Macaroons are a blissful holiday treat, a delicious combination of rich almond flavor and sweet coconut, brought together by a dark chocolate coating. These macaroons feature a moist interior bursting with nutty goodness, and a crisp exterior speckled with sweet coconut. Whether enjoyed on their own or as part of a dessert platter, these macaroons are perfect for any holiday get together.
The cookie itself is prepared with crushed almonds, creating a soft and nutty interior. The base of the cookie is then coated in a layer of rich dark chocolate chocolate. Bursting with almond flavor, each bite is a heavenly combination of sweet and crunchy, complimented by a mix of chocolate and coconut.
For pairing, I suggest you keep it seasonal. As an example, consider our homemade hot chocolate. This particular hot chocolate recipe cooks up thick and rich, and lusciously sweet. And yes, it really only takes three ingredients.
We’ll start things off by answering the age-old question “Macaroons or Macarons?” From there, I’ll give you a quick list of everything you’ll need to prepare this recipe, as well as seven tips for making the best macaroons possible.
To Start: Macaroons or Macarons?
The extra “O” makes a fairly big difference – and not just grammatically.
Macarons and Macaroons are both confectionery treats made with almond flour. This much is true. However, they are completely different in terms of taste, texture, and ingredients.
Macarons are meringue-based and sandwich-like in structure, made with a pair thin, crisp shells of almond meringue held together by a sweet, creamy filling. The shells are generally brightly colored, and flavored with a variety of extracts and fruit preserves.
Macaroons, on the other hand, are made with ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. They are also much denser and chewier than macarons. They're usually shaped like small, round mounds and are usually flavored with a combination of vanilla and coconut.
As I said, that’s the difference one “O” makes. The more you know, I suppose.
Ingredient Checklist – What You’ll Need
- Egg Whites. Why just the egg whites? Egg whites are used to achieve a light, fluffy texture, especially in things like meringues, custards, and mousses. In things like cakes, cookies, and muffins whipped egg whites add structure, lift, and moisture.
- Egg Whites Pro-Tip: When whipping egg whites, they should be room temperature. For best results, add a pinch of cream of tartar to help stabilize them and make them whip up fluffier. The fluffier the egg whites, the more structure and texture the bring to the recipe.
- Egg Whites: Caution: When separating the yolk from the white, be sure to ‘not’ get any yolk in the whites as this can prevent them from whipping up properly.
- Almonds. Used slivered or shredded almonds, and then grind these up. You don’t need to grind them to a fine powder, as we want some nice almond chunks speckled throughout the cookies.
- Almond Extract. For added almond flavor that’s spread evenly throughout the macaroons.
- Vanilla Extract. Plain vanilla extract is all you’re looking for here.
- Shredded Coconut. I do suggest using sweetened shredded coconut.
- Chocolate. I’m using semi-sweet baker’s bar chocolate. However, feel free to use something like dark chocolate chips. If you prefer a (much) sweeter macaroon, milk chocolate chips will also work fine.
- Coconut Oil. For stabilizing the chocolate coating.
Tips for Making Macaroons
- Use aged egg whites: Egg whites that have been aged for up to a week will create a more stable meringue, which will give your macaroons a better texture. Aging eggs whites simply means allowing them (the egg whites) to sit in the fridge for a couple of days in a container.
- Don’t skip the almonds: Yes, there are recipes that exclude almonds and/or almond flour. Don’t use those recipes. Ground almonds not only gives the macaroons a great flavor, but also their signature texture.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients will help ensure that the macaroon batter is smooth and free of lumps. Lumps lead to uneven baking, and uneven baking leads to poor texture.
- Use a pastry bag: A pastry bag helps make the macaroon shape more uniform and ensures that the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake at a low temperature: Baking macaroons at a low temperature helps prevent them from overbrowning and ensures that the meringue stays light and fluffy.
- Let the macaroons sit: Letting macaroons sit for a few hours or overnight (after cooling) helps to give them a much better texture, while also allowing the chocolate coating to fully set.
Coconut Almond Macaroons
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen macaroons 1x
Ingredients
For the macaroons:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup almonds slices - ground
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar - sifted
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
For the melted chocolate:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
For the macaroons:
- Preheat Oven 325 degrees F.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl.
- Grind the almonds in a food processor.
- Add the ground almonds and shredded coconut to the sifted sugar and toss.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
- Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture along with the extracts.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place slightly rounded teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 20 – 25 minutes, until slightly golden in color. Transfer to a cooling rack.
For the melted chocolate:
- In a double-boiler set over medium heat, melt down the chocolate and oil until smooth.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
- Dip the macaroons in the melted chocolate and set on the prepared baking sheet. Then with the remaining chocolate, drizzle each.
- Refrigerate the macaroons for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
angiesrecipes says
They are my absolute favourite cookies! So good that I sometimes could eat a whole dozen at one go...so addictive!
Catherine Pappas says
I love coconut macaroons too!! I bet I could eat as many as you dear Angie!! all my best dear friend. xoxox
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, My wife and I both love coconut macaroons, although I don't remember any of them with almonds. The chocolate is critical though! Your version of this treat looks amazing... Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Catherine Pappas says
Dear David, I love coconut macaroons too! That is one reason I had to learn how to make these treats. (though they are dangerous to keep within reach)! I hope that you and Laurie like these if you give them a try. Please stay well and all my very best.
HEATHER says
I love coconut macaroons!!! And these were delish..and loved dipping them in chocolate. The almond flavor was such a wonderful addition.
Living the Gourmet says
Thank you dear Heather for letting me know that you tried these and enjoyed them. That makes me so happy to know. Thank you always for visiting and taking the time to write. xo
Holly says
I love buying coconut macaroons and will enjoy making these at home. That extra dipping in chocolate is a great idea!
Kathryn says
This was my first time making macaroons and your recipe was so delicious and easy to follow. My favorite was the chocolate drizzle. Making these again soon because we all loved them!
FOODHEAL says
I love coconut, I adore chocolate and almonds, these macaroons are perfectly going to made soon. I hope to get away to make them vegan... Thank you for the recipe.
Beth says
Macaroons were one of my favorite cookies even before focusing on gluten-free recipes. Loved the history behind them! I'm wondering if I could use less sugar in your recipe and it would still come out? I'm always looking for less-sweet treats. Thanks!
Melanie C says
Macaroons was one of my obsessions when I was pregnant last time. I wish I had your recipe then because I know I would have been making them daily!! I made them today and they are every bit as delicious as they look in your pictures! Thanks for sharing.
Leslie says
I love the coconut and almond flavor used in these macaroons! This is an excellent recipe that is sure to satisfy!
Debbie says
I adore coconut macaroons and the addition of almonds sound amazing . I can't wait to try these and my son has to eat gluten free so these are perfect for him.
Nicole says
These are one of my all-time favourite cookies, except Ive never had them with almonds in them before. I will definitely have to try it this way soon. I've even got a few egg whites in the fridge right now!
Moop Brown says
I really appreciate how straightforward and easy to understand you made this recipe seem. Looks super tasty- thanks for sharing!
Alina says
I would like to make these cookies but I’m a bit confused as I can’t read in your recipe when to add the shredded coconut. Thanks
Living the Gourmet says
Dear Alina, add the coconut with the almonds to the sifted sugar in step 4. I hope you enjoy these macaroons as much as I do! Happy Baking!
Kristin von Thelen says
I just made these. they are cooking in the oven as I write this. I was not sure if the recipe wanted me to use sweetened coconut or unsweetened coconut??? I used unsweetened…. I hope they will turn out well.. Please advise as to which you had intended us to use for this recipe… Thanks Kristin
Living the Gourmet says
Dear Kristen, Thank you for stopping by! I used sweetened coconut for this recipe. I am sure either will turn out fine since there is 1 cup of confectioner's sugar in the recipe (plus they are coated in chocolate), so it really depends on how sweet you like your macarons. Enjoy!
Kristin von Thelen says
Thanks for letting me know. Next time I will try with sweetened coconut. They turned out very well with the unsweetened. My gluten free niece and co-worker loved them. Both wanted the recipe. Always a good recommendation.
Beth says
Coconut macaroons are my favorite cookie of all time. This is a fantastic recipe. It's sooo good.
Indu Indra says
Pampering the taste buds with coconut almond macaroons. Can be a wonderful party treat.
Glass Mosaic Tiles says
These Macaroons omg they look so so good!!! Sunday is our official cookies making day, I will try to make your recipe, I can't wait.
Siennylovesdrawing says
Ohh wowo...this gonna be perfect for this festive celebration, gonna saved this & doing it with your recipe. Thanks! Cheers Siennylovesdrawing.wordpress.com
Yeah Lifestyle says
This looks delicious! My kids love coconut and I bet the would devour this as soon as they have made it.