Home
Recipes
Easy Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Easy Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Name: Easy Coconut Macaroon Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 36
Ingredients: 4 egg whites; 2 2/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut; 2/3 cup sugar; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

(4)

0 Questions

Write a Review
Ask a Question

Pillsbury Kitchens

Updated Jun 25, 2024

Coconut macaroon cookies are not only one of the most versatile cookies you’ll ever bake, but also one of the easiest, placing them at the top of our favorites list for Christmas cookies (though we’ll happily eat them any time of year).

Originating from Italy, the name “macaroon” is derived from the Italian word maccarone, meaning “paste,” referring to the almond paste that was originally used as its primary ingredient. Over time, this simple yet delightful treat has evolved, with the most popular versions today containing sweet, tender coconut.

While they may sound and look gourmet, you can rest easy knowing macaroon cookies are actually a breeze to make, which is why it makes for a perfect treat to share during the bustling holiday season. And with just 10 minutes of prep time, you can make multiple batches of this irresistible dessert for every occasion that calls for something sweet.

Delight in every bite of these delicate, moist, and chewy cookies—truly a taste of holiday tradition, whatever time of the year it may be.

How To Make Coconut Macaroon Cookies

If you’ve got 10 minutes to spare, you’ve got time to prep these easy, coconutty cookies. You can find the full detailed instructions for this recipe below, but here’s the simple scoop on how to make them.

Blend the Ingredients

Preheat your oven and spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Grab a large bowl and a spatula. To the bowl, add all the ingredients egg whites, flour for stability; sweetened flaked coconut and sugar for texture as well as sweetness; vanilla and finally, almond extracts. Then add salt for flavor. Give everything a good stir until blended.

Wondering about clear vanilla? Using clear vanilla extract in this recipe will keep your macaroons pearly white.

Drop and Bake

Using a teaspoon, drop dough by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. (If you have a teaspoon-size cookie scoop, that also works well here!) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets, then bake until lightly toasted and set. Be sure to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack ASAP so they don’t stick to the sheet. Enjoy!

Craving more cookies? We are, too. Here are all our coconut cookie recipe

How To Store Macaroon Cookies

The great thing about macaroon cookies is that they store incredibly well for a long time, giving you even more opportunities to enjoy them! Here’s how to do it right at any temperature.

At Room Temperature: Our recommendation is to store fully baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Keeping them in an airtight container prevents any excess air from making the cookies go stale more quickly.

In the Fridge: If you like to eat cold cookies or want to store them for a little longer, you can also store these macaroons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

In the Freezer: For even longer-term storage, place fully baked and cooled macaroon cookies in a resealable food-storage plastic bag; freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature. These cookies hold up to freezing very well, retaining their texture and chewiness.

More Top-Rated Macaroon Recipes

If you’re anything like us, you’re craving even more coconut cookie goodness now. Great news—we have more to share! One of the best qualities of the macaroon cookie is how versatile it can be; there are so many variations and ways to make it your own without sacrificing time, money or taste. Here are some of our top-rated recipes on Pillsbury.com to keep the macaroon cookie party going.

Cherry Sugar Cookie Macaroons

This Pillsbury™ Bake-Off® Contest finalist recipe is a winner in our eyes. With Pillsbury™ Sugar Cookie Dough, tart cherries, macadamia nuts and flaky coconut, each bite is a medley of flavor magic.

Hummingbird Macaroons

The classic flavors of a hummingbird cake—pineapple, banana, coconut and nuts—come together in this easy recipe that tastes like a tropical vacation in each bite.

White Chocolate Macaroons

Perfect with coffee, only five ingredients and ready to eat in 45 minutes? We’re sold on this simple sweet treat.

Brownie Macaroons

For that age-old dilemma of choosing between brownies and macaroons, we have a solution: this delectable, four-ingredient dessert.

Still on a cookie kick? Pillsbury is your one-stop shop for cookie recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many macaroon cookie recipes are naturally gluten-free, which makes them a great dessert option for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. This recipe for coconut macaroon cookies is not gluten-free, as it contains flour.

However, you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by swapping the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe with a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour in the same amount; or, you can experiment with your own personal blend of gluten-free flour. If you give this a try, let us know in the comments how it worked for you!

We do not recommend leaving the flour out of the recipe entirely, as it does help to bind the cookies as they bake.

There might only be one “o” separating the two, but macaroons and macarons are very different cookie types.

A macaroon is a drop cookie made with a mixture of flaked coconut, eggs, sugar, etc., while a macaron is an almond flour-based sandwich cookie filled with buttercream, jam, or ganache. Macaroons are soft and chewy throughout, and macarons are soft with a delicate crunch on the exterior.

Macaroons have their origins in Italian baking and come together in a matter of minutes. Macarons also originated from Italy, but are more closely associated with French bakeries nowadays. Their preparation process is much more precise and time-consuming, requiring meringue, almond flour, and a piping bag to make perfect round cookies to sandwich with a filling.

Both cookies are very delicious, but very different, so be sure to check the spelling before you make a recipe!

Many macaroon recipes will be slightly stickier than a typical cookie recipe, but once baked, they become dry to the touch on the outside. Rarely, however, the cookies will stay sticky even after baking; this is likely due to two factors:

You used freshly shredded coconut, which has too much liquid in it and the liquid is likely seeping out when the macaroons bake, making them sticky. Be sure to use store-bought sweetened coconut flakes for this recipe for best results.

Humidity in the air can sometimes affect baking outcomes—it’s true! If you live in a humid area or are baking macaroons on a hot, sticky summer day, your cookies might also suffer from the humidity. It’s best to bake when the air is dry outside for best results.

These coconut macaroon cookies are generally healthier than many other cookie and dessert recipes, but due to their high sugar content, they should not be considered a healthy snack. We like to make these cookies with a variety of other cookie recipes during the holiday season to strike the balance between indulgent and flavorful, knowing that dessert is meant to be a special moment for a sweet treat! We recommend skipping these for snack time and saving them for when the occasion calls for cookies.