Name: Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 7
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 large egg whites; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/8 tsp cream of tartar; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon almond extract (or sub additional vanilla); ¼ cup granulated sugar; 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut; 3 ounces chocolate melting wafers (or almond bark)

These chewy Chocolate Coconut Macaroons may look fancy, but you can make with ease. If you’re in the mood for a decadent dessert but not a ton of calories, whip up these chocolate coconut treats!

Looking for more Christmas cookie ideas? Try Pinwheel Cookies or these snowball cookies!

A plate full of chocolate coconut macaroons with a kitchen towel in the foreground

Easy Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate

Picture a cluster of sweet coconut goodness with a chewy texture and a lightly crisp exterior. Now imagine that it’s dipped and drizzled in chocolate! This dreamy dessert is no fantasy – it’s a super easy homemade treat.

With just 10 minutes of prep time, these coconut cookies look like they came from a bakery. These macaroons are a guilt-free goodie that satisfies all your sweet-tooth cravings!

What is the Difference Between a Macaroon and a Macaron?

Though similar names can be confusing, macaroons and macarons are two totally different things. Macaroons are cookies made with egg whites, sugar, shredded coconut, and oftentimes chocolate and nuts. Macarons, on the other hand, are a French dessert made with ganache or buttercream sandwiched between two meringue wafers.

Ten homemade coconut macaroons arranged on a white surface

Recipe Ingredients

Making perfect chocolate coconut macaroons begins with a few simple ingredients. Here’s the rundown:

Egg Whites: make sure the egg white are free of any yolks
Salt
Cream of Tartar: This helps stabilize the egg whites during the whipping process.
Pure Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract: You can substitute this with additional vanilla, if preferred.
Granulated Sugar
Shredded Sweetened Coconut
Chocolate Melting Wafers: You could also use almond bark for a nutty twist.

Shredded coconut, cream of tartar, vanilla extract and the rest of the cookie ingredients on a countertop

How to Make Coconut Macaroons

These famous cookies are far easier to make than you might imagine. Let’s get started!

Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.

Beat Egg Whites, Salt & Cream of Tartar: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar for approximately 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.

A mixture of egg whites, salt and cream of tartar beaten to soft peaks in a glass bowl

Add Sugar & Extracts: Next, add the granulated sugar and both extracts, beating until combined.

Add Coconut: Fold in the coconut.

A glass mixing bowl on a gray surface filled with coconut macaroon batter

Form Cookies: Use 2 spoons or a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the coconut mixture, pressing it in with your hands to form a ball with a flat edge. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart.

Bake: Bake the macaroons for about 22-25 minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies are light brown. Do not over-bake them or they will dry out.

Let Cool: Allow the macaroons to cool on the cookie sheet.

A freshly-baked macaroon on a lined cookie sheet before any chocolate has been added

Melt Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt half of the chocolate wafers at 50% power in 30-second intervals. Stir after each interval and continue until the chocolate is melted. Reduce the microwave time as needed so the chocolate does not burn.

Melted chocolate in a white bowl with a metal spoon scooping some out

Dip & Drizzle: Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, and then place them upside down to let the chocolate cool. Once the chocolate has set, melt the remaining chocolate as directed above and drizzle it overtop the cookies.

Chocolate-dipped macaroons laying on their sides on top of a silicone-lined baking sheet

Tips for Success

I highly recommend going over these tips before you start on your chocolate coconut macaroons. Following these guidelines will ensure you get flawless cookies.

What are Soft Peaks? Well, first the eggs will turn from a liquid to a foam, and then they’ll turn white. Keep on beating until the mixture is no longer transparent. When you run a spoon through the mixture, it should hold it’s shape and not collapse on itself.
Use a Cookie Scoop: Using a cookie scoop will ensure that the macaroons are all the same size and that they will bake evenly. I recommend packing the dough into the scoop to help the balls hold their shape.
Runny Dough is a No-Go: The macaroon dough should not be runny. If the mixture is runny or soupy, it means the egg whites were not beaten long enough. Unfortunately, I recommend starting over – otherwise, the cookies won’t bake correctly.
Be Gentle: Macaroons are quite delicate, so handle them with care. If they’re sticking to the baking sheet, it helps to slide the flat edge of a knife underneath them to loosen them up.
Make Mini Macaroons: If you’d like to make smaller macaroons, use a medium-sized cookie scoop instead of a large one and reduce the bake time by 5-8 minutes. This will make 10 macaroons instead of 7.

Two chocolate coconut macaroons stacked on top of one another with a bite taken out of the top one

Add-In Ideas

This recipe is definitely add-in friendly, as long as you don’t over-mix the dough. The following ingredients taste great inside these coconut cookies!

Fresh Lime or Lemon Zest: If you’d like your cookies to have a touch of citrus flavor, go ahead and fold some lime or lemon zest into the dough along with the coconut flakes. Or better yet, make my White Chocolate Lime Macaroons!
Sprinkles: You can add a pop of color to these cookies by folding in your favorite sprinkles. I suggest using the little round nonpareils.
Dried Fruit: Dried cranberries or apricots make a delicious addition to coconut macaroons. Dice them up very finely and gently fold them into the dough.
More Chocolate! If you want to go all in with the chocolate, you can fold some mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
Diced Nuts: Finely chopped almonds or walnuts will add flavor and a satisfying crunch to your coconut macaroons. You could also gently press a whole nut into each macaroon after drizzling on the chocolate.

Coconut cookies with a chocolate drizzle piled onto a white plate

How to Store Macaroons

You have the option of storing these at room temperature or chilling them. Either way, they should be cooled completely with the chocolate set and kept in an airtight container. Room temperature macaroons last for up to 3 days, while chilled ones will stay fresh for 1 week.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes, you can freeze chocolate coconut macaroons for up to 3 months if you store them properly. Wrap each cooled and set cookie in plastic wrap and keep them in a freezer-safe container. Unwrap them and thaw them out in the fridge before enjoying.