This classic coconut macaroons recipe is so easy to make… and hard to resist!
Homemade Coconut Macaroons
Soft
Chewy
Vegan
Oil free
Gluten free
Paleo & keto versions
And they have just 6 ingredients
These delicious and deceptively simple coconut cookies are so quick and fun to make that they might just become your new favorite cookies.
How To Make Macaroons:
Stir the ingredients together in a bowl.
Microwave or heat on the stove.
Form balls and bake in the oven.
Eat them all up… then head straight back to the kitchen, to make another batch!
(Above, a video of the chocolate version – Chocolate Coconut Cookies)
Macaroons Or Macarons?
So what is a macaroon? If you google “macaroon recipe,” you’ll find cookies that look like the ones in these photos, and you’ll also see cookies that look completely different.
Modern day coconut macaroons are soft coconut cookies, sometimes made with almond paste or even potato starch. They’re popular for Christmas and are also a popular Passover recipe because they’re unleavened.
Macarons—spelled with one o instead of two, or sometimes called French macaroons—are egg white meringue-based sandwich cookies made with ground almonds or almond flour and often filled with ganache, jam, or buttercream. They come in a rainbow of colors.
The two cookies are adaptations of what was once the same recipe, hundreds of years ago.
For Keto Macaroons: Add 3 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil in place of the maple syrup, and sweeten with uncut stevia to taste.
For Paleo Macaroons: Use either almond meal or coconut flour for the 1 tbsp flour of choice.
For Protein Macaroons: Substitute an equal amount of your favorite protein powder (I like this vegan protein powder) for the flour or almond meal.
These healthy coconut cookies have been a staple on my holiday baking list for the past seven years, and I’ve made them a million different ways.
Aside from changing the recipe up by using different flours or protein powders, you can also add almond extract, peppermint extract, or spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, for endless flavor combinations.
The cookies need no refrigeration, making them an excellent choice any time you need to make a dessert for a holiday party. Just be sure not to eat them all before they reach their destination!
Even more cookies —> Healthy Cookies Recipes
Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp almond meal or flour of choice
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp milk of choice or coconutmilk
- just over 1/16 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (a keto option is listed earlier in the post)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla or coconut extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir together all ingredients, then either microwave or heat on the stove until thick enough to scoop balls onto a cookie tray. (I used a melon baller, but a spoon or ice cream scoop also work.) Bake on the center rack 15 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the tray. If desired, dip in melted chocolate or melted Sugar Free Chocolate Chips.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
More Coconut Recipes:
Coconut Ice Cream – 5 Different Flavors
Coconut Butter And Coconut Oil – Everything You Need To Know
I just made these today. I can’t believe how easy they were to make and they turned out SO good. My kids loved them and were disappointed I hadn’t made more ?. I used all-purpose flour, coconut milk, unsweetened coconut and maple syrup; it took maybe 3 minutes for the batter to thicken enough in the microwave and it was extremely easy to scoop it into balls onto the tray. Chocolate on top after they had cooled down and we couldn’t even wait for the chocolate to set. They were dreamy ❤️
Hi, I wanted to check
Do you use freshly grated /froze coconuts or the dry dried desiccated coconut?
Thanks,
Radhika
Dry 🙂
These turned out delicious!!!!! 🙂
What size scoop did you use for these?
Mini cookie scoop 🙂
https://amzn.to/2KnecSl
Jason (media relations)
Hey!
Just letting you know these little treats were fabulous!
Needed to make a dessert for the younger ones and happened upon these. Love that it’s only milk & honey! No eggs or condensed milk! Plus they taste much better in my opinion. Doubled up on taste-testing and not sorry.
My 4y.o. and I whipped them up in the microwave, in short bursts. Took about 3 1/2 minutes all up. I don’t have a baller of any sort, so we used a Tablespoon measuring scoop to dump them out onto the baking tray and we got 14 pieces. Baked them for the longer amount of time, til the edges started to golden, and left them on the tray to cool. No falling apart worry here, but they do melt-in-your-mouth! SO GOOD!
Thank you 🙂
So delicious and so quick and easy!! My hubby keeps popping them in his mouth… they are supposed to be for Christmas goody bags.
Those look perfect!
I would love to try these but I only have sweetened coconut flakes on hand. Must I make the trip to the store to buy the unsweetened kind, or can I make it work? I’m guessing I could omit or reduce the maple syrup in the recipe.
I think the sweetened ones are not dry enough to work? It’s a different texture and probably would cause the macaroons to not set up. But I’m not sure – be sure to report back if you experiment!
Jason
Forgot to come back and update. I used only 1/2 cup of soy milk and no sweetener at all. They turned out great! I’ll try using slightly less milk next time or cooking it for a bit longer so they set up better, but this first try was delicious.
Those look wonderful!
I just had to update you on my second try because they turned out even better! Still using sweetened coconut flakes, I used slightly less than 1/2 cup of soy milk, and omitted the maple syrup. And, since I had some leftover sweetened condensed coconut milk, I added 1 TBSP of it. Cooked on the stove instead of warming in the microwave like last time, and baked until golden. So delicious! They didn’t last the night 🙂 Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made the mistake of using coconut flour in mine and they came out very delicate, crumbly and a bit dry. I had forgotten how coconut flour really soaks up liquids! I’ll try almond or normal baking flour next time 🙂 despite the slight mishap, they tasted absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe.
Can i use whole wheat flour instead?
I have checked on very well fit calorie counter and I don’t get the same as you. Here is what it says:
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.9g 14%
Saturated Fat 9.5g 47%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 8.9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2.7g 10%
Total Sugars 5.3g
Protein 1.7g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 16mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 19mg
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
16 tbsp Unsweetened Shredded Coconut Medium No Name 120 Calories per serving
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Wheat Flour, White, All-purpose, Enriched, Bleached 2 Calories per serving
1/2 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup Milk, Reduced Fat, Fluid, 2% Milkfat With Added Vitamin A 5 Calories per serving
3 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
3 1/2 tbsp Syrups, Maple 15 Calories per serving
vanilla
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract 0 Calories per serving
One of them must be wrong….
You know that Product/Brands vary sometimes GREATLY in Macros, right?