Soft, chewy, dairy free and gluten free coconut macaroons ready in just 25 minutes. Perfect for holiday cookie boxes, gifting, or a sweet treat with tea! If you’re baking for the holidays, these coconut macaroons are a wonderful treat to add to your Christmas cookie box. My no dairy, gluten free coconut macaroons use just 5 ingredients (6 if you dip them in chocolate) and only 25 minutes of your time, making them a quick and delicious holiday favourite.
This post was updated in November 2025 to include more helpful tips for successful macaroon baking.
Why I Made This Recipe
When we lived in the UK, my husband always used to buy coconut macaroons from a local bakery in Wales. Since moving to Canada, we’ve rarely seen them in stores so I wanted to recreate this favourite treat for him.
This post is also dedicated to my late Welsh grandmother who would have adored these! I wish I had been able to share my baking with her.
Why You Need This Recipe
Coconut macaroons are sweet, slightly crunchy on the outside, and soft in the centre. They’re even better when coated in chocolate. Quick to make (and eat!), they’re perfect for cookie swaps, Christmas boxes, lunchboxes, or just a cozy tea-time treat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a dairy free and gluten free recipe. Read on for my egg-free suggestion and check out my FAQ for more questions and storage ideas.
Condensed Coconut Milk: obsessed with this and could eat a whole can in one sitting! We are using 1/4 US Cup for this recipe, which is roughly 60 ml.
Shredded Coconut: make sure you use the sweetened variety – 220 grams or 2 US cups.
Egg White: the binding agent which adds fluffiness to the macaroons. Use 1 egg white at room temperature. Vegan option: double the amount of coconut condensed milk instead of using egg white.
Vanilla Bean Paste: I added 1 tsp for extra flavour. You can use regular vanilla extract if you prefer.
Salt: just a pinch to enhance flavours and balance sweetness.
How to Make Coconut Macaroons
First, gather everything you need for the recipe and preheat your oven to 325F / 165C. Ensure that the egg white is at room temperature before starting to make the macaroons.
Making the Macaroons
Start by whisking the egg white to medium peaks. I use a stand mixer to do this with the whisk attachment so that I can carry on with other things while it is whisking. Start on ‘stir’ and then as bubbles start to form, increase the speed to medium and whisk for about 3 minutes.
Fold in the remaining ingredients using a spatula, trying not to deflate the egg white too much. This will bind everything together and keep the macaroons light and fluffy.
Add dollops of the macaroon mixture on a lined baking tray. I like using a small ice cream scoop to do this part as it can be quite sticky. Here’s the one I recommend from Amazon (affiliate link).
Bake at 325F / 165C for 18 minutes until golden, turning the tray halfway through.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray. They will firm up as they cool.
Look at that caramelization – so beautiful!
Chocolate Dipped Option
There was a fun debate on my social media about whether coconut macaroons should be served plain or dipped in chocolate. If you’re a chocolate fan, here’s everything you need to know:
- Melt 100 grams (1/3 US Cup) vegan chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30-seconds until fully melted.
- Add 1 tsp coconut oil if the chocolate seems too thick.
- Dip the macaroons and place back on the parchment paper to set.
- Optional: chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to speed up the setting.
Common Questions
This recipe makes 12 coconut macaroons.
Yes! Simply double the amount of coconut condensed milk to 120 ml (1/2 US Cup) in place of the egg white and skip step 1 of the recipe.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if you prefer – this will firm them up and let the flavours develop even more. Need to freeze them? Pack in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw before eating. Great for a grab-and-go snack!
Absolutely! You can use unsweetened condensed coconut milk if you prefer a less sweet treat. The macaroons will still hold together perfectly and taste delicious, just a little less sugary but every bit as addictive.
If your macaroons are falling apart or spreading too much, make sure the mixture is tightly packed when scooping. Use a small cookie or ice cream scoop to help with consistency. You can also chill the scooped macaroons in the fridge for 15–20 minutes before baking – this helps them hold their shape and bake up beautifully round.
Yes, absolutely! These are one of my favourite make-ahead cookies for the holidays. You can bake them up to a week in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. If you want to get ahead even more, pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months – just let them thaw before serving. They’re perfect for cookie boxes, dessert platters, or a quick sweet treat with a cup of tea during the busy holiday season.
One Last Look
I honestly couldn’t decide which was my favourite – dipped or plain! Let me know what your go-to macaroon is in the comments, and tell me if you’re going to try this recipe. I’d love to hear from you!
More Holiday Favourites
Here are a few of our favourite holiday treats:
- Candy Cane Shortbread – perfect for gifting (vegan)
- Microwave Vanilla Fudge – quick and foolproof (vegan)
- Chocolate Chip Cookies – a must for cookie swaps! (vegan)
- Classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – soft, chewy and oh so chocolaty (vegan)
Happy Baking!
Dairy & Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 Egg White (room temperature)
- 220 grams Sweetened Shredded Coconut (2 US Cups)
- 60 ml Sweetened Coconut Condensed Milk (1/4 US Cup)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (5 ml)
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
Prep
- Gather all ingredients and equipment. Ensure the egg white is at room temperature before starting to make the macaroons.
To Make Macaroons
- Whisk 1 Egg White to medium peaks. If using a stand mixer, start on 'stir' then increase to medium once bubbles start to form and whisk for 3 minutes.
- Fold in 220 grams Sweetened Shredded Coconut , 60 ml Sweetened Coconut Condensed Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste and Pinch Salt.
- Add dollops of the macaroon mixture to a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 325F for 18 minutes until golden.
- Allow to cool then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 coconut macaroons
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if you prefer – this will firm them up and let the flavours develop even more. Need to freeze them? Pack in an airtight container for up to 3 months and allow to thaw before eating. Great for a grab-and-go snack!
- Optional extra – melt 100g plant-based chocolate chips in the microwave then dip the base of each macaroon in the chocolate. Allow to set on parchment paper. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the top of the macaroons. See the recipe post for more details and suggestions
- Vegan option: Simply double the amount of coconut condensed milk, omit the egg white and skip step 1 of the instructions.
- Nutrition is based on 1 macaroon per serving with 12 servings per recipe and provided as a guide only.
Such a classic treat, and I love how easy they are too!
I know right, so easy!
These are not dairy-free because of sweetened condensed milk in the recipe.
If you reread the post and recipe, you’ll see that I used coconut condensed milk which does not contain dairy. And every recipe on this website is dairy free as we are a dairy free family!
Hey, can you give me info on how to do the vegan option. Thanks know you add double coconut milk and drop the egg, but what about the whipping step? Is it necessary to do anything to the coconut milk that would have been done to the egg?
Great question – you can skip step 1 of the recipe if you are making the vegan version. I have updated my post/recipe to include some extra tips for this. Happy Macaroon making!
I have a dairy allergy. Made these for Christmas and they were DELISH. Tried some with Enjoy Life chocolate but it’s better without.
So happy that you loved the macaroons! Merry Christmas!!
I can’t wait to make these! I have a good friend who can’t have gluten or dairy, so she’s going to be so excited about these when I give them to her.
What a lovely gesture. I hope you and your friend enjoy them.
I made these macaroons yesterday and they were so delicious! Super easy to make too!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing.
We have some new celiac diagnosis in our family so I’m excited for this recipe since everyone can enjoy the tasty gluten-free cookies together.
I hope you all enjoy them.
My kids adored these coconut macaroons – sooo good!
So happy to hear that! They’re a great treat for kids – ours often take them with their school lunch.
My macaroons always spread when I bake them and end up flat. What tips do you have to prevent this?
I’ve read maybe I’m not whipping my egg white enough or not to mix the condensed coconut milk and just use the thicker portion and not the liquid separated portion?
Any tips?
Thx
Hi! To keep macaroons from spreading, make sure your egg whites are whipped to at least a medium peak, and don’t overmix when combining. Chilling them briefly before baking can help them hold their shape too.