Learning how to make Coconut Macaroons without Condensed Milk is quick and simple. These easy coconut macaroons have a soft, chewy interior and a perfect level of sweetness. You'll absolutely love these chocolate dipped treats!
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📋 About the Recipe
- Perfect holiday cookies - These chocolate dipped cookies are a delicious treat that you can make for virtually any holiday. We most commonly enjoy them for Passover, but they're perfect for Easter, Mother's day, even Hanukkah or Christmas! They're really perfect for any special occasion.
- No sweetened condensed milk - Classic coconut macaroon recipes are made with condensed milk to help add sweetness and hold the coconut shreds together. Instead, I've replaced this liquid with an additional egg and coconut oil, making these coconut cookies taste just like healthier versions of almond joys!
- Easy gluten free and dairy free dessert - This coconut macaroons recipe is made with simple ingredients that are naturally gluten free and dairy free.
- These coconut macaroons look beautiful on a dessert spread, along with Kosher for Passover cheesecake and mandel bread.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Coconut - The best coconut for making homemade macaroons is sweetened, dried shredded coconut. It's more textured than desiccated coconut, but more uniform in texture and consistency than large coconut flakes. If you love coconut desserts, you'll love this Kosher For Passover Cheesecake and this Easy Coconut Lime Drizzle Cake.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar or caster sugar adds sweetness while letting the coconut flavor shine. I would not recommend substituting the white sugar with another sugar such as brown sugar or cane sugar. These sugars will make the cookies a brown color and also add additional moistness that will affect the consistency.
- Coconut oil - Both unrefined coconut oil and refined coconut oil will work well in this recipe. Unrefined coconut oil will add additional coconut flavor - perfect for any coconut lover.
- Eggs - Eggs add moisture and help bind these cookies into the perfect chewy bite.
- Vanilla - I like the flavor of classic vanilla extract, but if you'd like to make these with a twist, try almond extract. It will be similarly sweet, but add additional nuttiness.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- How to melt chocolate without a microwave - The chocolate chips and coconut oil can be melted together using a double boiler on the stovetop. If you've never made a double boiler before, this resource will help: How to Melt Chocolate in a Double Boiler.
- White chocolate - If you prefer white chocolate instead of milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate, feel free to dip and drizzle your homemade coconut macaroons in white chocolate or a combination of both. Use any leftover white chocolate to make my Heart Shaped Rice Krispie Treats!
📓 Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix coconut flakes, sugar, melted coconut oil, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, stir the ingredients together until well combined.
- Whisk the egg whites. In a separate large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. When foamy, whisk in the pure vanilla extract.
- Fold egg whites into coconut mixture. Transfer the egg whites into the large mixing bowl and fold to combine.
- Scoop the macaroons. Using an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop, scoop the cookies into mounds and place on the lined baking sheet. You should have about 15 large macaroons.
- Bake. Bake the coconut macaroons for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Once baked, allow the macaroons to cool completely until room temperature.
- Dip and drizzle with chocolate (optional): If desired, melt ½ cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Dip the bottoms of the cooled macaroons into the chocolate and/or drizzle the chocolate over top the macaroons.
- Chill. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator just until the chocolate has set. If they become too hard, allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying.
❄️ How to Store
To store: Macaroons will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To freeze: Place the chewy cookies back on the parchment lined baking sheet and stick the baking sheet in the freezer until the cookies are frozen solid, about 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer the macaroons into a freezer bag or container and seal tightly.
🔍 Recipe FAQs
Coconut macaroons and macarons are actually quite different!
Coconut macaroons are chewy cookies made from mounds of shredded coconut that are combined with ingredients such as coconut oil, egg whites, and sugar. Macarons on the other hand are French cookies that are filled with buttercream.
Macaroons can be refrigerated but they don't need to be. If you are going to eat your macaroons within a couple of days, store them at room temperature in an airtight container. If you'd like them to last longer than 2 to 3 days, store them in the refrigerator.
If your cookies aren't holding together, the ratio of dry to wet ingredients is off. Add additional eggs or coconut oil, as needed until the macaroons are easy to scoop into mounds. For best results, use large egg whites!
💭 One More Tip
Set your eggs on the kitchen counter about 30 minutes to 1 hour before starting. This will allow them to warm to room temperature and whisk easily until foamy.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
Coconut Macaroons without Condensed Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted plus 1 teaspoon more for melting chocolate
- pinch of salt
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add coconut flakes, sugar, melted coconut oil, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously for a minute or two until they look foamy. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Fold egg whites into the coconut mixture until combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop coconut into mounds on the prepared baking sheet. Leave space between each one. You should have about 15 macaroons total.
- Bake macaroons for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the macaroons are lightly golden brown. Cool macaroons completely.
- Optional: Melt ½ cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon coconut oil in 30 second intervals in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Dip bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, or drizzle chocolate over top of the macaroons. Place in the refrigerator just until chocolate has set.
Notes
- Set your eggs on the kitchen counter about 30 minutes to 1 hour before starting. This will allow them to warm to room temperature and whisk easily until foamy.
- Watch macaroons closely so they don't over-bake. If cooked the proper amount of time, they will come out perfectly golden on the outside, yet soft and chewy in the middle.
Nutrition
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Janet says
The most difficult part of this recipe is not eating them all immediately. They are SO good and incredibly easy to make. I'll be making them again (and again)!
Alana Lieberman says
I couldn't agree more! Thanks for giving them a try and leaving a review 🙂
Happy Baker says
Just saw this recipe as I start dwelling upon Passover. Is there anything else that I could use instead of the coconut oil as I am not really a fan of using it. Looking forward to your reply.
Alana Lieberman says
I haven't personally tried any other oil in this recipe, but I believe melted butter should work too. This is one of my favorite passover dessert recipes! Happy (early) Passover!