4.86 from 41 votes

Coconut Macaroon Recipe

Name: Coconut Macaroon Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 14 oz sweetened shredded coconut; ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk ((please note that you will not use the whole can of condensed milk)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon coconut extract (optional); ¼ teaspoon salt; 2 large egg whites (room temperature preferred); 4 oz chocolate (optional, semisweet or dark baking bar (chopped, melting wafers, or chocolate chips will work here))

By Sam MerrittUpdated Oct 07, 2026

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98 Comments

Servings: 30 coconut macaroons

35 mins

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This perfected coconut macaroon recipe makes moist & chewy cookies with lightly golden edges and pronounced coconut flavor. A quick, optional step gives the ma finer, less stringy texture. Enjoy them plain or dipped in dark chocolate! Recipe includes a how-to video tutorial.

Coconut macaroons that have been dipped in chocolate resting on a wood cutting board.

Easy Coconut Macaroons

There’s no flour and no dough chilling needed for these coconut macaroons. Sweetened condensed milk keeps the centers moist and tender, while whipped egg whites give the cookies structure. They’re naturally gluten-free and a popular choice for baby showers, Christmas, Easter, and Passover. My coconut macaroon recipe is simple and includes a few easy extra steps for truly remarkable results!

Why This Recipe WORKS

A finer, less stringy texture. Shredding the coconut even further in a food processor eliminates its stringy texture, making for a soft, pleasant bite. This extra step is optional, but all of my taste testers strongly preferred it (myself included, of course!).
Moist, chewy centers. Most people make coconut macaroons with sweetened condensed milk, but not all recipes get the ratio just right. Too much makes the macaroons runny or wet, while too little makes them dry and unpleasant. We are using just the right amount today (less than a full can) for perfectly moist, chewy coconut macaroons.
Pronounced coconut flavor. Adding coconut extract enhances the coconut flavor. It’s not strictly necessary, but it’s a welcome boost if you have it!
Delicious plain or chocolate-dipped. I include instructions for making chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, if that’s how you prefer yours. They still taste great without it though!

Keep in mind that macaroons are not to be confused with their fancy French cousin, macarons. I talk more about this in the FAQ below!

Ingredients

Looking at the ingredients list, you’ll notice that these cookies are actually more similar to candy than, say, chocolate chip cookies or coconut cookies. Here’s what you need to make them!

Sweetened shredded coconut. Use sweetened shredded coconut. Unsweetened coconut doesn’t have the same texture or flavor and is more prone to falling apart. We will pulse the coconut briefly in the food processor (or you could finely chop it with a knife), which makes the texture of the macaroon softer, more even, and less stringy. You can skip this step if you want to; however, all of my taste testers preferred the pulverized coconut texture.
Sweetened condensed milk. Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk and NOT evaporated milk (a common mistake that leaves you with runny coconut macaroons). Note: you will NOT use a full 14oz can of condensed milk; use the remainder for pumpkin fudge, a half batch of my thin & crispy chocolate chip cookies, or my key lime cookies.
Egg whites. Like when making meringue cookies, you will need to whip egg whites to stiff peaks for this coconut macaroon recipe. I recommend using fresh eggs and not the whites from a carton, as those tend to have a hard time reaching stiff peaks.
Vanilla and coconut extracts. For flavor, I recommend adding both vanilla and coconut extract. If you don’t have coconut extract or don’t want to use it, your macaroons will still taste great without it!
Chocolate. I suggest using a semisweet or dark baking bar (chopped), or chocolate chips.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

Sam’s Tip

Room temperature eggs whip best! If your eggs are not at room temperature, use my trick to quickly bring eggs to room temperature.

How to Make Coconut Macaroons (Step-by-Step)

Overhead view of coconut in a food processor after pulsing.

Chop the coconut. Pulse the coconut flakes in a food processor until you have fine, snowy flakes. While this step is optional, it gives the macaroons a finer, less stringy texture that I think is worth the extra effort. I do this steps with the carrots in my carrot cake recipe too, it is such a game-changer.

Overhead view of coconut stirred together with condensed milk, extracts, and salt.

Add the condensed milk & extracts. Stir together coconut, condensed milk, extracts, and salt until completely combined.

Bowl of egg whites that have been whipped to stiff peaks.

Whip the egg whites. In a separate, clean and dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until you have thick, glossy stiff peaks. You must beat them all the way to stiff peaks (the peak will hold its shape when lifted from the mixture) or the macaroons will spread all over the baking sheet.

Overhead view of a bowl of coconut being stirred together with whipped egg whites and condensed milk for macaroons.

Combine. Gently fold the egg whites into your other ingredients until completely combined. Use a spatula for this step; being too aggressive with the mixing will deflate all that you just worked so hard to whip!

Sam’s Tip

Egg whites will not whip to stiff peaks if the bowl or beaters have any grease or moisture on them. Avoid allowing even a small bit of yolk in with the eggs, as this will also keep the whites from reaching stiff peaks.

Overhead view of coconut macaroons on a baking sheet after baking.

Scoop & bake. Drop the mixture by rounded scoops onto baking sheet (use your fingers to tuck in any stray coconut flakes!) and bake until the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.

Dipping coconut macaroons in melted chocolate after baking.

Dip in chocolate (if desired). Let cookies cool completely, then dunk the bottoms in melted chocolate (or drizzle your coconut macaroons with chocolate instead!).

chocolate dipped coconut macaroon missing one bite

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a macaroon and a macaron?

Macaroons (double “o”) are made with coconut, are usually shaped in little mounds, and have a chewy texture. Generally speaking, they are not terribly difficult or time consuming to make.

French macarons (single “o”), on the other hand, are delicate sandwich cookies made primarily of almond flour and egg whites. Macarons are usually colorful and have a filling (usually jam, ganache, or buttercream). They are significantly more time consuming and difficult to make. Fortunately, we’re focusing on the easy recipe today!

Why are my coconut macaroons flat or spreading?

Not properly whipping egg whites to stiff peaks, using the entire can of condensed milk, including the egg yolks, accidentally using evaporated milk, mis-measuring an ingredient, or over-mixing once you add the eggs…any single one of these errors can lead to macaroons that flatten (or puddle at the bottom) while portioning or baking.

Make sure you follow the recipe carefully (do not make substitutions), pay attention to your egg whites, and take care/be gentle with them once they’ve been whipped!

Should you refrigerate coconut macaroons before baking?

While it would not hurt to do so, I have never needed to refrigerate my coconut macaroon recipe and so do not recommend it. Since this is a popular technique in many macaroon recipes I wanted to address it here.

If you are experiencing any issues with spreading, you can certainly try it to see if it helps, but most likely the spreading is due to a different issue (see above).

Close-up view of a chewy coconut cookie/candy hybrid that has been dipped in chocolate.

More Coconut Recipes

Coconut Cream Bars

Coconut Cake

7 Layer Bars

Coconut Cream Pie

Are you team chocolate dipped coconut macaroons or plain? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️

Enjoy!

Psst… Did you hear I wrote a cookbook? 💜

Close-up view of rows of coconut macaroons that have been dipped in chocolate.

4.86 from 41 votes

Coconut Macaroon Recipe

This perfected coconut macaroon recipe uses simple tricks for moist & chewy coconut macaroons with a pronounced coconut flavor. Chopping the coconut, adding extract, and using just the right amount of condensed milk all separate this recipe from the rest!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Prep: 15

Cook: 20

Total: 35

Servings: coconut macaroons

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Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 14 oz (397 g) sweetened shredded coconut
▢ ¾ cup (175 ml) sweetened condensed milk, (please note that you will not use the whole can of condensed milk)
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ ¼ teaspoon coconut extract, optional
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 2 large egg whites, room temperature preferred
▢ 4 oz (113 g) chocolate, optional, semisweet or dark baking bar (chopped, melting wafers, or chocolate chips will work here)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (160C)
Pour coconut in the basin of a food processor (see note if you do not have a food processor) and pulse until finely shredded (I do 15 one-second pulses).
14 oz (397 g) sweetened shredded coconut
Pour coconut into a large mixing bowl and add condensed milk, extracts, and salt and stir until well-combined,
¾ cup (175 ml) sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon coconut extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
Place egg whites in a separate clean, dry, grease-free bowl and beat with an electric mixer, starting on low-speed and gradually increasing to high-speed until stiff peaks form, meaning the mixture is thick and voluminous and if you lift the beaters out of the mixture the peak that forms on the beater and in the bowl holds its shape firmly and does not fold over or dissolve in on itself (this method is shown in the photos in the post and demonstrated in the video, if you’re a visual learner).
2 large egg whites
Use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until completely combined.
Drop by 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized mounds onto prepared baking sheet (if any shreds of coconut are poking out I like to use my fingers to gently press them back into the mound), spacing cookies 1” apart.
Transfer to 325F (160C) preheated oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown.
Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying or dipping in chocolate (if using).

Chocolate

Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals (stirring in between) until completely smooth and melted. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled macaroons or dip the bottoms in chocolate and transfer to a wax paper lined baking sheet to allow chocolate to solidify before enjoying.
4 oz (113 g) chocolate

Notes

Food processor

Briefly processing the coconut in the food processor yields a better, finer texture for the macaroons, but this step is not necessary. If you do not have a food processor, you can skip this step and use the shredded coconut directly from the bag.

Egg whites

Be sure to break your eggs into a completely clean, dry, and grease-free bowl and make sure not even a drop of egg yolk gets in with the whites! Any of these things can keep your eggs from properly whipping to stiff peaks. I recommend using fresh egg whites and not egg whites from a carton, which do not always whip properly.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Macaroons may also be tightly wrapped and frozen, they will keep for several months this way.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This recipe was originally published in January of 2018. The recipe remains unchanged, but I’ve updated the post to include more helpful photos and information and a video.