An easy recipe for gluten-free coconut macaroons. These gluten-free coconut cookies are soft and chewy on the inside, and crisp and golden on the outside.
4tablespoonsgluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gumI like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
1/4teaspoonsalt
4largeegg whites at room temperature
1/2teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1/2teaspoonpure almond extract
1/2cupgluten-free chocolate chips (optional)For dairy-free use Nestle Allergen Free Semi-Sweet Morsels or Enjoy Life.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are white and fluffy. I used a hand electric mixer.
Stir in the sugar, pure vanilla extract, pure almond extract, and gluten-free flour into the egg whites.
Stir the sweetened coconut into the egg white mixture, mixing until fully combined.
Scoop out the cookie dough using a greased 1 ½ teaspoon cookie scoop spacing about 1-inch apart. Do not flatten the cookie dough balls.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Bake for 18 minutes for super soft cookies. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Store in an air-tight container.
For chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon cookies:
Melt ½ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time, stir, then microwave for another 15-30 seconds, or until the chips are fully melted and smooth and creamy. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and return to the lined baking sheets. To harden the chocolate quickly, refrigerate the cookies for about 5-10 minutes or until the chocolate is set.
For macaroon nest cookies:
Scoop out the cookie batter using a 1 ½ tablespoon greased cookie scoop and place it on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Using the back of a rounded ½ teaspoon, gently push down on the centers of the cookies to make a nest (you can also just use your finger). Once the cookies are cooled, dip each top of the cookies into the melted chocolate. Allow the melted chocolate to dry a little before adding the jelly beans or your candy of choice.
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Notes
I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
The macaroon cookies are naturally dairy-free. If dipping in chocolate, for dairy-free use dairy-free chocolate chips like Nestle Allergen Free Semi-Sweet Morsels or Enjoy Life.
You can easily bring eggs to room temperature by placing the whole eggs (not cracked) in a warm bowl of water for a few minutes.