3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons (gluten-free and lower sugar)
This coconut cookie is made from only 3 ingredients: unsweetened coconut shreds, an egg white, and honey. You can form the dough into little “nests” to fill with a variety of fruit or candies. They can also be made into little round cookies and sandwiched with fillings or simply drizzled with melted chocolate. These 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons are great for any holiday, including Easter and Passover. Plus, they are really fun for kids to help make.
Kids in the Kitchen:
- Measure: I would have kids measure the coconut over another container or over a sheet of parchment paper. Since it’s messy, any spills can be easily gathered back up and used again.
- Whisk: You can your child can take turns whisking up the egg white with those strong arm muscles!
- Scoop: If making nests, kids can help scoop the coconut mixture into the mini muffin tin. (You can always fix them and even them out after the kids are done.) Making the round cookies is a little more tricky for younger kids. You can try and have then scoop little mounds of coconut with you. After that you can flatten the coconut and make the cookies more even.
- Fill and decorate!: This is where kids can really get creative and have fun. Put out some fillings and toppings. Put a few of the nests/cookies on a plate and then let kids decorate as they please.
Subs and Tips for Making 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons:
- Coconut: Make sure you use the right kind of coconut for this recipe. You do not want to use the traditional sweetened coconut flakes that you usually find in the baking aisle. Often you can find the unsweetened shreds in the natural section or here is an option on Amazon.
- Sweetener: I’ve only tried honey with this recipe. However, a 1/4 cup granulated sugar should work as well if you whisk it into the egg white really well.
- Egg-free?: The egg white is what binds the coconut and keeps the cookies together. I don’t recommend making this recipe with an egg alternative.
- Fillings: For the nests, I like to use melted chocolate (a 4 ounce bar) with a fresh raspberry and lemon curd with blueberries. For Easter, it’s fun to add jelly beans or mini chocolate eggs to the top. However, you can really get creative and fill the little nests with whatever you’d like.
3 Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
A simple, fun, and lower-in-sugar treat to make for Easter, Passover, or any occasion
Ingredients
- 1 egg white (from a large egg)
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened dried coconut shreds not flakes
- oil spray
Optional fillings and toppings for "Nests"
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
- 1/2 cup store-bought lemon curd can use whipped cream, custard, or whatever fillings you'd like
- fresh berries, jelly beans, or mini chocolate eggs
Optional fillings for round cookies
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted for drizzling the top
- other optional fillings such as Nutella, jam, caramel or anything you'd like
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the egg white and a pinch of salt to a large bowl. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until the egg white has lots of air bubbles.
- Add the honey. Continue to whisk until the honey is dissolved.
- Stir in the coconut shreds and mix until they are fully coated in the egg white mixture.
For Nests:
- Grease 20 holes of a mini muffin tin with oil spray. (I prefer to use a silicone muffin tray but a metal one will work too if you grease it really well.)
- Fill each hole with a heaping teaspoon of the coconut mixture. Use the back of the spoon to pack the coconut down really well. Once packed down, press the back on the spoon into the center to make an indent.
- Bake until the edges of each "nest" are dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool fully in the pan then run a butter knife around each nest to loosen and pop out.
- Fill each nest with melted chocolate or whatever filling you'd like. Top with fruit or candy, if desired.
For cookies/sandwich cookies
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or grease well with oil spray.
- Scoop about 2 teaspoons of the coconut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and form into a flat, 2-inch circle. Continue to make the circles with the remaining coconut mixture. You can place the cookies pretty close together because they will not spread.
- Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool fully on the pan before using a thin spatula or butter knife to loosen them from the pan.
- Decorate or fill as desired. (Drizzle the tops with melted chocolate and/or fill and sandwich the cookies with Nutella, caramel, or whatever you'd like.)
For other Spring holiday recipes, check out my post, Recipes to Cook with Kids in April.