Coconut macaroons
Coconut macaroons are little mounds made from desiccated coconut, sweetened condensed milk and whipped egg whites, with no flour at all. They have a crisp golden shell and a chewy, moist inside full of coconut aroma. They are easy to make, perfect for beginners, and you can dip them in dark chocolate to balance the sweetness.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rising or chilling
- 30 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Coconut mixture
Chocolate for dipping (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coconut and condensed milk stick very easily, so the parchment lets you lift the macaroons off in one piece. The oven is ready when the heating light first turns off.
Step 2
Put 250 g desiccated coconut, 300 g sweetened condensed milk and 5 g vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix with a spatula until the coconut is evenly coated. Letting the coconut soak in the milk for a few minutes softens the shreds and helps them stick together. The mixture is ready when it is evenly moist and holds together when squeezed rather than falling apart.
Step 3
In a clean, dry bowl, beat 64 g egg whites with a pinch salt on high speed for about three minutes. Whipped egg whites make the macaroons lighter and give them a crisp outer shell. The whites are ready when they are glossy and smooth and the peaks stand straight up without falling when you lift the beaters.
Step 4
Add the egg whites to the coconut mixture in two additions, gently folding up from the bottom each time. Folding gently keeps some of the air bubbles so the macaroons are not dense. The mixture is ready when the whites have fully disappeared with no white patches left and the coconut looks fluffier.
Step 5
Use a small ice cream scoop or two spoons to scoop the mixture into tall round mounds and place them on the baking sheet about three centimeters apart. Mounds with a pointed peak give pretty, crisp golden tips. You can dip your hands in water to shape the mounds neatly without sticking.
Step 6
Bake on the middle rack at 165 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through. Rotating helps the macaroons brown evenly, since ovens often heat unevenly from side to side. The macaroons are done when the bottoms and the coconut tips have turned a clear golden brown.
Step 7
Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet for about twenty minutes before lifting them off. While hot, the condensed milk inside is still soft, so they break easily. The macaroons are ready when they peel off the parchment easily and the bottoms are dry and firm.
Step 8
If you like, melt 120 g dark chocolate over a water bath on low heat, dip the bottom of each macaroon in it and set it on parchment paper, drizzling a few lines of chocolate over the tops if you wish. The gentle bitterness of the chocolate keeps the macaroons from tasting too sweet. They are finished when the chocolate has set glossy and is no longer sticky to the touch.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- Spatula
- Small saucepan
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- Unsweetened desiccated coconut keeps the macaroons just sweet enough; if you use sweetened coconut, cut back a little on the condensed milk.
- A little grated lemon zest in the coconut mixture adds a lovely fresh aroma.
- To set the chocolate quickly, put the tray of dipped macaroons in the fridge for about ten minutes.
Storage
The macaroons keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about five days, or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Keep chocolate-dipped macaroons somewhere cool so the chocolate does not melt.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The macaroons spread flat and the bottoms burn black.
- The mixture was too wet or the oven was too hot. Add a little more desiccated coconut to firm up the mixture and move the baking sheet up one rack.
- The macaroons are dry and crumbly when you bite into them.
- They baked too long or the coconut did not soak up enough condensed milk. Next time, let the mixture rest for a few minutes before scooping and take the macaroons out as soon as the tips turn golden.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
