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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These macarons look amazing! I’m all about quick desserts like this, and my family loves macarons, so I will definitely be trying this. Thank you!
OH MY GOSH!!!! I made 3 other recipes before I discovered this one. But these are over the top. I just hope they make it to the dessert table at Christmas. Instead of dipping in chocolate I put a Hershey kiss in the middle while they were hot out of the oven, and pushed down. Then while still hot took a small spoon and flattened the chocolate on the top so they would pack easier. (One tray I put back in the oven for a minute or so with the chocolate kiss on them so the chocolate would melt easier when pushing them down with the spoon.) Thank you!
Made a batch and this recipe is definitely a keeper. So easy to make and absolutely delicious!
I took these to a cookie exchange yesterday. They were perfect and everyone loved them. They were soft and chewey in the middle but a little crispy on the outside. I will definitely make these again. The recipe was also easy to follow and not too time consuming.
This recipe was a fail for me. Taste good but sticked To the pan, and deflated once out the oven
I’ve made these before with good results but this time they really spread. Why?
Hi Susan, Sorry you had a problem this time around! If the macaroons spread a lot, it’s probably because the egg whites weren’t stiff enough this time around. Make sure you beat them to a stiff peak. Hope that helps!
Hi there. I do not have any sweetened condensed milk. Could I use coconut milk or coconut cream for a substitute? Snowing out and don’t want to head to the store in the storm. Thank you.
Hi Melissa, 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.) Keep in mind that cream of coconut is not the same as coconut cream. Just a disclaimer that I haven’t tried it; I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do! If you want a proven recipe that doesn’t require sweetened condensed milk, you could try this one by Alice Medrich – I’ve made them and they’re really good.
Have made many times and they are delicious! I always dip them in chocolate, it takes them up a notch!
Absolutely PERFECT macaroons.
It was a messy process and I did add an extra 2T of condensed milk because it just wasn’t sticking together well and used my mixer to mix it well and that really helped. I used the cookie scoop but had to use my hands to press the coconut mixture firmly…like when measuring brown sugar….or the minute I released it on my parchment the coconut went everywhere. I use really good baking sheets with parchment and still turned my oven down to 315 degrees and cooked for exactly 23min. and they were picture perfect. Iam freezing them for Christmas so I will do a chocolate drizzle once thawed.
Would I be able to use bittersweet chocolate?… I’m thinking a richer chocolate taste might be flattering to the sweet coconut
Sure!
These are BY FAR the best Coconut Macaroons I’ve made! Thank you SO much for the recipe!
I just made these and they are delicious!! I did it without the chocolate because my plan is to freeze them until I serve on Christmas Eve.
How long will it take for them to thaw at room temp from the freezer that day? I saw your note to take them out of the container to thaw.
Glad you like them! I’d guesstimate it would take an hour or two to thaw.