If you love coconut and chocolate, these coconut macaroons are a must! Soft, chewy, and dipped in chocolate, they’re easy to make, gluten-free, and perfect for any occasion.
What Are Coconut Macaroons?
Coconut macaroons are little mounds of chewy, coconutty bliss. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, they’re soft and sweet on the inside, with a deliciously toasty coconut flavor. They’re also often dipped in a layer of rich chocolate for that extra “oh yes” moment and added texture. Naturally gluten-free and ridiculously easy to whip up, they’re the kind of treat that somehow vanishes from the plate before you can even grab a second.
What Is the Difference Between Macaroons and Macarons?
Macaroons and macarons may sound similar, but they’re completely different treats. Macaroons are chewy cookies made with shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and egg whites, while macarons are delicate French sandwich cookies made from almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, filled with buttercream, ganache, or jam. Macaroons are rustic and hearty, whereas macarons are smooth, colorful, and crisp on the outside with a soft, chewy center. In short — one’s all about coconut comfort, and the other’s a bite-sized piece of Parisian elegance.
If you’d like to try out French macarons, check out my full beginner’s guide here, or go straight to my chocolate macaron recipe for an indulgent treat!
How to Make Coconut Macaroons
You can find the full list of ingredients for this recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (recipe video is also provided in the recipe card below).
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) conventional and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
In a large bowl, combine shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until the coconut is fully coated, breaking up any clumps as you go. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, add egg whites and salt. Using an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer is fine) on medium speed, whip until stiff peaks form. This may take 2–3 minutes depending on the strength and size of your mixer.
Add the whipped egg whites to the coconut mixture and gently fold together with a spatula until combined, being careful not to overmix.
Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons), firmly press the mixture into the scoop before releasing it onto the prepared trays, leaving about 1½ inches between each macaroon.
Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 13–15 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to turn lightly golden and feel set to the touch. Avoid overbaking or they’ll become too hard.
Let the macaroons cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Keep the trays handy for later.
Once cooled, dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate (see video for demonstration), letting the excess drip off, and place them back onto the parchment-lined baking sheets.
Leave the macaroons to set until the chocolate hardens, then they’re ready to enjoy!
How to Store Coconut Macaroons
Keep your macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want them to last longer, store them in the fridge for up to a week. Just make sure they’re sealed well so they don’t dry out.
Chewy Coconut Macaroons
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups (340 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup (300 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
- 4 large egg whites - room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate melts or wafers - melted (see note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until the coconut is fully coated, breaking up any clumps as you go. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add egg whites and salt. Using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, whip until stiff peaks form. This may take 2–3 minutes depending on the strength and size of your mixer.
- Add the whipped egg whites to the coconut mixture and gently fold together with a spatula until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons), firmly press the mixture into the scoop before releasing it onto the prepared trays, leaving about 1½ inches between each macaroon.
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 13–15 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to turn lightly golden and feel set to the touch. Avoid overbaking or they’ll become too hard.
- Let the macaroons cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the trays handy for later.
- Once the macaroons have cooled, dip the bottoms of each one into the melted chocolate (see video for demonstration), letting the excess drip off, and place them back onto the parchment-lined trays.
- Leave the macaroons to set until the chocolate hardens, then they’re ready to enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
2 Comments
I made the recipe, and the end product was delicious. During cooking, however, puddles of the liquid mixture oozed out of each macaroon leaving them looking kind of like a coconut island in a sort of gelatinous lake. After they cooked I trimmed the cookies with kitchen snips and dipped them in chocolate per the recipe. Definitely no harm done to the taste, but I wondered if you might know what I can do to avoid this problem.
Hi Ava! 😊
So glad you enjoyed them, but sorry to hear about the puddles of liquid! This usually happens when there’s a bit too much moisture in the mixture, which can cause the liquid to separate from the coconut as it bakes. It can be due to under-whipped egg whites (make sure you’re whipping to stiff peaks), the type of coconut used, or just extra moisture in the mix. I recommend using the gram measurements if you didn’t already for best results. Hope that helps for next time 😊