Food and Recipes Desserts Cookies Coconut Macaroons Be the first to rate & review! Soft and chewy inside, crisp and golden outside—these are the perfect coconut macaroons. By Laura Kanya Laura Kanya Laura Kanya served as a recipe tester and developer in the Vermont test kitchen of Dotdash Meredith. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades, including as a pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef, and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, and food production companies. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 12, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: 40 macaroons Jump to recipe Coconut macaroons make for a sweet, light treat—and they’re deceptively easy to make. This recipe requires just six easy-to-find ingredients and only 10 minutes of active preparation time. The result is a cookie that's crunchy on the slightly caramelized outside, and creamy and fluffy on the inside, with aromas of vanilla and almond. Divine! To whip up a batch of these coconut macaroons even more easily, go with a freeform shape, which also keeps the texture lighter and fluffier in the final product. And if you want to really level up, dip these in dark chocolate for a fancy confection sure to please a crowd. 60+ Top-Rated Desserts Everyone Should Make At Least Once Coconut Macaroons Ingredients To make the coconut macaroons in this easy recipe, you will need: sweetened flaked coconutsweetened condensed milkvanilla extractalmond extractkosher salteggs All ingredients are easy to find at conventional grocery stores (and most you probably already have in the pantry right now). Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Frequently Asked Questions Ready to make a batch of coconut macaroons but have a few questions? We can help! What's the difference between a coconut macaroon and a macaron? Although macaroon and macaron sound alike, these are two very different cookies. A French macaron is a sandwich cookie with a meringue base, typically tinted in hues every color of the rainbow. A coconut macaroon, as in this recipe, is a drop cookie with a shredded or flaked coconut base. Macaron Vs. Macaroon: What's The Difference? What are the ingredients in coconut macaroons? Shredded or flaked coconut is the typical foundation of a coconut macaroon recipe. Dairy ingredients often include eggs and condensed milk, plus added sweeteners. 16 Coconut Cake Recipes For The Perfect Ending To Any Meal Why do my coconut macaroons fall apart? Coconut macaroons fall apart due to too much moisture in the recipe; if there’s too much moisture, the cookies will spread out flat in a liquidy pool. If you find your cookies are pooling, reduce the liquid as a ratio to the coconut. Further, if the egg whites aren't beaten to stiff-peak stage, the coconut macaroons will turn out runny. And be careful not to overmix the whites when folding them into the coconut mixture. This can deflate the whites and cause them to separate from the cookie mixture, causing puddles to form under the macaroons. Do coconut macaroons need to be refrigerated? Coconut macaroons may be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. They will last longer if stored in the fridge. To make them last even longer, wrap them individually before placing the cookies in an air-tight container and freezing. 40 Party Cookie Recipes For Every Occasion Are Coconut Macaroons Kosher for Passover? With just a few ingredients like coconut and eggs, most all coconut macaroon recipes can be made kosher. And they can even be kosher when dipped in chocolate as a fancy finisher: Technically, chocolate is derived from a fruit from the cacao plant, and not a bean. So just pick a brand that is certified kosher if you plan to dip these, and you’ll be in the clear for a kosher table. Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin. Ingredients 1 (14-oz.) pkg. sweetened flaked coconut (4 cups) 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (from 1 [14-oz.] can) 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. almond extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 2 large egg whites, at room temperature Directions Prepare oven and pans: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Make coconut cookie base: Stir together coconut, condensed milk, vanilla, almond extract, and salt in a large bowl. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Whip egg whites: Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Finish dough: Carefully fold half of the whipped egg whites into coconut mixture to lighten. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Fold remaining egg whites in until just combined. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Scoop cookies: Scoop mixture by tablespoonfuls about 1/2 inch apart onto prepared baking sheets. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Bake, then cool: Bake in preheated oven in 2 batches until golden brown, rotating pan halfway through, 22 to 24 minutes per batch. Remove from oven, and cool completely on baking sheet set over a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Rate it Print Additional reporting by Alesandra Dubin