Coconut Macaroons
These coconut macaroons are made with six simple ingredients. Enjoy them plain, or dip them in melted chocolate!
Not to be confused with the French macaron, these coconut macaroons are made with sweetened shredded coconut and aren’t filled with anything. Instead, they’re dipped in semi-sweet chocolate.
The chocolate is optional, but I simply can’t resist the chocolate-coconut flavor combo. You can easily leave it off if you prefer though.
What I love most about these chocolate-dipped macaroons is that they’re made with six basic ingredients. The cookies do have to chill in the fridge after they’ve been dipped in chocolate, but that’s the hardest part of this whole recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients list for these macaroon cookies is short, so it’s important that you buy the best quality ingredients you can. To make the cookies, you’ll need the following:
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Can be found in the baking aisle of your local supermarket. Don’t buy unsweetened coconut flakes; they won’t provide the same flavor.
- Flour: Some macaroon recipes don’t use any flour, but I find that it helps bind everything together and keeps the cookies crisp on the outside.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness from the coconut and condensed milk.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Is thick, creamy, and very sweet. Do not confuse this ingredient with evaporated milk, which is much runnier and isn’t sweetened.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract will give the strongest flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: This is completely optional and can be omitted for plain coconut macaroons. I typically use 8 ounces of chocolate for dipping the bottoms of the macaroons and an additional 2 to 4 ounces for drizzling on top.
How to Make Coconut Macaroons
Before making the dough, I recommend pulsing the shredded coconut in a food processor several times to break it down. This step is optional, but will make it much easier to form perfectly round macaroon cookies!
Add the shredded coconut to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flour and salt. Then, mix in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the mixture onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Dampen your hands, then gently shape each macaroon into a round ball. The mixture is very sticky, which is why you’ll want to dampen your hands first. Make sure that none of the coconut is sticking out or it can burn in the oven.
Then, bake the cookies until golden brown on the bottom. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, prepare the chocolate for dipping.
Add the chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals until smooth, stirring often.
Carefully dip the bottom of each macaroon cookie into the melted chocolate and transfer to a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I like to drizzle whatever chocolate is left over the macaroons.
Refrigerate the cookies until the chocolate has hardened, then enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Evaporated Milk?
No, evaporated milk will not work whatsoever with this recipe. Evaporated milk is too runny and hasn’t been sweetened.
Do They Have To Be Refrigerated?
No, coconut macaroons do not have to be refrigerated. You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Macaroons?
Yes, these cookies can be frozen with or without the chocolate. Store them in a freezer bag for up to three months and thaw to room temperature before serving.
Can I Omit The Flour in This Recipe?
The flour creates a denser macaroon that remains crisp on the outside. However, you can leave out the flour if needed. If you do omit the flour, I recommend reducing the sweetened condensed milk to just 3/4 cup and increasing the baking time by 2 to 3 minutes.
The cookies won’t be quite as dense and they soften some after a day or so, but they still taste good!
Baking Tips
- I recommend pulsing the shredded coconut in a food processor to break it up a little. This makes it easier to form perfectly round macaroon cookies.
- If dipping the cookies in chocolate, I recommend melting an actual chocolate bar rather than chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers in them that make them resistant to melting and they can easily clump up or burn in the process.
- I used semi-sweet chocolate because the macaroons are already very sweet, but you can use milk or dark chocolate if desired.
More Easy Cookie Recipes to Make!
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Video Tutorial
Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce package) sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 (14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 8 to 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Pulse the coconut in a food processor 8 to 10 times to break it up a little.
- Add the coconut, flour, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk and pure vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie, scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets.
- With damp hands, form each macaroon into a round ball.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned and they are set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Line a separate large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the macaroons have cooled, add the chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 second increments, stirring well after each increment, until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip the bottoms of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any excess chocolate over the top of the macaroons, then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
I finally made these today. Thank you for this recipe! This is my favorite cookie, if that’s what they’re called. 😉 I’m lactose intolerant so I used condensed coconut milk instead of traditional condensed milk. I had to cook them a little longer but they are so delicious! Love, love love them!!
Yum! These coconut macaroons are so good! Quick and easy to make. Just made a triple batch to take to a cookie swap! Definitely excited to share the recipe! Thanks again Danielle for a great recipe!
Thank you Heather! So glad you loved the macaroons!
Hey Danielle I don’t have consened milk what can I sub it with?
There’s not a good substitute for the sweetened condensed milk for this recipe, you do need it in order for them to bake up properly.
I would love to make these for Passover but cannot use flour. Do you think I can sub potato starch for the flour?
Hi Jill! I tested these with potato starch to see if you could swap it out 1:1, but the bottom of the cookies did spread in the oven. I retested these a few different ways to see if there was a good way to omit the flour from the recipe, but still end up with a similar texture and taste. The best way that I found is to leave out the flour and reduce the sweetened condensed milk to 3/4 cup (instead of a can). I recommend increasing the baking time just slightly, I found that 16 to 17 minutes worked well with that batch. They won’t be quite as dense and they soften a bit after a day or so, but they’re still delicious. I hope that helps!
I can’t wait to make them! I love “cocadas,”which is a coconut candy in Spanish countries. I think they are made with dulce de leche so I will have to use your recipe for that as well!
That sounds delicious, Nadia! I hope you enjoy the macaroons if you get a chance to try them!