Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Chips and Almonds
Because coconut macaroons are gluten-free and unleavened, they have been a long-standing staple in Jewish communities, especially during Passover. This version dresses up the classic coconut-based sweet treat with milk chocolate chips and slivered almonds. By using egg whites and sugar as the base of our macaroons, along with sweetened shredded coconut, we created crisp exteriors and pleasantly chewy interiors. Vanilla and almond extracts provided depth of flavor. We tossed the milk chocolate chips and toasted slivered almonds with the coconut mixture before forming the mixture into uniform mounds and baking them until they were golden brown.
Servings: 12 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 2 ⅓ cups / 198 grams
- ½ cup slivered almonds toasted
- 2 ounces milk chocolate chips ⅓ cup / 57 grams
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray.
Make the coconut mixture:
- Whisk the egg whites, sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl until foamy, about 30 seconds.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the coconut, almonds, and chocolate chips.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Portion the cookies:
- Using a #40 cookie scoop or 1-tablespoon measure, scoop 12 heaping-tablespoon portions of coconut mixture onto the prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. (Use a soup spoon to help scrape the coconut mixture from the tablespoon, if necessary.)
- Evenly distribute any remaining coconut mixture among the portions; use your wet fingertips to press into existing portions.
Bake and cool:
- Bake until deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Let the macaroons cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.
- Using a thin spatula, transfer the macaroons to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- We prefer to use a cookie scoop here for more rounded cookies.
- This recipe can easily be doubled. To double it, scoop portions onto two baking sheets and bake the cookies one sheet at a time.