Moist and chewy, coconut macaroons are perfect for Passover or Christmas baking! They’re also naturally gluten-free!
Coconut Macaroons
Coconut Macaroons… and making macaroons couldn’t be easier, you simply combine coconut flakes, egg whites, and sugar, simmer on the stove, cool then bake in the oven. If you want to get fancy you could add some slivered almonds or drizzle them with chocolate, or turn these into Easter Egg Nests for the holiday, but here’s a basic recipe.
What makes a macaroon a macaroon?
A macaroon is a type of cookie that is baked with ground coconut and almonds, or another type of nut, as its’ main ingredients.
What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?
Macaroons are a coconut-based, sweet and chewy cookie with lots of texture while macarons are a meringue-based delicate cookie that ranges in a large variety of flavors and fillings.
Do coconut macaroons need to be refrigerated?
No, if you’re eating the cookies within the first couple of days there is no need and keeping them in a container will be fine. But, if you plan on eating them over the course of 2 weeks or so, then I would keep them in the fridge to keep its’ moisture.
Coconut Macaroons
Equipment
- heavy saucepan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup egg whites, from 5 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 10 oz sweetened coconut flakes, Baker's (about 3 1/3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, sugar and coconut flakes and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the ingredients combine together, about 12-15 minutes.
- The mixture should be sticky and moist, not dry.
- Remove from heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside on a dish and let it cool in the refrigerator about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300F°.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop tightly packed tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Bake 27-30 minutes or until golden.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Categories:
Can I use Stevia instead of sugarRonnie
Is there anything I can use outside of almond extract? My son is deathly allergic to almonds. 🙁
Almond extract gives it it’s distinct taste but you can omit and use more vanilla.
What about artificial almond extract, would he tolerate that if it’s almond-free? Coconut extract would be good too.
Can I use unsweetened coconut flakes?
No I don’t think they will work.
Hi how much sugar content should be increased if using unsweetened coconut flakes.TIA
You need to use sweetened coconut for this recipe.
This is my first time ever making coconut macaroons and they turned out amazing. Better than any I’ve ever had from a bakery. I only got 22 cookies out of the mixture but I followed the recipe exactly as written. I used a tablespoon size cookie scoop and packed the mixture in to form each cookie. I baked for about 30 minutes until they were golden and they were so moist and delicious. They held together great! The only problem is going to be leaving them alone! Yum!
GIna, I have been trying to recreate a recipe for macaroons for the last 4 years, and I am determined to get this right! I make them specifically for my partner who has various food sensitivities.. My issue is that the cookie crumbles (no pun intended). It just doesn’t hold up after baking/cooling, and I have to refrigerate them otherwise they fall apart). I have tried whipping egg whites, that did not work. I use a liquid sweetener, instead of dried sugar, which most recipes call for and I find that when I use it with whipped egg whites the frothing dies. With your recipe, I was excited that I did not have to worry about whipping egg whites, and seeing that everything was going to get wet in the pan- liquid sugar should be fine! Verdict? It mixed well in the pan, but was not very sticky, consistency with spooning- cause crumbling, so I had to literally form the macaroons in my hand. It baked and crisped up beautifully, tasted wonderful, but once again… I had to handle very carefully because they crumbled.
I wish I knew, I didn’t have this issue any time I’ve made them.
I am wondering if you used unsweetened coconut, that may be the issue!
FYI. I usually use 2 bags of coconut for this recipe and they always turn out great. I use way more coconut that’s in the original recipe
Great!
I followed the recipe exactly except I drizzle dark chocolate over them once cooled and let it harden. Mine were moist and would have been great but they were way too eggy. I would suggest less egg white or more coconut. Then they would have been great. I will try again some day with that suggestion.
They tasted great!
10oz is how many cups of shredded coconut? Thanks!
3 1/3 cups
I just made Coconut Macaroons last night and loved it so much!
I made these with 1/4 cup of organic cacao powder and added two extra eggs whites (large size) in order to compensate for the change in recipe.I also used coconut sugar instead of white sugar and plain, (desiccated) coconut and a small amount (about 2 ounces all I had left in cabinet) of lightly sweetened Trader Joe's shredded coconut. The taste was awesome! (less sweet than any I ever had)– but that's a good thing since macaroons are usually kinda off the diet list… I think I should add more liquid or cook less time– any suggestions?
I used agave since I didn't have honey in the house and they were a HUGE hit at Thanksgiving. Every one of your recipes I have tried have been delicious. I'm so thankful a friend turned me on to your website.
The last time I made coconut macaroons, I dipped the tops into melted chocolate. Just melt some semisweet chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil and dip the cooled cookies. So pretty!
I just made these, and they were great! Everyone loved them, and no one knew or guessed they were "skinny"! I omitted the almond extract because I was all out.
Will liquid egg whites work?
Gina, Thank you so much for the recipe! Hubby ran to the store for last minute Passover stuff and they were out. It's on the stove now!
Enjoy!
Hello! Thank you for your wonderful posts! Is there a substitute for the egg whites? I have a friend who is cutting out gluten, but also eggs and egg whites. I am keeping an eye out for gluten free recipes for her.
No sorry!
Great recipe. First time I've ever made macaroons and they turned out delicious. The only change I made was to make the macaroons bigger (I made 12 instead of the 38) by packing the cooled mixture into a 1/4 measuring cup before placing each of the twelve on a wax paper covered cooking sheet. They held their shape throughout! Thanks!
I mixed in a 1/4 cup of dutch process cocoa powder!
I have a variation on these — I heated the sugar by itself until is melted and then caramelized. Looked like hell when I added the egg whites at first but it smoothed out OK and the finished product was AMAZING. The original recipe is already pretty good but adding the caramel really gives it depth. Hopefully I'll be able to replicate my experiment 🙂
Tips: watch the sugar like a hawk,I mean a HAWK, no distractions, do not check your phone do not look away. Burned sugar smells horrible and you'll ruin your pan. Don't bother to temper the eggs first, you'll just get hardened sugar threads for your pains, just dump the egg whites right in and stir like crazy 'til they incorporate.
Gina – these look great, bringing them to a work party next week! By the way – I love this canister you have them stored in, where did you get it?
The Dollar Store 🙂
Loving this Gina! Thanks once again for a simple, satisfying offering!…Question…could I possibly use un-sweetened coconut as the sweet sort is almost impossible to find here in France?..Would I therefore need to "up" the sugar if so?…I realize the sweetened variety probably gives the gorgeous "toasty tan" tone to the finished macaroon!
Sure I bet they would be great.
I had a batch come out that fell apart, but I had two before that turned out perfectly. I think I squished them together more before putting them on the baking sheet the first two times (like making a snowball). I'm trying again this week!
Wow. That's all I can say. I have never liked macaroons until today. They always look yummy in the bakery case, and then the flavor and texture are disappointing. But I had leftover egg whites after making ice cream, and there's been a bag of coconut in my cupboard for months, and my boyfriend loves macaroons, so I went for it. He's just going to have to share, because I LOVE these. Soft and chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and the flavor is amazing! I got exactly 30 cookies, making them 1 tablespoon each.
Agh! I just made these and the mixture seemed to bleed out in the oven, these were a mess! I don't know how to get them looking cute and compact like your pictures….
I made these last night and they were heavenly. It was hard stopping myself at just two. Thank you!
I made these today but my mix was dry and they didn't stay together:( I don't know what I did wrong.
Wow how wonderful!I just make them,i used different flavors,and colors,my husband love them and ask me to make more!! Thanks Gina.From Morocco
I just made your macaroons and they are amazing! I added 1/4 cup of slivered almonds and dipped half of each cookie in melted semi-sweet chocolate, and they are to die for. Thank you so much for posting this! What a fantastic recipe.
I just made these today and they delicious, my whole family liked them.
If you want to use the chocolate, they do make sugarfree chocolate chips now. Walmart has them and so does Fry'
(which is Kroger's).
Oh my goodness!!! Your blog always brings water to my mouth 🙂 These little macaroons look devine!!!
Gosh, I don't even really LIKE coconut very much, but these are addictive. I had a bit of coconut leftover from another recipe and was craving something sweet. Yum! I'm a HORRIBLE baker and these were easy peezy.
Can I use agae nectar or honey in place of the sugar or does it have to be white granulated sugar?? btw love this site i cook atleast one thing a day from here 🙂 thank you
If you substitute rice Krispy treats. It's even skinnier.
I made these today and they were great. I substituted the 2/3 cups of sugar with 1 tablespoon of Truvia. It was plenty sweet for me because I also drizzled it with semi sweet chocolate. Comparing these to an original macaroon that uses sweet condensed milk, they are a great, healthy, yummy alternative!
I went ahead and made them with agave, used the same amount of sugar 2/3 cup but used unsweetened coconut. Turned out great. Kept their shape great……started making them to big so I went smaller with the second batch and I liked that size the best. You def should make them small enough to get 30.
So I made this for the second seder I was going to. Everyone loved them!
And I didn't get a chance to peek at the answer to my original question of chocolate, but I ended up dipping them instead, and they were a hit, along with the 30 other macaroons people brought!
Gina — These were soooooooo good. I had a friend (who hates coconut) make them for a Seder and they were gone in a flash. Even my son who said he doesn't like coconut ate 4. Thank you for all that you do.
Deborah
Is there anyway you could do printer friendly versions with pictures?
I just made them and they turned out amazing. Thank you so much. My mom who needs gluten free will be so siked tomorrow.
I followed the recipe but only got 15 cookies! Can you pls check over…is there a typo somewhere?
Made these for Easter weekend. So easy and yummy. I never liked coconut until a few years ago. I was looking at other recipes and they called for sweet condensed milk and flour or cornstarch. Thank You for this wonderful site. I had made many recipes and enjoy it each day.
Will these turn out using agave or honey?
Hi, I understand 300° Fahrenheit, not Celsius?
Can you use a sugar substitute since the coconut is already sweetened?
I color the coconut w/ food coloring and shape them into eggs for Easter. so cute
Hi Gina! I love this website and it has made mine and my husband's lives 10x healthier and better. I had a question or maybe it's a challenge. I am moving to Boston this summer and would like to know if you knew a lightened up recipe of Boston Creme Pies. I really would love to surprise my husband with it as a toast to our new lives, but would like to keep it moderately healthy. Anything would be helpful. Thanks!
my friends make this weightwatchers friendly dish with pudding chocolate and crackers..somehow it comes out tasting just like a boston creme donut, its so yummy..im not sure of recipie but i think its no bake and really easy, maybe try searching for it
I have the same question as Dora. I have a very similar recipe, but I just put the mixture in the oven and they turn out great. It doesn't seem necessary to cook the coconut mixture before putting in the oven.
These would be perfect for Easter! I've seen a lot of recipes for coconut macaroons on Pinterest lately and molding them into a nest shape and filling them with chocolate eggs, a little bird nest! 🙂
I think I did something wrong 🙁 All I tasted was the egg. Do you think that it's possible that I didn't add enough coconut?
Beckala – they should be ALL coconut. The egg just holds them together. Did you use 10 oz of coconut? That should be almost a whole bag of coconut from the grocery store.
I used the recipe exactly and it turned out great… I have a gas stove though so I had to practically cook the mixture on low so the egg wouldn't cook to fast… I didn't want to end up with coconut scrambled eggs 🙂
I love macaroons with their little bottoms dipped in dark chocolate. But…that makes me "bad", doesn't it!
These look great! My husband has a nut allergy, so can I omit the almond extract or should I substitute with something else? Thank you so much!
I had the Same question just different reason. Haven't gotten an answer yet.
She seems pretty good about responding to people, so I am sure she will!=)
I have used lemon extract and it tastes really good with the coconut…
vanilla extract!!
…but i think you should put a bit more than the required amount because almond extract is stronger…
These look amazing! I love your blog, it's the only cooking blog I keep visiting 🙂
Out of curiosity, what does cooking the coconut mixture do for this recipe? I am asking because I have a very similar recipe, but you just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, scoop the mixture onto a parchment paper covered pan, then bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. (They've always turned out fabulous.)
I'm just wondering if cooking the coconut mixture does something extra for the flavor and/or texture.
Quick question..I have everything except the Almond Extract. Are there any substitutions? Or can it just be skipped? Oh and the Parch..PPR. Don't have that either. Will that cause a problem while cooking? My first time making them and I have NO clue what I'm doing. Ha Ha! Thanks for any help.
These are a lot easier than I realized! How great that they're gluten-free as well. Thanks for sharing!
This looks great! I've been looking for good Passover recipes! Thanks!
Another option to chocolate drizzle – mini choc chips!
Looks so yummy! Can't wait to try out.
Прекрасни кокоски!Браво!
Would the pasteurized egg whites in a carton work in this recipe? My husband loves those & thus I always have a couple of cartons in the fridge.
macaroons are a HUGE weakness of mine. When I eat them I can eat 5 or 6!! 🙁
Self control def comes into play here : )
I'm going to be starting back on Weight watchers as of tomorrow (April 2nd) and I'm so glad you posted this recipe!!! I absolutely love these and the fact that they aren't processed/store bought is even better! I'm trying to go as organic as my paycheck will let me.
I love macaroons and your recipe looks delicious. You should try them with a Hersheys kiss on them!!!
they look delicious!! i am going to give them a try on the weekend!!
Looks and sounds amazing. I absolutely adore coconut, so this is a must try for me!
These turned out awesome. But I yielded many fewer than 38 and they seemed small enough, hmmm.
Thanks for all your recipes, they are so much fun and it is AWESOME having the points+ calculated for me 🙂
Sorry here's the link http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/03/raspberry-coconut-macaroons/
Gina, I just made these today. Might be a nice twist for another day. I love coconut! Hope you like them.
I have these in the oven right now! I couldn't even just pin the recipe and make it later. The minute it showed up on my Google Reader feed, I practically rushed to the kitchen! The best part thus far? Scrapping the gooey leftover coconut flakes off the sides of the pan while they're in the oven. Definitely going to bring these to my family's Easter Dinner too! These are even easier than your coconut cornflake cookies (which are REALLY easy). Thank you for making recipes with ingredients I always have!
These look amazing! I love coconut macaroons!
Yum! I was thinking of making these today and than you posted this recipe. Perfect!!!
I love macaroons, what is the association with Passover?
They are a passover friendly cookie because they don't have flour.
It's not that they have no flour, it's that they have no leavening.
Umm, no, Gina's right- its the flour thing.
There is 'passover flour', but only unleavened bread is traditionally eaten.
What kind of chocolate would you use? Maybe the same one from your super moist cupcakes or just a sugar free syrup?
I would melt semi sweet chocolate, maybe about 2 oz? and drizzle on top with spoon.
These look really good!
I played around with the ratio of egg whites, coconut and sugar. And let them cool before forming them.
I've used a similar recipe that included almond flour instead of extract and even with a flour type ingredient they didn't stay round and up right- how did you get yours so nice and round?
They look great! Would also love it if you would try your hand at macarons…I keep seeing them in bakeries all over Manhattan, they look so wonderful!
French Macarons are not easy!!
I just made these and they are amazing. Can you tell me how long they keep for and have you ever frozen them.
Thank you
Beverley
Nottingham, England
I MAKE THESE FOR CHRISTMAS AND THEY FREEZE GREAT.