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These small batch coconut macaroons bake up with toasted, crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. They’re made from scratch with just one egg white and perfectly sized for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“I made these macaroons and they were delicious!! Hubby said they were better than the ones at the store. And I agree.”
– Juanni
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Equipment: quarter sheet pan, hand mixer
- Cook Method: Baking
- Servings: 6 macaroons (for 1 or 2)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet coconut with a rich, toasted flavor.
Classic coconut macaroons bake into tall, golden mounds of shredded coconut that look like they came straight from a bakery case.
Why You’ll Love These Small Coconut Macaroons
Bite into one of these coconut macaroons and it gives a little at the edge, then sinks into a soft, tender center that tastes like nothing but sweet coconut. These egg white coconut macaroons are a classic flourless cookie, and I make mine from scratch. They’re made for one or two people.
Most coconut macaroon recipes call for a can of sweetened condensed milk or three or four egg whites, and they turn out two dozen cookies. I developed this small batch coconut macaroon recipe around a single egg white, without condensed milk, so a half dozen comes out of the oven and every one gets eaten. If you have one egg white left over from another recipe, this is the best place for it.
Every step in the method is there for a reason. I beat the egg white with the sugar until it turns frothy and starts to thicken, because that light foam is what holds the coconut together. Then the mixture chills for 30 minutes, which helps the macaroons keep their shape in the oven. When I scoop, I take mostly coconut and leave any loose liquid in the bowl, so each one bakes up neat and round.
From mixing bowl to cooling rack, the whole batch is ready in under an hour.
Looking for more small batch coconut desserts? Try my mini coconut cream pie or small batch coconut ice cream. For more ways to use up egg whites, make my small batch meringue cookies or browse all of my egg white recipes.
Ingredients
These coconut macaroons are made with one egg white and a few pantry staples. The type of coconut you buy and how carefully you separate the egg matter most. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Egg white: The egg white is what holds the macaroons together. Beaten with the sugar until frothy, it coats the coconut and binds each cookie as it bakes. Separate the egg over a small bowl first, then add the white to your mixing bowl, so a broken yolk never lands in the batch. Even a little yolk keeps the white from whipping properly. Save the yolk for any of our egg yolk recipes like small batch thumbprint cookies or banana nut bread for one.
Sugar: Sugar sweetens the macaroons and helps the egg white thicken as you beat them together. Use regular granulated sugar.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the coconut flavor. For an almond version, see Recipe Variations below.
Salt: Salt balances the sweetness of the sugar and coconut.
Sweetened shredded coconut: Coconut is the body of the cookie, and sweetened shredded coconut gives macaroons their moist, chewy texture. We developed this recipe with shredded coconut. Flaked coconut is cut into larger pieces and may not hold together as well. Unsweetened coconut works, but it’s drier than sweetened, so the macaroons won’t be as chewy. We haven’t tested an exact sugar adjustment for it, and you may find the sugar in the recipe sweet enough. Have coconut left in the bag? Use it in my ambrosia for one or small batch butter pecan granola.
Recipe Variations
Each of these variations changes the size or flavor of the coconut macaroons, and all of them start from the same base recipe.
Mini Coconut Macaroons
Mini coconut macaroons are the same mixture scooped smaller, so you get bite-size cookies, about 18 to 24 from one batch. Scoop rounded teaspoons onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops and edges are lightly golden. Smaller macaroons brown faster than the full-size ones, so start checking them a few minutes early.
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons get a coat of chocolate on the bottom once they’ve cooled. Melt 1 ounce of semi-sweet or dark chocolate (about 3 tablespoons chocolate chips) in a small microwave-safe bowl at medium power in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Dip the bottom of each cooled macaroon in the chocolate, let the extra drip back into the bowl, and set it on parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate sets. You can also drizzle the chocolate over the tops instead of dipping.
Almond Joy Coconut Macaroons
Almond Joy coconut macaroons pair coconut with almond and chocolate, like the candy bar. Press 1 whole almond into the top of each macaroon before baking (6 almonds total). Once they’ve cooled, dip the bottoms in 1 ounce of melted chocolate, following the method in the chocolate dipped variation above. For more almond flavor, replace the vanilla with ⅛ teaspoon almond extract.
Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons
Chocolate chip coconut macaroons have chocolate baked right into the coconut. Fold 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips into the mixture along with the coconut, then chill, scoop, and bake as written. Mini chips work better than regular chips here because they spread evenly through a small batch and don’t weigh down the mounds.
Ginger Coconut Macaroons
Ginger coconut macaroons get small bits of sweet, spicy crystallized ginger mixed through the coconut. Fold ½ to 1 tablespoon of finely minced crystallized ginger into the mixture along with the coconut, then chill, scoop, and bake as written. Use ½ tablespoon for a light ginger flavor, or the full tablespoon if you want the ginger to stand out.
How To Make Egg White Coconut Macaroons
Here’s how to make a small batch of coconut macaroons step by step, with photos to guide you. The recipe card below has the exact amounts and full instructions.
- Separate the egg. Crack the egg and let the white fall into a small bowl, then pour it into a medium mixing bowl. Save the yolk for another recipe.
- Beat the egg white. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt to the egg white. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is foamy and slightly thickened. It should look frothy and loose, well short of stiff peaks.
- Fold in the coconut. Add the shredded coconut and fold it in with a rubber spatula until every shred is coated and no dry coconut is left in the bottom of the bowl.
- Chill the mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While it chills, heat the oven to 350°F and line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Scoop the macaroons. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined pan, taking mostly coconut and leaving any loose liquid in the bowl. Press each scoop lightly into a mound and space them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops and edges are lightly golden and the centers still feel soft. A little egg white may pool around the base as they bake, which is normal.
- Cool. Let the macaroons cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool.
Expert Tips
Tilt the bowl to beat one egg white. A single egg white sits shallow in a medium bowl, and the beaters can spin above it without catching much. Tilt the bowl so the white pools on one side and the beaters stay in it. It will foam and thicken evenly in about a minute.
Fold gently. Fold the coconut in with a spatula instead of beating it in with the mixer. Overmixing breaks down the foam and leaves the mixture loose and wet, and a loose mixture spreads in the oven.
Use a small cookie scoop. A small cookie scoop, about 2 tablespoons, gives you same-size mounds that bake at the same rate, so none brown before the rest are done.
Dampen your fingers to shape them. The mixture is sticky going onto the pan. Lightly damp fingertips let you press each scoop into a neat mound without the coconut clinging to your hands.
Check your oven temperature. If your oven runs hot, the outsides brown before the centers set and the macaroons spread. An oven thermometer tells you whether 350°F is really 350°F.
Remove from the oven while the centers are soft. Overbaked macaroons turn dry. Take them out when the tops and edges are lightly golden and the centers still give a little, because they finish firming on the rack.
Cool them completely before dipping or storing. Warm macaroons are fragile and can fall apart if you move or dip them too soon. Wait until they’ve cooled all the way before adding chocolate or packing them away.
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to get these coconut egg white cookies to bake up chewy and hold their shape.
Why did my coconut macaroons spread?
Coconut macaroons spread when the mixture is too loose, usually because it didn’t chill long enough or too much liquid went onto the pan with the coconut. Chill the mixture for the full 30 minutes, then scoop mostly coconut and leave any loose liquid in the bowl. A bit of yolk in the white or overmixing can also thin the mixture, and an oven that runs hot makes the macaroons spread before they set. If a batch does spread, use a spatula to nudge the edges back toward the center while they’re still warm on the pan. A thin ring of egg white around the base is normal and doesn’t change the texture.
Why are my coconut macaroons dry?
Coconut macaroons turn dry when they bake too long or are made with unsweetened coconut, which has less moisture than sweetened. Take them out when the tops and edges are lightly golden and the centers still feel soft, since they firm up as they cool. Use sweetened shredded coconut for a moist, chewy macaroon. Once they’ve cooled, keep them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out sitting on the counter.
Why won’t my coconut macaroons hold together?
Coconut macaroons fall apart when the egg white can’t bind the coconut, which happens when the white has some yolk in it, the coconut isn’t fully coated, or the cookies are moved before they cool. Separate the egg carefully, and fold until every shred of coconut is coated. Press each scoop lightly into a mound before baking. Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then cool completely on the rack before you pick them up. Shredded coconut also holds together better than flaked coconut, which is cut into larger pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store coconut macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They don’t need to be refrigerated unless you want them to keep longer. Let them cool completely before you put them in the container.
A coconut macaroon is a chewy mound of shredded coconut held together with egg white and sugar. A macaron is a smooth French sandwich cookie made with almond flour and meringue, filled with frosting or ganache. This recipe makes coconut macaroons.
One egg white is enough for a small batch of these coconut macaroons, with just sweetened shredded coconut, sugar, vanilla, and salt added. It’s an easy way to use up the white left over from a recipe that only calls for the yolk.
Coconut macaroons freeze well for up to 2 months. Once they’ve cooled completely, layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers, and thaw them at room temperature before serving. If you plan to dip them in chocolate, freeze them plain and dip them after they thaw.
These coconut macaroons are naturally gluten free and dairy free because they’re made without flour or dairy. That’s also why coconut macaroons are a popular Passover dessert. If you’re baking for someone who has to avoid gluten, check that your shredded coconut and vanilla are labeled gluten free.
You can make coconut macaroons without condensed milk by binding the coconut with egg white and sugar, which is how this recipe works. It keeps the batch small, with no partly used can left over.
You can double this small batch coconut macaroon recipe by doubling every ingredient, including 2 egg whites, to make 12 macaroons. Space them about 1 inch apart, and use a larger baking sheet if they don’t all fit on a quarter sheet pan. The bake time stays the same because each macaroon is the same size.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this coconut macaroons recipe please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Small Batch Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Separate the egg and put the white in a medium bowl, saving the yolk for another recipe. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt, then beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute, until foamy and slightly thickened but well short of stiff peaks.
- Add the shredded coconut and fold it in with a rubber spatula until every shred is coated and no dry coconut is left in the bottom of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the macaroons hold their shape while baking. While the mixture chills, heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the pan, taking mostly coconut and leaving any loose liquid in the bowl. Press each scoop lightly into a mound and space them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops and edges are lightly golden and the centers still feel soft. A little egg white may pool around the base, which is normal.
- Let the macaroons cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tasty macaroons but very chewy & had difficulty with cohesion. Causes could be too much handling, using previously frozen white, or (likely) using available flaked rather than shredded coconut. Will try again until I get it right! I love your site, and you make tackling cooking sooo much easier! Thank you!
Wonderful and easy. I’ve Made this several times.
Great recipe.
A little too sweet but they are crisp and delicious! Can adjust next time to our liking but a great easy recipe!
Made these coconut macaroons using almond extract instead of vanilla. Almond on top and bottom dipped in melted chocolate- thankfully it’s a small batch because I ate all of them myself. Hubby isn’t a coconut lover so I didn’t feel too bad! I’ll make him the oatmeal ones. Thank you for the small batch recipes, it’s a huge relief for us empty nester/ retirees who still like to cook.
Made these yesterday but turned them into a version of almond joy cookies by putting a whole almond on top while baking and dipping bottoms in chocolate after cooling. Last night it was good, today it was spectacular! Made 7cookies. Small by my standards (about the size of a vanilla wafer)I burnt the first batch of coconut that I tried to toast so the second batch I didn’t even let get any color and took out of oven at about 4-5 min. Just dried it out a little. This worked well as the cooking phase turned them slightly golden at 15 min. when I took them out. Parchment paper is a must as they are very sticky going into oven. Will make every time I get a craving!
They sound heavenly. I’m so happy you enjoyed them.
It is just my husband and I, our son has grown and moved away. I love to cook and bake, however, cooking is not one of my best skills. I don’t have division to just put things together and they taste great. After seeing your website I have fallen in love with everything I see. I tried the blueberry muffins which we haven’t eaten yet but I had leftover egg white, so I clicked on the link for leftover ingredients and families coconut macaroons. I’m the only one in the house that likes that kind of thing. Just finished making the macarons and they are heavenly. The small batch is enough for me to enjoy by myself. Thank you Joanie for creating this website! I plan to try many more things and become a wonderful cook now.
I have not even tried out the recipe. But guess what, I was redirected from a small batch donut recipe and just the idea of handling leftover within is like amazing . I will be making both of these in one go. I am so pleased that the website does small batches and am glad not having to bake and then find someone to share it with 🙂
These macarons were just delicious! Thanks so much my husband and I loved them and they were really easy to make .Great recipe thanks from the UK.
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cookies. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
So happy I stumbled across this site! So many recipes I can’t wait to try. I made these macaroons and they were delicious!! Hubby said they were better than the ones at the store. And I agree. I followed the recipe precisely and made no substitutions. So quick and easy. And the fact that there were suggestions on using the leftover egg yolk….marvelous! Oatmeal cookies here I come!!
Just made these, but I tripled the recipe because I wanted more. OMG! These are delicious! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Renee
How much sugar would you use if all you have is unsweetened coconut? Thanks!
Hi Kathy,
First off, if you use unsweetened coconut in this macaroons recipe the cookies will not be as chewy. You can still use unsweetened coconut but just know that the texture will be a little different. Unsweetened coconut tends to be a bit drier than sweetened coconut so it will affect the texture a little bit. I really haven’t experimented with unsweetened coconut in this particular recipe so I don’t know the exact amount of sugar you’d need to add. You may actually find that the 2 tablespoons of sugar makes the cookies sweet enough for you – it can be a matter of personal preference.
Thanks for your timely reply! I did some sleuthing and discovered that one cannot simply add more sugar to an unsweetened coconut recipe as the sugar must be absorbed into the coconut. As you stated, texture is likewise an issue. However, if you find your pantry stocked with unsweetened coconut when you require sweetened, heres what to do: heat equal amounts of sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until just melted. Pour over coconut and toss. Spread coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet and allow to cool. Ratio: 3T water and sugar to 3/4 C coconut. Comments reveal that this method is a sweet success😁
Thanks Kathy for researching this (your comment below doesn’t have a reply button). I have toasted unsweetened coconut and was wondering how to use it in this recipe! I’ll be using an alternative sweetener too but it should work. Thanks again.
I have made so many of your dessert recipes! I’m looking forward to trying these. They are perfect for the two of us to enjoy a little indulgence without having leftovers to keep tempting us.
I’m so happy you love the dessert recipes. I hope you enjoy this recipe too.
Have a wonderful week.
Joanie
Your site is the best!!! I have a long list of things I’m going to try. I think these cookies are going to be first. The next one will be the banana bread to use up the egg yolk.
Thank you, Helen! Please let me know how you enjoy the recipes.
Have a wonderful week.
Joanie
I am so excited to see this small batch recipe. A couple of great points I’d like to share. Small batch baking allows you to see where you may or may not tweak, without wasting your ingredients or making so many.
I am beyond excited to make these and if all turns out well this will be added to my dessert table.
This is great!! I love the small batch aspect. I’m definitely going to have to try these out sometime 🙂
I love macaroons! This looks like such a great recipe – I know my husband would love these, too!
I’ve been wanting to try macaroons! I’ll have to try these out soon.
I love coconut macaroons but have never made them myself.
I love coconut. These look delicious and fairly easy to make! I’ll have to try these soon.
The only coconut I will eat is in a macaroon!! I love the fact this is a small batch recipe because they are always better fresh!! Thank you for sharing, definitely saving this for later!!
These look so yummy, I’m definitely going to have to try it out! Thank you!
Yum!! I’m glad this is a small batch because I don’t want to share. They are delicious!
Looks like I will be making a small batch of macaroons for us tonight.
They look delicious! I love coconut and yesterday I made a coconut cake 😉 Now I have to try these ones – they seem quite simple to make but I’m sure they taste amazing!
Housebound by myself at Passover, this seems the perfect dessert for a very simple celebratory meal.
Thanks so much for sharing.