Coconut Macaroons

Why Make My Quick Coconut Macaroons!

Trader Joe’s coconut macaroons disappear fast in my house, and they’re made with just three simple ingredients. I wanted to recreate them at home, but most recipes online call for condensed milk, and opening a whole can to use less than a cup just felt wasteful. Plus, Trader Joe’s ingredient list says ‘sugar’ rather than condensed milk.

My fix is simple: sweetened coconut, a bit of sugar, fluffy egg whites, a splash of almond and vanilla, and a spoonful of coconut oil to keep the centers soft. 15 minutes in the oven and an optional semi-sweet chocolate dip give you crisp, chewy Macs that taste bakery-fresh with almost no cleanup. And if you need another lightning-fast bake, my Cake Mix Cookie Bars are just as simple.

Ingredient Notes

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Shredded, Sweetened Coconut: Use one 14-ounce, 400-gram bag. In some countries, such as the UK, supermarkets typically stock unsweetened desiccated coconut instead. If that is what you have, stir in 2-3 extra tablespoons of superfine/caster sugar for sweetness and 1-2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil for moisture.
• Superfine Sugar (Caster Sugar): The tiny grains dissolve fast and keep the cookies light. If you cannot find it, pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor until the crystals look a little powdery.
• Egg Whites: Whipped Egg whites are gently folded into the sugar and coconut mixture to create structure and keep the cookies from flattening in the oven.
• Coconut Oil: Use a bit of virgin or unrefined coconut oil to add flavor and keep the macaroons tender. If you don’t have coconut oil, substitute it with neutral-tasting oil such as avocado, or skip it altogether.
• Flavorings: To enhance the flavor of the coconut, we’ll use a bit of salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
• Melted Chocolate: This is optional, but I like to dip the bottoms of my macaroons in melted semi-sweet chocolate.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 1 vote

(Click stars to rate!)

Coconut Macaroons

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 18 minutes mins

Cooling Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

Author: Diana

• Pin It

Print Rate Recipe

These tender coconut macaroons are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, bound together with whipped egg whites and dipped in rich semi-sweet chocolate. They’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free (aside from optional chocolate).

20 cookies

These tender coconut macaroons are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, bound together with whipped egg whites and dipped in rich semi-sweet chocolate. They’re naturally gluten-free and dairy-free (aside from optional chocolate).

Equipment

• Oven
• Half-sheet cookie sheet
• Parchment paper
• Food processor
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric Mixer or Whisk
• 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop
• Spatula
• Microwave-safe bowl or double boiler

Ingredients 

1/2x1x2x3x

• ▢ 14 ounces (396 g) sweetened shredded coconut
• ▢ ⅓ cup (67 g) superfine sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (10 ml) virgin coconut oil melted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 large (120 g) egg whites
• ▢ 6 ounces (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate melted

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a half-sheet cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Add coconut, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, almond extract, and salt to a food processor. Pulse 10 times.
  
• Whip egg whites until stiff peaks.
  
• Add the coconut mixture, and gently fold into the egg whites.
  
• Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of mounds 1½ inches (4 cm) apart onto the prepared sheet.
  
• Bake 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Cool on the sheet for 30 minutes until completely set.
  
• If desired, dip the bases of cookies into melted chocolate. Set on parchment until firm.
  
• Set dipped cookies on parchment until firm.
  

Notes:

• Rotate the pan at 9 minutes for even browning.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• You’ll know your macaroons are ready when the edges and tops turn light golden brown and the coconut feels set to the touch. The bottoms should lift easily from the baking sheet without sticking. If you gently press the top, it shouldn’t feel wet or wobble, just firm. Let them cool on the tray for a few minutes to finish setting before moving them to a wire rack.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 122mg, Potassium: 126mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

Coconut Macaroon Tips

• Pulsing the coconut in a food processor breaks it down into smaller pieces so that the cookies hold together better. If you don’t have a food processor, spread the coconut on a cutting board and chop it up a bit with a large knife.
• Use a cookie scoop to create nice, rounded macaroons that are all identical in size and shape. Go slowly to avoid any air pockets in your scoops that could cause the cookies to bake oddly.
• Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure that the cookies brown evenly.
• To keep these cookies dairy-free, use dairy-free chocolate or skip the chocolate altogether.
• If you have extra chocolate once all the cookies are dipped, drizzle it over the top!
• Use the egg yolks! My Crème Anglaise sauce uses three of them, so they won’t need to go to waste.

More Easy Cookie Recipes

Cantucci Biscotti

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Danish Butter Cookies

Chocolate Shortbread Bites

All Cookies Here →

Recipe FAQs

Why are my coconut macaroons crumbly and dry?

They likely have too much coconut and/or too little binder. Be sure to use the whites from large eggs so that you have enough egg whites to hold the cookies together.

Why are my macaroons wet or leaking?

Excess liquid or under-whipped egg whites let sugar and moisture pool under the cookies. Measure liquids carefully and whip the whites to stiff peaks.

What makes macaroons undercooked in the center?

If you find that your coconut macaroons look perfect on the outside but are soggy or raw in the center, you may want to check on your oven temperature. I recommend picking up an inexpensive oven thermometer.