Coconut Macaroons

Light, sweet and oh so coconuty, there’s no doubt why coconut macaroons are a must for Passover. They’re delicious dipped in chocolate too!

There is no treat more synonymous with Passover than the coconut macaroon. They are crafted from pretty simple ingredients: coconut, egg whites, sugar, yet they can yield widely different results. It really comes down to preference and often, tradition.

I’ve made coconut macaroons every which way over the years: dense triangles, barely-sweet piped coconut meringues, others sticky and sweetened with condensed milk, chocolate drizzled and chocolate dipped…you get the idea. I honestly like them all for different reasons, but I think I’ve finally landed on my favorite.

This recipe calls for half sweetened/half unsweetened coconut, which yields a pleasantly sweet, but not cloying macaroon. I whip the eggs with sugar to achieve that airy texture, as opposed to using sweetened condensed milk or cooking the whites with sugar on the stove which makes for a dense macaroon. I also love the addition of vanilla bean, giving the macaroons a big pop of vanilla flavor and tiny speckles sprinkled throughout.

Now remember, these coconut confections are a different animal entirely from French macarons. Those are pretty little sandwich cookies made with almond flour, often brightly colored, and filled and flavored with a wide range of ingredients.

The coconut macaroon, as no surprise, is all about the coconut. It typically contains some form of sweetener and egg whites, either whipped, cooked, or simply stirred in. If you’re a coconut lover, you might want these in their purest form, but sometimes a little chocolate drizzled over the top is in order. Either way, they are sure to be gobbled up and a welcome addition to the holiday table.

Let’s make Coconut Macaroons

1. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks with the whisk attachment.
2. Slowly add the sugar and salt and whip to stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the scraped vanilla bean and coconut flakes.
4. Scoop rounded mounds on prepared baking sheets and bake until the edges begin to toast and turn golden brown.

Tips for success

• Make sure your bowl is dry and grease-free so the egg whites will whip properly. A glass or stainless steel bowl is ideal.
• Don’t let any egg yolk slip into the whites as they won’t whip up well. If a drop drips in, use a part of the cracked shell to remove it.
• A room temperature egg white will whip to a greater volume than a just-out-of-the-refrigerator one. 
• Once you reach stiff peaks in your meringue, be gentle when you fold in the remaining ingredients so you don’t deflate the batter.
• An ice cream scoop is ideal for perfectly formed, consistent cookies.
• To easily scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, slice it lengthwise on one side only. Open it like a book and use the back of your knife to scrape the seeds in one downward stroke.

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Coconut Macaroons

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Light, sweet and oh so coconuty, there’s no doubt why coconut macaroons are a must for Passover. They're delicious dipped in chocolate too!

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American, Jewish

Keyword: coconut cookies, macaroons

Servings: 36 cookies

Calories: 68 kcal

Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped and pod discarded
• 7 oz sweetened coconut flakes
• 6 oz unsweetened coconut flakes
• *melted semi-sweet chocolate for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment.

2. Add egg whites to a clean, dry bowl and whip with the whisk attached to soft peaks.

3. Slowly add the sugar to the whipped egg whites, then the salt, and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.

4. Add the scraped vanilla bean and the coconut flakes to the bowl. Use a spatula to carefully fold until just combined.

5. Using a 1 1/2 inch scoop or a spoon to place rounded mounds of the batter on the lined pans. Bake for about 15 mins or until the cookies are set and just beginning to brown.

6. Drizzle with chocolate if desired.

Recipe Notes

Special equipment: 1 1/2 inch scoop

• Make sure your bowl is dry and grease-free so the egg whites will whip properly. A glass or stainless steel bowl is ideal.
• Don’t let any egg yolk slip into the whites as they won’t whip up well. If a drop drips in, use a part of the cracked shell to remove it.
• A room temperature egg white will whip to a greater volume than a just-out-of-the-refrigerator one. 
• Once you reach stiff peaks in your meringue, be gentle when you fold in the remaining ingredients so you don’t deflate the batter.
• An ice cream scoop is ideal for perfectly formed, consistent cookies.
• To easily scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, slice it lengthwise on one side only. Open it like a book and use the back of your knife to scrape the seeds in one downward stroke.

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Macaroons

Amount Per Serving

Calories 68 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Sodium 53mg 2%

Potassium 49mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 5g

Vitamin C 0.1%

Calcium 0.2%

Iron 1.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update Notes: This post was originally published in April 2016 but was republished with tips and step by step photos in April 2019.