These naturally gluten free homemade coconut macaroons are sweet, moist, and chewy on the inside with a delightfully crisp exterior. They’re quick and easy (no dough chilling required!), and come together with just 5 simple ingredients. I originally published this recipe in 2013, and included a variation in my cookbook Sally’s Cookie Addiction.
When done right, coconut macaroons taste like the irresistible coconut center of an Almond Joy or Mounds bar. Chewy, moist, and sweet! When done wrong, they’re dry and fall apart easily.
The recipe below is my all-time favorite, and its perfect combination of ingredients produces oh-so-moist and tender macaroons with delightfully crisp exteriors. They’re a favorite in my collection of naturally gluten free dessert recipes. You can leave them plain (with just 5 ingredients), or add a dunk in chocolate and/or almond on top.
Coconut Macaroons Details
- Just 5 ingredients in the base recipe
- Can leave plain or add toppings/add-ins
- Dough comes together in 1 bowl
- No cookie dough chilling required
- Naturally gluten free and dairy free
And remember, these are coconut macaroons, not macarons. If you want to learn how to make those delicate sandwich cookies, I have an in-depth French macarons tutorial.
3 Notes About The Coconut:
- Use Sweetened Coconut: Sweetened coconut is extremely moist and a little sticky, which is exactly what you want for these cookies. Unsweetened coconut can work instead, but you may need to increase the egg whites and add more sugar. For best results, use sweetened.
- Measure Accurately: You need 4 and 3/4 cups (about 385g) of sweetened shredded coconut, which is a little less than a standard 14-ounce package.
- Chop It/Pulse It: Pulse the coconut shreds in the food processor a few times to chop up the pieces. Why? Smaller pieces of coconut help the cookies hold their shape better—the cookies will be more compact this way. If you don’t have a food processor, spread the coconut onto a cutting board and give it all a rough chop.
Here are the ingredients you need:
Finer pieces of coconut help the macaroons hold shape better; I pulse it with a food processor a few times to break down the shreds:
Make the Coconut Macaroons Dough
Even though the process is really easy, I want to walk you through a few steps so you can have success on the first try. This has been my favorite recipe for decades, and I’ve picked up on several tricks (learn from my mistakes!).
In addition to coconut, egg whites are a main ingredient in this dough. More specifically, beaten egg whites. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, you’ll beat the egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract together on medium-high speed until foamy and the sugar is mostly dissolved. The trick here is to not over-beat the egg whites—this should really only take 1 minute.
If you over-beat the eggs, you’ll end up with a stiff meringue-like mixture, and the baked macaroons will be very dry.
Here’s what you’re looking for (on the left):
Fold the chopped coconut shreds into the egg white mixture. After that, use a medium cookie scoop to shape 1.5 Tablespoon portions of dough onto a lined baking sheet. I usually fit 12 on a standard 12×17-inch half baking sheet.
Coconut macaroons do not spread much while baking. Sometimes they can leak a little sugar/egg white liquid, but if you chopped the coconut up enough, this shouldn’t really happen.
Bake until a little toasty on top, about 20 minutes at 325°F (163°C).
Avoid Over-Baking
Bake for only a precise 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Over-baking will dry out your coconut macaroons.
Can I Add Add-Ins or Toppings?
Yes, absolutely! Macaroons can be dressed up in so many different ways. While they’re absolutely incredible plain, I love dipping the bottoms in melted dark chocolate. Other varieties:
- Chocolate almond macaroons: Pictured below! These remind me of an Almond Joy candy bar. Instructions in the recipe notes.
- Sprinkle loaded macaroons: Carefully fold 1/3 cup (about 57g) sprinkles in the coconut macaroon dough before scooping and baking. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls).
- White chocolate cranberry macaroons: Add 3/4 cup (about 100g) of dried cranberries to the dough when you add the shredded coconut. Melt 4 ounces of pure white chocolate and drizzle over cooled macaroons.
- Strawberry macaroons: Here’s my strawberry coconut macaroons recipe.
- Almond butter macaroons: Here’s my almond butter coconut macaroons recipe.
If you’re looking for a moist and chewy coconut macaroon with a toasty exterior, you’ve come to the right place. When you’re feeling fancy, dress the simple recipe up with any of my suggested varieties in the recipe notes. Be sure to try my almond butter coconut macaroons, too!
More Coconut Recipes
- Coconut Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Dark Chocolate Coconut Blondies
- Coconut Rum Truffles
- Coconut Chocolate Easter Cupcakes
Coconut Macaroons
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (includes cooling)
- Yield: 18 large cookies (or 24 small)
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These naturally gluten free and dairy free homemade coconut macaroons are sweet, moist, and chewy on the inside with a delightfully crisp exterior. They’re quick and easy (no dough chilling required!), and come together with just 5 simple ingredients. Avoid over-baking.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 and 3/4 cups (385g) chopped sweetened shredded coconut (a little less than one 14-ounce package, see note)*
- optional: two 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bars (226g), finely chopped
Instructions
- Preliminary Note: I recommend pulsing the coconut in the food processor a few times to cut it down and break it up. Finer pieces of coconut make a tighter, more compact coconut macaroon that will hold its shape. Measure 4 and 3/4 cups after it’s been pulsed. If you do not have a food processor, spread the coconut onto a large cutting board and roughly chop it.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Make the macaroons: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract together on medium-high speed until foamy and the sugar is mostly dissolved, only about 1 minute. Do not over-beat. Fold in the chopped coconut, making sure the coconut is evenly moistened.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop 1.5 Tablespoons (about 30g) of the mixture and arrange on prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. (For smaller cookies, measure 1 Tablespoon (about 18-20g) per cookie.)
- Bake until lightly browned around the edges and tops, about 20 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan to help ensure even baking.
- Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The bottoms may be sticky, so use a thin spatula to help release them from the mat/parchment paper.
- Dip in chocolate (optional): Melt the chopped chocolate, either in a double boiler or the microwave. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Dip each cooled coconut macaroon in the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking sheets. Allow chocolate to set in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Macaroons stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Macaroons, with or without chocolate, freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can prepare the coconut macaroon dough up to 3 days in advance; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Thin Spatula | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate)
- Can I use unsweetened coconut? I love unsweetened coconut for a lot of baking recipes, however, it’s not the best choice for this macaroon recipe. The macaroons will taste dry. Feel free to try increasing the egg whites and sugar, if you’d like.
- Chocolate Almond Coconut Macaroons: Follow recipe above. Melt an additional 2 ounces of chocolate. (10 ounces in total.) Dip the bottoms of the cooled macaroons in the chocolate, as directed in the recipe above, and then drizzle remaining chocolate on top of each. Press 1 almond into the tops while the chocolate drizzle is still wet.
- Sprinkle Loaded Macaroons: Carefully fold 1/3 cup (about 57g) sprinkles in the coconut macaroon dough before scooping and baking. Avoid nonpareils (the little balls).
- White Chocolate Cranberry Macaroons: Add 3/4 cup (about 100g) of dried cranberries to the dough when you add the shredded coconut. Melt 4 ounces of pure white chocolate and drizzle over cooled macaroons.
Made these for the second time today. The first time I did not pulse the coconut and they came out beautiful with the signature errant coconut flake sticking out here and there with golden tips. The pulsed coconut gave them…more of a merengue look. The pulsing did make the 4 and 3/4 cups more like 4 and 1/4 cups and since I only purchased one 14 oz bag of coconut I did not have enough for the full recommended amount. They are still pretty but I would recommend maybe an additional amount of coconut or skipping the pulsing.
Sally, is it possible to use unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened? Thank you! -Carol
P.S. Love your recipes! I’ve tried many and they all come out terrifically!
Hi Carol! To be honest, I love unsweetened coconut for a lot of baking– however, it’s not the best coconut for my macaroon recipe. Maybe you can search the internet for another macaroon recipe that calls for unsweetened. Sorry!
Hi Sally, I ended up using half sweetened (that’s all I had in the house at the moment) and half unsweetened coconut. It worked great and they were delicious! Also, I didn’t pulse the coconut because some of what I had was shredded. (The rest was flaked.) Worked like a charm!
Love your recipes, Sally. I’m making New York Crumb Cake today!
Amazing recipe! So easy to put together and really tasty as a small snack
I have made coconut macaroons many times and every time I make them they don’t turn out right — Until today that is. The baking tips made for the perfect Coconut macaroon, just as you described. As usually, another fantastic recipe. Thank you Sally!
These taste delicious. They do have a sticky feel to them. I used a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and made 26 cookies. The first time I used a heaping tablespoon and a half and made 16. So I’m not sure how big they’re supposed to be.
Hi Sally,
Made these this morning, can’t believe how easy! It was a request from my wife, and they came out perfect! Very simple, no chocolate, just you’re basic recipe.. thanks again, you make my baking so easy :).
Hi, Sally! I just made these & will take it off line as I have too many questions to post here! But, basically 1) My cookies were “soupy” & flattened out. 2) How do you dip the cookies & get them out! I have short nails & it was hard getting the cookies out of the chocolate.
Thanks!
Recipe calls for 4 and 3/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk and then it says little less than one can.
4 and 3/4 cups is a lot more than one cup?
Would like to try this recipe, but not sure of amount?
Hi Deanna! The recipe calls for 4 and 3/4 cups of sweetened shredded coconut.
A blender works very well, yes!
If i cut out the almond extract is that ok? And I have semi sweet chocolate chips chop ans meltimg those shouldn’t be to much of a difference right?
Hi Bethany! Chocolate chips don’t melt down properly to use as a drizzle or coating, but you can try adding oil to thin them out. You can leave out the almond extract if desired.
Sally,
I made these chocolate macaroons this morning to complete my 10 dozen cookies that I need for this weekend. This is definitely a “keeper” recipe. Thank-you for sharing your knowledge of baking. I also ordered and received the baking sheets that you recommended. They are priceless.
Sally, can I dip these completely in dark chocolate? Do I add oil to the chocolate? Also, you first mentioned using a medium scoop but scrolling down to the recipe it says to use a large scoop. Which do I use?
Hi Linda! Scoops vary in sizes between brands, but I usually use a MEDIUM scoop for these. Sorry about that confusion. You can fully dunk in chocolate. I recommend adding oil to the melted chocolate to thin it out.
What a hit!!! I planned to use chocolate.. BUT, these got such rave reviews they seriously don’t need a thing! Everyone says they taste like a coconut angel food cake. I made them for all my neighbors for the holidays and they’ll be staying in my recipe book!
I am wondering if I can make the dough, portion it into balls and freeze them for baking later. Have you tried this with this recipe? TIA.
You sure can! Freeze for up to 3 months. I would bake from frozen. Thawing first would encourage over-spreading.
I made this and they came out so good I’m gonna make them again thanks for sharing.
I just tried this at home and it so good!! They’re not too sweet so its prefect for me and my family as we don’t have sweet tooth like other people. Thank you so so much for sharing!!
I wanted to make these for Easter with jellybeans. Â Would I add the jellybeans before or after baking? Â No flour in these? Â Thanks.
No flour- I would add them after.
Hi Sally, I really want to try your Macaroon recipe. Unfortunately, we don’t have shredded coconut where I live. Will this work with dessicated coconut?
It works with it, yes!
I just tried making these, followed the instructions for the batter, even added one extra egg white and they wont stick to a form a ball.. I love how good these taste but now I am just disappointed at how messy everything is. I’ve let the batter cool now and giving it another chance..
Hey there Andra, I have had so much trouble making macaroons and decided to finally try again as I love them. I found this recipe and tried it today and although it worked well I burnt ALL the bottoms so have to start over again, so don’t feel too bad. One thing that I have found has worked for me is to make sure the egg whites and sugar are beat well until it is fairly thick and doesn’t look too liquidy. When you mix the coconut with the eggs it should stick well to the coconut and not be puddling on the bottom of the bowl. Also, when trying to make the balls try using an ice cream scoop (or tablespoon) but dip it in water each time so the batter doesn’t stick to it. That helped me immensely. I hope you had better luck with your second batch.Â
By the way, these are amazing macaroons for anyone who hasn’t tried them yet! I am overjoyed to finally find a recipe that works. (Just got back from a hike to the store for more eggs and coconut. Not going to burn them this time! 😉Â
Just made these macaroons for my sister in law and mother in law. Â Thank you for sharing this recipe. Â This is the 1st time I’ve successfully made macaroon cookies! Â Merry Christmas!Â
I have made these a few times and love them! However, the liquid tends to run out of them while they are baking (leaving a “melted snowball” with a sticky base and a drier cookie). I’m wondering if I need to use more coconut? Compared to the picture you show of your mixture, mine looks wetter, even though I don’t alter your recipe at all (the plain version).
A little more coconut would help or even some flour to soak up the sticky liquid. Like, 1/4 cup.
Great recipe, my family loves it. Very good with or without the almond extract. Cranberry Orange is definitely my favorite though!
I accidentally bought the smaller package of shredded coconut, equivalent to 7 ounces. Is there anyway to alter the recipe to accommodate the lesser amount. Potentially halfing all ingredients?
This recipe can be halved, yes.
Hi, Sally! I love this recipe and can’t wait to bake it. I’m planning to make it for my mom’s birthday. So I was wondering if I HAVE to put it in the refrigerator for 5 days, or if I do, can it be 1 day instead? Also if I leave it in room temperature will it still be okay if I leave it there for 1 day and then serve it?
Oh gosh no! Those are just how long they typically last. They can be eaten right away.
Hi sally! What type of shredded coconut did you u se? the fresh or dry kind? I really want to make these for my mom who loves coconut but don’t know what type of shredded coconut to use. Heeelp!!
Hi Jade! it is moist, sweetened coconut shreds– they are partially dried. usually found in the baking aisle.
These are so good! This is the third time that I’ve had these and they’re great every single time! I think they’re at their best when they’ve been chilled in the freezer for an hour or so. Keep up the great recipes 🙂
I tried these today they came out amazing. I’m so happy my friends and family enjoyed them. I’m definitely going to make some more. And try some of the other recipes.
OMG!!! These turned out fantastic! I’m so glad I happened upon your recipe!