Coconut Macaroons
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I want to make this recipe!
But I’m concerned/confused I read this a macaroon recipe which is what I want to make . But on further reading of the method, it says cookies?! I’m confused as to what the recipe is for cookies or macaroons? Can anyone help please
Hi Nejat, I think of a macaroon as a kind of cookie so I use the two words interchangeably. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
I’ve been making these forever and I mean forever. This is the best recipe! Easy and always turns out fabulous! Got to mail some for my brother in law since his birthday – he has had them for a LONG time and crazy about them. Also my family loves them.
Thanks for the recipe probably years ago. I panicked cause couldn’t find your recipe and luckily it came up quickly.
If could would give you 100 stars!
Yep I made this. Used coconut condensed sweetened milk due to milk issues.
I was worried it would be coconut overkill.
But no way! It was so good.
I had a family over for sabbath and served these with lunch.
Not one was left.
Thank you. I’m going g to have to make thes again super soon.
First, I love your recipes – they are phenomenal, so thank you for sharing. Question, do you think toasted coconut would be good in these? I am making these for my Father’s birthday Friday, he loves coconut macaroons. I am not a fan of raw coconut and thought toasting it for a few min first might be good too, curious if you have tried and your end results. I am going to five-star it without making the recipe yet (because I have no doubt since I have made many of your recipes previously) and yes, sorry to be one of those people that writes a review without actually baking the product first.. but I don’t want to leave you without any stars just to ask my question.
Thanks again!
Jennifer
Hi Jenn, thanks for your kind words — so glad you like the recipes! Unfortunately, these won’t work with toasted coconut – sorry!
I’m so glad I asked! After I thought about it, I realized the coconut would toast as they baked. Thank you so much! Take care. <3
Been using this recipe for many years. Just dropping a thank you!
A very easy recipe with very few ingredients. It is delicious and sure to please a crowd.
Note to any Australians – the flaked coconut in this recipe is closer to our shredded coconut. I should have looked more closely at the pictures 😮💨
These macaroons are perfection. I rotated the pans every five minutes, and the cookies were equally browned. We loved the slightly crispy exterior with the chewy interior. Wouldn’t change a thing in the recipe.
Soup! That’s what I got out of it. Soup. I mixed everything just as the recipe said and as soon as I added in my egg whites I got a liquid. I don’t even think it’s as thick as cupcake batter. Yes im certain they were stiff peaks and I made sure they were folded in, not mixed. What a waste of ingredients.
I’m surprised! Did you use Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk? My coconut mixture was so thick that I could hardly stir it. Once the whipped egg whites were mixed in, it was perfect!
I love this recipe but my macaroons are soggy the next day. How should they be stored when cool?
Hi Lisa, they should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They shouldn’t be soggy, but after being stored, they don’t really retain that crispy outer layer.
Made these today and the cookies came out perfectly. I had a 7 oz bag of unsweetened organic coconut which appeared to be a similar volume to the 14 oz of sweetened coconut. I carefully added the sweetened condensed milk and ultimately used about the same amount as specified in the recipe. The recipe yield was 27 cookies. Thank-you for the delicious recipe!