Super easy to make, intensely chocolatey and irresistibly good, these coconut macaroons are fudgy, chewy and great for some weekday baking. I recently revisited this recipe, made some tweaks, updated the photos and they’re better than ever. Enjoy them as a dessert or indulgent snack and I personally recommend eating them cold from the fridge!
This is a recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen. I halved it for a smaller batch of macaroons (although it still makes 16) but used 2 egg whites instead of 1 and a half. I used unsweetened coconut and 75% dark chocolate and along with some sugar, these macaroons were just the right amount of sweet for me.
I added a little desiccated coconut to the mixture to compensate for the extra egg white, plus sprinkled a little more on top for some extra crunch and coconut flavour. I think both these add a lot to the macaroons because otherwise, they’re more chocolate than coconut. And since traditional macaroons are entirely coconut, I decided to bring some of that magic here.
They taste like little brownie bits crossed with Bounty bars, but not cloyingly sweet. I did need to chill the mixture before baking, and found they shaped better after some fridge-time. I baked them longer than the original recipe said to and this extra time didn’t dry the macaroons out, but instead, gave them an amazing texture. Win win.
I hope you make these today!
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 60 gms 75% dark chocolate, chopped
- 200 gms unsweetened shredded coconut (thaw first if frozen)
- 1/3 cup caster sugar (plus 2 tbsps if you prefer sweeter macaroons)
- 3 tbsps cocoa powder
- 3 tbsps desiccated coconut, plus more for sprinkling on top
- Pinch of salt
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature (I haven't tried an eggless version)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in ten second increments until smooth, stirring to melt down any lumps. You can also melt it in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- In the bowl of a food processor, blitz the coconut until finely chopped, since most shredded coconut will have long pieces. You can continue to use the food processor for the next few steps, or transfer the chopped coconut to a mixing bowl which is what I prefer.
- Stir in the sugar, cocoa, desiccated coconut and salt into the chopped coconut.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix well with a spatula until combined.
- Now pour in the melted chocolate and mix again. The mixture will be wet and sticky, so I like to cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill it for 30 minutes. You can skip the chilling but it gives the chocolate a chance to firm up a bit and makes neater cookies in my experience.
- Preheat the oven to 160 C and line a baking tray with a silicone mat.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop (or a spoon), scoop out the chilled mixture and drop onto the tray. You don't need to space out the individual cookies much as they don't spread a lot.
- Sprinkle each one with more desiccated coconut for extra crunch and a little dressing up!
- Bake for 25 minutes until they appear set on the sides. At this stage they will be more moist inside as shown in the photos here. I also baked a few for 10 minutes extra for slightly firmer, drier (but not unpleasantly dry) macaroons and liked both versions. Either way, set aside to cool for 15 minutes to let them firm up further.
- Store in an airtight tin for 3 to 4 days but in warm weather, I think these are best in the fridge where they will keep for about 10 days. I personally also like the texture more when the macaroons are cold. Happy baking!
Notes
