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These small batch coconut macaroons are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and packed with sweet coconut flavor. They’re easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and bake in minutes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Minimal prep and just 15 minutes in the oven.
- Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: A great option for those with dietary restrictions.
- Perfect Texture: Chewy on the inside, crisp on the edges.
- Easily Doubled: Make a larger batch for sharing or special occasions.
I love how simple these coconut macaroons are to make. With just a few basic ingredients, they bake up beautifully golden with a rich coconut flavor. They’re the kind of treat that feels special without requiring much effort. Whether you’re making them for yourself or sharing, they always bring a little sweetness to the day.
For more small batch cookie recipes, try our small batch Texas Governors Mansion cookies, small batch oatmeal cookies, small batch thumbprint cookies, or our ginger cookies recipe.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch coconut macaroons recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Shredded Coconut: Use sweetened shredded coconut for the best moisture and texture. Unsweetened coconut will make the macaroons dry and crumbly. Have extra coconut? Use it in butter pecan granola, ambrosia for one, or toasted coconut ice cream.
- Egg White: Helps bind the ingredients so the macaroons hold their shape. Use the yolk in egg white recipes like quick and easy banana nut bread, potato gnocchi for one, single serving custard, or small batch chocolate chip cookies.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar provides the right sweetness and structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor with a touch of warmth and sweetness.
- Salt: A pinch balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors.
Recipe Variations
Customize your macaroons with these simple flavor additions:
- Chocolate Chip: Stir in mini chocolate chips for a classic coconut and chocolate combination.
- Lemon: Add lemon zest for a bright, tangy twist.
- Spiced: Mix in a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
How To Make Coconut Macaroons
Follow these simple steps to make a small batch of coconut macaroons. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to whisk the egg white, sugar, vanilla, and salt until frothy and slightly thickened (about 1 minute).
- Add Coconut: Gently fold in the sweetened shredded coconut until fully combined.
- Chill the Dough: Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the macaroons hold their shape.
- Shape and Bake: Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons to form mounds on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
Pro Tip: Scoop mostly the coconut mixture, leaving excess egg white behind for better-formed macaroons.
- Cool: Let macaroons cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack
Note: Some egg white may leak during baking—this is normal and won’t affect the final texture.
Expert Tips
- Separate the Egg Carefully: Even a small amount of yolk can affect the texture, so ensure only the egg white is used.
- No Mixer? Use a Whisk: A wire whisk works if you don’t have a hand mixer—just whisk until frothy and slightly thickened.
- Line the Baking Sheet: Use parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking. Macaroons can stick to unlined sheets.
- Watch the Bake Time: Bake until the tops are lightly golden. Overbaking can make them dry instead of moist and chewy.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Frequently Asked Questions
No, unsweetened coconut lacks the moisture needed, resulting in dry, crumbly macaroons.
This can happen if there’s too much egg white. Be sure to scoop mostly the coconut mixture, leaving excess egg white behind.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Overbaking or using unsweetened coconut can dry them out. Bake just until the tops are lightly golden.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
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 these coconut macaroons or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Get a Quick Recipe Overview
Small Batch Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to whisk the egg white, sugar, vanilla, and salt until frothy and slightly thickened (about 1 minute).
- Add Coconut: Gently fold in the sweetened shredded coconut until fully combined.
- Chill the Dough: Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the macaroons hold their shape.
- Shape and Bake: Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons to form mounds on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden on top.Pro Tip: Scoop mostly the coconut mixture, leaving excess egg white behind for better-formed macaroons.
- Cool: Let macaroons cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.Note: Some egg white may leak during baking—this is normal and won’t affect the final texture.
Notes
- Separate the Egg Carefully: Even a small amount of yolk can affect the texture, so ensure only the egg white is used.
- No Mixer? Use a Whisk: A wire whisk works if you don’t have a hand mixer—just whisk until frothy and slightly thickened.
- Line the Baking Sheet: Use parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking. Macaroons can stick to unlined sheets.
- Watch the Bake Time: Bake until the tops are lightly golden. Overbaking can make them dry instead of moist and chewy.
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.
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.