Coconut Macaroons (without condensed milk)
Finely shredded, unsweetened coconut gives these coconut cookies amazing texture - soft chewy on the inside and caramelized and crispy on the outside. Plus they are naturally gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 3⅓ cups unsweetened dessicated coconut (about 285 grams)
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 cups sugar (about 396 grams)
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ egg whites (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ ounce cream cheese room temperature
- ½ vanilla bean cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
Want to save this recipe?
Instructions
- Place coconut in a large mixing bowl. Add water, sugar, corn syrup and salt to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and pour hot liquid over coconut in the mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to mix on medium speed until cool, about 5 minutes.3⅓ cups unsweetened dessicated coconut, ⅔ cup water, 2 cups sugar, ¼ cup light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add egg whites, cream cheese and vanilla bean seeds to the mixing bowl and mix for 5 more minutes. Cover the bowl and refrigerate batter for at least 30 minutes.1½ egg whites, ½ ounce cream cheese, ½ vanilla bean
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Portion level scoops of dough onto prepared baking sheets. (I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop.) You should get about 15 cookies per pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on the pan.
Notes
Ingredients:
- Do not use sweetened coconut in this recipe as your cookies will be too dense and sweet.
- Room temperature egg whites and cream cheese incorporate more easily than the versions that are chilled straight from the fridge.
-
Never scraped the inside of a vanilla bean before? It's easier than you think! Cut the bean in half lengthwise and gently flatten it. Use the edge of a butter or other dull knife to scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean pod. Tightly wrap the remaining half of the vanilla bean in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for another use.
-
Don't have a vanilla bean? Swap in 1.5 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract instead.
Baking tips:
- Using an inexpensive kitchen scale to measure my dry ingredients has made a world of difference in the consistency of my baked goods. Definitely recommend.
- Let the batter rest. This allows the coconut to absorb the egg whites and sugar syrup, making the batter easier to handle and helping the macaroons hold their shape while baking
- Bake the macaroons on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they don't stick to the pan.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop so that all cookies are the a similar size and shape, which is important for even baking.
-
Let the macaroons cool completely before you store them. If you try to remove them before they are fully cooled, they may stick to the pan and not release cleanly. Store loosely covered for up to 3 days. You can also place in an airtight container, but the cookies will lose their crisp exterior after a day or two.
Variations:
- You can also dip the bottoms of the macaroons in melted chocolate or drizzle it on top of the cookies for extra decadence.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 0.5mgSodium: 48mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.3mg
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Did you make this recipe?Tag us on Instagram or leave a comment!