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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How would you recommend adapting this to a chocolate macaroon recipe? It seems like cocoa is the answer. Any suggestion on amount? Perhaps it needs a bit of sugar too?
Hi Debbie, adding cocoa powder may not give you a good result. You could stick with this recipe and dip the macaroons in chocolate or add some chocolate chips. If you truly want a chocolate macaroon, I think you’ll have the best luck with a recipe specifically for them.
Made these for my granddaughter’s birthday. They were a big hit. She loved them
I have made this recipe several times now and it’s always a huge success. Everyone keeps asking me to make more.
I first tried this using the sweetened coconut but found that that the cookies tasted too sweet since the condensed milk already has plenty of sugar. I then began using organic unsweetened coconut & they came out perfect so that is what I now use when making this recipe.
I also just made a batch using low sugar condensed milk along with the unsweetened coconut and still tastes terrific!
Love this recipe!
Margaret,
Did you use 14oz unsweetened coconut shreds or 7oz unsweetened coconut shreds? I’m just noticing now that my bags say 7oz. Hoping to adapt the recipe to decrease the sugar content.
Thanks!
Jenn, I know these will be delicious. But my neighborhood store (WF) only has unsweetened coconut. How should I adjust the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Barb, unfortunately, unsweetened coconut won’t work here, but if you Google Alice Medrich, she has a recipe that uses it and comes out really well.
Jenn, I didn’t see your reply until I’d already made them. Here’s everything I did wrong: wrong coconut, wrong size package (12 oz — all WholeF had), reduced condensed milk a little (maybe too much) to compensate — and they’re still gorgeous. They are drier than they should be but I dipped and drizzled them with chocolate so doubt I’ll have any complaints.
I always rely on your excellent recipes. Thank you for your clear instructions, your tips and especially for taking time to answer our questions. Thank you for making us all better cooks and bakers.
❣️
Hi Jennifer
I love so many of your recipes and these macaroons are a staple in our house especially over Passover. I just wanted to let you know I often make them with unsweetened coconut and they turn out amazing. also use the entire can of condensed milk and they come out great every time.
Thanks for your amazing recipes. I have shared your site with many friends over the years.
Maureen
Hi Jenn,
One of your biggest fans writing once again. I made these and they taste too delicious! I’m just not sure I cooked them long enough because they are sticky-chewy and the coconut seems to linger in my mouth for a very long time. I cooked them at 325 degrees but the bottoms and edges were so browned that I ended up taking them out after only 21-22 minutes. So, do you think it could be that I just didn’t cook them long enough? I don’t want them to burn so maybe 300 degrees for a longer period of time? Will they still brown up so nicely at 300 degrees? Thank you Jenn!!
Hi Pam, so glad you liked the recipes! The macaroons are naturally a bit chewy, but if they’re really sticky, they may have been a touch underbaked. If you want to avoid the bottoms browning too quickly next time, nest your baking sheet inside another one. That will provide an extra layer of insulation. And I’m not sure when you’re serving these, but if you let them sit out at room temperature, uncovered, that should help to dry them out a bit.
The best!
What size cookie scoop do you recommend?
#40 – Medium – 1.75 T
#20 – Large – 2.93 T
Thanks!!
Hi Carol, so glad you like them! I’d go with #40.
Hi Jenn, These look delicious. Has anyone (or you) mentioned trying the recipe using coconut condensed milk to make it dairy free?
Hi Jill, a few people have mentioned they’ve made these with sweetened condensed coconut milk successfully, so I definitely think it’s worth a try. Enjoy!
Tried it, but it didn’t look like the pictures. I used just a little less of the condensed milk and still it looked soupy. I clearly didn’t get the same results. Will see how they come out and try again. It looked easy enough to make but I still managed to screw it up. Maybe the egg whites added in too much liquid?
Hi Laura, If there was a lot of pooling around the macaroons, likely, the egg whites weren’t whipped enough. Make sure you beat them to stiff peaks. Hope that helps!
Hey Jenn! I’ve made this macaroon recipe over 20 times, and each time it comes out perfectly. Sometimes I do a capuccino version or other flavors and everyone always loves them. With spring shortly here, I want to do a key lime version dipped in white chocolate. So, I was thinking of zesting a few key limes and adding in some fresh juice (3-4tbl) from them. My concern is the additional liquid will throw everything off balance and probably cause them to collapse. Should I decrease some of the condensed milk to compensate for the addition of the lime juice, but I figure the condensed milk acts as a binder. I saw a couple of key lime macaroon recipes online, and they use flour which I guess compensates for the additional liquid, but I don’t want to mess with the existing texture which is perfection. Please provide your expert advice!!!! Thanks.
Hi Jay, I think a key lime version sounds delicious, but I agree that the lime juice will throw off the texture. I think you’ll get enough lime flavor from the zest. I’d love to know how they turn out if you try it!
So this was my first try making macaroons. I’ve also never made anything meringue. So all went well until I added the whipped egg whites to the coconut and milk mix. It was too liquidity and I couldn’t form balls at all. I baked them anyway, flat as they were. They were still very tasty! What do you think I did wrong? I carefully measured the sweetened condensed milk. Did I maybe not whip the egg whites long enough? What could I have done to remedy the batch by adding something to thicken it up?
Hi Julie, yes, I feel confident that the egg whites weren’t whipped enough. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do to remedy the batch if the egg whites aren’t the right texture. Glad you liked the way they tasted, though, so lesson learned for next time! 😊