These simple, dairy-free coconut macaroons are light, chewy, and bursting with coconut flavor. Skip the sweetened condensed milk and make these macaroons in minutes! For an extra special touch, try dipping them in melted chocolate.
We’ve probably all had at least one encounter with those misshapen, overly sweet coconut macaroons that leave a bad taste in our mouths. You know the kind—the ones that are heavy, too sweet, and lack any real coconut flavor. A good macaroon, however, is a completely different experience.
A well-made coconut macaroon is all about balance. It should be light yet chewy, with crisp edges and a soft, tender interior. The flavor? Pure coconut, lightly sweetened, with just the right amount of sweetness to let the coconut shine through. These macaroons take just minutes to prepare, are made from just a few simple ingredients and are completely dairy-free! The key to making them is all in the technique.
Coconut Macaroons
In France, coconut macaroons are called rochers à la noix de coco or congolais, and they’re a world apart from the overly sweet varieties we’re used to. These macaroons are baked until lightly golden on the outside, but still creamy white inside—a perfect bite of pure coconut goodness. And best of all, no sweetened condensed milk or dairy is required! Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Egg Whites – You’ll need 2 large egg whites.
- Honey – Use any mild flavor honey you’d like.
- Coconut – Use a finely shredded unsweetened coconut.
- Chocolate – If you’d like to dip your macaroons you’ll need some finely chopped dark chocolate for melting. (optional)
How to Make Dairy-Free Coconut Macaroons:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
The secret to making great dairy-free macaroons is gently heating the egg whites, honey, and coconut mixture over simmering water before baking. This step helps the mixture partially cook and fully hydrate the coconut, shortening the baking time and giving the macaroons their signature crispness.
Baking the macaroons in a hot oven for a short time ensures they become golden and crispy on the outside while staying moist and tender inside. That’s the key to a perfect macaroon!
- Prepare the mixture: In a large, heatproof mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, honey, and coconut. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the mixture becomes hot to the touch and thickens.
- Shape the macaroons: Using a small cookie scoop, place mounds of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart.
- Bake: Bake until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the macaroons to cool completely on wire racks.
The macaroons are best on the day they’re baked, as the crispy exterior will soften over time. However, they can be stored in an airtight container for a few days if needed.
Optional Chocolate Dip: For an added treat, melt some dark chocolate and dip the bottom of each macaroon, or drizzle it over the top. The combination of chocolate and coconut makes for a truly special dessert.
Whether you enjoy them plain or with a chocolate dip, these dairy-free coconut macaroons are sure to become your go-to treat for any occasion!
More Coconut Cookies:
Dairy-Free Coconut Macaroons
These dairy-free macaroons are lightly golden on the the outside and chewy on the inside with the sweet taste of coconut.
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ cup/84g light colored honey
- ⅛ th teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups/200g finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 6oz/170g dark chocolate, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all of the ingredients except chocolate in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir the mixture for 6- 8 minutes until very hot to the touch and has thickened.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place mounds of batter on parchment lined baking sheet a few inches apart. Bake until lightly golden around the edges,(about 7-10 minutes) roating sheet halfway through (if tips are browning too fast, lower the heat 25 degrees).
- Let cool completely on wire racks. The cookies are best on the day they are baked, the crispy exterior will soften but they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- If making chocolate dipping sauce, place half the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Remove bowl from heat, let stand for a few minutes to cool then stir occasionally the remaining half of chocolate until smooth.
- Dip the bottoms of each macaroon into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on parchment to set (about 1 hour). Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Storage:
Store macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Michelle I says
tried making these today. Recipe sounds delish. So does the chocolate sauce. I made both...
The chocolate sauce was good, but I did have to add a little bit of powdered sugar to make it sweeter. Before the powdered sugar, it was kind of bland. I'm thinking this maybe the cocoa powder I used, but I'm not sure.
As for the macaroons....I'm not entirely sure where I went wrong with the recipe. I followed it to a T, and also redid it with another type of honey. The macaroons fell apart, I could not get them to roll into a ball at all. I used bob's red mill unsweetened coconut. They did not stick together at all, instead I had a coconutty mess on my cookie sheets.
Last gripe....baking at 400F. They began to burn after 5 minutes. I took them out and decided to try another recipe for my passover meal.
Any suggestions to what happened with all these missteps?
Sylvie says
Hi Michelle,
I'm sorry you had problems with the recipe. The chocolate sauce is very lightly sweetened so the quality of the cocoa powder does make a difference and some brands maybe more bitter tasting than others. If you didn't find it sweet enough then you might want to increase the amount of sweetener to your taste.
As for the macaroons the type of coconut may be a factor as some brands have more or less moisture. I have not tested these with the Bob's Red Mill coconut before so I can't say whether that would be the issue or not. If the coconut is on the dry side it will absorb more of the liquid making it hard to form balls. The process of forming balls with the coconut mixture can be a little tricky, they don't roll easily until you've given them a good squeeze in the palm of your hand. So I would place a small amount of coconut mixture in the palm of your lightly moistened or greased hand and squeeze it to bring together into a small lump which can then be gently rolled in your hand.
If you are finding that the macaroons are browning too quickly you may want to lower the temperature to 375. Not all oven are equally calibrated and 400 in my oven may not be equal to 400 in your oven. The macaroons are baked for a short time at a higher temperature in order to create a lightly browned exterior while keeping the interior nice and soft.
Hope that helps!
-Sylvie
susan says
sylvie, i just found these via another blog, how could I have missed this??? so gorgeous. so making these - just what we need as we are just starting a week of Passover! x
kate says
Love this recipe, and such stunning pics too!
Amrita says
I made coconut macarons from Dorie Greenspans's recipe once and they were gorgeous too! With silky caps of chocolate. Your look so petite and perfect for tea!
Baker Street says
Stunning pictures as always!
Magic of Spice says
These are delightful Sylvie! Typically these are over sweet and I don't care for them, but you version is wonderful 🙂 As the photos are as well!
jas says
Delicious! I've tried a rather huge egyption-like pyramid of these before and it was golden on the outside and creamy white inside, my only critism was that it was soooo huge that I was a little 'over' the coconut flavour by the end. Yours delightful balls of coconut deliciousness look like just the answer thought with their bite size, well, size and I am looking forward to trying them.
Kristen says
These are not only brilliant, they are absolutely gorgeous to boot.