These coconut macaroons made with condensed milk and whipped egg whites are chewy, sticky and delicious! I dipped and drizzled them with a little chocolate, but you can just keep them plain. Coconut macaroons are an easy cookie ready in about 30 minutes and just seven simple ingredients!
When it comes to anything coconut I’m a huge fan. Whether it’s a coconut cake, coconut cream pie, or in this case these chewy sweet coconut macaroons sign me up. And these easy coconut macaroons are a heck of a lot simpler for me to get my coconut craving taken care of then making a pie or cake.
Yes, coconut macaroons are pretty simple cookies to make. You do need to whip a couple of egg whites and stir that into your batter but all in all, they are fairly quick to make.
I used sweetened condensed milk to thicken and sweeten these macaroons, but a couple whipped egg whites to help lighten the cookies up a bit. I dipped them in chocolate but that’s totally optional. A delicious option. One I don’t always skip. But even on their own, they are scrumptious. Let’s just say my husband kept sneaking these off the cookie sheet on me.
The Secret To Perfect Coconut Macaroons
To make perfect coconut macaroons, it took a few attempts on this recipe. The first few batches…um not so perfect coconut macaroons. They sort of spread a into coconut looking blobs. Still delicious. Just not the perfect little cookies I was going for. The key to this recipe was NOT using the entire can of sweetened condensed milk. When I used the whole can I found it was WAY too much liquid. So by using about 3/4 of the can resulted in absolutely perfect coconut macaroons. You can always use leftover sweetened condensed milk in your next cup of coffee so don’t throw it out!
And the best part about coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate is they are also naturally gluten free, too if that’s your thing. They are also naturally delicious, with a wonderfully chewy texture, which is always my thing 😉
Why You Will Love Making These Condensed Milk Coconut Macaroons
- Only 7 Ingredients – I love baking recipes that don’t take a TON of ingredients! And these coconut macaroons are made with just seven simple ingredients.
- Quick Prep – You can make this recipe in just about 15 minutes or so, and they are then ready to be baked!
- Easy Make Ahead Cookie: You can make coconut macaroons ahead of time and store them for up to 4 days, or even freeze these for up to 3 months!
What’s the difference between a coconut macaroon and a macaron?
Oh there are some big differences between a macaroon and macroon. They are definitely NOT the same cookie at all. A coconut macaroon is a quick, coconut cookie with a chewy texture made with usually sweetened condensed milk and whipped egg whites.
A macaron, like my Boston Creme Pie Macarons is a delicate French cookie made with almond flour. They have some sort of filling and made into a little cookie sandwich.
What are coconut macaroons made of?
- Sweetened condensed milk – Sweetened condensed milk is milk with the water removed and sugar has been added to create this sweet sticky liquid. Do not use evaporated milk, as it’s not the same and you will not get the same results when making these coconut macaroons. Your macaroon mixture would be VERY runny if you mixed these up. You will NOT use the whole can and have some leftover sweetened condensed milk. I found if you used the whole can your macaroons spread quite a bit.
- Coconut – I used sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. If you use unsweetened coconut these cookies may be a little less sweet.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is best, but imitation vanilla will also work.
- Almond extract – When I make coconut macaroons I love using both vanilla and almond flavoring. If you’re not a fan of almond, you can always omit this and add additional vanilla or add replace with coconut extract for more coconut flavor.
- Egg whites – You will need 2 large egg whites for these cookies. These help provide structure for our coconut macaroon cookies. Make sure they are room temperature with no trace of egg yolks so they whip up properly. For help on separating your eggs cleanly, read how to separate eggs.
- Chocolate – I dipped these in some melted chocolate – I prefer using semi-sweet chocolate, but a darker chocolate variety or milk chocolate also works. Or you don’t have to dip them in chocolate at all and you can stir in mini chocolate chips if you want some chocolate without the extra step of melting chocolate.
How To Make Coconut Macaroons With Condensed Milk
How To Make Macaroon Mixture. Prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper (or you could also use silicone baking mat or you can lightly grease with cooking spray) and preheat your oven to 325oF .
Then In a large mixing bowl, stir together shredded coconut flakes, sweetened condensed milk, extracts and salt.
Whip the egg whites. In a second bowl, with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with your whisk attachment) whip 2 large egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Stir in the egg whites. Using a spatula, gently fold the stiff egg whites into the coconut mixture until it’s evenly combined and there are no streaks of egg whites remaining.
Bake cookies. Drop batter onto your prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper using either a 1 ½ -inch cookie scoop, or use 2 teaspoons if you don’t own a cookie scoop. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute before moving to a wire rack.
Dip cookies in chocolate. Chop the chocolate and melt either in a double boiler or your microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Then dip the bottom of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to harden.
Again if you don’t want to go the extra step of dipping them, you can enjoy them plain or try stirring in some mini chocolate chips so you get all the chocolate taste without the extra step of dipping the cookies in chocolate.
Heather’s Baking Tips
- Use a clean bowl. Make sure your bowl if clean when you whip your egg whites. I recommend metal mixing bowls or glass mixing bowls, as plastic bowls can retain grease and residue over time. Any trace of fat or grease can inhibit your egg whites from whipping up. I always like to wipe down my mixing bowl with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar before I start to remove any grease or fat residue before I start.
- Separate egg whites in a small bowl first. Any trace of egg yolks in your egg whites will prevent them from whipping up to full volume. So I like to separate my egg whites in a small bowl first, the transfer the egg whites to my main mixing bowl. That way if on the second egg, I get a trace of egg yolks in my egg whites, I haven’t ruined them all just the one.
- Whip egg whites at room temperature. Room temperature egg whites will whip up to better volume than cold egg whites.
- Use a cookie scoop. For perfect, evenly sized macaroons that bake evenly I always recommend using a cookie scoop.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using parchment paper will result in cookies that don’t stick or for easy cleanup! I love using parchment paper baking sheets so there’s no need to deal with those fussy rolls. If you don’t have parchment paper, a silicone baking mat will also work, or you can lightly grease your baking sheet as well.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can definitely whip the egg whites with a whisk, but it will take some muscle and a few more minutes but can definitely be done.
These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, covered well in an airtight container.
Yes you can freeze macaroons for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Yes they are naturally gluten free!
If you’re not a fan of almond extract or you have a nut allergy, then you can omit it, and add more vanilla, or try replacing with coconut extract to add even more coconut flavor!
More Recipes To Try
Coconut Macaroons (Made With Condensed Milk)
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet pan or line with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat).
- Make macaroon mixture. In a large mixing bowl, stir together coconut, condensed milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt.
- Whip the egg whites. In a second mixing bowl, with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with your whisk attachment) whip egg whites on high speed until they make stiff peaks. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until it’s evenly combined and there are no streaks of egg whites remaining.
- Bake cookies. Drop batter onto baking sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 ½ -inch small cookie scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet pan for 1 minute before moving to a wire rack.
- Dip cookies in chocolate. Chop the chocolate and melt either in a double boiler or your microwave. Then dip the bottom of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to harden.
Video
Notes
- Storage: These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 day, covered.Â
- Freezing: Yes you can freeze macaroons for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Do not use evaporated milk, as it’s not the same and you will not get the same results. Your macaroon mixture would be VERY runny if you mixed these up.
- Coconut – I used sweetened shredded coconut for this coconut macaroon recipe. If you use unsweetened coconut these cookies may a little less sweet.
- Almond extract – I flavored my coconut macaroons with vanilla and almond extract. If you’re not a fan of almond, you can always omit this and add additional vanilla, but I love the flavor!
- Chocolate – I dipped these in melted chocolate after they baked, but this is totally optional and can be omitted.
Sandy says
My son would like a coconut macaroon birthday cake. He loves these cookies! Do you think I could bake this is a round cake pan?? He wants it covered in chocolate ganache! Obviously we are going for healthy this year. Thanks for your help!!
Heather says
Hi Sandy, I don’t know how these cookies would bake up in a cake pan. You might like my coconut chocolate cake instead!
John Rogers says
Great recipe, with a truly delicious outcome, strongly recommended. For every other lazy day, you should check B&M sugar stations, hired these guys for our company get-together, food and service were amazing!
Heather says
Thank you John! I’m so glad you loved them!