Easy Coconut Macaroons {With Condensed Milk}

The best quick and easy coconut macaroons recipe, homemade with simple ingredients (coconut, condensed milk, egg whites). Soft, moist and chewy. Covered in chocolate!

This is a classic cookie that I have been making since I was a kid. They are a hit, especially with people who love the chocolate and coconut flavor combination. I like to top it off with chocolate and fresh strawberries to turn them into a delicious Summer snack or dessert. This recipe is naturally gluten free because it's held together with egg whites. After many trials and errors, I have learned that recipes which use all-purpose flour to hold everything together tend to be very dense. If you are fond of using coconut in baking as much as me, make sure to try these Chewy Coconut Cookies and these Chocolate Coconut Bars (Macaroon Bars).

How to make easy coconut macaroons recipe with condensed milk from scratch?

1. Mix coconut mixture- Including coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla extract. 
2. Whip egg whites- Fold into coconut mixture.
3. Bake- Let it cool.
4. Top it- With melted chocolate and strawberries. Enjoy!

Key ingredients for chewy macaroon cookies

• Coconut- Sweetened flakes are best.
• Condensed milk- For sweetness.
• Egg whites- To create the airy, chewy texture.

What is the difference between macarons and macaroons?

Even though they both sound similar, they are spelled differently. The only similarity between the two is that they are both cookies but the textures, ingredients and baking methods are totally different.

Macarons are French sandwich cookies with a creamy filling. They are colorful with a huge range of flavors. The cookie batter is usually made with almond flour, egg whites, sugar. They have a very light and airy texture. It's a difficult recipe and requires a lot of practice. They are also quite expensive.

Macaroons, on the other hands, are inexpensive and very easy to make with coconut, condensed milk and egg whites. Some people replace egg whites with all-purpose flour or use both, egg whites and flour. They have a soft and chewy texture and are usually dipped halfway in melted chocolate.

Why are my macaroons sticky?

This may mean there is too much liquid in the cookies. Make sure to be very careful and accurate when you are measuring the ingredients. This could also be due to under-baking. They may just need to cook a little bit longer.

Why are my macaroons dry?

This is generally a result of over-baking. Only bake the cookies until the edges are firm and golden brown. This could also be due to inaccurate measuring of ingredients. Too much dry ingredients or not enough liquid will result in dry cookies.

Variations for chocolate covered macaroons 

Try other extracts- Vanilla and almond are popular choices, but any extract of your choice can be used.

Add zests- Such as fresh orange, lemon, lime zests.

Add Chopped nuts- Especially almonds but pecans, pistachios, cashews can also be used.

Add chocolate chips- White, dark, milk, semisweet all work well. Use mini sized chips.

Add cocoa powder- This turns them into chocolate macaroons.

Add dried fruit- Mix in roughly chopped cranberries, raisins, apricots or mangoes.

Add sprinkles- Rainbow/colorful ones are great for kids birthday parties)

Try other toppings- Such as different fruit, Homemade Caramel Sauce, or frostings such as White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or How to Make Homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream.

Tips and Techniques

Why did my macaroons spread? There could be a few reasons for this. The first one is that ingredients were not measured properly. Baking is science and inaccurate measurements can yield very different results.The other possibility is that you over-mixed the batter. You are supposed to gently fold in the egg whites with the coconut mixture.

Don't over-bake- That's because coconut can burn easily. Keep a close eye on them after 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are golden brown and firm along the edges.

Make all cookies the same size- I recommend using an ice cream scooper for this. Make sure to really pack in the mixture in the scooper before dropping it on the baking tray so that it has a nice round and smooth shape.

Temperature is key- Allow the cookies to cool down completely before you dip them or cover them in melted chocolate to prevent it from becoming messy.

Condensed milk vs. Evaporated milk- You must use condensed milk because it's thicker and sweetened, whereas evaporated milk or regular whole milk is not. Using any other milk will alter the consistency of your mixture dramatically and the results will be awful.

Only use egg whites- Do not add yolks into the mixture because that will make the cookies spread, while baking and it will also make the batter very sticky. You must whip them first, until stiff peaks form.

Sweetened vs. Unsweetened coconut- Since no granulated sugar is added to the recipe, I highly recommend using sweetened coconut. If you find it too sweet, you can dip in dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness.

How to prevent these cookies from burning? Bake at a lower temperature for longer. I recommend baking at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. It prevents them from cooking too quickly and burning in the process. Also, make sure your oven temperature is calibrated properly so that it doesn't run too hot.

Can I use flaked coconut instead of shredded? My recipe uses flaked coconut but you can also use shredded coconut. Make sure it's sweetened. Do not substitute with desiccated coconut since it's too fine and the end result would be crumbly cookies.

You can dip them in melted chocolate or leave them as is- You can also drizzle melted chocolate or ganache on top. For best overall flavor, use high quality chocolate. In terms of flavor, it can be dark, semisweet, milk or even white.

Storage

Room temperature- In a sealed container for up to 5 days, if they were simply dipped in melted chocolate.

Refrigerate- If they were decorated with fruits or fresh fruits were incorporated in the mixture, they will need to be refrigerated to be kept fresh. They will last about 2 days this way.

Freeze- Once they have fully cooled down, store them in a sealed airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy them, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. Dip them in melted chocolate, let it set and and serve.

More Coconut Desserts

• Coconut Cranberry Cake (With Cake Mix)
• Coconut Sugar Cookies
• German Chocolate Cake Frosting (Coconut Pecan Frosting)
• Coconut Cream Chocolate Frosting

Recipe