Simple Coconut Macaroons are sweet, chewy, and easy to make with sweetened condensed milk—especially delicious dipped in chocolate!
Use leftover coconut flakes in these Coconut Oatmeal Cookies!
Coconut Macaroons
These macaroons are one of my mom’s “famous” recipes — I’ve shared her 7 Layer Bars, Carmelitas, and Rice Krispie Treats over the years, and am finally getting around to sharing this cookie recipe.
She’s known for these macaroons — so much so that people asked her if they’d be served at my sister’s wedding, ha! They were — in fact, we made several hundred of them the day before the wedding a couple of years ago. Good thing they are super easy to make!
A lot of the cookie recipes I’ve shared over the years can be fairly fussy to prepare, but these macaroons are about as easy and straightforward as they get. The base cookie only requires five ingredients. I’ll discuss those below.
Coconut Macaroon Ingredients
- Sweetened coconut flakes. There are a lot of varieties of coconut products in the stores these days. The most important thing to look for is that you are getting sweetened instead of unsweetened flakes– these cookies won’t be sweet enough otherwise. Also, be sure to get flakes– not dried and shredded coconut, coconut flour, or coconut in a different form.
- Sweetened condensed milk. Only sweetened condensed milk works in this recipe, so check the label to be sure you don’t get evaporated milk by mistake. Be sure to get the full-fat variety and avoid sugar-free cans.
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Either work here; I do love the flecks of vanilla beans visible in the cookies when using the paste.
- Fine sea salt. It makes the Coconut Macaroons taste better by adding flavor and balancing the sweet taste.
- Flour. Just a little bit of all-purpose, white flour helps hold everything together nicely.
That’s right — no baking soda, no baking powder, and no eggs required!
Coconut Macaroon Tips
- I suggest buying a new bag of sweet coconut flakes for these cookies. If you already have some at home, it’s better to use those for something else. The cookies taste and feel the best with very fresh and soft coconut. I like to gently squeeze the bags at the store to pick the softest one!
- Use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to quickly mix the batter quickly. You could use a spoon, but the mix is very thick and sticky!
- Bake on a Silpat® liner or parchment paper. This helps the bottoms brown evenly, without too much browning or burning. Also, it ensures these Coconut Macaroons release from the pan and clean up effortlessly.
- Use a cookie scoop! Not only does the cookie scoop make the process easier, but it also helps pack in the coconut. I use a scoop that is 1-1/2 tablespoons (about the size of a golf ball).
- These cookies don’t spread. How these look going in the oven is how they’ll look coming out of the oven. You can bake quite a few all at the same time.
- Embrace some browning. If the coconut browns a bit on the bottom or top, it’ll make the cookies taste even better — like toasted coconut!
- Dip ’em. In my book, the only thing better than a Coconut Macaroon is one dipped in chocolate! Read more on this below.
Dip ’em in chocolate!
We love these Coconut Macaroons as is, but dipped in chocolate and they are sheer perfection! I also like to add a little drizzle of chocolate on top — they look pretty and taste even better (if you love chocolate as much as I do!). Here are a few tips:
- Use high-quality chocolate chips for a better melt and a richer taste.
- Microwave the chocolate chips in sturdy, heat–safe bowls instead of using plastic.
- To avoid burned chocolate chips, microwave the chips for 20 seconds at a time, and stir them for at least 20-25 seconds between each microwave burst. Remember, the chocolate is still melting even after it has been removed from the microwave.
- For the drizzle on top: Fit an open plastic bag inside a tall glass. Transfer some of the melted chocolate into the bag and then seal the bag without air in it. Press the chocolate down to one corner, snip off the top with scissors, and it’s ready to pipe on these coconut macaroons!
Quick Tip
Be careful when melting chocolate. If a drop of water gets in it, it may get hard and grainy. Overheated chocolate may turn cloudy and sticky. Going slowly and gradually is the best way to prevent ruined chocolate!
More delicious cookie recipes
- Cookie Bars with chocolate chips
- Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies with miniature Oreos
- Maple Cookies with a maple glaze
- Avalanche Cookies no-bake peanut butter chocolate cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies with cream cheese frosting
Coconut Macaroons
These sweet, chewy Coconut Macaroons come together easily with a secret ingredient—sweetened condensed milk! Dipped and drizzled in chocolate, they’re totally irresistible for coconut lovers!
Equipment
- 2 Large sheet pan (15″ x 21″)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5-1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes see note 1
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk full fat; not evaporated milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips milk, semi-sweet, or dark; plus 1 teaspoon coconut or vegetable oil; optional, see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone liner and set aside.
- In a very large bowl, add the sweetened coconut flakes, flour, vanilla, and salt. Scoop out every bit of the sweetened condensed milk into the bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat ingredients until just combined; do not overmix. Use a large cookie scoop (1-1/2 tablespoons in size) to get golf ball-sized compressed (press into the cookie scoop) cookies (see note 3).
- Place cookies on the prepared sheet pans, 1 inch apart. Bake for 11–14 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted on top and bottoms are a very light brown. Don’t overbake! Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before gently moving them with a metal spatula to a cooling rack.
- Optional Chocolate: If you want to dip these in chocolate, wait for the cookies to fully cool. Then, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in bursts of 20 seconds, stirring between burst for 20–25 seconds until chocolate is melted and smooth. Chocolate is melting even outside the microwave, so stir for a while to ensure it doesn’t burn. Transfer about 1/4 cup (just eyeball it) of melted chocolate to a plastic bag. Seal the bag without air and set aside.
- Generously dip the base of each cooled cookie in the remaining melted chocolate; transfer dipped cookies back to the parchment-paper-lined trays. Use scissors to cut a tiny tip off the plastic bag with the remaining melted chocolate and drizzle that chocolate over the cookies. Allow to set at room temperature.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: These macaroons rely on soft, fresh coconut for optimal flavor and texture. I feel the bags at the store to find the softest feeling coconut! Make sure to get sweetened flakes.
Note 2: I love milk chocolate best, but any chocolate works. If you’re worried about sweetness, use semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
Note 3: The cookie scoop gets sticky, so spray it with cooking spray or use a spoon to help release the dough. Leave cookies as is for a rustic look or roll by hand for a neater shape.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information is for Coconut Macaroons without chocolate. There are 176 calories in 1 serving of these macaroons with the optional chocolate.
Storage: These cookies will stay fresh, tightly covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for 5–7 days. I like them best within 1–2 days. These cookies freeze and defrost well without the chocolate: Place the cookies on a sheet pan in the freezer, freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m Chelseas sister and for my wedding she made hundreds of these coconut macaroons for everyone to eat and I still dream about them and find myself coming back to this recipe and making them. They are so simple and seriously so beyond delicious.
Making these this weekend! These look delicious and perfect for an easy weekend dessert 🙂
will be making this soon i love macaroons sooooooooooooo much i never had homemade coconut macaroons before will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya