Learn how to make coconut macaroons easily with this recipe. After spending months perfecting the macaron, another delicious meringue cookie, this will be a breeze! Coconut macaroons can be made a variety of ways, but in our opinion, meringue is a must to get that iconic delicate and chewy texture. Some use only meringue and coconut, some use only sweetened milk and coconut. Today we are blending the best of both worlds. You end up with a delicate, chewy cookie that is crispy on the outside and just the right amount of sweetness.

This coconut macaroon recipe with sweetened condensed milk is perfect in our opinion as it gives a depth of flavor and texture you don’t get with meringue alone. The texture becomes a bit gooey if you slightly under-bake them which some people adore. If you over-bake them, they don’t become dry and brittle like the traditional ones. In our opinion, these are just the right texture for a macaroon. The rice flour is used to keep them gluten free and we found it to be the perfect flavor, but you can use cornstarch or even ordinary all-purpose or plain flour in substitution easily. You can even leave it out. The purpose of the flour is to bind the cookies together a bit more so they retain their shape and don’t become too gluey tasting like some of those recipes out there.

Perhaps you’d like to dip these in chocolate? It’s really easy. Just melt a bag of chocolate chips with a teaspoon of shortening if you don’t want to temper the chocolate. You’ll need to place them in the fridge to set if you go this route over tempering, but it’s worth it. However, we found these coconut macaroons to be excellent on their own. One thing to note: being a meringue based cookie they are prone to become sticky as they age and in extremely humid environments. Store them in an air tight container and expect them to taste their best on the first day. After about the third day, they will start to become a bit mushy on the inside. This is the nature of macaroons. However, we’ve yet to see them make it that far.

Coconut Macaroons

Learn how to make classic coconut macaroons with this simple recipe. They are full of flavor, low in calories and addictive. You'll want to eat a whole plate!

Print Recipe

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time20 minutes minutes

Total Time40 minutes minutes

Servings36

Calories 90.5

Ingredients

• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 pkg (14oz) shredded coconut
• 2 large (60g) egg whites
• 3 tbs (42g) rice, corn or all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
• ¼ tsp (1.25g) salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C.)
• In a large bowl, add coconut flakes and toss them with the rice flour. (Any type of flour may be used as a substitute in equal amounts. Rice is the traditional flour used.)
• Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until medium peaks form. Fold into the coconut mixture.
• On a well-greased, non-stick or parchment lined cookie sheet, drop heaping tablespoons of batter 1/2" (1.25cm) apart.
• Bake 15-20 or until golden brown. Leave on baking sheet 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
• Store in an airtight container. These are best the same day.

Notes

Due to the meringue, macaroon cookies will naturally become stickier as they age.  They are best eaten the same day and keep up to 4 days depending on the humidity and how you store them.

If you use the rice flour, these are naturally gluten-free.  Be sure to check all ingredients on your packages to ensure no gluten is added for those with dietary restrictions.

 

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Macaroons

Serving Size

 

1 cookie

Amount per Serving

Calories

90.5

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3.7

g

6

%

Saturated Fat

 

3.1

g

19

%

Sodium

 

49.5

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

12.5

g

4

%

Fiber

 

1.5

g

6

%

Protein

 

1.8

g

4

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.