Coconut Macaroons
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This coconut macaroon recipe makes cookies that are crisp on the outside, wonderfully chewy inside, and delicious plain or dipped in chocolate.
As a coconut lover, I’ve tried dozens of coconut macaroon recipes over the years, and this is the one I always come back to. The macaroons bake up crisp and golden on the outside while staying rich and chewy in the center. Getting that texture comes down to the right ratio of coconut to sweetened condensed milk. Most recipes call for one full can of condensed milk to one full bag of coconut, presumably to keep things simple, but I’ve found that’s a bit too much liquid—the excess pools around the macaroons as they bake and can burn. Using slightly less condensed milk makes all the difference.
These macaroons are delicious plain, but I especially love them dipped in chocolate. And because they keep well for days, they’re perfect for making ahead for holidays, parties, or gift-giving.
“These are so darn good…easily the most delicious macaroons I’ve ever made!”
What You’ll Need To Make Coconut Macaroons
- Sweetened flaked coconut: I recommend Baker’s Angel Flake for this recipe. The texture and moisture level of packaged coconut can vary quite a bit by brand, which can affect how the macaroons hold together and bake.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Gives the macaroons their sweetness and rich, chewy texture. You’ll use just shy of a full can; using too much can make the mixture overly wet and cause the macaroons to spread and pool as they bake.
- Egg whites: Whipped to stiff peaks and folded into the coconut mixture, they give the macaroons structure and keep them from being overly dense.
- Vanilla extract & salt: Vanilla enhances the coconut flavor, while salt balances the sweetness.
- Semisweet chocolate: Optional, but I love the contrast of bittersweet chocolate with the sweet coconut. It’s melted and used for dipping the bottoms of the cooled macaroons.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Coconut Macaroons
Make the coconut mixture: Combine the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and stir until evenly combined. The mixture should be moist and sticky but not loose or runny.
Whip and fold in the egg whites: Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. When you lift the beaters, the peaks should stand straight up without drooping. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture, taking care not to deflate them too much.
Shape and bake: Scoop the mixture into mounds on the baking sheets, then bake until the macaroons are golden on top and around the edges. Let them cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Dip in chocolate: If using the chocolate, melt it gently until smooth. Dip the bottoms of the cooled macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip off, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate briefly, just until the chocolate is set.
A Few Notes On Coconut Macaroons
Coconut macaroons are especially popular at Passover since they’re naturally flourless and don’t require any leavening. If you’re planning a holiday menu, you can find more ideas in my Passover recipes collection. And despite the similar name, macaroons are quite different from French macarons, the delicate meringue-based sandwich cookies made with almond flour. If those are what you’re looking for, try my French macaron recipe.
More Coconut Sweets You’ll Love
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 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). 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 in (2.5 cm) 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.
Notes
- There is a lot of variability in coconut depending on the brand you purchase. For the best results, I recommend Baker’s Angel Flake.
- To measure ⅞ cup of sweetened condensed milk, use ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- Freezing 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
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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Best macaroons ever!!!! This was the 3rd recipe I tried and it’s by far the best. Crunchy on the outside and chewy inside – perfect! Dipping in chocolate makes them a little more special – great.
I have made these many times (30+) and folks positively love them. I had something happen the last time that could be an indicator of issues for some failures (spreading out)… I separated my egg whites in bowl. I opened a bag of coconut and passed over the egg bowl. 3-4 flakes of coconut fell into the egg bowl. Such a small amount, surely that won’t affect anything. Wrong. The egg whites would not form stiff peaks due to the contamination! I put those aside and whipped another 2 egg whites and there was no problem at all. I learned something that day!
I was nervous about these after reading a review that called them dry and not sweet enough so I fudged the amount of sweetened condensed milk a little on the over side. I shouldn’t have worried!
They were very moist, almost falling apart because they were too moist. They squished into a ball easily and were plenty sweet. My biggest issue was that they stuck to the parchment paper, and that could very easily have been due to the extra sweetened condensed milk (or perhaps they were slightly underbaked at 25 minutes.) I won’t worry about that again.
DELICIOUS VARIATION
I pressed half a maraschino cherry into the center of each mound before baking, and put my melted chocolate in a plastic ziploc, cut a bit of the corner and zigzag drizzled it over the top after they came out instead of dipping them. Everyone said they were so good! My mother in law even took 6 home with her for later.
I used eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, bakers angel coconut flakes, real vanilla, etc.
This recipe is a staple at holidays! It suits my GF family and they are just amazing. Best recipe- I love Once Upon a Chef!
Dry and not sweet enough. The whipping of the egg whites adds no benefit. This is my third recipe and they are always dry. These were identical to Chef Johns at Food Wishes. These were not sweet enough to counter a dark chocolate. Milk chocolate would be ok. I would buy these in bakeries or even supermarkets and they were so moist you could squeeze it into a ball. These would certainly crumble apart if I tried that. I have tried letting the “dough” sit over night giving the coconut move time to soak up liquids to no avail. It could be my oven it could be my brand of coconut (have limited optons in third world country) but at the end of the day they were not sweet enough and that wasnot my fault. The search continues.
I made these for our family Christmas dinner and they were a huge hit! I found them easy to make (easy recipe to follow) and loved the touch of chocolate on the bottom. Fabulous recipe!
Just made these today, and they came out perfect, gorgeous, and delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much for this gem of a recipe! I’m pretty clueless in the kitchen as husband does all of the cooking but even I succeeded with your recipe! Macaroons are my favourite biscuits and I will be making my own from now on – these are 😋 full 5 stars for this recipe!
Hi Jenn, is it possible to make these macaroons using carton egg whites? I feel like I’ve had mixed results in the past with carton egg whites reaching stiff peaks but I would prefer to use them since I don’t have anything to make with the egg yolks at the moment.
Hi Lilee, I don’t feel confident that store-bought egg whites will whip up to stiff peaks so for the most predictable results, I’d stick with the real thing — sorry!
Coming back on here to say I followed the recipe and it was well worth having two leftover yolks (I will find something to do with them 🙂 )! These coconut macaroons were fabulous. I have truthfully not tried macaroons before, but these were so scrumptious. I made these for a family member that I drew in Secret Santa who loves coconut. I am so excited to gift these! And the recipe had enough for me to taste test a few 🙂 Merry Christmas!
So glad they came out well — thanks for reporting back!
A fine carefully designed recipe. Mine came out very well. Bakers: be sure and read the note about 7/8 cup of sweetened condensed milk! And I do think the brand of coconut was significant, not a marketing thing. (And I live in Hawaii!).
Love these! They turned out perfect and with the chocolate, they taste like Mounds candy bars which are my favorite.