Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons [Crispy, Chewy & Dairy Free]
Serve up delicious bites of coconut goodness when you prepare these gluten free coconut macaroons. Enjoy macaroons with a crispy shell and chewy center.
Yield: 16 macaroons
Ingredients
- 3 (75 g) egg whites
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 4 ½ cups (270 g) wide flat coconut flakes processed into smaller pieces (See Recipe Notes)
- 3 tablespoons (27 g) superfine white rice flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or half pure vanilla extract, half pure almond extract
- 4 ounces miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips optional
- 6 ounces dark chocolate melted (optional, for dipping and drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the white attachment or a medium-size bowl with a handheld mixer, place the egg whites. Begin to whip until frothy.
- Adding the granulated sugar slowly while the egg whites are whipping. Continue to whip until the mixture turns white and glossy, and is tripled in volume.
- The egg white mixture won't form peaks but with fall off the whisk in heavy ribbons. And it will take at least 6 minutes of continuous whipping.
- Add the vanilla and/or almond extracts, whip until fully combined, and then set the mixture aside.
- In a large bowl, place the coconut, rice flour and salt, and mix to combine.
- Add the whipped egg whites in 3 or 4 batches, folding them in to the coconut mixture. Mix until well-combined and all the coconut is moistened and holds together.
- Add the optional chocolate chips, and mix gently until evenly distributed throughout.
- Using a medium-size spring-loaded ice cream scoop, drop the cookie dough in tight mounds of about 1 1/2 tablespoons each on the prepared baking sheet, about 1-inch apart from one another. They will not spread during baking.
- Place the macaroons in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet 180° and continue to bake until golden brown underneath and beginning to brown on top (about another 10 minutes).
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the macaroons to cool on the baking sheet completely.
- Once the macaroons are cool, melt the optional dark chocolate in 30-second bursts in the microwave or in a double boiler. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and return to the baking sheet, chocolate side down.
- Drizzle the tops with more melted chocolate in a zigzag pattern, if you like. Allow them to sit until the chocolate is set.
- Store in a sealed glass container at room temperature.
Notes
A note about coconut:
If you can't find coconut flakes, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut. Process it similarly to small pieces (but not crumbs). If you're using sweetened shredded coconut, to control for sweetness, reduce the granulated sugar by half. Recipe originally published on the blog in 2015, new photos in 2017, republished again in 2021 with lighter, crispier recipe, new photos, text, and video.
If you can't find coconut flakes, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut. Process it similarly to small pieces (but not crumbs). If you're using sweetened shredded coconut, to control for sweetness, reduce the granulated sugar by half. Recipe originally published on the blog in 2015, new photos in 2017, republished again in 2021 with lighter, crispier recipe, new photos, text, and video.