These toasted coconut macarons have a light, coconut macaron shell filled with coconut white chocolate ganache, then topped with toasted shredded coconut! They're a light, fun summery macaron flavor!
You might also like this toasted coconut biscotti or these toasted coconut donuts!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make these toasted coconut macarons!
Egg whites - I've recently started "aging" my egg whites and I've found it helps with my consistency. This is absolutely not necessary, but it's super easy to do so I recommend trying it out. Weigh out 100 grams of egg whites into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours but up to 3 days. Make sure to remove the egg whites from the fridge at least an hour before baking.
Almond flour - If you've ever seen macarons that look bumpy, it's usually because the almond flour isn't ground finely enough. I love using Bob's Red Mill for my almond flour because it's super fine. But if you have lumpy almond flour you can also just pulse it in a food processor for a few seconds to break it up further. Sifting your dry ingredients is also super important for ensuring smooth macarons.
White chocolate - Use white chocolate baking bars as opposed to chocolate chips!! Chips contain emulsifiers that help them keep their shape, which also means they won't combine as smoothly as chocolate bars.
Heavy whipping cream - This is for the ganache and cannot be substituted.
Coconut extract - To get more concentrated coconut flavor in the macarons, I highly recommend using coconut extract! You can usually find it in the baking aisle next to the vanilla!
Coconut - I prefer sweetened shredded coconut flakes, but unsweetened will work too if that's all you can find.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Special Equipment
These toasted coconut macarons can be tricky so setting yourself up for success is key!
- Kitchen scale - Macarons are incredibly finicky, so weighing all your ingredients is super important!
- Sturdy baking sheet - You want to use a super sturdy baking sheet that won't warp and conducts heat evenly! These Cuisinart baking sheets are my favorite for macarons!
- Oven thermometer - We want our oven as close to 300 degrees as possible to make perfect macarons but just because your oven says it's 300 degrees, doesn't mean it actually is. For example, I often have to set my oven to 305 in order for the thermometer to read 300.
- Silicone macaron mats - You can pipe your coconut macarons on parchment paper, but I highly recommend silicone mats! I love these macaron mats that have small circles printed on them. The guide is super helpful for making sure all your macarons are the same size!
- French star piping tip (optional for filling)
How to Make White Chocolate Ganache
Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the white chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully smooth. Then stir in the coconut extract.
Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. [Don't try to pipe the ganache before it's fully set!]
If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Toasted Coconut
This is an optional step, but I love toasting the shredded coconut to give it some crunch!
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the shredded coconut in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown (be sure to keep on eye on it so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
How to Make French Macarons
Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add in the coconut extract, then continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe 1 inch rounds.
Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
Let the coconut macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. If desired, drizzle with some extra melted white chocolate and garnish with the toasted coconut. Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center and top with the decorated shell.
Put the assembled toasted coconut macarons in an airtight container, then place them in the fridge to mature for 12-24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, for the best taste/texture, let them come up to room temperature for about an hour before eating! [Directly out of the fridge they can sometimes be super hard but at room temperature they're perfectly soft and tender!]
Recipe FAQ's
Macarons can be tough, but once you get the hang of it they aren't that hard! It's important to follow the directions carefully but if your first batch doesn't turn out, just keep practicing!
Unless you have experience baking macarons, I don't recommend making any changes to the macaron recipe because even small changes can negatively affect the recipe. But you can make to the coconut ganache filling if desired!
The majority of macaron issues can be traced to either having the wrong oven temperature or an improper mixing technique. This is why it's important to use an oven thermometer and only mix the batter until it starts to flow like lava and then stopping.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Toasted Coconut Macarons
Special Equipment
Ingredients
White Chocolate Ganache
- 226 grams white chocolate, chopped
- 120 grams heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut extract
Macarons
- 100 grams egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 110 grams almond flour, sifted
- 200 grams powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon coconut extract
Garnish
- 57 grams white chocolate, melted
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, toasted
Instructions
White Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop the white chocolate and place into a large bowl.
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
- Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently mix until the white chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully smooth. Then stir in the coconut extract.
- Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. [Don't try to pipe the ganache before it's fully set!]
- If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Toasted Coconut
- This is an optional step, but I love toasting the shredded coconut to give it some crunch!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the shredded coconut in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing every couple minutes until golden brown (be sure to keep on eye on it so it doesn't burn). Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Macarons
- Sift together almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then add in the cream of tartar.
- Turn the mixer up to medium-high and gradually add in the granulated sugar. Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to the highest setting and whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add in the coconut extract, then continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the dry ingredient mixture until fully combined. Then gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Continue to gently fold the batter until it reaches a “flowing lava” consistency. You should be able to make a “figure 8” with the batter before it breaks. As soon as you reach this consistency, stop mixing! If you over-mix the batter, the macarons won’t rise properly in the oven.
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Scoop batter into a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the silicone mat and pipe 1 inch rounds.
- Pick up the baking sheet and drop it onto the counter 3-4 times to help bring any air bubbles to the surface of the macarons. Then use a toothpick to pop any visible air bubbles to make a smooth surface.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes or until a skin forms on the surface. You should be able to lightly touch the surface without any batter being disturbed.
- While the macarons are resting, preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes or when they do not move on their “feet” when touched.
- Let the coconut macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. They should easily peel off when fully cooled.
- Match up your shells before filling, and then turn one side over. If desired, drizzle with some extra melted white chocolate and garnish with the toasted coconut. Then pipe the white chocolate ganache in the center and top with the decorated shell.
- Put the assembled toasted coconut macarons in an airtight container, then place them in the fridge to mature for 12-24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. However, for the best taste/texture, let them come up to room temperature for about an hour before eating! [Directly out of the fridge they can sometimes be super hard but at room temperature they're perfectly soft and tender!]
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Teresa Kangas says
Very good! Super rich & delicious. The only thing I did differently was to chill the ganache filling for couple hours & whip it with electric mixer. It was too dense without being whipped. Whipping it created more of a buttercream frosting texture, and piped well.