Coconut Macaroons

Content… Macaroons vs. Macarons—What’s the Difference? Recipe Ingredients How to Make Them Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Tasty Coconut Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

Coconut Macaroons vs. Coconut Macarons—What’s the Difference?

That one little “o” makes a world of difference in the dessert world. Macaroons are essentially chewy coconut balls like in the pictures. Macarons, on the other hand, are brightly colored sandwich cookies with cream filling.

It sounds simple enough, but they’re pretty complicated compared to the fuss-free macaroons. Making perfect macarons requires practice and experience. That may be why they’re often displayed like pricey jewelry. Don’t worry because that’s not what we’re doing today. 😅

Recipe Ingredients

1. Coconut – The main ingredient in these delightful macaroons is coconut flakes! The sweetened variety tastes better, but you can use unsweetened if your macaroons less sweet.
2. Sweetened Condensed Milk – I prefer sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar because it makes incredibly moist and chewy macaroons. Still, I’ve included the option to use sugar instead, in case you’d like to keep things dairy-free.
3. Egg Whites – These guys keep the macaroons light and fluffy but still delightfully chewy.
4. Extracts – Vanilla and almond extract add just the right flavor to these coconut bites.
5. Semi-Sweet Chocolate – This optional ingredient is perfect for a chocolatey drizzle to decorate and complement the coconut flavor. Mounds anyone? 😋

How to Make Coconut Macaroons

Make the Coconut Macaroons

• Ready the Oven – Set the oven racks near the center of the oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F/162℃. Then line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix – Mix the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Set aside. (Photos 1-2)
• Beat the Egg Whites – Beat the egg whites and salt in an electric mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. (Photos 3-4)
• Combine – Fold the beaten egg whites into the coconut mixture with a large rubber spatula. (Photos 5-6)
• Form Macaroons – Form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds with a mini ice cream scoop or two large spoons on the baking sheets, spacing them about an inch apart. (Photo 7)
• Bake – Place the baking sheets in the middle of the oven and bake for 23-25 minutes. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back so they bake evenly until the tops and edges are golden. (Photo 7)
• Chill – Let the macaroons cool for a few minutes on the pans, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Chocolate Dip

• Melt the Chocolate – If you’d like to dip your macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave on medium power in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir at 30-second intervals until just smooth and creamy. Or you can melt the chocolate over hot water in a double boiler. (Photos 9-10)
• Dip the Macaroons – Dip the macaroons (bottom first) in the chocolate, then let the excess drip back into the bowl. After that, put them back on the lined baking sheets.
• Chill – Refrigerate the macaroons for about 10 minutes until the chocolate sets.

Recipe Variations

1. Get creative with the extracts. Lemon, orange, or even peppermint extracts would make these macaroons taste beautiful.
2. Make mocha macaroons. 😋 Replace almond extract with a tablespoon of instant coffee and dip the finished macaroons in chocolate.

Tips and Tricks

1. For a finer texture, pulse the coconut in your food processor a few times. Remember, though, that the finer texture will make the macaroons more compact.
2. Cool the macaroons before storing them, or they’ll create condensation and lose their perfect crunchy outer layer.
3. If you make this recipe with sugar instead of condensed milk, beat the sugar with the egg whites until you get stiff peaks.
4. You can bump up the coconut flakes by a cup or two for crispier and lighter coconut macaroons.

Make-Ahead Instructions

They’ll stay good for about a week, so go ahead and make them per the recipe a day or two (or three!) ahead of time.

You can also freeze macaroons for three months and thaw them in the fridge. 🙌

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve these delicious bites any time after they’ve cooled. Keep coconut macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature unless, of course, you prefer them chilled. They’ll keep for about a week.

FAQs

What to Serve With Coconut Macaroons

I love to have a few macaroons with a nice hot drink. A chai tea latte is ideal, but even a cup of ginger tea complements this dessert nicely.

Coconut macaroons also go well served alongside other tropical desserts. I like to make them when I make mango fool, no-bake key lime mango coconut cheesecake pie, or pineapple cake. Mmm! 🤤

More Tasty Coconut Recipes to Try

• Coconut Bread
• Coconut Cake
• Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk
• Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls (Pani Popo)
• Coconut Puff Puff
• Ambrosia Salad

Conclusion

These coconut macaroons are so delicious and so easy to make! I know you’ll love them as much as I do. Already tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it in the comment section below. 🫶

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.