Classic Coconut Macaroons
Chewy, moist coconut macaroons with deeply golden, toasty tips and a tender center. Just five ingredients and one bowl for the base, with whipped egg whites folded in for a lighter, less dense bite.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 7 min
- Makes
- 24 cookies
Steps
Before you start
- Use sweetened shredded coconut (the moist kind sold in bags), not unsweetened or desiccated coconut, which makes dry, crumbly cookies.
- Separate the eggs while cold, then let the whites sit out 15 minutes. Any trace of yolk or grease will stop them whipping, so use a spotlessly clean bowl.
- Use parchment paper, not foil or a bare pan. The condensed milk caramelizes and sticks fast to anything else.
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 325°F (165°C) before you start.
Preheat and line pansOven 325°F / 165°C
- Position an oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Set the egg whites out so they lose their chill.
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Ready when: Oven fully preheated and pans lined flat with parchment.
Tip: Use an oven thermometer if you can; ovens that run hot will brown the tips before the centers set.
Mix coconut base
- In a large bowl, stir together the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt with a rubber spatula until every shred is coated and the mixture looks like a thick, sticky paste.
- Let it rest 10 minutes so the coconut absorbs the milk.
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Ready when: No dry coconut or pools of milk remain; the mixture clumps when pressed.
Whip egg whites
- In a clean, dry medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until foamy, then increase to high and beat 2 to 3 minutes more until stiff, glossy peaks form.
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Ready when: When you lift the beaters the peaks stand straight up and the whites don't slide when the bowl is tilted.
Tip: Even a speck of yolk or grease will keep whites from whipping. If it happens, start over with a fresh white.
Fold in whites
- Add about one-third of the whipped whites to the coconut mixture and stir firmly to loosen it.
- Add the remaining whites and gently fold with a spatula, cutting down the middle and sweeping up the sides, just until no white streaks remain, about 15 strokes.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform, airy and holds together when squeezed in your hand.
Tip: Fold gently; stirring hard deflates the whites and gives flatter, denser cookies.
Scoop the mounds
- Use a 1½-tablespoon scoop to portion packed mounds onto the lined pans, spacing them 1½ inches (4 cm) apart (about 12 per pan).
- Pinch each into a slightly tapered dome with damp fingers, leaving some rough edges to brown.
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Ready when: 24 firm, compact mounds of similar size.
Tip: Press the coconut firmly into the scoop; loosely packed mounds crumble apart after baking.
Bake the macaroonsOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake both pans on the center rack at 325°F (165°C) for 20 to 24 minutes.
- Swap pans between racks and turn them front to back after 12 minutes if baking both at once, or bake one pan at a time on the center rack.
- Remove when the tips and edges are deep golden brown.
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Ready when: Tips and edges are deep golden brown, the bottoms are lightly golden, and the cookies feel set on top but still soft inside.
Tip: Watch closely in the final 5 minutes; coconut goes from golden to burnt quickly.
Cool and release
- Let the macaroons cool on the pans for 5 minutes so the caramelized bottoms firm up.
- Slide a thin metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it, then move to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Cookies lift cleanly without tearing and feel firm on the outside, chewy within.
Tip: If a cookie sticks, let it cool 2 minutes more; the caramelized sugar releases as it cools.
Good to know
Tips
- For chocolate-dipped macaroons, melt 4 oz (115 g) semisweet chocolate with 1 teaspoon neutral oil, dip the cooled bottoms, and chill on parchment for 15 minutes until set.
- Uniform scoops bake evenly; use a scoop rather than spoons for consistent size and timing.
- Wet or lightly oiled fingers keep the sticky mixture from clinging when shaping.
- Sticky cookies on the bottom mean they were removed from the pan too early; always let them rest 5 minutes first.
Make ahead
"Mix the coconut base (step 2) up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate covered; let it sit 20 minutes at room temperature, then whip and fold in the egg whites just before scooping and baking."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: airtight container up to 4 days, layered with parchment. Fridge: up to 1 week; bring to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Freezer: up to 3 months in a freezer bag with parchment between layers; thaw at room temperature 30 minutes, or refresh in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes."
Substitutions
- pure vanilla extract → almond extract. Use ½ tsp for a bakery-style almond flavor, as it is much stronger than vanilla.
- sweetened shredded coconut → unsweetened shredded coconut. Use 340 g (about 4 cups) and add 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar to the base; the cookies will be slightly less moist.
- sweetened condensed milk → sweetened condensed coconut milk. Same amount; makes the cookies dairy-free.
- fine sea salt → kosher salt. Use ⅓ tsp (about 2 g) if using Diamond Crystal; it's less dense.
