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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Comments
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Hi Jen,
I enjoy your recipes so much and many are repeated favourites!
I love your macaroon recipe but the last couple of years I found them overly sweet . Not sure if my taste buds are changing but maybe you can provide a suggestion for making them a little less sweet. ( I will mention that I live in Toronto Ontario and the brand of coconut that you suggest is not available here. )
I am hopeful you have a helpful suggestion!
Thank you,
Susan
Hi Susan, So glad you like the recipes! Sorry that you’re finding these too sweet — try dipping them in bittersweet chocolate to temper the sweetness. Hope that helps!
You can try 7 oz bag of unsweetened coconut. Carefully add the sweetened condensed milk to a bit less than the stated recipe. My cookies came out perfect and not as sweet as when using the sweetened coconut.
I love coconut anything, including eating straight from the bag. Any hoo, I am not a chocolate fan and I like the idea of dipping them, but has anyone tried a different dip? Thank you.
Hi Cindy,
Try placing a candied cherry on the top center (press into place) and bake. I’m going to give it a try, as I had some baked this way at a High Tea and I loved them.
Katy
Hi Jenn
These are my Passover standard. I’m about to bake now and have always baked and then dipped in chocolate and then froze. Any problems here?
Hi Ellen, I’d wait until you thaw to dip them in chocolate.
I just wanted to make a comment that if you’re in a country, (mine is Canada) where sizes are measured in ml rather than oz, a conversion of 14 oz is 400 ml, far more than the existing 300 ml can size. I just made macaroons that didn’t include eggs and did not allow for the slower, lower heat. The result were macaroon that looked like they’d been smeared on the pan. I will definitely be switching to this recipe instead. Thank you for the explanations you gave here on the how’s and why’s of doing the recipe this way. Looking forward to the next batch because what I made looks scary. : )
I made these once for my folks…. They fell in love. So I make them all the time! 1. I make 36/37.. a few more than the recipe calls for. I have substituted almond vs vanilla extact. I make half with chocolate half without. Today I decided to use my mini cupcake tray that makes 24…then made another 13. They are very uniform .
oven temperature ???????????????
Hi Janet, the macaroons get baked at 325°F/165°C.
Great recipe! I just wanted to mention, don’t use carton egg whites as they won’t whip well and the texture will be off. Still tastes great, I can’t wait to make them properly next time!
Easy to make and super tasty. The temperature/baking time is too much though. Mine took exactly 13 minutes at 325F. Also you use the whole can of milk and adjust the coconut amount. Even opened you can store it for a very long time on the shelf. Verry important thing that the recipe mentions is that the macaroons need to be able to hold their shape before backing. Condensed milk viscosity varies a lot. Some cans are very liquid, others you can barely get out of the can so you have to adjust the amount of coconut until you get similar result as the pictures in the recipe
Thank you for this recipe – everyone loved these cookies! Reducing the amount of sweetened condensed milk definitely improved the structure of the cookies compared to the recipe I used last year. I didn’t use the chocolate dip but added a maraschino cherry to the center of each cookie before baking to make them festive. With the leftover milk I used it with softened butter to make frosting for other cookies. Fun!
Just turn out beautifully I did try the chocolate dipping and think that’s a favorite too reminds me how the plain ones tasted just like my mother used too make thank you so much also used your lava cakes receipe haven’t cooked them yet but I am sure they will be really good bring for desert at my daughter’s place they are sitting in fridge for now