This is the absolute best Coconut Macaroons recipe I’ve ever tasted, and it comes from the cookbook of legendary Standard Baking Co bakery in Portland, Maine. The secret is to start the cooking process on the stove before scooping and baking in the oven. The flavor is exceptional!

Coconut Macaroons On Wire Rack With Chocolate Drizzle

Coconut macaroons were always one of my favorite cookies as a child, but I could never find a version in my adulthood that felt like the absolute perfect coconut macaroons recipe.

Many recipes use sweetened condensed milk, and I personally do not like the taste this ingredient produces in the cookies. I always found the texture disappointing too.

I also tried the recipes where you whip the egg whites into stiff peaks first, but found it to be a lot of fuss for a cookie that still didn’t live up to my expectations.

Well this coconut macaroon recipe, to me, is perfection! The be all, end all.

Plate of Coconut Macaroons With Chocolate Drizzle and Dip

A couple years ago when I was on vacation in Portland, Maine, I went to a highly recommended and exceptional bakery called Standard Baking Co, and fell in love with their rendition.

I was giddy to discover afterward that they have a cookbook, sharing their recipe from the bakeshop.

These easy coconut macaroons call for 6 simple ingredients: shredded coconut, sugar, egg whites, salt, vanilla extract, and chocolate.

The secret is not in the ingredients used, but how they are prepared. The mixture is partially cooked on the stove, which yields a cookie that’s crispy and golden on the outside, with a moist and chewy texture inside.

Closeup of Coconut Macaroon Cookie with Bite Removed

After some experimentation, I have adjusted the recipe ever so slightly, but it’s all very easy overall. There’s no need to get out any special equipment like the hand mixer or stand mixer. The bakers at the Standard Baking Co have truly figured it all out.

Let’s go through the process.

Step by Step Overview:

In a medium saucepan or pot, combine unsweetened finely shredded coconut, granulated sugar, sea salt, egg whites, and pure vanilla extract:

Adding Egg Whites And Vanilla Extract To Coconut In Pan

You will need 3/4 cup of egg whites, which I find is between approximately 5 and 6 large egg whites.

What Kind of Coconut to Use

Brands vary HUGELY when it comes to flavor and deliciousness. I only discovered this because the first time I recreated this recipe, it tasted nothing like the ones from the bakery.

Turns out it was because of the brand of coconut I used, which was Let’s Do Organic. I do not recommend this coconut.

I recommend Bob’s Red Mill brand or 365 at Whole Foods.

You will want to use unsweetened coconut, in a shredded form. I have also experimented with using the larger coconut flakes, and that did turn out fine as well, albeit with a different texture.

Stir the ingredients together using a spatula, and note that the coconut mixture will seem very dry. That’s fine, at this point.

Stirring the Coconut Macaroons Mixture In Saucepan

Heat the pan over medium-low heat and cook for about 5 minutes, to a temperature of 130 degrees F.

You will notice that after a couple minutes of cook time, the very dry coconut mixture will start to moisten:

Stirring the Coconut Macaroons Mixture In Saucepan And It Getting Softer

And then by the 5 minute mark, it should start to look very moist, and have a consistency similar to mashed potatoes:

Stirring the Coconut Macaroons Mixture In Saucepan With Very Soft and More Liquid Consistency

Check for a temperature of 130F using an instant read thermometer or candy thermometer:

Showing The Cookie Mixture at 130F with Meat Thermometer

Remove the pan from the heat, then use a medium cookie scoop (#40 size 1.5T) to portion out the macaroon mixture:

Scooping The Coconut Macaroons Mixture With Cookie Scoop

Place scoops directly onto parchment paper set on top of a rimmed baking sheet:

Using The Cookie Scoop To Portion Mounds Onto Parchment Paper

Shape them if you wish, using your fingertips. I just leave them as little mounds, but you can also press them into pyramids, or swirl them a bit.

Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

Baked Coconut Macaroons On Parchment Paper

The original Standard Baking Co recipe only calls for 10 minutes of baking time, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, but I found that the cookies did not have the color that I wanted on the outside.

With a little extended baking time, they are golden and crisp on the bottoms, but plenty moist inside:

Showing The Golden Brown Bottom Of Macaroon

Transfer the cookies from the parchment-lined baking sheet to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.

Coconut Macaroons Cooling On Wire Rack

Now, if desired, you can add a chocolate coating of some sort.

My husband always argues that the chocolate takes away from the flavor of the coconut cookies, but I personally love a bit of chocolate. I am a coconut lover, AND a chocolate lover!

So I leave some uncoated, and make some drizzled and dipped. This gives you a bunch of different cookies to choose from.

Melt the chocolate chips of your choice in 30-second intervals in a microwave-safe bowl, then use the tines of a fork to drizzle the chocolate over the tops:

Drizzling Coconut Macaroons With Melted Chocolate Using Tines Of Fork

Or, dip them into the chocolate as you wish, coating the bottoms of the cooled macaroons, or the sides.

Dipping Macaroon Cookie Into Melted Chocolate In Bowl

I think semi-sweet chocolate is perfect, but if you prefer a dark chocolate in the 60% cacao range, that should work too. Don’t go any darker, or the bitterness will start to fight too much with the coconut flavor.

Place the dipped cookies back onto the parchment, and let cool at room temperature or in the fridge, just enough to harden the chocolate.

Coconut Macaroons On Wire Rack With Chocolate Drizzle and Dip

Enjoy your delicious coconut macaroons!

Uses for the Leftover Egg Yolks

Use the leftover egg yolks for this Coconut Cream Pie, or any recipe using pudding.

Or, all of my semifreddo recipes call for 8 egg yolks, so that’s another great way to use them up. See Peanut Butter Semifreddo, Dark Cherry Semifreddo, or Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Machine.

You can also use them for homemade lemon curd or orange curd.

Recipe Tips and FAQ

How do you store leftover coconut macaroon cookies?

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Otherwise, store in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.

Can you use almond extract instead of vanilla?

I would recommend using both if you want to add almond, but only use 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. It’s very strong.

Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

Coconut Macaroons On Wire Rack With Chocolate Drizzle

Coconut Macaroons

Servings: 29 cookies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cooling Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
These exceptional coconut macaroons come from Standard Baking Co in Portland, Maine. They have the most amazing texture and a classic flavor!
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Ingredients

  • 4.75 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut (385g by weight)
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar*
  • 3/4 cup egg whites (from 5 to 6 large eggs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips**

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet*** with parchment paper.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the chocolate over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes, until a temperature of 130F is reached. Note that the mixture will seem very dry at first, but will moisten as it cooks.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop (size 40 1.5T), scoop the coconut mixture into mounds on the baking sheet. Shape the mounds if desired****.
  • Bake for 15-20***** minutes, on the center rack of the oven, until golden brown on the edges. I prefer the 20 minute mark personally, which gives a thoroughly crisp exterior, but still with a moist interior.
  • Remove the tray from the oven and cool the macaroons completely on a wire rack.
  • Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until the chocolate has melted. Then drizzle or dip the macaroons into the chocolate, as desired. Let the chocolate harden at room temperature, or speed the process in the fridge.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*Standard Baking Co’s recipe uses slightly more sugar, 1.75 cups, but it’s plenty sweet with 1.5 cups. I may try to reduce further in the future, but doing 1.5 cups did not harm the texture at all.
**I like semisweet here, but Standard Baking Co recommends bittersweet. The choice is yours.
***Standard Baking Co’s recipe calls for baking on two cookie sheets, positioning in the upper and lower third racks of the oven. I put it all on one sheet pan, and baked on the center rack.
****Standard Baking Co’s recipe calls for shaping the macaroons into pyramids, but I did not do this. I left them as little mounds.
*****Standard Baking Co’s recipe calls for 5 minutes of baking time, rotating the baking sheets, then baking for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the edges are browned. Because my cookies were larger, they needed more time. I did 20 minutes, and had thoroughly browned exteriors with moist interiors.
Yield: The Standard Baking Co’s recipe is supposed to yield 40 to 42 macaroons, but they call for scooping rounded tablespoons. I prefer the precision of using a cookie scoop for uniform size, so I got 29 using a size 40 1.5T scoop.
This recipe is adapted from Standard Baking Co. Pastries.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 56mg, Potassium: 93mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas