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
The key ingredient in this recipe is sweetened condensed milk, 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. It’s annoying to have leftover sweetened condensed milk; there’s not much you can do with it except add it to your coffee. For this recipe, you’ll use just shy of one can. You’ll have to sacrifice some sweetened condensed milk, but your macaroons will be perfect.
How To Make Coconut Macaroons
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
- Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crack
- Rugelach
- Grandma Annie’s Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
- Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
- Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)
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 were DELICIOUS, and so easy! I actually made them with unsweetened, flake coconut (since that’s what was in my pantry) and they turned out amazing!! I actually think they may have been a little too sweet for my taste if I used the sweetened coconut. Will definitely recommend and will make again!!
I’ve made these macaroons about 6 times. They were perfect. Shared the recipe with my sister
I was very disappointed in how these turned out. The mixture was too runny so I was not able to get the proper shape and the worst part was that they were too sweet.
I have been making these macaroons for 3 years now. This is the best recipe ever! I always receive compliments when I make them.
Hi did you find that they hold their shape while cooking as the above review said they were too wet. Thankyou
I have made many times and never runny. As another reviewer said u have t beat the whoop a** out of those egg whites😊😊
My family says they’re the best things they’ve ever tasted! I have some pooling with mine so I’m going to try and whip my egg whites more like I’ve seen in other comments. I just bought 3 more packs of coconut because the 2 batches I made got eaten in less than 24 hours!
I have a question: If by mistake I added a whole can of the sweetened condensed milk by mistake 😣 is there a way to save it? Would I just add more coconut or.or would I improvise with flour?
I’ve made these many times before and our family loves them and request them! Krista
Yes, I think you could probably get away with just adding a bit more coconut. Hope they turn out okay! 🙂
Made theses this evening and they were awesome! I added 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds and increased the sweetened condensed milk by another tablespoon. No pooling, not dry and as my Aunt said, “sinfully delicious!”
I’ve made these the last few years for Passover and absolutely love them!!! I googled the recipe and was so frustrated that I couldn’t find it. Ended up settling for another recipe and the macaroons came out horrible. The next night I did a google search again cause I had to find it, and wall-a! I remembered the odd recipe directions calling for 7/8 plus 2 tbs. sweetened condensed milk and that’s all I needed for google to find you. Waiting for them to cool now so we can dip them in chocolate! Yummy!!
I love this recipe – I have not made it in a long time but it is the only recipe that has been taped to the inside door of a kitchen cabinet. I started making this particular recipe almost 10 years ago and everyone who has ever had some LOVES IT!! It’s so simple to make and always delicious. Great recipe to do with the kids.
I love that you have your favorite recipe taped to the inside of your kitchen cabinet! We have done this for years with my husband’s recipe for banana bread (best thing on earth). It’s a long standing tradition, but I’ve never heard of anyone else doing it. Warm fuzzies!!
Hi Jeni!
I’ve been looking for a great banana bread recipe. Any chance your husband’s recipe is published anywhere? Thanks 🙂
Hi Michelle I have thee best banana bread ever! Did u find a recipe?
Hello! I have my all time favorite recipes taped to the inside of my cabinet too! 😉 Can’t wait to make these macaroons – they sound delish.
I love this recipe. Super easy and super delicious. I used milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet this time and liked it even better.
The texture was spot on, but too sweet for my palette. Maybe I’ll cut down on the condensed milk, and add in a wee bit of flour for binding.
Don’t add flour as that will affect the texture just use unsweetened coconut Instead.
My wife and I are staying at home these days. We recently cleaned out the freezer and found the bags of coconut we haven’t seen in a couple of years. And we located a can of sweetened condensed milk in the back of the pantry. I decided to give this recipe a try since it was either that or throw the ingredients out. The cookies turned out perfectly. Just makes me wonder how good they might taste with fresh ingredients. And the instructions are so easy even a man can make them. I didn’t have any chocolate, but I will try that once I can return to the grocery. Thanks.
Jenn, can you freeze the extra “dough” for later use? Or if not, how long do you think it is safe to keep in the refrigerator? I’ve made these several times and each time, a new audience says they are the best macaroons they’ve ever had. The only thing I’ve changed is using dark chocolate instead of milk. Yummy! Thanks!
Hi JoAnna, unfortunately, because you beat the egg whites, I don’t think this batter a good candidate for refrigerating or freezing. The baked macaroons do keep nicely for about a week if stored on the kitchen counter and freeze beautifully too so feel free to fully prepare them in advance and store.
I am ready to make these macaroons for the 2nd time. I loved the first batch, which I dipped the bottoms of half the cookies in melted semisweet chocolate. This time no chocolate. I love the simple coconut macaroons. Chocolate or no chocolate these are by far the best I have made in my 40+ years of baking. I have shared this recipe with my sister as she is also a macaroon fan.
would coconut milk work instead of the condensed milk? or is there another non dairy substitution? thank you
Hi Lisa, 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.) 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.
You can use sweetened condensed coconut milk in place of the regular, I do. You can purchase it or make your own.
Thank you, I was wondering if it would work.
I made these macaroons this evening and they turned out well. However they were a touch dry and I am wondering if I didn’t use enough condensed milk. The tin I bought was in grams rather than ml – do you know how many grams of the milk are required?
Hi Hollie, Sorry you found them to be a bit dry. Math is not my strong suit, but I believe you’d need 273 grams.
Just made them! I have always loved coconut macaroons but as I am not much of a chef I have never thought about making my own. I can’t believe how easy they are to make! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe. I may just have to eat them all myself! 😂😂
I love this recipe! The macaroons were chewy and delicious (i made them Dipped in chocolate). The only reason i gave 4 out if 5 stars is because there was some pooling around the macaroons so they didn’t look quite like pictured here.
I did use the recommended amount of condensed milk (1 3/4 cup plus 2 table spoons). I wasn’t able to find Baker’s coconut flakes (in Canada) and used another brand (also flaked and sweetened).
I am wondering if that was the reason for the pooling and if there are any suggestions to make them come out like pictures here (no pooling around bottom). Even less condensed milk? How much less?
Thank you for this amazing recipe Jenn!
Hi Ana, 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!
I have been cooking a lot in the past week here in Vancouver, Canada. I’m staying in with my family and I’m teaching my two sons to cook.
I just made these. I’m waiting for them to cool so we can dip them in chocolate.
This is a great easy recipe and it worked well. I added some lemon zest which was very good.
I do not like this recipe… it’s too sweet, and the batter is too runny to stay in shape. I recommend adding LESS condensed milk. Add it sparingly… just enough to bind the flaked coconut together.
I made them several times and they are great. I just find them a bit dry and I wonder if it could be the problem on transforming the cups into grams? I live in Italy and cups, tbs and tsp are not always easy to understand.
My next recipe is the lemon bars and I’m afraid not to ruin it by confusing the quantities..any chance to have the oz measurements? I try 🙂
Thanks for the tasty ideas!
Hi Mirela, Most of my recipes have both weight and imperial/cup measures. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!
Turned out great! Hubby said they are the best he’s ever had. He had them without chocolate. The daughters and I prefer them dipped in dark chocolate like recipe suggests. I will make them with non-sweetened flakes next time.. I used Aldi sweetened coconut flakes and they spread out/ pooled a bit. If you don’t use Bakers, cut back on the condensed milk so the mixture looks like in the recipe photo ( mine was definitely more moist).
I did not like this recipe at all. Had a very strong condensed milk flavor
Your recipe inspired me. Made these halving your recipe and turned out very well but just too sweet for me. Just made these again using 8 oz of Let’s Do…Organic brand unsweetened shredded coconut, 8 oz of sweetened, condensed milk, tsp vanilla, two large egg whites, with ca. 1/4 tsp salt. Dipped the bottoms in Equal Exchange brand Total Eclipse 92% cacao bar. OMG.
This recipe is AMAZING!! My family really, really liked these and we couldn’t stop eating them!!! If you haven’t already tried making these delicious goodies you definitely need to!! Have some fun making these with family or friends once!
Made these exactly as written and used Bakers coconut. The condensed milk pooled around the bottom despite using 7/8 cup as directed. Not sure what others did to prevent this from happening, but didn’t turn out for me. Tasted pretty good though
Hi Dan, a little pooling like you described is normal. If it was any more than that, it would likely mean that the egg whites weren’t be eaten long enough.
I haven’t had these in over 30 years I have no idea why I never made them. This was so easy and just like grandma’s every one loved them.
They ate the first batch like in 20 min. had to make a double one hope I have some left. Oh do the chocolate
WOW! Delicious. I used organic unsweetened flake coconut and they came out just right. Not too sweet.
Made these tonight. They were very easy and delicious. I like the way the recipe is written. My husband wants a little sweeter. However, he has gladly consumed several so far.
Absolutely perfect macaroons. I didn’t dip them in chocolate, and they were still delicious. Great recipe!
Hi Jenn!
Made these for the first time and loved how they turned out! Topped a third of the batch with a maraschino cherry; another third with an almond; and left the last third plain. Then dipped half of each group in chocolate. Made for a beautiful cookie tray! Thanks!
Deb
Hi, how much would 14 oz of coconut be in cups?
Hi Olivia, You’ll need 5 and 1/3 cups of coconut. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely perfect. Seems that correct amount of condensed milk is the key. Thank you. 🙂
My father loves coconut macaroons and I made these for him. I don’t think he will ever eat other coconut macaroons! He says they are the best he has ever had and have the perfect texture/taste! They are wonderfully easy and I follow the recipe exactly. Thank you for making a 75 year old man incredibly happy :0)
I understand that most people don’t want to use a partial bag of coconut but I always have extra coconut in the freezer. It would be easier to just add a couple of ounces of coconut rather than use a partial can of sweetened condensed milk. I don’t have many uses for 1-¾oz. of the milk. I wouldn’t think the amounts of the other ingredients would need to be changed.
This is the way I’m going to try this recipe. I’ll let You know. 😉
I made this recipe – very sweet. Will be improved by semi-sweet or dark chocolate. Grease the parchment paper.
I don’t think that these cookies are the best macaroon recipe. These just tasted like big globs of coconut and not much else…not easy on the taste buds. I much prefer my recipe that uses meringue, vanilla and not so much coconut and drizzled with chocolate. Sorry.
Absolutely delicious!! 😋 The best coconut macaroons I have ever tasted! Easy to make and fits the recipe description to a T!
So delicious! Now another family favorite that I’ve now made many times. And the cookies won an office Best Cookie competition A few weeks ago! Thanks Jenn!
Hi Jenn,,
Can you use cold egg whites to whip, or should they be room temp?
Hi Susan, cold egg whites are fine here. Hope you enjoy!
Way TOO SWEET!! Would suggest to use unsweetened coconut or less condensed milk.
Agreed!! I had to threw them all away because of that…
My 1st batched over cooked just a tad at the bottoms. I think my oven runs a little hot so I lowered it to 315 and the 2nd batch turned out great!! Thank you for sharing!
I just took the macaroons out of the oven. While the coconut mixture did stay intact in a mound, there seems to be some spreading around the base of each one…maybe 1/8th- 1/4 inch. Is that normal, and will dipping in chocolate cover it up?
Hi Suzie, a little bit of pooling like you described is normal. If it were any more than that it would likely mean that the egg whites won’t be eaten long enough. And yes, you should be able to cover that up with the chocolate. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks. My husband thought they were delicious regardless of how they looked!
These look delicious. Can you use shredded, unsweetened coconut?
Hi Catherine, I don’t recommend unsweetened coconut for these. You might like this recipe from Alice Medrich; I’ve made them and they are good.
OMG – these are delicious! I can’t stop eating them and neither can my friends. I made them exactly as written for 2 cookie swaps, and everyone loved them. Thanks Jenn!
Been looking for a great macaroon recipe. These were delicious… dipped bottom 1/2 in dark chocolate. Ive found something i can add to my Christmas cookie gift tins. Thank u!
The perfect recipe! Easy to make, delicious to eat and a gift everyone loves to receive. 2018 was the first year I included them on our cookie trays and like others who have posted here, they received rave reviews. (Our Maillady said “Holy cow! They. Are. Awesome!”) Of course, this year (2019) again everyone loved them and some people were even waiting for their cookie tray specifically for the macaroons. LOL This recipe has become a staple in our Christmas Gifting and will continue to be for the rest of my baking years. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us.
I love this recipe! I have made it several times now for guests and for gifts to rave reviews and requests for “regifting” for the next year. Thank you Jen!
My macaroons turned out great ! The Bakers coconut , made them perfect. I tried another brand of coconut first, and found they were “pooling on the bottom of my cookies”. So I took your advice , and used the Bakers coconut .These cookies are all ready for my Christmas cookie exchange . Thank you !
Just made these and they look great. Not quite as dark as yours on top, because I was worried they would burn on the bottom. Followed your recipe exactly. No running. Wouldn’t mind a tad bit more chocolate, but that’s just me. Using my small scooper, made 20 cookies. Just tasted one–perfection!!! They were slightly crisp on outside and chewy in middle. Thank you so much.
Ok, I made these tonight and I tripled the recipe. These are the most delicious Macaroons I have ever tasted !!!! This is my fav!!! ❤️
Have made these twice now. Different kinds of unsweetened coconut (hard to find) make a difference in texture of the cookies. I wonder why not use the whole can of sweetened condensed milk with two 8 oz packages of unsweetened coconut (there are two oz of milk left over and 2 oz of coconut from two packages) and just make a few more cookies so there are no left-over ingredients.
My 14 year old granddaughter made these for GF holiday cookies to take to her high school friends…LOVED the cookies and did a great job making them.
I made these yesterday and used the little shy of the 2 bags of coconut, 200g and the right amount of the other stuff and mine came out flat ..how do I get them to stay in shape? Thanks
Hi Catherine, If I’m understanding you correctly, it sounds like you used close to 400 grams of coconut, correct? If they were flat, it’s likely that you didn’t beat the egg whites long enough. Make sure you beat them until they form stiff peaks when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Hope that helps!
Mine turned out watery :(. I see someone else commented about the conversion of the 14 ounce bag not being right when it’s in cups. I couldn’t find anything on here what it should be. I would love to try making these again but need the accurate cup amount
Hi Tara, Sorry you had a problem with these! You’ll need 5 and 1/3 cups of coconut. Let me know if I can help in any other way.
Thank you 😊 I am trying the recipe again tonight. Wish me luck
Good luck!!
So delicious and easy!!
Dear Jenn,
first sorry for my english.
I like your sites and every recipe that I´ve tried was great. But I think that in the recipe for coconut macaroons must be some mistake. For quantity of coconut wasn´t enough two egg whites.
Best regards
Lenka
Hi Lenka, glad you like the recipes on the blog and sorry you had a problem with these. Did you use a 397-gram bag of coconut?
Hi Jenn, no I used 1,397 gram of coconut 🙂 Now I see why it doesn´t work:). Thank you for the reply. I´m going to try them again 🙂
Love those little, moist sugar bombs! No other recipe comes close. Tried it first time two years ago and stuck with it since.
In regards to Lenka’s problem with it needing more whites … the mixture is rather dryish compared to others, and mainly to the “kokosky” styles from Czechia. However, it also depends on the dryness of the coconut. I’ve tried the stuff from bulk bins, sweetened or plain, and both were too desiccated and resulted in a crumbly mess. The sweetened coconut available in packages is nice and moist and great for this recipe. ( I had similar bad results with bulk-bin almonds and hazelnuts as well for other recipes.)
Scrumptious! Thanks, Jen!
2018 Christmas Cookie & got rave reviews! Did dip them in chocolate. Just made them again this year, 2019, and they’re as good as the first time. Will be a staple on my cookie trays for many years to come. Thanks for such a tasty and easy recipe.