The BEST Coconut Macaroons for the true coconut lovers out there! These easy macaroons are made without sweetened condensed milk so the delicate, sweet flavor of coconut really shines through. Chewy on the inside and perfectly toasted on the outside, dry coconut macaroons are a thing of the past. Love coconut? You simply must try these Almond Joy Cookies and Coconut Cream Pie!
Coconut Macaroons
Last night we had a “team meeting” for Reece’s soccer team. At least that’s what we were told. We arrived at the park to a crowd of parents and kids and the head of the league explaining to us that our kids wouldn’t be able to play this year due to a lack of coaches.
Say what?!?
All the parents started looking at one another hoping that someone would step forward. No one did. I finally turned to Chris and said, “You should just do it. At least we get to pick when and where the practices are.”
Sooo, long story short, Chris is coaching Reece’s team and they’ve already decided on a team name – the Avengers. This is his first time coaching any of the boy’s teams so send good thoughts his way 🙂 It’s a little stressful because we need to buy all the equipment, get the team organized, find out where we can hold practices, etc. BUT at least Reece gets to play soccer this year.
Fortunately for us, we had these coconut macaroons to come home to after all that stress and worry.
The BEST Coconut Macaroons
Our family is seriously into coconut. I get it from my dad and Chris and the boys have developed a love for coconut since I’m always making treats with it. My Dad’s favorite is Coconut Cream Pie and seriously, who can blame him. The boys go nuts for these Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars and I have to admit, they make my top 10 every time. Whether it’s candy, cake, cookies, pie or drinks – everything is better with coconut.
What Makes the Best Coconut Macaroons?
One of my all-time favorite coconut indulgences is macaroons. These are for the true coconut lover. The best coconut macaroons are beautifully toasted on the outside and sweet and chewy in the center. I can’t stand a dry macaroon!
Ingredients Needed
You might be surprised and how few ingredients are needed for this coconut macaroons recipe. You basically have the coconut and then the rest of the ingredients hold it all together and balance out the flavor.
- sugar
- corn syrup
- salt
- sweetened shredded coconut
- egg whites
- vanilla extract
How To Make Coconut Macaroons
While this particular treat might at first seem complicated to make, it’s really not. I always recommend reading through the instructions twice before starting and then pulling out and measuring all ingredients so you’re ready to go.
- Combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir coconut and hot syrup mixture together.
- Whisk egg whites and vanilla extract together until foamy and thick.
- Gently fold in the coconut mixture.
- Scoop out mounds of the coconut mixture and bake until nice and golden brown.
- Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Tips for the Best Macaroons
I make my macaroons without sweetened condensed milk and it really helps that coconut flavor shine through. There are a few tips that will help you make the best coconut macaroons EVER:
- Not too small, not too big. About the size of a golf ball is perfect.
- These macaroons do not spread when baking. The shape/size they are when they go into the oven is the same as when they come out.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the macaroons. Make sure to really pack that coconut in there!
- Don’t be afraid of brown! That toasted coconut flavor is essential in a good macaroon.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy removal.
More Coconut Recipes to Try
- To Die For Carrot Cake
- Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars
- The Best Coconut Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie Cookie Cups
- Strawberry Coconut Smoothie
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How To Make Coconut Macaroons
The Best Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp water
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- 14 oz sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 egg whites room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
- In a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl, combine shredded coconut and hot syrup, stirring until evenly distributed. Let mixture cool for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and vanilla extract together until foamy and thick.
- Gently fold in the coconut mixture.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out mounds of the coconut mixture. You want golf-ball sized mounds. Space the macaroons 2 inches apart.
- Bake until nice and golden brown, 14-18 minutes, rotating baking sheet if necessary. Place baking sheets on racks and let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Tools Needed
Cookie Scoop | Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper | Mixing BowlsNutrition
Originally published August 7, 2014.
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Ann Marcello says
These were the best I ever made according to my husband!!
Thank you!
Belinda says
Do you need to grease and flour cookie sheet before placing cookies on sheets?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Not if you’re using parchment paper Belinda!
Madeleine says
Great recipe. Thank you! I had a delicious coconut macaroon in Cape May last week and I often come home and try to replicate my experience. This recipe was spot on. Mine didn’t come out as beautifully golden as yours so next time I will lower the temperature. Thank you so much. Canned condensed milk is not appealing to me, so this recipe was just right. Now I gotta do something with the yolks… Chocolate chip cookies! Do you have an almond macaroon recipe? Or can you use similar technique with ground almonds?
Marijac says
Trish, I recently made these and they were delicious! However, very sticky. Stuck to the parchment.
Any suggestions?
Also, once the syrup is boiling, how long do you keep it over the heat?
Thank you!
Marianne Beltjens says
I’ve made these four times this holiday season! These really are the best. After making these I don’t know why anyone would do the sweetened condensed milk method. Thanks for sharing.
Joanna Smith says
Hello! I made these yesterday and I’m going to send them to my brother, who is deployed, since he loooooves coconut! I followed your recipe exactly! I was a little nervous about the stovetop sugar part, because I’m always nervous it’s going to brown/burn, but it was so easy. They were so easy to make, and taste great, but the bottoms of mine got pretty dark at 375. I baked the first sheet for 15 minutes and the next sheet for 14 (the 14 minute sheet was better). I think next time I might try them at 350, then I could definitely bake them for 15-18 minutes. Otherwise, these were great, and I’m definitely not making them with sweetened condensed milk anymore! Oh, also, I found this recipe on Pinterest. Thank you!!
joanne says
Can you freeze the macaroons?
sheena says
OMG! I made these today and they turned out amazing! I done half without crushed walnut and they other half with. I like them both ways!
My Great Aunt said that she believes that those are the best she has had yet! That’s really saying something!
<3
jmbwphoto says
Hi,
Is there any substitute for the corn syrup in this recipe? I don’t really like to use corn syrup.. and don’t care for the tast it imparts to the baked item – but would love to try out your recipe.
Thanks!
J
Susan says
I found this online but don’t know if it would work for these cookies:
You can replace 1 cup of light corn syrup with 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water or other liquid used in the recipe. For 1 cup of dark corn syrup, you can use the following substitutions: 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 molasses. 1 cup honey.
Joyce Morris says
can you freeze these
zahabia says
I made these today,they tasted amazing,thanks a lot for the recipe
Amber says
If I make the macaroons with cold egg whites instead of room temp will it make a huge difference?
Thanks! They look delicious by the way…
Marilee says
Just made these for a quilt guild Christmas party. Fantastic! Easy and delicious.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Excellent Marilee! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Ginger Bensman says
Your coconut macaroons look delicious. I’m going to make them for my book club tomorrow.
Thanks so much!
Ginger
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wonderful Ginger! Enjoy!
dynnamae says
I keep looking at all the coconut macaroon recipes hoping to find one without sweetened condensed milk. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I don’t have to check any more recipes or others pins. Will be trying these soon.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That is wonderful! Yes, I think they taste so much better without SCM. 🙂