The best coconut macaroon recipe is soft and chewy on the inside and crisp and golden on the outside. These gluten-free and dairy-free cookies are low in sugar and simple, quick, and easy to make!
We have been doing a lot of baking this holiday season, both gluten-free and regular. Our most recent creation was this coconut macaroon recipe which is a delightfully gluten-free treat.
I thought coconut macaroons usually had flour in them, but when Allie and I researched, we discovered that most do not. You can find coconut macaroon recipes with flour, but the bulk have none. We found a few different recipes and combined the best parts of each to make these coconut macaroons, and there is no flour in them whatsoever.
Allie and I love to cook together, and this was, of course, a fun experience. In fact, the recipe is so easy that she was able to do most of it all by herself, and she's only five! Even young children can make this recipe because there's nothing hot or dangerous in it, except that you have to bake the finished cookies. Kids can make this one with very minimal help.
Why this is the best gluten-free coconut macaroon recipe
It is very very easy. I've broken the steps out a bit to show you exactly how to prepare the cookies, but it's basically this: beat the eggs, fold in the coconut, and bake. That's all there is to it!
This is a 5-ingredient recipe, and those 5 ingredients are very common and easy to find. You may already have them all in your pantry.
These macaroons get a nice, golden brown crispy caramelized outside, and they stay soft and chewy on the inside. The coconut is tender and melts in your mouth when you bite into them.
This recipe is allergy-friendly being that it's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. There is no sweetened condensed milk in my coconut macaroon recipe, so there is no dairy at all. I don't understand why some macaroon recipes have milk in them. It's not needed. As always, please check your unique ingredients to ensure they fit your specific dietary needs.
What you'll need to make the best gluten-free macaroons
Equipment
- Egg separator - I have used the egg separator I linked for over twenty years. It's my old faithful, and I love it. I use it all the time. If you have a tried and true method for separating eggs, do your thing.
- Electric mixer - You will need to beat the eggs until they're frothy. It is possible to do this by hand, with a whisk, but it will take a long time.
- Baking sheet - You need a baking sheet to bake the cookies.
- Parchment paper - I always line my baking sheets with parchment because it makes cleaning up easier.
- Scoop set - I used the smallest from this set to make my macaroons. Using a tiny ice cream scoop makes them all exactly the same size which means they all cook perfectly, rather than some (the bigger ones) being underdone while others (the smaller ones) are dried out and overcooked.
- Wax paper - This is optional and only needed if you're going to dip your macaroons in chocolate ganache. Even then, you could probably reuse your parchment and skip the wax paper if you needed to.
- Cooling rack - You will remove the cookies to the wire rack so they don't over bake on the hot baking sheet while cooling.
Ingredients
See printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for measurements and nutritional information.
- Large egg whites - You will NOT use the egg yolks in this recipe. Save them for something else or throw them away.
- White sugar - This sweetens the coconut and makes the cookies taste good.
- Vanilla bean paste-Some coconut macaroon recipes skip this, but I think it's important to give them a nice flavor. You could substitute an equal amount of vanilla extract, but I prefer the paste because it's made from actual vanilla beans that have been crushed up whereas the extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol and then removing the beans. Vanilla bean paste has a deeper and richer vanilla flavor.
- Almond extract - This is optional, but I think it adds something really nice to the cookies. I don't think almond extract has actual almonds in it, but I would omit it anyway if you have an allergy. Better to be safe.
- Shredded sweetened coconut - This is the star of the show. Some recipes will tell you to use unsweetened coconut, and you certainly can, but I prefer to use sweetened. I think the cookies have a better coconut flavor.
How to Make The Best Coconut Macaroons
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Prepare the baking sheet. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the batter. Combine the egg whites (not whole eggs!), sugar, almond extract, and vanilla in a small bowl.
- Whip egg whites until they're thick and frothy. This isn't quite to the soft peaks stage. This will take at least 5-6 minutes of continuous beating with an electric mixer.
- Dump the coconut into the egg white mixture.
- Fold the coconut in until it's well-coated. Be careful not to deflate your egg whites while folding in the coconut. You can't just stir it. You have to fold it which means to use your spatula to turn the mixture over from the bottom to the top. (Don't be David and Moira. If you don't know what folding means, please go to YouTube and look up a video on how to do it.)
- Form the macaroons. Use a small cookie scoop or a pastry bag with a tip to measure out 1 heaping tablespoon of the coconut mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
- There should be approximately 15 cookies.
- Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- If you'd like to dip your coconut macaroons in chocolate, that is easy. Make a batch of chocolate ganache using the recipe linked here and dip the room temperature macaroons in the melted chocolate to the depth you prefer. Set the cookies on a piece of wax paper so that the chocolate can set up. You can also dip a spoon or fork in the melted chocolate and drizzle some over the tops, as we have done here.
Can you dip these coconut cookies in chocolate?
Many coconut macaroons are dipped in melted dark chocolate, and you certainly could do that with these. They are firm enough to dip and hold together really well. We didn't dip ours because it was an extra step, and Allie was proud that she had done them all by herself.
To dip in chocolate, make a batch of chocolate ganache using chocolate bars or chocolate chips and dip the macaroons while the ganache is hot. See the recipe linked above. Spread the dipped macaroons on wax paper on a wire cooling rack so that the chocolate can harden.
You may need to reheat the ganache as it will cool and harden while you're dipping your cookies.
Cook's tips for the best gluten-free coconut macaroons
Use a light-colored (not a non-stick) baking sheet. The best macaroons are golden brown on top, and a dark-colored baking sheet may make the bottoms get too brown before the tops are done.
Use a heavy baking sheet. For the same reason as above, a thinner cookie sheet will brown the bottoms before the tops are done. This happens because a thinner, lighter weight cookie sheet heats up more quickly than a heavier one.
Use a scoop. Whether you call it an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop, a small scoop is essential to perfectly cooked coconut macaroons because it ensures all the cookies are exactly the same size. I know fancy macaroons are piped from a piping bag, and you are welcome to do that, but know that they all need to be the same size or you will have some that are underdone and gooey (read: partially raw egg whites) and some that are overdone and dry.
Allow the macaroons to get toasty. When the coconut becomes golden, it caramelizes and gets crispy and makes the cookies so delicious.
BUT! Don't over bake them. Coconut macaroons go from perfectly toasted to unpleasantly dry pretty quickly, so keep an eye on your cookies and take them out when they're just starting to get brown on the tops.
If you have multiple baking sheets, you could bake one test cookie to figure out how long your unique oven needs to bake the perfect macaroon. However, if you have only one baking sheet and do a test cookie, you will have to let the baking sheet cool to room temperature before baking the whole batch because a hot baking sheet will cook MUCH more quickly than a room temperature one - and then your macaroons will be over done.
Coconut macaroon variations
My favorite macaroon variation is cherry coconut macaroons. Drain and pat dry about 5 ounces of maraschino cherries. Dice them and mix them with the shredded coconut before adding it to the meringue mixture.
You can make mango, strawberry, or raspberry coconut macaroons by mixing a ¼ cup of ground and sifted freeze-dried mango, strawberry, or raspberry with the coconut before folding it into the egg white mixture.
Or, you can flavor the coconut macaroons with citrus zest. Omit the almond extract and add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon, lime, or orange zest to the coconut.
You can mix in a handful of mini chocolate chips or slivered almonds with the coconut.
You can use any kind of chocolate, from dark chocolate to semi-sweet chocolate to milk chocolate to white chocolate. Or use more than one.
If you want smaller pieces of coconut in your macaroons, pulse your shredded coconut in the food processor a few times. Just be careful that you don't make it into crumbs. Crumbs won't work in this recipe.
Dairy-free coconut macaroons
You can follow this recipe as written for dairy-free coconut macaroons. Because there's no sweetened condensed milk included, the recipe is naturally dairy-free.
If you dip your dairy-free macaroons in chocolate, make sure you melt a dairy-free chocolate and replace the heavy cream in the ganache recipe with your choice of dairy-free cream. (Coconut cream would be nice since this is a coconut cookie recipe.) Alternately, you could thin the chocolate with a tablespoon of coconut oil which serves double duty and will make the chocolate nice and glossy.
Egg-free coconut macaroons
Can you make macaroons without eggs? I've never tried it, but I've read that you can if you use aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas). The best way to measure aquafaba is by weight, so aim for 150 grams which is equivalent to 6 egg whites. Mix the sugar and vanilla into it, then beat it just like you would beat egg whites. Bake as directed.
If you make vegan coconut macaroons, I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment and let me know how it goes.
Sugar-free coconut macaroons
You can make these coconut macaroons sugar-free easily. Use unsweetened coconut and replace the sugar with granulated monkfruit sweetener, adding two tablespoons to account for the unsweetened coconut. Otherwise, they're exactly the same.
If you make sugar-free macaroons, you might want to make a half batch trial to make sure they are sweet enough. Everyone's tastes are different, and you may want to use more or less monkfruit sweetener than I've used sugar in this recipe.
Why did my macaroons spread when I baked them?
It's because you didn't beat the egg whites enough. Next time, make sure they're good and frothy. They should at least triple in volume before you mix in the coconut.
Storing gluten-free coconut macaroons
I recommend storing these gluten-free cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. No need to keep them in the fridge. They will stay good for about a week.
Coconut naturally absorbs moisture from the air as it sits, so even in an airtight container, macaroons become sticky over time. If that bothers you, you can toast them in a 325ºF oven for 5 minutes before eating.
You can also freeze coconut macaroons. It's best to freeze them WITHOUT chocolate because frozen chocolate sometimes does weird things.
Flash freeze your gluten free macaroons on a cool baking sheet for an hour, then when they're hard and no longer sticky, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Flash freezing prevents your cookies from being one big frozen mass and allows you to pull out just one or two without defrosting the entire batch.
Allow frozen cookies to come to room temperature on the counter before eating them. If you prefer them to not be sticky, you can toast them straight from frozen at 350ºF for 10 minutes. If they're thawed, toast for 5 minutes. Watch them to ensure they don't over bake and dry out.
What's the difference between macaroons and macarons?
Macaroons (these) are little piles of coconut and egg white and typically have a chewy texture. They are very easy to make with a couple of ingredients in the cookie dough, and they're naturally gluten-free.
Italian or French macarons are little sandwich cookies with filling in between two light, puffy cookie layers made from meringue and almond flour. Macarons are also usually gluten-free but are very very different from the recipe here.
My teenager has perfected the art of macarons, but they are quite complicated to make, and I haven't shared a recipe for making them.
Check out these other delicious gluten-free desserts while you're here:
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cherry Cake - Easy Black Forest Cake
- Baked Gluten Free Glazed Donut Recipe with Almond Flour
- The Best Crustless Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Recipe
- Pecan Crust Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)
- Gluten-Free Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes
- Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free)
Recipe
The Best Gluten-Free Coconut Macaroon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ⅓ cups white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¼ cups shredded coconut Sweetened
- Chocolate ganache
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except coconut. Whip with a mixer until thick and frothy. Fold coconut into the egg white mixture. Mix until well-coated, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.
- Use a small scoop to measure out 1 heaping tablespoon of the cookie mixture. Spoon out all 15 cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until the coconut is lightly toasted. Cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
Optional
- Some people like to dip their coconut macaroons in melted chocolate. To do that, simply mix up a batch of chocolate ganache (see recipe linked in the ingredients above), and dip the room-temperature macaroons in the hot ganache. Wipe off any drips and then place on wax paper (parchment will work in a pinch) on a wire cooling rack until the chocolate is cooled and hard.
Susan says
My time trying your recipe. Great results. The only difference was my vanilla definitely tinted the macaroons more than pictured. Still fabulous results. Will make many more times.