Almond joy coconut macaroons are as easy to make as they are delicious! With toasted coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate, these 6-ingredient cookies are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free!
Is there any better combination than coconut, almonds, and chocolate? It's one of my all-time favorite flavor combos, which is why I've always loved Almond Joy candy bars. If you love this classic too, you'll love these macaroons!
What Are Almond Joy Macaroons?
I decided to take inspiration from Almond Joy to create a delicious homemade coconut macaroon. They're just like your typical coconut macaroon, but upgraded with indulgent dark chocolate and an almond center.
Why You'll Love Almond Joy Coconut Macaroons
If you've never made coconut macaroons, they're incredibly easy to make with only six simple ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. They have the delicious taste of an Almond Joy, but more grown up with dark chocolate and toasted coconut.
They also happen to be gluten-free and grain-free since they have no need for flour. You can also easily make them dairy-free by using dairy-free chocolate.
The Ingredients
- Shredded or flaked coconut
- Egg whites - Use fresh ones, not the kind in the carton. Save the yolks for another use, like my lemon curd!
- Sugar
- Almond extract
- Almonds - I use raw almonds.
- Dark chocolate - Use dairy free if needed. If you want a sweeter chocolate flavor more like a traditional Almond Joy, you can use milk chocolate instead.
- Salt - It enhances the sweet coconut and chocolate flavors!
How To Make Them
- Toast the coconut on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar until frothy. (You don't need to beat to stiff peaks, just until the mixture is well combined.)
- Stir in the toasted coconut, almond extract and salt.
- Use a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) to scoop the mixture into balls.
- Push an almond into the center of each ball, then cover the almond with some of the coconut mixture.
- Repeat with the remaining coconut mixture and almonds. Place the macaroons on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the macaroons cool before dipping them.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until smooth and completely melted.
- Dip the bottom of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and place on parchment or a silicone baking mat to cool and harden. Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the tops of the macaroons. Once the chocolate is cooled and firm, you can store them!
Tips For Perfect Coconut Macaroons
- Make sure to watch the coconut carefully when toasting it - it can burn quickly!
- Don't worry about whipping the egg whites too much. You want them frothy, but peaks aren't necessary.
- Wet your hands or lightly oil them to prevent the dough from sticking, especially if you aren't using a cookie scoop.
- Careful not to over-heat the chocolate when melting it. I like to stir in between each 30-second interval to make sure it gets nice and smooth without burning it.
How Long Do Macaroons Last?
You can leave coconut macaroons at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze them!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Chunk Blondies (Bar Cookies)
- Chewy Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
- Lavender Shortbread Cookies
If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintEasy Almond Joy Coconut Macaroons
Almond joy coconut macaroons are as easy to make as they are delicious! With toasted coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate, these 6-ingredient cookies are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: about 15 cookies 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Pinch fine sea salt
- About 15 raw almonds
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut into a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until just slightly golden, watching carefully so that it doesn't burn!
- With a stand mixer, hand mixer, or whisk, beat egg whites and sugar in a large bowl until frothy.
- Add almond extract, salt and toasted coconut and stir until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop (1 tbsp), scoop coconut mixture into small balls.
- Push an almond into the center of each ball and push coconut mixture from the edges over the almond to make sure it's covered.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Continue with remaining coconut mixture and almonds.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool before dipping in chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate on low in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Dip macaroons into melted chocolate and place on parchment or a silicone baking mat to dry. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the tops of macaroons.
- Store macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- For dairy-free macaroons, make sure to use your favorite dairy-free chocolate.
- You can wet your hands or coat them in oil when shaping the macaroons to help prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- For a more traditional almond joy flavor, you can use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
Keywords: almond joy macaroons, almond joy coconut macaroons, chocolate almond macaroons
This post was originally published February 2018 and has been updated.
Lu says
The recipe says this will make 15 macaroons. It would be helpful, though, if you could be specific about how much of the mixture to measure out to make each one. Would it be a heaping tablespoon-full, for example ? More ? Less?
Kaleigh says
Hi Lu, I use about a tablespoon sized scoop.
Patricia says
This was a nightmare recipe for me. I tried this instead of another recipe it was awful. It’s stuck to my hands my bowl. I did not want to pack into balls I don’t know what I did wrong I followed the recipe precisely. I will never make these again. I will go back to my original recipe which came out perfect I don’t know why I changed my original recipe. I guess it was because I wanted to put the almond in the center.
Anyone else have this problem? It was so sticky! Tell me what I did wrong.
Amelia says
I am concerned with sugar. Is there an other way to cut down the sugar? Thanks!
Kaleigh says
Hi Amelia,
You can try using unsweetened shredded coconut, using chocolate sweetened with stevia, such as Lily's, and/or using a sugar substitute specifically for baking, such as Swerve. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Donna says
Can you provide the nutritional information? Thank you!
Kaleigh says
Hi Donna,
I don't provide nutrition info for my recipes, but you can use one of the many free online calculators to get a rough estimate.
Rhoda says
Did you use unsweetened or sweetened coconut?
Kaleigh says
I used sweetened, but either will work!
Kira says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. They look so delicious. But I’m just curious, instead of using dark chocolate, what about milk chocolate? Have you made them like that yet so it’s more of an almond joy vs mounds???
Kaleigh says
I haven't ever tried it because I prefer dark chocolate, but you certainly can use milk chocolate if you'd like!