Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe
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.
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
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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!
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.
You May Also Like:
- Banana Coconut Sweet Bread from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Coconut Truffles
- Chewy Coconut Cookies
- Coconut Cupcakes
- Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
- More Cookie Recipes
Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe
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)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- Fill skillet halfway with water and bring to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl, combine all ingredients and place the bowl into the skillet.
- Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, till the mixture thickens and becomes opaque.
- Remove the bowl from the water and let it cool for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of batter (I used a medium cookie scoop) and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- 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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 92mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g
83 Comments on “Classic Coconut Macaroons Recipe”
although i’m not frequent to this site but whenever i saw post here it urges me to make one of it recipe and this time i’m going to make this one looks so delicious 🙂
Dear Liz, these classic macaroons are calling my name! Although I love coconut treats, I have never ever made any macaroons – your recipe looks like I would really enjoy it! Whenever I use shredded coconut in my baking, I like to use the coarse kind (there is fine and coarse shredded coconut available in stores around here) – makes for a nice texture.
Thank your for another amazing recipe!
Andrea
Coconut is one of those divisive ingredients – people seem to love it or hate it! Your lucky sorority sisters, getting to enjoy these plus two other treats!! I haven’t made macaroons this way, but now I’m inspired to try! Love the texture.
With all these fabulous tips, I’m sure to be able to make amazing macaroons!
What a gorgeous treat! Love coconut and chewy is definitely on my radar.
This is going to be added to my holiday baking list. I am going to make a batch now because I can’t wait that long! 🙂
Can I give a 10++++ stars!! You bet I’ll be making these!! xo
these look perfect and delicious dear Lizzy! Absolutely love them!!
I have never seen sweetened coconut flakes here…these macaroons look chewy and yummy!
This is such a great recipe! Always a favorite around the holidays, and your classic recipe is perfect!
Making these again for the holidays. They are always a favorite.
These are so good! My kids can’t stop eating them! I can’t wait to make it again!
This is a great recipe! My husband is a huge coconut fan and he couldn’t stop munching on these macaroons!
These are so delicious! I love how simple and quick they are to whip up. Pinning these for later too, thanks for sharing!
love dessert recipes that take less than an hour! quick & delicious. thanks for sharing
Dear Lizzy, I love coconut in all forms…it happens to be one of my very favorites. Funny enough though, I have never made macaroons. I will have to try these…they look perfect dear. xo, Catherine
Yum!!
I love coconut and this is such a wonderful reminder. I got to make this.
Kristy
We do love coconut at our house–these would be a treat. Looks like it’s on, ‘the list’!
Haha, I’m also the only macaroon fan in my house too… I could go nuts on these things… eat them by the case! I love them when the bases are dipped in a thin layer of chocolate. Oh my God it’s good!