Equipment
Ingredients
Base Mixture
- 300 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 396 g sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Egg Whites
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 111 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 60 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 6 mg
- Potassium
- 106 mg
- Calcium
- 49 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 55 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 10 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and fine sea salt using an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the unsweetened desiccated coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Stir with a silicone spatula until the coconut is completely moistened.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut mixture using the silicone spatula, ensuring no white streaks remain but taking care not to fully deflate the volume.
Using a small cookie scoop, drop firmly packed mounds of the coconut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the bottoms and edges are deeply golden brown and the tops are lightly toasted.
Remove from the oven and allow the macaroons to cool completely on the baking sheet. They are very fragile while warm and will set as they cool.
Chef's Notes
- Whipping the egg whites separately lightens the dense coconut and condensed milk mixture, yielding a macaroon that is chewy rather than unpleasantly heavy.
- Keep a close eye on the macaroons during the last five minutes of baking. The high sugar content means coconut can go from perfectly toasted to bitter and burnt in less than two minutes.
- For a decadent bakery-style finish, dip the flat bottoms of the cooled macaroons into tempered semi-sweet dark chocolate and let them set on clean parchment paper.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to maintain chewiness.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a sealed container.
Troubleshooting
Sweetened condensed milk pooling around the base of the cookies
Cause: The egg whites were not whipped stiffly enough, or the mixture was over-folded.
Fix: Wait until fully baked and cooled, then use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim off the excess caramelized pools.
Prevention: Ensure egg whites reach stiff peaks and fold gently just until combined.
Macaroons are burnt on the bottom
Cause: Baking sheet is too thin or oven runs hot.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a heavy-duty baking pan, optionally double-pan the baking sheet, and verify oven temperature with a thermometer.
Cultural Context
While originally derived from the almond-based Italian amaretti, coconut macaroons gained widespread popularity in the United States and Europe in the late 19th century. They remain a staple dessert year-round and are particularly notable in Jewish baking during Passover because they contain no flour or leavening agents.
