Easiest Chewy Coconut Cookies (Macaroons)
If sometimes you don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, but are in urgent need of easy sweet snacks, you might be interested in these cookies. I believe they are similar to what is called “coconut macaroons” in the USA, but they are much simpler and quicker to prepare. They require maximum ten minutes of work before being baked, you don’t need any kitchen appliances and, last but not least, they call for only three ingredients, which most of you probably always have in the house (sugar, egg whites and desiccated coconut). This, accidentally, makes them gluten free, if I’m not mistaken. As you will see below, you don’t even need any measuring cups or scales: a tablespoon is all you need. Oh, and I would have forgotten: these cookies are the first thing that comes to my mind when I have leftover egg whites.
I posted them a very very long time ago, but I prepare them so often, I couldn’t resist this quick reminder. I have been making them in the same way for many years and this ridiculously simple recipe is the result of my attempts to copy chewy coconut cookies I used to love as a child. I have however a warning to all those who prefer less sugar in desserts: these cookies are sweeter than most of the desserts I post here! For once I don’t mind it because this sticky, chewy texture I go crazy for couldn’t be achieved with less sugar. I sometimes bake them in mini-muffin moulds, but most of the time I don’t bother and form “pucks” with moist hands and then bake them directly on baking paper.
If you don’t like coconut, you might find these biscuits interesting:
TIPS : Click here to see a few ideas of how to use up leftover egg yolks if you are left with some (I strongly recommend crème brûlée, maybe even with matcha…)
Since the coconut and sugar dryness vary (not to mention the egg whites size), the given quantities can be only treated as approximate. Check the consistency: you should be able to form balls from the dough, but it should remain very sticky and moist.
Preparation: about 30 minutes
Ingredients (about 15 cookies):
2 egg whites
7 flat tablespoons caster sugar
12 well-heaped tablespoons desiccated coconut
Preheat the oven at 170°C.
Take a bowl, mix everything with a spoon, adding gradually sugar and coconut. Since the coconut and sugar dryness vary (not to mention the egg whites size), the given quantities can be only treated as approximate. Check the consistency: you should be able to form balls from the dough, but it should remain very sticky and moist.
Form small balls (medium apricot size) with moist hands, put on baking paper or greased baking tray and squash slightly.
You can also use mini-muffin moulds (any moulds you have and like will do).
Bake the biscuits until slightly golden (about 20 minutes in my oven).
They keep for several days if covered with plastic film.
Ah, fantastic! A healthier version of macaroons – I love it! And, could they be any simpler… this is perfect for a Friday; I like having something new or different to offer the family as a weekend nibble but I’m not inclined to roll up my sleeves and spend the day in the kitchen. Something relatively quick and delicious fits the bill. Thanks Sissi – what a great idea!
Thank you so much, Kelly! I appreciate greatly every time you comment something on my blog as “healthy” or “healthier”. Until then I’m never sure… I have always thought about these as the laziest cookies I can imagine, so if moreover they are healthier than “standard” macaroons, then I’d better heat the oven.
I’d love to nibble on a few of these cookies. I don’t like meringues and can never figure out what to do with the egg whites left over from when I make flan. Coconut is yummy … I’ve got some in my pantry right now and other than coconut pie, can’t figure out what to do with it. 🙂
If only I wasn’t making cherry pie today, I’d do something with coconut.
Thank you, A_Boleyn. I hate meringues (too sweet for me and I don’t like the powdery texture, even when there’s a sticky part inside), so I can understand you. Cherry pie sounds delicious!
I love coconut and this would a great cookie to try! I really like that it is easy to make and that the recipe makes a small batch :).
Thank you, Tessa. This recipe has only advantages 😉
Happy weekend Sissi! I am so happy to see this recipe. My go to holiday gift is tres-leches macaroons, they are super easy to make and almost fool-proof, people seem to really welcome the gifts when they receive them!
http://weeknitemeals.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/giant-coconut-macaroons/
You are right about the sweetness of this treat, last year I dipped them in semi sweet and white chocolate, the result was a bit overwhelming, for this year’s Christmas I might get dark chocolate instead to balance things out.
Hope you are doing well! Our bathroom renovation will start next week, fingers crossed…
Thank you, Jeno. I’m glad you have linked to your macaroons! I have just seen that when I commented below I mentioned these cookies 😉
I almost never use condensed milk and am very intrigued by its presence in your macaroons. I must try them one day!
Good luck with the renovation!
you’re right, I do have all these ingredients in my house right now. want so much to make them, but might have to wait till I’m slightly more free. love that they’re gluten-free too 🙂 and chewy. ooh I love chewy stuff. maybe cos I’m asian.
Thanks a lot, Shu Han. I’m not Asian, but I also love chewy, slightly “gummy” food (dried squid for example…).
My husband loves coconut! I am bookmarking these to make them for him! He will be very happy and they look very crunchy with a beautiful golden color!
Thank you very much, Katerina. I think that they would please any coconut fan (and a busy cook too!). They are crunchy outside and chewy, soft inside. I hope you can bake them one day.
Love the simplicity and using up the egg whites. And a perfect fix for the sweet tooth! 🙂
Thank you so much, Zsuzsa.
This simple recipe is just perfect for me to try since I have a lot of egg white leftover from making CNY cookies. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Sonia. I hope you can make them one day.
WOW! These do look easy! I do love coconut, especially when it’s toasted or baked. These little cookies look delicious Sissi! I love anything that says “chewy” so now I need to go check out the chewy hazelnut cookies. YUM! Thanks for sharing such an easy and delicious recipe!
Thank you so much, MJ. They are very easy indeed.
These sound great and I bet they’re really chewy. GG
Thanks, GG.
Looks and sounds delicious. I guess the coconut flavour is strong since there is no flour, butter etc used. I’ve seen similar recipes before but have yet to try it. I should do it soon. I suppose instead of using 2 egg whites, one could use an egg instead.
Hope you had a great weekend.
Thank you so much, Mr. Three-Cookies. I would advise against whole egg. I still remember my first experiments with these cookies: when I prepared them with whole eggs, they had an awful “yolky” taste and smell. From my experience yolks can replace whole eggs in some recipes, but the big advantage of egg whites is that they are tasteless and have no “eggy” smell.
Thank you for the explanation, I never thought of it. Will definitely keep in mind
They do remind me of the coconut macaroons that I enjoy but haven’t made in years.
I’m glad you also like coconut sweets.
I love coconut too and still have it in my pantry. Just 2 egg whites will be enough to make 15 cookies? I love it. Sometimes when I need like lots of egg whites, it’s hard… but this, I need to try it!
Thanks, Nami. The cookies are small though (I squash balls which have a size of an apricot). They are incredibly easy to prepare, so I hope you can make them one day.
What a lovely recipe, and so easy too. I like that it doesn’t make too many as well. Perfect for a little treat after dinner. We had our friends from Illinois up for the weekend, so I am way behind commenting and blogging!
Thank you so much, Eva. I’m glad you have had a lovely weekend.
I just discovered your blog today, the recipes look lovely and delicious. I am a little confused by the measurements, though, when to mention heaped or flat tablespoonsful, do you mean standard tablespoon measures, or tablespoons from your silverware? I’ve never seen measurements in baking stated like that. I would love to try some things, but don’t want to waste ingredients because I misinterpreted something.
Thanks!
Rima
Hi, Rima. Thank you for the compliment. You can understand it as standard measures or adapt to your own silverware (that’s what I do) because every time I bake these cookies I have to adjust the amounts anyway (as I have written in the TIPS: “Since the coconut and sugar dryness vary (not to mention the egg whites size), the given quantities can be only treated as approximate. Check the consistency: you should be able to form balls from the dough, but it should remain very sticky and moist.”) I find such approximate quantities more sincere towards my readers: even if I weighed the ingredients from my last baking session, you might fail if you followed them without adjusting the amounts to get the right consistency because it’s different every time. I’m sorry if it’s not the way you like baking…