These Chewy Coconut Macaroon Hearts are a classic cookie recipe with a twist. Dipped in and drizzled with chocolate, they’re the best way to enjoy a gluten free Valentine’s Day. Make some for your sweetheart or to share with your family!
These cookies are pretty special because I made them as part of an effort to fight against pediatric cancer with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Did you know that cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S.? There are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer right now. With less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget going to all childhood cancer combined, I knew it was important for me to get involved.
Help us make a difference by donating to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer! Our goal is to raise at least $3000. Because these three companies: Dixie Crystals, Mediavine and OXO have each pledged to match our donations raised through this campaign up to $3000!
Thanks to many of you, we have reached our goal. You can still donate and help us make an even bigger difference!
Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about just what are macaroons.
What are Coconut Macaroons?
What’s the Difference Between a Macaron and Macaroon?
Are Coconut Macaroons Gluten Free?
Can Coconut Macaroons be Frozen?
Yes, coconut macaroons can be frozen as long as they’re in an air-tight container. Typically they’ll last around 2 weeks in the freezer.
Now that we’re all squared away, it’s recipe time!
How to Make Coconut Macaroons
This recipe only requires 7 ingredients. And if you’re a baker, they might just be things you have on hand anyway.
First turn your oven on to 350 degrees F. Take out a sheet pan and put a silicone baking mat on it. You can use parchment paper if you don’t have a mat, but your cookies might stick a little more to the parchment.
Separate egg whites into a large bowl, discarding shells and yolks (unless you have use for the yolks). To do this crack the egg against the bowl, then take half the shell away and drain the egg whites out. Pour the yolk back and forth between each shell half, being careful not to break it.
Use a measuring cup to measure out the white sugar into a small bowl or cup, then set aside.
Start whipping the egg whites with a hand mixer. Once the egg whites start to froth up, gently pour in the sugar a little bit at a time while continuing to whip the whites with the mixer. Do so until all the sugar is poured in.
Put the mixer down, then measure out the almond and vanilla extracts, and the kosher salt. Pour into the egg white mixture and continue to mix until the egg whites start to stiffen and becomes opaque (when the whisk starts leaving tracks in the egg whites).
Measure out the coconut with a measuring cup and pour it into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently mix together the egg white mixture and coconut flakes until fully combined.
Start to shape the cookies. Place the heart shaped cookie cutter in a corner of the sheet pan (not touching any sides of the pan) and scoop 2.5 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the cookie cutter.
Use a spoon to gently push the batter to all sides of the cookie cutter, making sure there are no holes to fill. Don’t press down too hard as you don’t want the cookie to be too dense.
Repeat the process until all the batter is gone (which should be about a dozen cookies).
Place the sheet pan in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. If your oven heats unevenly (hotter in the back than the front), set a timer for 13 minutes, then turn the sheet pan around and set the timer for another 7 minutes. Check that the bottom edges are getting brown, as well as some browning on the tops. If not, bake another 3-5 minutes.
Once the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely on the sheet pan.
While the cookies are cooling, take out a cookie sheet and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on the cookie sheet. Set aside.
After the cookies and sheet pan are completely cooled, use a flat metal spatula and slowly wiggle it underneath each cookie to remove it from the silicone mat. The cookies will be very sticky, so be careful not to go too fast and lose the bottom of your cookie.
Don’t be surprised if some of the cookie bottom doesn’t come completely off (see the little brown spots on the above photo). That’s okay, as long as half the cookie doesn’t come off with it.
Once the cookies are removed from the pan, place 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe, flat bottomed bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted (between 1.5 and 2 minutes), stirring with a spoon in between heating.
Take each cookie and gently dunk the bottom into the chocolate. Use a spoon to help you get the macaroon out of the chocolate if you need to (I certainly did!). If the bottom is not completely covered, use the spoon to spread the chocolate around or spoon a bit of extra chocolate on.
Place the dipped macaroon on the parchment lined cookie sheet and repeat the process until all the cookies are dipped.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate in the same bowl in the microwave until completely melted. Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over each macaroon heart.
Place the cookie sheet with the macaroons in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes, until the chocolate hardens. The cookies can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for several days or the freezer for up to 2 weeks (or even longer if you’re lucky!)
If you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day desserts, check out these recipes:
– Crustless Banana Cream Pie Cups (one of my most popular recipes!)
– Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Bark
– White Chocolate Candied Lemon Slices
And don’t forget to check out all the other amazing cookie recipes (not all are gluten free) from bloggers taking part in Cookies for Kids’ Cancer!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Læsø Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies from Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Meyer Lemon Cookies from Linda of Simply Healthyish Recipes
Soft & Chewy Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Allie of Miss Allie’s Kitchen
Small Batch Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe from Faith of An Edible Mosaic
Chocolate Madeleines from Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking
Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats from Bree of Baked Bree
Tiger Butter Candy from Melissa of MamaGourmand
Valentine’s Day Gluten Free Sugar Cookies from Brianna of Flippin’ Delicious
Chocolate Spritz Sandwich Cookies from Carlee of Cooking With Carlee
Pink Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jenn of Ever After in the Woods
French Butter Cookies from Rebekah of Kitchen Gidget
Brown Sugar M&M Cookies from Sara of Imperfectly Balanced Sara
mini rose cookies from Meaghan of the decorated cookie
Raspberry Linzer Cookies from Stephie of Stephie Cooks
Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting from Coleen of The Redhead Baker
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies from Becca of Two Places at Once
Warn Dark Chocolate Melting Cups from Lisa of Snack Girl
Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies from Jessica of A Kitchen Addiction
Cherry Cordial Bundt Cake from Carolann of Apron Warrior
Nutella Stuffed Cookies from Allison of Celebrating Sweets
If you make this recipe, tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear how it turned out. I’m betting you get some “wow, that’s so pretty!” with a few “ohh, these are good” tossed in.
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more good to eat, gluten free food and how I’m trying to get my kids into the kitchen more (without losing my mind).
Pin these Chewy Coconut Macaroon Hearts for Later!
Recipe for Chewy Coconut Macaroon Hearts
Chewy Coconut Macaroon Hearts (Gluten Free)
These Chewy Coconut Macaroon Hearts are a classic cookie recipe with a twist. Dipped in and drizzled with chocolate, they're the best way to enjoy a gluten free Valentine's Day. Make some for your sweetheart or to share with your family!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs use egg whites only
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 10 oz sweetened coconut flakes about 3.5 cups
- 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate separated
Instructions
Items Needed:
- A sheet pan
- A silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
- A large bowl
- A small bowl or cup
- Measuring cups
- A hand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- A spatula
- A 2.5 to 3 inch heart shaped cookie cutter
- A spoon
- A flat metal spatula
- A microwave safe, flat bottomed bowl
- Parchment paper
- A cookie sheet
Directions:
- Turn oven to 350 degrees F. Take out a sheet pan and put a silicone baking mat in it (use parchment paper if you don’t have a mat).
- Separate egg whites into a large bowl, discarding shells and yolks (unless you have use for the yolks).
- Use a measuring cup to measure out the white sugar into a small bowl or cup, then set aside.
- Start whipping the egg whites with a hand mixer. Once the egg whites start to froth up, gently pour in the sugar a little bit at a time while continuing to whip the whites with the mixer. Do so until all the sugar is poured in.
- Put the mixer down, then measure out the almond and vanilla extracts, and the kosher salt. Pour into the egg white mixture and continue to mix until the egg whites start to stiffen and becomes opaque (when the whisk starts leaving tracks in the egg whites).
- Measure out the coconut with a measuring cup and pour it into the egg whites. Use a spatula to gently mix together the egg white mixture and coconut flakes until fully combined.
- Start to shape the cookies. Place the heart shaped cookie cutter in a corner of the sheet pan (not touching any sides of the pan) and scoop 2.5 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the cookie cutter. Use a spoon to gently push the batter to all sides of the cookie cutter, making sure there are no holes to fill. Don’t press down too hard as you don’t want the cookie to be too dense.
- Repeat the process until all the batter is gone (which should be about a dozen cookies).
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. If your oven heats unevenly (hotter in the back than the front), set a timer for 13 minutes, then turn the sheet pan around and set the timer for another 7 minutes. Check that the bottom edges are getting brown, as well as some browning on the tops. If not, bake another 3-5 minutes.
- Once the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely on the sheet pan.
- While the cookies are cooling, take out a cookie sheet and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on the cookie sheet. Set aside.
- After the cookies and sheet pan are completely cooled, use a flat metal spatula and slowly wiggle it underneath each cookie to remove it from the silicone mat. The cookies will be very sticky, so be careful not to go too fast and lose the bottom of your cookie.
- Once the cookies are removed from the pan, place 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe, flat bottomed bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted (between 1.5 and 2 minutes), stirring with a spoon in between heating.
- Take each cookie and gently dunk the bottom into the chocolate. Use a spoon to help you get the macaroon out of the chocolate if necessary. If the bottom is not completely covered, use the spoon to spread the chocolate around or spoon a bit of extra chocolate on.
- Place the dipped macaroon on the parchment lined cookie sheet and repeat the process until all cookies are dipped.
- Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate in the same bowl in the microwave until completely melted. Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over each macaroon heart.
- Place the cookie sheet with the macaroons in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes, until the chocolate hardens. Can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for several days or the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
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