Easy Coconut Macaroons Recipe

Chewy coconut macaroons with a hint of orange zest bring a nostalgic ambrosia-inspired flavor to this easy cookie recipe. They’re perfect for the holidays or anytime you’re craving a quick, homemade treat.

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These cookies can easily be made dairy-free, and they’re naturally gluten-free. With less than ten minutes of prep time, they may be one of the easiest cookies on your holiday baking list.

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They also have a drizzle of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate on top. Chocolate and orange together are a match made in heaven.

What You Need

• Butter: Use unsalted butter or a dairy-free butter substitute such as Earth Balance.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is fine for these macaroons.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Orange Zest: Use a microplane or the finest grate on a box grater.
• Large Eggs: Eggs serve as the binder that holds everything together.
• Sweetened Flaked Coconut: Use bagged sweetened flaked coconut that’s fresh and aromatic. Coconut tends to spoil. Even frozen coconut can have an off flavor if it has been frozen for too long.

For the Glaze

Choose either a classic chocolate drizzle or a dairy-free cocoa glaze for the same rich flavor.

• Bittersweet Chocolate:
• Orange Zest:

Or to make it dairy-free,

• Dairy-Free Butter Substitute: Mimics the fat content in chocolate.
• Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Adds the chocolate flavor.
• Water: To thin the glaze out.
• Orange Zest: To add lots of orange flavor to the glaze.
• Powdered Sugar: To sweeten the glaze.

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How to Make Them

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  
2. Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter or margarine in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and salt; beat until blended. 
3. Beat in orange peel, then eggs.
4. Stir in the coconut by hand.
5. Drop the batter onto the lined baking sheets by tablespoonfuls, into mounds, spacing 1½ inches apart. Or use a small cookie scoop.
6. Bake macaroons, one sheet at a time, until golden on the bottoms of the macaroons and the tops are golden brown in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. (Slide the parchment paper off the sheets, if you need to use the sheet for the next batch.) Cool completely on sheets.
7. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the orange zest. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over macaroons. Dry on parchment sheets or on a wire rack until the chocolate is firm, at least 30 minutes.

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How to Store Them

Store these coconut macaroons in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or freeze them for up to a month. For freezer storage, pack into an airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

More Fun Holiday Cookies

• Ischler’s Tortelettes
• Jam-Filled Cookies
• Santa Claus Cut-out Cookies
• Haselnussmakronen- Hazelnut macaroons
• Molasses Cookies
• Hildabroetchen

Helpful Tools

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• Rimmed baking sheet
• kitchenaid mixer
• unbleached parchment paper

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Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

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Coconut Macaroon Recipe

Chewy coconut macaroons with a hint of orange zest bring a nostalgic ambrosia-inspired flavor to this easy cookie recipe.

See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 48 cookies

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Beth Neels

Cost: $5

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Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick) butter or lactose-free margarine, room temperature (Fleischmann's Unsalted is the only one I can find.
• ▢ ¾ cup Sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 24 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 cups firmly packed. Small package of Baker's coconut is 14 oz. Get 2 packages!)

For Glaze

• ▢ Bittersweet Chocolate
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

For Dairy-Free Glaze

• ▢ 2 tablespoon dairy free butter/ margarine
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon water
• ▢ Juice and grated rind from 1/2 of a large orange
• ▢ ¾ cup powdered sugar

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and salt; beat until blended. 
• Beat in orange peel, then eggs.
• Mix in the coconut by hand.
•  Drop batter onto sheets by tablespoonfuls, spacing 1½ inches apart.
• Bake macaroons, one sheet at a time, until golden on the bottom and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. (Slide parchment paper off the sheets, if you need to use the sheet for the next batch.) Cool completely on sheets.
• Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over macaroons. Dry on parchment sheets until the chocolate is firm, at least 30 minutes.

For Glaze

• Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in orange zest.

For Dairy-free Glaze

• Grate rind of 1/2 orange. Juice the 1/2 orange.
• Melt margarine in small saucepan.
• Whisk in Cocoa powder, water, orange juice and orange rind.
• Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth and the consistency of a melted chocolate.
• You can easily add a few more drops of water or orange juice if the glaze is too thick. Alternately, if the glaze is too thin, add tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time, until you achieve a good consistency.

non stick baking sheet

mixing bowls

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Notes

Pack in freezer containers, freeze up to 1 month.

Thaw in refrigerator. 

 

General Baking Tips:

Always measure dry ingredients with a dry measuring cup. Measure with dry measuring cups or weigh dry ingredients.

Always measure liquid ingredients with liquid measuring cup

Never break eggs directly into recipe ingredients. Break eggs into a separate bowl, in case you get any shells, so that you can pull them out.

Make sure that you know what temperature your oven is set at. Buy an oven thermometer and check oven temperature regularly.

Always check baked goods, like cakes or quick breads with cake tester, placed in center. If the tester comes out clean, it’s done.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Originally Published December 26, 2014. Updated November 4, 2025.

Recipe Name: Ambrosia Macaroons. Coconut Macaroons
Type: Cookie
Main Ingredients: Sweetened flaked coconut, orange zest, eggs, butter, sugar, chocolate.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: About 48 cookies
Special Equipment: Electric mixer, rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper
Great For: Holiday baking, cookie exchanges, edible gifts, gluten-free treats