Easy Coconut Macaroons Recipe

A simple recipe for easy coconut macaroons made with sweetened condensed milk and finely shredded coconut. The perfect gluten-free cookie for entertaining!

So here’s the deal with coconut macaroons: They can be really good, or they can be really bad. Which conjures the question, “What is it that makes a good macaroon?” We’ll cover this and more, but alas, I’ll leave you in suspense no longer. The macaroons you’ll find here? No worries. They’re the really good ones.

In fact, I’m not even a coconut lover, but these cookies are nothing if not addictive. The last time I served these, every single guest went back for seconds. All of them. And, who could blame them? They’re perfectly moist, full of flavor, dipped in chocolate, and completely legit.

The first couple of macaroon recipes I tested left something to be desired. They mainly consisted of shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped egg whites. And, while I realize short and simple can be a time-saver, I would have to argue that we can add way more flavor to a macaroon, with little effort and just a couple of extra ingredients.

Before we get into how to make them better, let’s first touch on what they are.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 (12 ounce) package of Bob’s Red Mill Macaroon Unsweetened Coconut
• 1 (10 ounce) package Ghirardelli’s Dark Melting Wafers

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325° and have ready a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a medium-sized mixing bowl, and a hand-held mixer or balloon whisk.

Beat the eggs on high speed until they have reached stiff peaks. Set aside until ready to use.

Add the egg yolks to a large mixing bowl, followed by the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk to combine. Stir in the coconut.

Add the egg whites one scoop at a time, gently folding into the coconut mixture after each addition. Once all of the egg whites have been incorporated into the coconut mixture, scoop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the baking mat, spacing each dough round about 1″ apart.

Bake the cookies for 24-26 minutes, or until golden-brown in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Have ready a work surface lined with wax paper. Melt the chocolates according to package directions. Dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate, and allow for the excess to drip away. Transfer to the wax paper, and allow the chocolate to set up completely, about 30-45 minutes at room temperature. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes
Add an additional 30-45 minutes to your time if dipping the macaroons in chocolate so they may have time to set up and harden.

Makes about 30-32 coconut macaroons.