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This Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe is absolutely the best! These cookies are perfect with your cup of afternoon tea as well as excellent for the holidays.

Coconut Cookies are some of my favorites, but unfortunately, my family does not share my passion for coconut. This Alice Medrich recipe got rave reviews from my friends, and now is the gold standard for the Best Macaroon Recipe.

Coconut Macaroons on a square white plate.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 Expert Tips
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • The recipe comes from Alice Medrich, the baking guru and cookbook author.
  • These macaroons are perfectly sweet and chewy.
  • This is a classic recipe, made without sweetened condensed milk.

Ingredient Notes

There are only five simple ingredients in this recipe!

  • Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Salt, Real Vanilla Extract
  • Egg Whites
  • Sweetened Coconut – Like Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut
Classic Macaroon Cookies on a round white plate.

Expert Tips

If you’re used to making a macaroon recipe with sweetened condensed milk, this recipe has an extra step. But, I promise you, it’s worth the extra time.

  • PRO-Tip: If you don’t have a double boiler, you can create a makeshift version by boiling water in a saucepan and nestling a heatproof bowl into it. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
  • The mixture must be stirred frequently while being heated until it thickens and becomes opaque, or loses its transparency. At that point, the mixture can be taken out of the water and cooled.
  • Use a cookie scoop to place rounds of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • To bake, the macaroons start at a higher oven temperature at first, then decrease after 5 minutes in the oven.

I will never make macaroons with a can of sweetened condensed milk again. This is the ultimate recipe. They’re sweet, moist, chewy. Just spectacular!!! One of my local foodie friends proclaimed these as the best macaroons she’s ever eaten. Go ahead, coconut lovers, give this recipe a try!

Coconut Macaroons on a round white plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do Coconut Macaroons Last?

These coconut cookies will last up to a week if stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why Are My Macaroons Sticky?

There are a number of reasons your macaroons can be sticky. First, if they’re stored in a location with high humidity, they can easily get sticky. Other possibilities include over-whipping the egg whites or not baking long enough. But don’t worry, even sticky macaroons are delicious!

What’s The Difference  Between Macaroons and Macarons?

Macaroons are made with egg whites, sugar, and coconut. Coconut is key as it’s not a macaroon without coconut. Many versions are made with a can of sweetened condensed milk, which definitely makes for an easy recipe. But to taste the real classic macaroons, make a batch with egg whites. The texture of a macaroon is chewy.
Macarons are French sandwich cookies. Best made with older egg whites, macarons also contain almond meal. Where macaroons are always coconut flavor, macarons can be made in numerous flavors and filled with just as many flavor alternatives. Macaroons (with the double “o”) are super easy to make whereas Macarons (use your best French accent and roll your “R”) are fussy. The goal when baking up your macarons is for each “cookie” to have a “foot” or base that’s a slightly different texture. The resulting macarons are not chewy, but instead crisp like a baked meringue.

Coconut Macaroons on a leaf shaped white plate.

You May Also Like:

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Coconut Macaroons on a round white plate
The Recipe:

Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 16 cookies

This classic macaroon recipe from Alice Medrich is the best you'll ever make!

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 3 cups sweetened coconut (like Baker’s Angel Flake)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
  3. Fill a skillet halfway with water and bring to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl, combine all ingredients and place the bowl into the skillet.
  4. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, till the mixture thickens and becomes opaque.
  5. Remove the bowl from the water and let it cool for about 30 minutes.
  6. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of batter (I used a medium cookie scoop) and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
  7. Bake for about 5 minutes, then decrease oven temperature to 325º and bake till cookies are lightly browned with some darker edges, 10-15 more minutes.

Notes

Eggs separate best when cold. The yolk is less likely to break.

Helpful Tools (As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases).

Non-Stick Parchment Sheets

Half Sheet Pan

OXO Medium Cookie Scoop

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 92mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies