Last updated on June 26th, 2025

Ingredients for Coconut Macaroon Cookies
Make Your Own Ingredients
Equipment
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Coconut Macaroon Cookies are a light, delicate cookie made from simple ingredients like shredded coconut, egg whites and flavoring, inspired from a 1950’s recipe. Many modern recipes call for sweetened condensed milk, however, I wanted to stay true to this nostalgic, old-fashioned version. I needed crumbled macaroon cookies for the cake filling in my Lord Baltimore Cake, so I made them from scratch. They’re often confused with macarons, a French sandwich cookie made with almond flour.

My vintage inspiration.

My vintage inspiration to make this coconut macaroons recipe came from my 1950 “Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book“. My modern modifications included: using two types of coconut, a little less sugar, adding more vanilla, and some pure almond extract.

The original recipe has variations for Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons, Cherry-Coconut Macaroons, Almond Macaroons, Wheaties Coconut Macaroons, and Peanut Macaroons.

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Ingredients for Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Eggs are produced by female chickens and consist of a protein-rich egg white and nutrient-dense egg yolk.
Coconut is the fruit of palm trees found in tropical regions, that can either be unsweetened or sweetened and is available as coconut flakes, shredded or desiccated (very fine).
Sugar is a made by processing the juice of the sugarcane plant. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol.
Almond extract is made from bitter almonds or pits of stone fruits (like apricots) soaked in alcohol.
Pink salt is a type of rock salt found near the Himalayas, that contains trace minerals and is minimally processed.

Make Your Own Ingredients

VANILLA: Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.

Baker’s Tips

Be sure to set out and separate your eggs as part of your prep. Room temp egg whites are best to achieve a light meringue-like texture. Adding the sugar to the egg whites provides stability and helps them will help them to peak. The best way to achieve this is to start put the egg white into the mixer with the whisk attachment and beat until the eggs get foamy, then add in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
Mixing together the medium shredded along with the fine desiccated (almost powder-like texture) makes for a very tender cookie.
Avoid using artificial almond extract, as it tastes bitter and lacks the depth of natural almond flavor. Almond extract has a high intensity and adding just a little can give your baked goods alot of flavor.
Always use a light-colored, aluminum cookie sheet, 18×13 half-sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Aluminum is best for distributing and reflecting even heat during the baking process. Dark cookie sheets conduct more heat across the surface, which could cause your baked goods to burn or darken on the edges before they are fully cooked.

Equipment

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whisk

mixing bowl

measuring cups and spoons

Silpat or Parchment Paper

baking sheet