. Our only comment is they are a bit over the top sweet. Next time we are going to try unsweetened Coconut. What do you think?
Hi Don, I wouldn’t recommend using unsweetened coconut. Instead, you could try dipping them in bittersweet chocolate to temper the sweetness. Hope that helps!
Hi, my husband thought it’s a little too sweet for him. How can I reduce the sweetness? Less condensed milk? Please suggest.
Also, to boost the toasted coconut flavor, can I add some toasted coconut? Maybe that’ll reduce the sweetness too.
Hi Ria, I wouldn’t recommend that – sorry!
Hi Ria, sorry your husband found these too sweet. I wouldn’t reduce the sweetened condensed milk — Instead, you could try dipping them in bittersweet chocolate to temper the sweetness. Hope that helps!
I made them with unsweetened coconut (“Let’s do…organic” brand) and they turned out yummy. Definitely the saltiness came through more and it was less sweet than I would get at local bakeries. But it was very similar to the level of sweetness in coconut mochi.
These are one of my favorite recipes on this site. If I suddenly get a craving for a treat, I can have these ready in no time. Can you please suggest a different brand of Shredded coconut? I think everyone found this recipe because i cannot find Bakers Brand anywhere anymore. I live in northern California and stores haven’t had it for weeks. I’m on my last bag and getting nervous. Thank you for your time and recipes!
So glad you like these! I’m not familiar with any other name brands of the coconut. The only options I’ve ever seen are Bakers brand and store brands. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Hi Jenni~I couldn’t find the Bakers coconut brand either so I tried Kroger brand and they came out perfectly! So great in fact, I went back today for 2 more bags so I can make lots more! ❤️ Fred Meyer & QFC have this brand.
I’d been making the Ina Garten recipe for years which is very similar and I didn’t think could be improved upon, but Jenn’s little touches take them over the top! Not using the full can of condensed milk makes all the difference and means my macaroons no longer puddle and dipping them in chocolate… omg, amazing! Perfect recipe for Christmas, Easter, in fact, easy to make quickly any time of year because the ingredients can be kept on hand and they are also gluten-free, major win!