2 Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

Are you a coconut lover?

For true coconut lovers. Made with sweetened condensed milk and coconut – that’s it! The sweet nutty flavor of the coconut totally shines in these easy little cookies.

My mom has always loved coconut, so I grew up eating it and loving it.

I know some people tell me they don’t care for the stuff. But I wonder what’s wrong with those people! LOL

Try these coconut recipes!

Like I said, I love coconut, so I have a ton of recipes using the fruit. Here are some of my favorites: Coconut Thumbprint Cookies, Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp, Toasted Coconut Icebox Cake, and Coconut Sorbet.

Still more coconut

I also have another great recipe for Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons.

This other recipe is a little more involved, but the macaroons are also a little more complex than these simple 2-ingredient ones.

But, each recipe has their place. And each one is delicious in it’s own way. Give them both a try and see which one you like better!

Suggested kitchen equipment

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Mixing bowls
Cookie dough scoop
Insulated cookie sheet
Silpat (Silicone baking sheet)
Parchment paper
Hot pads
Cooling rack

Recipe notes

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Make smaller cookies

I found that for these 2-ingredient macaroons, smaller cookies are better than big cookies.

When I made them bigger the insides didn’t bake well enough before the coconut on the outside got really toasted.

So, I definitely recommend going with 1 tablespoon or smaller scoops on these.

And, make sure to really pack the coconut into the cookie scoop, making sure it’s nice and full.

I’ve had some readers suggest that they make these cookies in mini muffin tins. I think that’s a fun idea too!

Let the dough sit

Also, I suggest leaving the dough to sit for 5-10 minutes after mixing.

This allows the coconut to absorb some of the sweetened condensed milk.

If you don’t let it sit, the milk will seep out a little. Not a big deal (see photo below), but I found them to be prettier when I let the dough sit.

Why do my coconut macaroons spread?

The macaroons will spread or seep if you didn’t let them sit for 5-10 minutes before baking them.

Also, it’s possible that you over mixed the cookie batter; it only needs to be mixed until they are just combined.

No flattening when they bake

The macaroons do not flatten when baking, so the shape they are when they go in the oven is the same as when they come out.

Sometimes I like to take the macaroons and flatten them with the palm of my hand or with the bottom of a glass so they are little disks.

When they bake, there’s more toasty coconut area that way!

Additional Mix ins:

These simple macaroons make a good base for adding a little bit of creativity.

Of course, you can dip these coconut macaroons into melted chocolate. Just melt some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time. And dip, tops, bottoms, or sides of each macaroon into the melted chocolate.

I think adding chopped nuts, like chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds would be nutty (in that yummy way)!

A friend of mine suggested adding cocoa nibs to these macaroons. I think that would be delicious, a little bitter to the sweet coconut.

You could also toss in a pinch of salt. I find that salt added to sweet baked goods helps bring out the flavors.

And, I think adding a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract would be fabulous.

Sweetened condensed milk

Sweetened condensed milk is not the same as evaporated milk, and they are not interchangeable in recipes.

Both items are canned milk products that have had water removed, but sweetened condensed milk is sticky-sweet with added sugar.

And, of course, I have to be careful not to eat too much of it as I pour it into the bowl!

Pro tips

If your macaroons will not stick together, make sure you used sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk will NOT work in this recipe.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter when making these cookies. This will make all of the cookies exactly the same size.

How do I store these cookies?

Store these baked treats in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to a week.

If your macaroons are too soft or too sticky, you can store them in the fridge, but they should be perfectly fine on the counter.

Can I freeze these cookies?

These simple 2 Ingredient Coconut Macaroons are best eaten right after you bake them.

After a couple of days they tend to dry out a bit if left on the counter.

They can also be stored in the fridge or freezer for longer storage.

If you want to store these cookies for longer than a week, allow them to cool completely after baking. Then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag in the freezer.

They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

To defrost, allow them to come to room temperature in the refrigerator or on the counter.

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