Coconut Macaroons

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Four ingredients. Twenty minutes in the oven. The most impressive looking cookies on your holiday platter. That is the coconut macaroon promise and it delivers every single time. I started making these years ago when I needed something for a last-minute dessert table and had basically nothing in my pantry, and now they are one of my most requested recipes. The fact that they are also naturally gluten-free is a bonus that makes them perfect for sharing with guests who have dietary restrictions.

The secret to getting that perfect chewy-on-the-inside, golden-and-crispy-on-the-outside texture is folding in beaten egg whites. It sounds fancier than it is — just whip them until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the coconut mixture. That’s it. The result is a light, airy cookie that has so much more going on than the ingredient list suggests.

Only Four Ingredients

Sweetened shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and egg whites. That is literally it. The condensed milk acts as a binder and adds sweetness, the coconut provides all that beautiful texture and flavor, and the egg whites give the cookies their lift and light interior. Simple pantry ingredients, extraordinary results.

Coconut Macaroons

Chewy, golden coconut macaroons with crispy edges and a soft center — just four ingredients and 30 minutes to the most impressive little cookies.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 24 macaroons

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate optional, for dipping

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Stir together coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.
3. Beat egg whites and salt with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the coconut mixture.
4. Drop rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden on the outside.
5. Let cool completely. If desired, dip bottoms in melted chocolate and let set on parchment.

Notes

These are naturally gluten-free! For chocolate-dipped macaroons, melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each.

The Chocolate Dipped Version

If you want to take these up another level, dip the cooled bottoms in melted semi-sweet chocolate and let them set on parchment. The chocolate coconut combination is so good it almost feels like a Mounds bar situation. These are perfect for gift boxes, cookie swaps, or just keeping in your fridge for an after-dinner treat.

These store really well too. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly at room temp so you can always have a batch ready to pull out whenever you need something for a gathering. I usually keep a frozen stash because you never know when company is coming.

A Cookie Everyone Can Enjoy

Whether you have gluten-free guests, coconut lovers, or just people who appreciate a really good cookie, this recipe has everyone covered. It is one of those recipes that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did, and I am completely okay with that. Make a batch this weekend and watch them disappear.

Tools for This Recipe

• Hamilton Beach 6 Speed Electric Hand Mixer: Whips the egg whites to stiff peaks in a few minutes, which is what gives these macaroons their light, airy middles.
• OXO Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop 1 Tbsp: Scoops even little mounds so every macaroon bakes up the same size and color.
• Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Pan: A heavy aluminum sheet bakes evenly, so the bottoms and edges turn golden without burning.

xo, Pam