These dense and chewy coconut macaroons are dipped in dark chocolate for the ultimate decadent treat, and they also feature a fun crunchy surprise in the center!
Easy Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Chocolate. It’s one of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen. This post is part of series of partnered posts with Hershey. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you.
She dunks everything she eats. She takes after her great grandmother, and her grandfather—whom she never met.
Toast in eggs. California rolls in her ramen broth. And last week? Her cheeseburger in milk. Things might be getting out of hand. But, I must say, I appreciate my daughter’s adventurous palate.
It was no surprise then, that when I was telling her about my cravings for coconut macaroons, her head went straight to dipping my favorite cookie into chocolate.
It was a no brainer in my head, too.
Late night eats are what led me to discover my favored version of the coconut macaroon. Band watching and cocktails in the Kibitz Room always led to slurping a bowl of matzo ball soup—I’ll take mine mish-mosh style with rice, kreplach and noodles please!—at Los Angeles’ famed Canter’s Deli. I could never leave without browsing the dessert cases and trays and trays of cookies, bars and brownies.
But there was only one sweet treat I could never resist leaving without. The chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon.
I like my coconut macaroons dense and chewy. You might like them light and flaky. I’m giving you the keys to the kitchen to make them either way.
The only difference in the chewy version is sweetened condensed milk in place of granulated sugar. The condensed milk version browned a bit more and held its shape a tad better. But the sugar version delivered more of the pure coconut flavor.
I’ve given you both options to choose from in the coconut macaroons recipe below. Make it your own! Just don’t miss dipping them in HERSHEY’S Semi-Sweet chocolate.
My family enjoys many Hershey’s products, including the traditional HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate, which is made with fresh milk from local farms in the Hershey, PA area. Proximity to these dairy farms is the reason the company was founded in the region, with Hershey and its farming partners still demanding the same quality today that the company was founded on.
Nutritionists check the cows’ feed to ensure they’re being fed the right feed to produce quality milk. Steps and checks are taken to assure the cows are safe and healthy and treated humanely. And finally, fresh milk is delivered directly to Hershey where rounds of tests and assurances meet Hershey’s standards and the chocolate is made.
Check out this video explaining more about Hershey’s quality milk practices.
Coconut Macaroons Ingredients
These chocolate coconut macaroons require surprisingly few ingredients to deliver their chewy, coconutty flavor. Here’s all I used to make this chocolate coconut macaroon recipe:
- Sweetened condensed milk OR granulated sugar
- Egg whites
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Whole almonds
- HERSHEY’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Coconut Macaroons
Egg whites are mixed with sweetener (either sweetened condensed milk or granulated sugar), a bit of vanilla and almond extract, and then everything gets mixed together. The egg white mixture should coat the coconut, not drown it. If your coconut is swimming in the coating, stir in more coconut as needed.
Then, the mixture is scooped into mounds. Sure, these cookies are bite-sized but they’re hardly one-bite desserts. I use a 2-inch scoop for each macaroon.
There’s one surprise ingredient to these macaroons. Almonds! Since ALMOND JOY candy bars are my favorite (check out this German Chocolate Brownie Pie as evidence,) I couldn’t resist placing two whole almonds in each cookie. Surprise!
After the coconut macaroons have baked and cooled, they get dunked in melted HERSHEY’S semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to Melt Chocolate for Dipping Macaroons
The chocolate base of these coconut macaroons is the gilded lily of this sweet treat. HERSHEY’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are melted for 30 seconds in the microwave, stirred, and then put in the microwave for another 15 seconds or so.
The chips may still look solid, but with a sturdy stirring they will melt and meld into one another to make for perfect dipping.
Can I Omit the Almonds?
If you’d prefer to omit the almonds in the center of the coconut macaroons, you’re welcome to leave them out.
Can I Use Another Type of Chocolate?
Technically, yes. However, I highly recommend using semi-sweet chocolate or something even darker since the coconut macaroons are quite sweet as is. You need a rich, dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness of the cookies.
Tips for Making Coconut Macaroons
Super fresh flaked, sweetened coconut is the essence of this dessert. If you use old coconut, the taste won’t be the same.
And don’t even try making these coconut macaroons with unsweetened coconut. Trust me, now’s not the time to be healthy!
If you don’t have a microwave, you can also melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler on the stove. Or place a metal bowl atop a saucepan of simmering water and melt the chocolate chips in the bowl.
More Easy Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- The Best No-Bake Cookies with Coconut
- Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrush.
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk OR granulated sugar *
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 6 cups sweetened shredded coconut (14 ounces)
- 30-35 whole almonds , if desired
- 1 to 1 ½ cups HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk the sweetened condensed milk OR the granulated sugar with the egg whites, vanilla and almond extract until frothy. Stir in the coconut. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the coconut mixture into a 2-inch scoop, poke a hole in the middle and insert two almonds. Cover the almonds and place the coconut mix on the parchment paper. Repeat.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden on top. If the cookies spread at the base simply cut away the baked egg white with a sharp knife while the cookies are still hot.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt the HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in a small bowl for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir. Melt for another 15-20 seconds and stir again until the chocolate melts into itself. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons into the melted chocolate chips, scrape the bottom on the side of the dish and cool on the cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
More Coconut Desserts You’ll Go Cuckoo For
- German Chocolate Brownie Pie
- My Favorite German Chocolate Cake
- German Chocolate Banana Bread
- German Chocolate Cookie Cups
- German Chocolate Brownies in a Jar
- Coconut and Lime Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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This post is part of series of partnered posts with Hershey. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
I made the macaroons for my husband to take on his travels tomorrow. He is driving to Texas from Utah and asked for aome cookies, macaroon cookies. So I found your recipe and made them, and I couldn’t resist trying one, and YUMmmmm!
I am picking up more coconut up this week and makeing some for home!!!
Delicious
So glad they worked so well for you! I hope he loved them. Thanks, Janice!
Just made these and they are wonderful!!
Thanks for the great background on the Hershey’s milk process and for providing two recipes in one! This was my first time making macaroons and they were wonderful!
Can’t wait to try these. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, just put them in the oven:) only problem I had was them holding together? Is that normal? Hope they stay together
Just made these tonight- they turned out really yummy! though you have to make sure you watch them closely as they nearer the end of cooking time or the bottoms will burn! still tasty and the chocolate covers it!
I didn’t have that problem with the bottoms but every oven is different! But then, I end up having to watch everything toward the end. So glad you enjoyed.
Made these for an Easter dessert. Absolutely fabulous! I used sweetened condensed milk and substituted dark chocolate. Also, left out the almonds. They were awesome. Thanks for posting.
Hi the recipe sound nice but want to ask do you use fresh coconut or desiccated one??? Thanks
This is the second day in a row I have made these awesome macaroons for Passover. I went to a dinner party last night, a big hit. Tonight for my family. When whisking the egg whites, etc. I found that the more I whipped them into a strong froth the better. Posted the photo on Facebook and got numerous “likes.” Followed that up with a link to this recipe. Easy to make. Absolutely have to add the almonds, no question.
I just made these and they came out amazing!!! I had to use sugar and they still came out really fluffy. I just made sure to whip the sugar and egg whites with the extracts a lot, almost to a fluff like consistency. they are perfect!
oh my goodness…drooled a little :-) Hugs
Can’t wait to try these! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I’m a dipper too. Thanks for both versions of these macaroons. Pinning now. Yum!
I love macaroons.
I love chocolate.
But when you showed the two with an almond in the center.
There is no going back now.
MUST EAT THESE
I love that almond surprise and the chocolate dip is a necessity!
Chocolate and coconut macaroons, sounds exotic! :D
High five for mac camp dense and chewy! Dipped in chocolate is clearly the way to go, and I love you for sneaking the almonds in there. Almond Joys are my fave too!
Your daughter reminds me of my youngest . . who dips her pretzels in applesauce .. and these chocolate dipped coconut macaroons . . the only way to do it, yo. Chocolate makes the world go ’round. :)