Every year around this time, behind the scenes, I go through my annual Macaroon Marathon, in which I decimate bags and bags of coconut in an effort to find a variation on the lowly macaroon worth noting, publicly. As evidenced by the fact that my archives are virtually coconut macaroon-free, I hadn’t thus far succeeded. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Two years ago, insistent on making something my coconut-loathing but chocolate-adoring husband would find palatable, I made multiple attempts at chocolate-coconut macaroons. They were… brown. And tangly. And rarely chocolaty enough. I don’t remember them fondly. Last year’s experiments centered on whatever appallingly bad home economics had led me to having three (3!) bags of unsweetened coconut in my pantry, and my determination that they would leave my kitchen in cookie format. They were… okay. I am sure more skilled macaroon makers than I make excellent macaroons from unsweetened coconut, but I found them consistently more dry and scratchy than those that began with sweetened coconut. This week’s coconut macaroon trials were the most obsessive yet, with versions rolled in unsweetened coconut chips (gorgeous, but man, are those chips unpleasant to chew), chopped almonds (tasty, but hardly noteworthy), thumbprinted with the intention of filling the indentation with jam or chocolate down the road but I lost interest before I did (a sure sign that they were a snooze) and even flattened, with designs on a sandwich cookie. Were it not for the one in which I’d actually pressed a whole raspberry inside a sealed ball of coconut macaroon, I wouldn’t be here discussing macaroons today because although it was fussy and odd to construct, the flavor smacked unmistakeably of cookie destiny: coconut and raspberries were meant to be together.
And here, they are. The simplest steps raise these coconut macaroons from the ordinary to something we (admitted) macaroon ambivalents can’t stop snacking on. First, I like to grind my coconut in the food processor, reducing the cough-inducing shreds to a thick paste that bakes into a delicately textured cookie. The sugar is kept in check, using less than half of what I saw in some recipes (surely, the combination of sweetened coconut and 1 1/2 cups of sugar is in the running for the 11th plague?). The sweetness that remains plays off the tartness of fresh raspberries, which are not quite pureed but left in little berry blips here and there in a sea of snowy cookie. Almond extract and sea salt fill in the missing pieces and they scooped into little mounds that miraculously stay intact in the oven. (I held my breath.) Once cooled, they really are perfect on their own — tart and sweet tangled together — but I would be unworthy of this microphone you have granted me were I not to tell you how much tastier they are with a drizzle of melted chocolate over the top. But don’t worry, I did not drizzle chocolate over a few out of a greater sense of duty. I did it for the boss.
One year ago: Spaetzle
Two years ago: Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, Baked Kale Chip, Almond Macaroon Torte
Three years ago: Homemade Chocolate Wafers + Icebox Cupcakes
Four years ago: Swiss Easter Rice Tart and Vegetarian Cassoulet
Five years ago: Rich Buttermilk Waffles and Arugula Ravioli
Raspberry Coconut Macaroons
I like traditional coconut macaroons, but I find it difficult to keep their sweetness in check (as there is no butter or flour to absorb the sugar). Tart, fresh raspberries unevenly blended with the batter make for a dreamy pairing; pureeing the coconut (a technique I learned from Cooks Illustrated) makes these macaroons feel light and scratch-free and you won’t even believe how good they are drizzled with melted bittersweet chocolate. (I did a couple, but stashed the rest in the freezer until Passover. I’ll do the rest once they’re defrosted.) The result is my favorite coconut macaroon, ever, one that will hopefully put to rest my Macaroon Marathons, at least for another year.
If you’d like to use unsweetened coconut instead — Keep in mind that it’s very hard to guess how much sugar is in sweetened coconut but I might start by doubling the sugar, or possibly going up to 1 1/2 cups (which I’ve seen recommended on almond macaroon recipes that start with freshly ground, and thus, unsweetened, almonds). Theoretically, the 14-ounce bag of sweetened coconut holds 5 1/3 cups of coconut (or so the Baker’s brand bag advertises) but mine clocked in at less than 4 cups and I suspect that fluffing/compressing of the ingredient makes the cup volume vary greatly.
Makes 50ish 1 1/4-inch cookies
14 ounces (400 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 pint (6 ounces, 170 grams or 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries (if washed, patted very dry)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor, blend the coconut for a minute. Add sugar, blend another minute. Add egg whites, salt and almond extract and blend for another minute. Add raspberries and pulse machine on and off in short bursts until they are largely, but not fully, broken down. (I counted 13 pulses. I might have been a little obsessive, what with the counting.) Some visible flecks of raspberry here and there are great. When you open the machine, you’ll see some parts of the batter that are still fully white while others are fully pink. Resist stirring them together.
With a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop (I used a #70), scoop batter into 1-inch mounds. You can arrange the cookies fairly close together as they don’t spread, just puff a bit. Scooping a little of the pink batter and a little of the white batter together makes them look extra marble-y and pretty.
Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they look a little toasted on top. Let them rest on the tray for 10 minutes after baking (or you can let them fully cool in place, if you’re not in a rush to use the tray again), as they’ll be hard to move right out of the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool, but still remain softer and less dry inside than traditional macaroons. Thank goodness.
Love the blended raspberry idea — brilliant! I won’t be able to resist dipping those little beauties in white chocolate, however. :)
Yesterday I purchased kosher for Passover vanilla but I don’t remember there being almond extract on the shelf. Will my macaroons be a pale imitation of yours with the vanilla?
Hi Molly — Sorry, I was completely unaware that there was anything unkosher for Passover about almond extract.
Elika — I froze them after I baked them. I haven’t defrosted them yet but feel fairly confident they’ll defrost just fine. Plus, they only need to hang out in the freezer for a week.
If the almond extract is made with a grain alcohol, it’s not Kosher for Passover. I think almond paste/marzipan may also be an issue for those who avoid kitniyot. Maybe adding a few almonds into the food processor with the coconut would give the same flavor?
The flavor was spot on. So good! My issue getting them off the cookie sheet. any suggestions?
Sound yummy! I am VERY partial to anything coconut flavour and have thought of making macaroons for ages. You might have given me just the recipe! Thank you :)
You mentioned that you froze some of the macaroons. At which point of the process did you freeze the macaroons? After they are baked? before baking? Does the freezing change the taste or texture?
We always make these early for Passover, and freeze them for a couple weeks after baking. They are absolutely delicious when thawed as well.
I’ve been flavoring my macaroons with triple sec lately, but these sound even better!
What do you think of Splenda/sugar substitute? Trying to eat low carb.
Use Swerve or erythritol or if no dog in house xylitol as alternative locarb sweetener. To taste.
I love these!!! Thanks for posting. I will definitely make them the first chance I get. (at work now) so cannot do much.
Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that! There very well could be Kosher for Passover almond extract in the universe, but the kosher market by me may not have it on their shelves. Ugh, Passover is such a pain-in-the-behind. Don’t even get me started on the state of the coconut that was on the shelves.
These are stunning, I can’t think of a better flavor combination!
What would you suggest for using Unsweetened coconut and adding the appropriate sugar?
They look fabulous!
Using unsweetened coconut — It’s very hard to guess how much sugar is in sweetened coconut but I might start by doubling the sugar, or possibly going up to 1 1/2 cups (which I’ve seen recommended on almond macaroon recipes that start with freshly ground, and thus, unsweetened, almonds). Theoretically, the 14-ounce bag of sweetened coconut holds 5 1/3 cups of coconut (or so the Baker’s bag advertises) but mine clocked in at less than 4 cups and I suspect that fluffing/compressing of the ingredient makes the cup volume vary greatly. [I am going to add this comment to the recipe’s head notes because I think it will be a FAQ.]
Oh yum! I like the extra work so I’ll knock down a coconut from the tree behind our house and spend like half an hour trying to peel it and crack it open, there’s nothing better than freshly grated coconut!
raspberries seem like a great idea– it’s distinct enough of a flavor to assert itself, but meek enough to not need the whole center stage. visually very arresting too in the macaroons you made. I really like this.
Deb, these are beautiful. What a wonderful idea! Your constant exploration and discovery in the kitchen never ceases to amaze me. I can’t wait to make (and eat) these, especially when they’re drizzled with chocolate!
Hi Deb, these look amazing and I’d like to make them for my friend’s daughter’s first bday party. But raspberries are not in season yet, so could I use frozen raspberries? Just worried about the extra water.
Thanks!!
did you try these with frozen? I am curious as well
Did frozen work? So curious!
Late to the party on these, but wanted to update that frozen worked! I used a heaping cup of frozen raspberries- defrosted them with hot water, then let them drain a while in a colander. Before I used them, I blotted them with paper towels. The macaroons came out great! They were a huge hit.
Hi Deb,
I’m also wondering if you have any suggestions about adding sugar if you can’t get sweetened coconut. I’ve never even seen it on the shelves in Western Australia…
Thanks!
looks so good!! i want to try this!
Wow! those look great and super easy. I love easy recipes with big visual and taste payoffs! SCORE!
And they’re SO pretty! Pefect for Easter, too!
I am one of those people who LOVES coconut, so you never have to convince me to try a macaroon recipe. These look delightful and the addition of raspberries gives them such a pretty hue!
These look fantastic! Do you find they go soggy after a day though?
Hi Lucy — Ours did not become soggy. They are more tender/moist (god I hate that word) in the center than traditional macaroons. This is a plus, in my book.
Dorothee — Thank you.
Hi Deb, sorry for being such a moron, but I stumbled over the sentence, so I thought I’d comment – in the second paragraph I think it should read: Were it not for… instead of: Were in not for…
Thank you dearly for all the cooking inspiration!
Pretty and tasty, what more can we ask for? Sounds like a great (unexpected) combination. My daughter (who eats almost everything) dislikes coconut. I wonder if she’ll be converted?
I am currently on batch 3 of macaroon tests as I am also looking for macaroon perfection. I have an easy recipe I really like from batch 2 but I want to see what further tweaking can do for it. After the one other test I had planned I now have to try your version. Good thing there is a bake sale at my boys school tonight!
Look at that color!! So pretty. I totally agree with you Deb, I love the combo of Raspberries and Coconut.
PS. I saw a macaroon post on Food52 recently that uses coconut chips. They suggest that you let the chips soak in the mixture of egg whites and sugar before baking. Perhaps this makes them more pleasant to chew? I plan on testing them as soon as I can find coconut chips!
Brandon — Actually, that’s a great tip! To get the chips to stick, you must first roll the ball of batter/dough in an egg white. (If you make this same recipe without the berries, it’s almost firm enough to roll in a ball. You need wet hands and a gentle touch, like making matzo balls…). That would save on the egg white-rolling step.
I have never had good luck with macaroons either. They always come out, as you say, …okay. Nothing spectacular and certainly nothing I’d ever make again. I love it when baking experiments turn into something wonderful. I’ll be giving these a try for sure. Thanks Deb!
I dont like coconuts at all but this recipe makes my mouth water.
I wonder is there’s a way to make these without using a food processor? I only have an immersion stick blender for soups but I’m in love with this idea. Would hand-mixing change the texture too much?
These look fantastic, the color just pops off the screen. I am a huge coconut fan so I must try these. Your photos are wonderful. Felt like I was right there with you.
I like the thumbprint idea, I think I’ll indent and fill, not drizzle, these with chocolate! Yum!
Hi Lea — The thumbprint holds with the non-raspberry ones. With these, the batter will be too soft and mushy to retain the shape well.
Thanks for this post! Was in the midst of planning what dessert to bring to a 2nd night seder besides matzoh crack (a.k.a. David Lebovitz’s chocolate carmelized matzoh.)
I made macaroons last year but they didn’t quite become cookies – http://yellebellyboo.blogspot.com/2011/04/coconut-lime-white-chocolate-macaroons.html – what’s up with that? I’d love to try your recipe, but I’ll probably use blackberries or blueberries since raspberries aren’t my favorite. Thanks!
Oh Deb! keep the coconut recipes coming, I am LOVING them! PS in case you haven’t heard it enough, I Cannot wait for your book, which I made my husband swear months and months ago that he would let me purchase as soon as it was available :-)
The color of these is beautiful! I made the macaroons from the Flour cookbook, but I added too much egg white so they were a little sloppy, but tasted delicious. I definitely would like to make them again!
I was wondering should these be stored in the refrigerator since they are made with fresh fruit?
I love raspberry anything and these sound delicious
Would love to try these! Have you ever made the ones from the Barefoot Contessa? Plain coconut, and sublime. I make them every year for Passover, and the first year, my (former) stepbrother said, “I thought that macaroons only came in a can!” Oy.
Macaroons was to be my next mission thanks to Allrecipes this morning and a Mounds bar last night! Is there anything better than a Mounds…well besides maybe marzipan? (Whoa, now there’s a combination!) You did just what I was thinking of doing; ground the coconut a bit. The addition of raspberries is brilliant! You are so lucky that Jacob likes coconut. My two wouldn’t touch it and I had had such plans to delight them..but it was not to be!
Oh my goodness! The raspberries in these macaroons make them look absolutely pretty and I’m sure make them taste wonderful too! I don’t know why I have always thought that macaroons are hard to make and require too many ingredients, but you made these beautiful babes totally doable! I bought flaked coconut and almond extract this weekend. Perfect timing! Can I use frozen fruit for this? I have a ton of frozen raspberries from last summer that I haven’t gotten the chance to use up yet.
Raspberry and coconut can do no wrong individually, and paired up in these macaroons, oh wow!
They look so yummy ;-)
Yum, these look fantastic! I am a total coconut macaroon lover, so I bet I would adore these cookies! :)
What a wonderful way to update the tired chewy macaroon!
I love the idea of grinding the coconut in the food processor!
:)
Congratulations on your perfect macaroons, I can’t wait to try out the recipe, you inspiried me to bake again and made me believe I can, after those cookies yesterday :))). Thank you and all the best :))!
LOVE the addition of raspberries! So fresh and springy! As usual, your photography is GORGEOUS Deb! :)
I, too, have bags of shredded coconut that are begging to be used. I’ll be making these at once!
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try your (pink!) macaroons. I’ve never had one (despite the francophile that I am…).
Yay,and gluten free! (for one of my seder guests). Can’t wait to make these on the coming weekend.
Deb: These look incredible! Macaroons are something I’ve yet to try, so I think I’ll have to give these a go. All of your recipes work for me (hallelujah!).
i’ve never actually made macaroons but i’m thinking that changes today with these bad boys – they look amazing!
Deb-
What do you think about making the batter ahead of time, refrigerating overnight, and then baking the next day? (We are currently without gas in my building so i’m thinking of making them at home and transporting to the in-laws house to finish them.) My guess is it would work, since there’s no baking soda/powder, but i thought i’d check with the expert.
I was a coconut-loather up until recently (brainwashed my tastebuds), but haven’t tried a macaroon since. These look way more appealing and almost scone-like!
Eating Well had a recipe around Christmas a few years back for an AWESOME macaroon made with unsweetened coconut, sweetened condensed milk, pistachios, and dried cranberries. I often dip half the cookie in semisweet chocolate and everyone to whom I have ever offered them has loved them. Even coconut haters.
LOVE macaroons! And the lovely color that the raspberries give these is just irresistible. I’ll be trying these.
OH delicious. I love coconut paired with anything. Macaroons are one of my favorite desserts!
OH YES PLEASE!
I happen to have an abundance of coconut and a good sized group of coconut lovers…this I will try!
Also- so lovely for Easter!
As a major lover of coconut – thank you! Raspberries happen to be my favorite fruit. I would not have thought of putting the two together so am grateful you did. They are on the list!
Growing up in England we had a candy bar called a “Raspberry Ruffle” which was basically this macaroon coated in dark chocolate. I probably hadn’t thought of it for ten years but feel now that I might have to make this recreation for nostalgia’s sake! I’m pretty sure the candy bar wasn’t made with real raspberries though…
Yummy looking and gluten-free! Thanks!
mmm these look divine
It’s the description of ‘blips’ of raspberry that got to me. LOVE your writing even more, every week, if possible.
The raspberry addition definitely peaks my interest – I’m the same as you, I like treats, but managing the level of sweetness is important for me as well. I love the idea of adding tart raspberries for extra tang and flavor to balance out some of the sweetness. Dipping some of them in chocolate sounds over-the-top wonderful. I’d gladly sit down with a palm-full of these gorgeous macaroons multiple times a day with a hot cup of tea. :)
yum these look delicious
Thanks for the idea! We have freshly-grated-out-of-the-coconut coconut for sale down here at the weekly open-air market, and it always looks so good and I’ve been trying to think of what I should make with it – a cake with corn flour (recipe on the back of the corn-flour bag), or a pudim de coco (coconut flan). I forgot about macaroons! The raspberries will be trickier – I’ve seen some in the frozen section, but they’ll have lots of liquid when thawed. Maybe just plain – not much in the way of fresh berries here, but lots of fresh other wonderful fruits!
I’m all about macaroons for the coconut. Its one of my very favorite flavors (never try to come between me and an Mounds bar). I’m not surprised these tasted amazing…when I saw the recipe title, I assumed you’d made a bite size version of Heidi’s Macaroon tart. Which now makes me want to add some finely chopped pistachios to the mix.
So pretty! And I agree with The Boss. Anything worth eating at all needs to be drizzled in chocolate, otherwise why bother. [How can you stand it when he looks at you like that and you don’t drizzle him in chocolate sauce. Adorable!]
Ohhh… I’ve spent so much effort learning how to make FRENCH macaroons, that I have entirely neglected their coconut cousin. These look delicious! I always loved passover time at college because the dining hall heavily featured the chocolate kind :)
Hello there!I’ve been trying your recipes for a while but this is the first time I’m commenting.I was wondering if you could replace the raspberries with any other fruit since they’re not easily available in Mumbai.I generally make simple macaroons with unsweetened coconut ans condensed milk but your recipe sounds absolutely delightful! Also I’ve been searching with egg replacements for a while now but Google really isn’t helping(bananas:eh,tofu:bleh and even potato mash:I don’t even want to contemplate the fate of my dishes then :p)The usual baking powder and oil isn’t really working too well and I was hoping you could help me?
P.S. I love the photography!
Deb, these look perfect! I think I found what I am making for Easter… :)
Thanks so much for sharing!
I would never have thought to add raspberries to macaroons! I love the rustic mismatchiness of the finished product. :)
These macaroons look delicious! I just read through a bunch of your Passover desserts, and am so excited to pick one to try next week!
My coconut loving daughter just informed me I have to make these :) I think I can do that! The raspberries just make these cookies seem perfect.
awesome! waiting for raspberries…
Raspberries are my all time favorite, ever!!! This sounds soooo good—I’m excited to try making them :)
Deb,
Beautiful and tasty I am sure. Can’t wait to make ’em. Your recipe says process for three one minute intervals. Do you mean literally one minute, 60 seconds, or just about a minute. I am concerned about over processing the mixture. I want to get it right. Thanks!
Hi Jessica — I actually ran it for the minute each time. The first two minutes are really about grinding the coconut as smooth as you can. You can hedge on the third minute, but no need to as it won’t overblend in that time. The only blending to be super-conservative about is the berries. Chunks are awesome.
Connie — It’s fine. So, I basically did that with my first batch of these and I baked some off the second day and they were just fine. Two things, I felt that the batter got a little grayer (VERY slightly), probably just from the raspberries being blended for so long and it was a little wetter as the raspberries had more time to release their juices. But, they baked up exactly the same and tasted great.
Debra — I have seen recipes that add a full cup of Dutch-processed cocoa powder to the macaroon batter, but otherwise leave it as-is. (I.e. same amount of egg whites, coconut volume, etc.) I might bump up the sugar a little as the cocoa will make it more bitter.
RJC — It’s worth trying. They might be wetter, but just a little.
Do you think i could replace the raspberries and use strawberries instead?
These look wonderful I love the flavor combination of coconut, almond and raspberry, I make a cake with those 3 flavors and it’s a top seller, so I can’t wait to make a cookie version! Thank you :D
Hi Deb, My fam and friends seem to like my chocolate macaroons – made by melting semi sweet chocolate and folding into batter ???
Just beautiful!
I’m not a big raspberry fan, however, I am bookmarking this recipe to make with in-season strawberries. June had better hurry up and get here!!
These look lovely! Good for Passover, but also springtime in general with their pretty pink hue. I love that these don’t call for sweetened condensed milk, as most recipes do, which always seems to make the batter too wet, resulting in baked puddles with mounds of coconut in the middle (still tasty, but hideous). Yours look compact and perfect. Can’t wait to give this a try!
These are so beautiful and simple! I wonder if there’s a way to make cherry work instead of raspberry. Then I’d probably need to dip them in chocolate too…it would be necessary. Thanks for the recipe!
Any recipe that makes 50ish cookies is a friend of mine!
These are soo much better looking than the imitation raspberry ruffle macaroon bars we used to make in Brownies (mini girl scouts) in Northern Ireland. We used raspberry jelly (jello) powder, condensed milk and coconut which we mixed together and formed into balls. We then dipped the balls into dark chocolate to make little truffles and then scoffed the lot. It never occurred to us to use real raspberries!
I love the simplicity of these delicious macaroons!
I love macaroons, but I think the idea of running the coconut through the food processor is spot on, coconut can be a bit dry and as you say “cough inducing”. And raspberries just make me think of summer, a very nice thought on the gray 40 degree day in my corner of the world.
~Brenda
I’ve never made this type of macaroon before, I’ve only ever made the traditional French style ones, but these look so much easier…I might have to give them a go!
Beautiful! I have a more general question, why do you no longer post measurements in grams? There may not be too many of us, but I am a slave to my kitchen scale!
Abby — Fixed now! I forget sometimes, but will always add them upon request. One day, I’ll get the whole archives done.
Those look simply delicious and the photos are gorgeous! Love this post!
Just as I was wondering what to bring to Easter dinner, here you are :)
I love when your site features naturally gluten free and totally delicious recipes. These are in my oven now. Added bonus? VERY little cleanup!
Just took them out of the oven for a dinner party tonight. They are beautiful and delicious! I burned my tongue… a 10 minute wait time is beyond my strength.
Hey Deb – quick question for you. I have a surprising amount of dehydrated raspberries in my cupboard, have you ever worked with them before? Trying to figure out whether I should re-hydrate them (I haven’t attempted that before) and try them in this recipe, or perhaps add them dry and a bit of water to the dough (seems like more egg whites could create other problems), or if I need to just save them for another recipe. Thanks!
Oh, these look amazing. For those of us stuck in perpetual not-quite-spring (the weather guy calls March-June “Disappointment” rather than “Spring”), do you think frozen berries would work? I’d use fresh, but I haven’t seen any in weeks, and I’m not sure they’d taste like anything. Thanks!
Dehydrated raspberries — I’ve never worked with them before but if they’re like dried cherries or cranberries, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. You might need to hand-chop them if they’re tough. They might not otherwise get broken up in a wet batter.
Frozen raspberries — I’d advise against them here, unless you wanted to dial down the amount of raspberry (1 cup, maybe, or 3/4) and really, really, really blot the heck out of them once dehydrated to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
Sort of a repeat from #40 (Sally)- have you ever tried Ina Garten’s macaroon recipe? I use half large-flaked coconut, half “fine macaroon coconut” (both Bob’s Red Mill, unsweetened), double the vanilla and salt, and that’s it. Rave reviews every time! These raspberry coconut numbers, by the way, look fabulous. I will definitely be trying them.
These look amazing. Thanks for tagging them as gluten-free too! That helps us poor, exceptionally unlucky folks who have issues with the gluten. :)
I made these tonight. They taste awesome, but every last one stuck to the parchment paper. I’m not sure what I did wrong. They taste wonderful but I ended up with a mess trying to get them off the paper…
Heather — Even when they were fully cool?
The bag of coconut just got diverted from another batch of your delicious double coconut muffins. Next year you might try the orange macaroons from Epicurious if you haven’t been down that road yet…they are my family’s favorite.
these look phenomenal! the perfect pairing of beauty and delicious-ness!
They’re the color of spring violets. Cookie destiny, you’re right.
They look so cute, I love the color!
Have you tried coconut meringues on your Macaroon Marathon? They’re not technically macaroons, but I like them better. We call them cocadas here, they have a nice texture and a lovely cocunut flavor since they only have coconut, sugar and egg whites.
These macarons look divine! And adding a drizzle of chocolate? Worth sitting through the full-on Seder for these babies.
Oh man, this makes me almost feel excited for Passover (I really, really like breads, so I usually end up kind of grumpy). I should definitely bake these to bring to my Auntie’s seder!
I have to admire your dedication to the cause ;)
I’ve never made macaroons before but these look brilliant and pink too! I’ll have to give them a whirl…
Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend :D
Those look delicious. Thanks for addressing the comment about the sweetened coconut. I usually use unsweetened myself.
Is it easy to find flaked coconut? I’ve only ever seen shredded.
My husband LOATHES coconut – literally can taste (and spit out) anything that has coconut as the eight ingredient so when you said your hubby didn’t like coconut I hoped you were coming up with a recipe for macaroons that didn’t involve coconut, but would let me use up the egg whites I’ve been saying. Bummed that it doesnt, although it sounds great to me.
I have a passover coconut macaroon recipe that my mother said she came up with.( If she were alive, she would be 100 this year, so this is an old, old recipe.) My family says they are the best. I am always asked to make them every year.
If you would like it, let me know. It is a little time consuming, though.
These look delicious, and I love that they’re gluten-free! A couple of questions though: how well do these keep in an airtight container at room temperature? And, how fragile are they when you pick them up? (I’m thinking of shipping these…)
I love how different each macaroon looks!
I bet they’d be just as good using fresh cherries. Yum!
Thank the goog Lord for persistance.
Ah, you’ve done it to me again with another coconut recipe. What’s more, you’ve combined it with my favorite dessert fruit, raspberries! One thing that I think would send these over the edge though–a generous dipping in chocolate! (oh, never mind, you covered that base haha…I just scrolled up to make sure that in skimming this post that I hadn’t missed your suggesting chocolate, and indeed, you did. kudos).
Lovely recipe and a lovelier way of describing it :) You have a way with both words and your food ! This is now bookmarked! :)
Gorgeous color! I;m sure fabulous taste as well. A tip regarding the macaroons sticking to the parchment paper: When cool, if they stick, dampen a cloth and apply it to the bottom side of the parchment (cloth/parchment/macaroon) for just a few seconds and it should peel right off.
OMG. That looks amazing!
Love the more frequent posts and equally love the passover recipes. I’m always on the hunt for great passover baked goods. Can’t wait to try these!
I want to make these right now, but I only have strawberries…I think it’ll do :)
I am on vacation and leaving tomorrow, so we are trying to get rid of all of our leftover food, and I have a bag of coconut that has been waiting to be used for the whole trip… so I logged on looking for a coconut recipe and lo and behold….! PERFECT!! YAY!
I made these on my lunch hour today and tonight I drizzled them with chocolate icing. Here’s what I did: 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon corn syrup and 1/2 cup semi-sweet – all melted together in a small, heavy saucepan. Thanks for another great recipe and for he sweet addition of raspberries which make them special.
Hey Deb :)
I’ve been a fan of yours for years now and never posted…perhaps because I still haven’t had the guts to start my own blog yet but anyway, LOVE everything you post and your lil munchkin is beyond adorable!!!
Ok, so I was just thinking…I wonder if the zest of either lemon, lime or even orange would add a nice touch too! What do you think?
Thanks for having delicious posts and can’t wait for your first cookbook to arrive!
~Sharon
I’m a big coconut fan (I like dry and chewy?) so these are compelling…they’ll be a nice complement to the Turkey Brisket I’m making this year for Passover…among other things…love reading about your process, success and failures. Makes me feel more normal about my own disasters! (I’m talking about hideous Faux Chopped Liver I tried to make yesterday that ended up in the trash!)
I am known for my chocolate covered macaroons. Easy – nothing fancy – but any coconut loving person will go crazy for them. I make hundreds for friends and family during Passover. If you would like, I would be happy to email it to you – you can try for next year! Of I could post in comments. Please let me know.
Has anyone been able to find sweetened coconut that is Kosher for Passover? I would love to know the brand. I am only able to find unsweetened coconut.
Made these last night and was sadly disappointed. I don’t know what went wrong, but they came out way too soggy. Maybe I’m just a fan of crispier macaroons. I also used a tablespoon measure, which produced about 35 cookies.
Just thought I would let you know in advance we (i.e. me) are making these up this weekend (or later today once I am done with painting the kitchen cabinets) but with different berries…. tiny frozen wild blueberries from Alaska (the last in my stash from our move 2 yrs ago) as well as lingonberries (also from my stash from our last summer in alaska) as well as the freeze dried strawberries. The raspberry ones are DIVINE!!!!
Ok, I don’t know what I did wrong, but: I follwed the recipe exactly (down to and including counting the pulses!). But it seemed as though they just did not finish baking in 30 mins. They looked raw!!! For my first batch I thought perhaps I had made my scoops too big; the next batch I made them smaller, but they still don’t look right to me. What am I doing wrong?
OMG these are gorgeous. I’m going to a baby shower for a little boy this weekend, do you think blackberries would work in lieu of raspberries? I’m thinking it would produce a more blue cookie, but then again maybe that would look weird. What do you think Deb?
Danielle — Maybe blueish-purple? Hard to say. I am sure it would be delicious.
Miriam — In my oven they were done at 30 minutes. But I know that ovens vary (as do the moisture of raspberries — mine were washed and 100% dry, more damp ones could lead to longer baking times) so it’s okay if they needed 5 or so longer.
Sharon — I am sure zest would be delicious.
Ada — Mine are neither fragile (let them cool completely before packing them up) or bad at room temperature after a couple days. They’re slightly more sticky than regular macaroons, however.
Two of my most favorite things! I love coconut macaroons (Whenever I am in Boston, once every few years, I will buy them and bring them home to freeze) Raspberries are my favorite fruit!
Guess what is on tonight’s grocery list!
Deb, it’ been a while, admittedly, since I’ve clicked through the link to see your son. I can’t believe how much of a little man he’s become! What an adorable boy you have to bake for. My beloved and I are going to start trying for our first this summer, and I am just beginning to read your posts on baby food. Thanks for continuing to sneak in bits of your parenting life. Have a wonderful spring!!
Can’t wait to make these for Passover! Thanks for the great recipe.
Deb, love smitten kitchen! I have been enjoying it for over a year. How many does one batch of these cookies typically serve? They will be perfect for my husbands graduation party! He loves both macaroons and raspberries.
Scratch that, just found my answer!
Looks amazing! In terms of the coconut chips/flakes, I just found Danielle brand coconut chips at my Whole Foods and they are delicious! So maybe they would be a better component next year? Crispy but also slightly sweetened.
Hi!
I just made 1/3 of the batter with what I had, and that was frozen blackberries – thawed them for a bit, then I patted them dry with paper before I threw them in.
They’re not blue, just purple. Yummy!
Thanks for this recipe – I am interested to try them out for Passover. Do you think it would work with frozen raspberries instead of fresh? I have been substituting frozen raspberries in baking, but it definitely changes the consistency/baking time because of the extra moisture…Thanks!
Hi Sara — See my suggestion in Comment #99.
My grandpa made a lamb cake mold at a foundry ages ago, and we make a lamb cake every Easter- these wil be lovely in the grass! with Earl Grey tea!
Love coconut macaroons, so I can hardly wait to try these! What do you think about using frozen, drained raspberries instead of fresh? Do you think that would work or would it make the batter too wet?
Two thoughts here: I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m betting that cacao nibs would be delicious in macaroons, helping offset the sweetness. And, I’m wondering about making a raspberry caramel from frozen raspberries — it’s a little sweeter than puree and would be dryer than using thawed berries. If I do either of these things, I’ll let you know. Cheers!
Deb- macaroons are my husbands favorite, can’t wait to try these. Last season I made some using recipe from Marta’s cookie app and they were not great. Too chewy and sticky, I looked through many recipes and there some odd ones out there and some had tons of sugar. I am sure that your recipe will be amazing as always.
I am so going to add raspberries to my almond-butter-coconut-quinoa-macaroons. Today. As in right now.
THESE look absolutely fabulous! I adore anything coconut and berries. Dark Choc on the top though would just TOTALLY rock my world! My sisters, mom and myself have LOVED watching Jacob become so grownie!!
And just when I was planning to use those leftover egg whites for Molly Wizenberg’s Chocolate Featherweight Cookies… you’ve converted me.
Also, I’m sure you would find them too sweet, but my go-to coconut macaroon recipe is from Sara Foster (of Foster’s Market in Durham, NC) and can be found at: http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipe/coconut-macaroons/
These are perfect! Great for passover, gluten free and coconut – my absolute favorite flavor. Add those bright, deep pink raspberries and I am completely sold. Thanks for sharing. And congratulations for coming up with a superb macaroon.
I was craving a macaroon yesterday and vowed to make a batch this weekend, but couldn’t decide on a recipe. Then this post popped up, looking all delicious! I’ll definitely try them!
My, oh my, these look yummy. What a perfect blend of the sweetness of the coconut with the tart raspberry. Looks like this will be dessert for our family dinner on Sunday.
What kind of cookie scoop do you recommend?
Rachel — I use a #70 scoop — I have a few sizes, but that’s a pretty good standard one for tablespoon-sized scoops we use for most cookies. I tend to swipe the top with my finger after scooping, to keep the scoops even. You can also just scoop them with a (flatware) teaspoon, as I’m sure our mothers/grandmothers always did.
Thank you for a wonderful inspiration. I used what I had on hand, because I had to try:
10oz raw shredded coconut (no sugar, but surprisingly delicious)
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar, spritz of salt and splash of almond extract
6 oz contain raspberries.
Note how little sugar I used. The cookies were phenomenal. Followed your instructions. Excellent!
Thanks for posting holiday stuff at just the right time before the holiday. last time, you posted that lovely apple challah recipe too late and I didn’t have time to make it for Rosh Hashana (not to worry, I made it for the pre-Yom Kippur meal and it was a big hit). This seems way better than the macaroons that I always buy, which are too sweet.
So true about coconut and rasperries! I had them together just today in my morning bowl of quinoa, they play off each other so nicely.
There is kosher for passover almond extract.
These look amazing! I’ll definitely have to try them out this weekend with the extra coconut I have after making the double coconut muffins last weekend.
I’ve had great success with a coconut macaroon recipe where you cook the coconut mixture on the stove before baking in the oven; I think it was from epicurious/Gourmet. Well worth the effort of cooking twice, in my opinion, as it gets rid of that stringy/choke-inducing texture you mention.
Have you tried Almond Macaroons? I like them better than coconut macaroons – not quite so sweet. Basically, ground almonds, sugar and egg whites. Got a recipe from Joan Nathan, and have tweaked it over the years. Everyone in my family loves them!
these are so yummy…. the raspberry comes through in a delicate way, the crunch factor is a plus for outside macaroon and I dipped them in melted white chocolate chips… our Seder table will be beautiful with the addition of these gems. Thanks!
I love to make coconut macaroons every year for Passover! These are so creative and gorgeous. I can’t wait to try them (some dipped in bittersweet chocolate, of course).
Definitely want to make these for my boyfriend’s family for Passover- need some help though! (I’m not Jewish, and I really don’t want to make a Passover faux pas.) So all regular extracts (vanilla, almond, etc.) are not ok for Passover? But you can buy some that ARE kosher for Passover? And any tips on where to find kosher extract in the NYC area? (It wasn’t in the D’agastino’s near my apartment. Thank you!!
Well, it’s official, I’m going to have sweet, sweet dreams of these tonight. Raspberry and coconut are two of my favorite flavors as well.
This so reminds me of the Blackberry Macaroon Tart from Super Natural Every Day! I’ve made that recipe as a bar cookie several times and have subbed raspberries on a whim and it turns out great regardless of the berries used. This recipe is great in that no crust is necessary! Can’t wait to make these.
These make me so happy I have coconut in my fridge and a little disappointed I just passed on the raspberries at the grocery store. I do have cranberries though, and some blueberries…. I’ll have to start brainstorming. Thanks for the fantastic inspiration!
oo how lovely! i actually do enjoy macaroons, so i can’t wait to make these!
I made these last night with blackberries and a drizzle of melted white chocolate over the top. Delicious!!
I’m thinking fresh cranberries too. Love the sweet/tart combo. Maybe a dark choc. drizzle for pizzaz.
I can’t wait to try these they are a combination of my three favorite things coconut, raspberry and almond extract. I only have frozen raspberries so ill try with that and hope they turn out okay
i dont have a food processor! do you think i could use a stick blender?
I made these with frozen raspberries yesterday… Thawed and heavily blotted the raspberries. And I’d suggest mixing the raspberries into the coconut mixture by hand, otherwise you get one uniform pink color. I thought they were quite good, but for some reason the raspberry seeds in them bothered me (though they didn’t bother the other people who I gave them to…)
These look beautiful and sound amazingly delicious. Would love to try with mango instead of raspberry as well.
I love coconut macaroons. Adding raspberry to them is genius! I think adding some lime zest with these would make them over the top!
nevermind i used a stick blender and they were perfect! we also dont have sweetened coconut in the uk so i used 1 1/2 cups of sugar and they were amazing!
Just made these macaroons today. They were very easy to throw together. The only “issue” I had was that the batter was fairly wet (yes my raspberries were dry) and they were a lot more of a free form shape then your picture shows. They are yummy!!! Freezing them until Passover will be a challenge.
I started craving coconut macaroons today, so I visited your blog to look for a recipe after rummaging through five other recipe websites and food blogs. I was hoping to find one in your archives, but instead, to my surprise–it was your recipe of the day! The raspberry addition to the traditional recipe is such a great idea! I’m going to make it right now! Do you think blackberries or strawberries would make a good substitute?
Deb – I just made mayonaise and attempted to save the egg whites for this recipe. However, some of a yolk of one of the eggs sneaked into the egg white mixture and now it is not pure egg whites. Since this recipe does not involve whipping the whites into a merangue, do you think I could get away with using the egg whites in this recipe even tho it is speckled with a little yolk?
Hi Shoshana — I think it should be fine.
Just made these with blackberries instead of the raspberries and half dipped in dark chocolate! So yummy! It’s wonderful balance between sweet and tart. Thanks for a great recipe!
Did I forget to mention how easy this was?! Especially with a food processor it’s literally like pushing the “easy button”! I whipped this up in less than five minutes!
I could not stop thinking about these cookies and made them tonight. So delicious and easy! I used some old coconut that has been in my pantry forever and is probably way past it’s prime. I can only imagine how good they will be with fresher coconut. My husband does not even like coconut, and he loved them. I’m definitely going to make them for Easter and may try them with blackberries. Thank you. .
I make my living wholesaling healthy macaroons to stores like Whole Foods. My bills are literally paid for by the sale of those things (specifically the chocolate covered ones)! I have personally made hundreds of thousands of them and would love to send you some. Freeze-dried fruit (raspberries, strawberries, pineapple) powdered in a blender and folded into the dough works beautifully also, btw.
Melissa, How much freeze dried fruit do you use? Thank you (and Deb!)
i think i just drooled on my keyboard. i have never ever seen coconut macaroons with anything but coconut in them!
Sorry the unsweetened did not work out last year, but so sad you did not know about the south african cookie “Crunchies” to use it with! they are absolutely addictive and I am sure you would have been able to come up with a slightly different variety of them.
3+ minutes across the recipe in my Cuisinart produced a very mushy macaroon. When contrasted with little processed raspberry seeds, the result is a relatively expensive failure using March raspberries. Rather unfortunate…
I saw this post last night and was at the store this morning! They came out of the oven about an hour ago and my husband nagged and nagged until he could eat one (even before I drizzled the chocolate). They are scrumptious! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ll admit to loving most macaroons, but these are now my favorite (and my husband’s, too).
p.s. I have a KitchenAid food processor and 6 pulses (vs. your 13) ended up completely incorporating the raspberries. Oops! Mine are completely pink, but still delicious. Next time, I’ll be more careful with the berries in order to get the marbled look that you did.
Like the combination of rasberry and coconut! Can’t wait to make these macaroons by myself!!! And to enjoy them with a nice cup of coffee!
Amazing colours!! Very tasty as well!
I love macaroons, these sound delicious! Served with some sort of lime-y minty drink, I’m thinking…
On chocolate macaroons – I find that chocolate mixed into things can be difficult to do, but dipping things in chocolate rarely fails. I once made macaroons from this book http://www.amazon.com/Big-Fat-Cookies-Elinor-Klivans/dp/0811842169/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333325092&sr=8-2 that were big tasty coconut delicious things with a nice solid chocolate coating on the bottom – definitely chocolatey enough!
look so delicious
I have a macaroon recipe that calls for dates. Sounds like it would be horrible but it’s the sweet kick of the dates that makes them. In fact, I could well bake them this evening. They are devoured by our date-hating brood in no time and I never let on what’s in them.
I’m not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but I noticed that the brands of unsweetened coconut I found contained cornstarch… thus, a bit non-kosher for passover. Just thought I’d share.
These look like a gorgeous variation…coconut and raspberries! What could be better!!
You should get an award! Because of your sincere dedication to macaroon experimentation we can all now make these beauties! Thank you!!!
has anybody actually tried these?
I posted comment #168 and wanted to update. These were delicious shortly after making them, but they were soggy and mushy the next day. Still tasted good, but the texture was unpleasant.
Thank you!!
We made these for my sister’s Bridal Shower, and they were the hit of the party! I’d recommend dipping them in melted white chocolate – so good. Loved the texture and the flavor, and they were so easy to make.
I went to 3 supermarkets this morning and none had raspberries. I think i’ll wait the week out and see if raspberries pop up anywhere before saturday, but if anyone in nyc has a market recommendation that actually has raspberries, I’d make the trip. Otherwise, how have the ones with blackberries come out?
Alexa — I like to buy them from the street vendors, if you pass any on your way to/from work or the subway. Same berries, $1 to $2 less than the stores and, of course, I think if anyone deserves my business it’s those guys out there, rain or shine.
I made these yesterday, and not only were they super simple to make, but they’ve got to be some of the most delicious cookies I’ve ever tasted (not to mention the pride that comes with having made them myself!). I have a serious sweet tooth so I used semi-sweet chocolate for the drizzle. Amazing.
I made these yesterday in two variations – mango with a lime glaze, and blackberry dipped in chocolate. They were fantastic, and still taste great and have a nice texture today. Thanks for the awesome recipe, and I hope I never have to eat the macaroons from a can again!
I read the first 50 comments (not all 200+) and apologize if this was already discussed . . . do you think there is ANY possibiliy of success using frozen berries? I had a BUMPER crop last year and need to find a use for this last bag in the freezer.
thanks
I made these today and was pretty disappointed, I am usually a coconut macaroon fan but I think the processing is too long and the flavor is just so-so. They looked so pretty I was really hoping I would love them.
My local bakery, Baked In Telluride, makes big 2-3″ high macaroons that are dipped in chocolate. These would be great with a half dip (as would theirs). Thanks for a great spin on macaroons!
I made these over the weekend for a housewarming party and they were fantastic. The extended processing time really helps make the coconut shavings more palatable.
I just made these and did a smaller batch (about 1/4) as a test for Passover. They came out pretty good–not as amazing as I’d hoped, though very cute. I think I’d like them a little sweeter (but I don’t want to use the melted chocolate as I will also be making Deb’s chocolate caramel crack, and that’s plenty of chocolate for one Seder), so I think I will up the sugar a little bit for my next trial. I will post my results!
Made these over the weekend. I used strawberries instead of raspberries, because that is what the store had. Unsweetened & 1.3 cups of sugar. Got maybe 36, in a 1.5″ scooper.
They turned out so well! I’m already planning places to use them again. Maybe red-white-&blueberry for 4th of July. Or using them for our wedding.
Strawberry wasn’t as strong of a taste. So I look forward to using raspberries. Or the riper, fresh from the field strawberries when they are ready, closer to June.
I made these with frozen raspberries straight out of the freezer. Worked like a charm… although perhaps they were a bit more moist than yours were.
Heavenly! Just made a batch to give for Easter, and now wonder how many will make it – I ate 2 before they’d cooled. Love this combination!
Great recipe – love that it’s naturally gluten and dairy free!
I love this recipe. It is definitely a keeper. I drizzled some white chocolate over the top as the fresh raspberries do make them tart. Careful of the tray on the bottom rack. The bottoms of my cookies were a little more well done than those on the tray on the top rack. Other than that, mine look smaller than the pictures. Thank you for a great recipe!
I absolutely love these! I will make these as an Easter Treat! Might change a few ingredients to make them tummy friendly for my one year old :) (change sugar for dates) Thank you for a great food blog and congratulations on the book!
Warm regards from London
Hi Deb,
I love your website but currently there are adds for Tasmania that go to full screen and are driving me mad as just as I start reading they take over the screen. Are you able to cut these particular adds out?
Thanks,
Kate
Kate — Of course. Thanks for letting me know.
looks delicious ! I was searcing a different recipe for my guests. I will make these on coming weekend. thanks for recipe..
loves from Turkey!
I hate coconut just like Alex, and the only macaroon I’ve ever loved was one brought by friends who were working in a bakery – soft and tender with an enormous cap of chocolate ganache. Which probably rendered it unkosher in combination with the roast chicken at dinner, but never mind that. I’ll have to suggest these to the bakers for our seder, since my family always brings a tortilla de patatas to the festivities!
How many people comment on these recipes before actually making them? I have tried half a dozen recipes on this site and they are dismal failures. I’m talking the blondies, apple sharlotka and others. I will stick with Joy of Cooking after this.
OMG! What the heck is Sam talking about! Your recipes rock! These macaroons were awesome. As are all of your recipes. I couldn’t stop eating them and my 17 year old son gave me 2 thumbs up.
Not only is their color gorgeous, but these macaroons sound absolutely wonderful. I would never have though to put raspberry and coconut together, but alas, I think you’re right — cookie destiny!
Hey Deb, Deb, you omitted one of the amazing pleasures about these ‘roons. The FANTASTIC smell while they bake! And poor Sam…having to suffer through SIX of your recipes before realizing his displeasure. Perhaps a dozen of Deb’s other recipes will change your mind. Lol.
Hi Deb- I just attempted these and ran into an issue that keeps coming up with my oven, every time I bake on parchment paper the bottom of my cookies burn within minutes, while the rest of the cookie remains raw. Any ideas what the issue is and how to remedy it?
Just wanted to wish you a happy Passover. I’m making the chocolate roll cake and your matzah ball soup for Friday night. Because my husband really hates coconut. I making almond macaroons with ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites.
Could you make these without a food processor? Mine went to appliance heaven. I have never, ever had any of your lovely recipes fail and I have made a lot of them :).
A woman after my own heart. I say forget those difficult and overly praised macarons and give me one of these any day. Love them and have never thought to flavor them. But I might now!
I never understood macaroons, but these I really do “get”. Looks delicious *_*
After not listening to directions, I am happy to report frozen raspberries and unsweetened coconut came out delish! I did use less raspberries, as Deb directed. And left them sitting layered in paper towels for well over 24 hours (since I didn’t get around to making them when I thought I would). They may have ended up drier than fresh would have been in the end. Mine are not nearly as pretty as yours, as I used coconut sugar, which is not white. But I used only a cup of sugar and probably about 1/2 cup raspberries. As always Deb, a winner, even when your fans don’t listen to your directions!
Just wanted to say that I made these without a food processor, subbing 14 oz of almond meal for the coconut and vanilla extract for the almond extract (I wanted to use coconut but couldn’t find it at the store). I mixed all the dry ingredients, whisked the egg whites before stirring them in and mashed/tore the raspberries with the vanilla before adding them. They came out wonderfully! I’m looking forward to drizzling them with chocolate tomorrow after work. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
WOW! DELICIOUS! THAT’S ALL I CAN MANAGE :)
OMG! These were amazing! I did use unsweetened coconut, but I added a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk for added moisture. Raspberry and coconut are one of my favorite combos ( my wedding cake was toasted coconut with raspberries!).
I made them for the cookie of the day at the hotel I work at. They were the brightest shade of pink/purple. They were gone in an hour and I made almost 200 mini sized cookies.
Hi Deb. Thank you for posting all these wonderful recipes. I am looking forward to making these today, just wondering how to store them? do they need to be refrigerated?? How long do they last? Thx
Hi Deb. These are in the oven as we speak…The smell is amazing! I am baking these for Easter (4 days away). Would you suggest refrigerating or freezing them til then? Thanks
hey this macaroons are so perfect for easter.
These were phenomenal – a MAJOR hit!
They were utterly coconut-y, and did stay together, and were beautiful. After about 25 minutes, they looked marvelously lightly toasted in the oven, with a reassuringly intact base.
I used blackberries, which came out quite purple as well, and about 1.25 cups of sugar for two 7-oz packages of unsweetened coconut (all I could find). It was great. THANK YOU smittenkitchen.
Delicious, addictive…made these today to serve friday night, probably going to have to make another batch because I don’t think enough of them will make it to friday…
I wasn’t too sure about these when I initially saw the photos, but after reading about them and seeing the end product, I will definitely make these in next day or two. Very different and fun. Thanks!
It looks yummy. (: I’ll have to cook it and see if it tastes yummy too.
I apologize if someone’s already asked, I tried to scroll through the comments before I asked, but my husband’s got a nut allergy and I was wondering if you think leaving out the almond extract (or subbing vanilla) would work? Does the almond extract have a strong flavor? Thanks in advance, I think these will be a great addition to our Seder.
Danielle, use McCormick’s imitation almond extract . Ordinarily, I wouldn’t use imitation anything, but to get the flavor, I use it. I have a serious tree nut allergy so I understand needing to be careful. You don’t have to take my word for it, call the 800 number on the McCormick box (which is what I did) and they will ease your concern. They told me their facility is nut free. Happy baking!
Mine are in the oven right now and look DISASTROUS! All the liquid has seeped out of them! HELP! Will they still taste okay!? I used a Silpat instead of parchment, is that why?!
Hi Danielle – FWIW I have done this before in other recipes (for people with nut allergies). It works fine as long as the almond isn’t the center of attention in terms of flavour, which it shouldn’t be here, given all the coconut and raspberries.
I love coconut macaroons and always trying to recreate the ones I had as a kid from local bakeries around Detroit. Theirs didn’t have raspberries, but I love that!
Ate too many of these suckers from the first batch. I made more so I’d have enough to bring to the family seder. Instead of fresh, this time I used frozen raspberries, strained out the seeds and then reduced them to get a fuller berry flavor. They turned out great. The color was deep purple cause the puree is darker than fresh berries. The less puree used the pinker the cookie.
Chocolate dipped is a must! Hint- powdered sugar wth unsweetened cocunut does the trick.
Hiya Deb! Have just discovered your great blog and just wanted to tell you that I make a coconut and raspberry slice ( can be cut into squares) that also uses unwhipped egg whites, confectioners sugar and includes butter and a little flour. Frozen or fresh berries can be used and are scattered on top or could be folded through mix.. If you would like the recipe to try, just email me? If you see my email…lol Off now to read more from you….:)
Raspbery coconut macaroons – how inspired Deb! I want you to know I made them according to your recipe, but using frozen raspberries and pulsing them in with only about 6-7 pulses, and they came out so well I’ll be selling them at my local Australian farmers’ market where I have a stall. They are moist and not too sweet, and I thank you for the recipe.
These macaroons are beautiful! The colours look amazing and expect that the little touch of coconut will be such a treat to eat! I’ve always been slightly scared about making these, but will have to give it a go!
Just put these in the oven. Did I read something wrong? I measured out 400g of unsweetened coconut grounds and had to add 1 1/2 cup sugar. My food processor was full! I added 6 oz of raspberries and mine just don’t look as pink as yours. Do you think I screwed up because I added ground coconut instead of flakes? What I hate about Passover is the large expense of trial and error!!!
I was wrong. They just came out of the oven and they got pinker and are delicious. Thank you!
Just made these. Totally addicting and delicious! Love the combination of sweet coconut and tart raspberry bits. Make sure to use parchment paper or a silpat mat because these will stick to the bottom of the cookie tray like crazy! I made big ones and small ones and much preferred the smalls dainty macaroons. Don’t be afraid if they brown all over, it helps them hold their shape and stay together once they’re cooled.
Thanks for the recipe!
For folks who asked about using vanilla extract vs. almond: I just made a batch with vanilla (after having made them with almond on Sunday) and they are still good! I think I’d bump the vanilla to 1 tsp. instead of a 1/2, but it’s a good substitute.
@Lisa (#255) did you prefer them with vanilla or almond extract? Thanks!
Love this idea, but I got to say that is still a busload of sugar. I make a recipe using 2.5 cups of sweetened coconut to 1 TABLESPOON of sugar and they are plenty sweet at that.
I wonder if I still have some blackberries in the freezer…that might be interesting.
These sound amazing. Nothing like coming to our food blog and realizing how many more treats I need to try and make!
Glad to know I am not the only macaroon nut in the bunch… and dear God, Deb, thank you for agreeing with me about the “M” word… It GAGS me!! Best way to ruin a good piece of anything is by telling me how [m-word] it is! These macaroons as well as the Caramel Crack(ers) (we call it “matzoh crack”) from this site will be gracing an non-denominational Pesach table tomorrow night and an interdenominational Easter dinner table on Sunday!
Yummy… I’m not usually fond of macaroons, but after I saw this inviting photos and easy steps on how to do it, I’m eager to try my own version here now; and I am so excited to use my stylish bamboo plates and place pieces of macaroons on the top of it. I’m sure my kids will love it too.
The macaroons look ….Out of words! Macaroons and Raspberries must be divine…Smitten!!
Hi Deb—amazing, as usual!! I, the ever-impatient cook, decided to make these at 10 pm for pesach tomorrow. Had an not quite-full 14 oz bag of coconut, and was going to halve the recipe. Then forgot (just used less coconut). I didn’t have fresh raspberries, so threw in some frozen blackberries and raspberries (didn’t read the words of caution…oops!). Also completely missed the part about marbling them, so they are entirely purple-pink….and they taste DELICIOUS! The frozen berries didn’t mess them up too much–although I only added a small handful. Thanks again, and have a wonderful holiday!
Just finished making these and they are fabulous. Went ahead and substituted vanilla extract for the almond due to a nut allergy in the family. I can’t say how they compare to ones with almond extract, but they’re great without it. I also dipped half of them in melted bittersweet chocolate, heavenly. Deb, thanks for another excellent recipe, we haven’t had one of yours fail yet.
Deb, I love, love, LOVE your site and have had about a 90%+ smashing success rate with your recipes, but these were just not for me or my husband. The extreme sweetness of the macaroons made the raspberry taste almost like artificial raspberry candy to both of us, and I found the raspberry seeds stuck in my teeth really annoying. That being said, the consistency of the macaroons was outstanding! Blending the coconut in the food processor? Genius! I’ll definitely use this technique to improve my ordinary chocolate dipped coconut macaroon recipe in the future. Thanks for the great tips, as always. Happy Pesach!
These macarons look delicious. To me they are more of the German type of macarons then the French ones. Love both types of macarons. When I was a kid we always had coconut macarons for Christmas. How nice to add raspberries, yum.
Have you tried Ina Garten’s recipe for coconut macaroons? I haven’t tried them yet – just bought all of the ingredients to make them this week – but I’ve heard that they’re fantastic! I will also be trying these. Two of my favorite things – coconut and raspberries – combined into one recipe? How can I resist!
Good Lord, Deb….I made these last night and I had to practically duct tape my mouth shut because I couldn’t stop eating them!! I’ve made so many of your recipes and I’m never disappointed. Thanks for continuing to post your wonderful culinary finds!!
Made these for a department bake sale. Turned out great! I used slightly more raspberries as I had a bunch frozen from picking last summer.
Great recipe!
Kyle
@Sally (#256): I liked both the almond and vanilla versions, but my husband had a strong preference for the vanilla. When I made the first (almond) batch, he said he really liked them. However, when I made the second (vanilla) batch, he was over the moon about them and thought that the almond ones had a hint of bitterness. I think it all depends on how much you love almond flavoring.
Yum! Only problem is ate the first batch before Seder. Kids loved them too.
Just made these for the sedar tonight. They are gorgeous and hands down the most delicious macaroons I’ve ever had. Every time I go on the kitchen more are missing so I know others in the house agree!
Ok, just made these — with blackberries instead of raspberries; I think there’s a shortage, because I couldn’t find them anywhere — and they turned out great! A few tips: dry the berries. Dry them a lot. Also, after you add the eggs/extract/salt, but before you add the berries, scrape down the food processor. Finally, the dough will look wet. Really wet. I was looking at the dough and almost threw it out, thinking that there was no WAY this would work. But I baked them off, and it worked beautifully. Off to melt some chocolate!
I used a regular blender since I don’t have a food processor, and it was an epic fail. I ended up blending teeny, tiny batches, and then just put raspberries in half of the coconut mix and scooping a little of that/a little of the coconut together. So far it seems to be just fine, but the blender was a BAD idea. I had road rage in my kitchen.
Lisa F – Thank you! I have to say that I didn’t really love them w. almond extract and would definitely try vanilla next time – they were much better when dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and topped with fleur du sel.
I whipped these up tonight, and I was not nearly so careful with the recipe as I would be ideally. I only had frozen raspberries. And yet–they are great!!! Definitely a keeper! Thank you.
Oh, and I didn’t have almond extract. Lemon extract worked well!
I let these cool on the wax paper and when I came back to remove them they were completely stuck! Stuck as in beyond saving-the wax paper had melted into the macaroons. What did I do wrong? Do you spray the wax paper with pam first? I did not, but wish I had…
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Made these with frozen berries and slightly less coconut (cuz I bought too little – oops) and slightly less sugar. Coconut was unsweetened, and one cup of sugar was great for 12oz (approx) coconut. Dipped in chocolate to finish them off. There are only five left and we still have a week of passover…..Thanks Deb!
Just wanted say thanks so much for this recipe. I served them at my family’s seder tonight and they were a huge hit! everyone was marveling that a macaroon could taste so good. thanks!
What a glorious gluten free treat! My father and I are both allergic to gluten and I am always looking for new treats to make for him. I can’t wait to make these fir him!
Last night my mom wanted to make chocolate macaroons and I remembered seeing this recipe and suggested we try it. So we made your raspberry macaroons and another chocolate macaroon recipe. These were WAY better.
I used frozen berries and tried to strain some of the water out, but the batter was still quite wet. They still came out perfect and chewy and pretty and yummy. I also used unsweetened coconut and figured I’d add a little extra sugar to be on the safe side, but could have done without extra as it was very sweet. I will be making this again next week to share with my office!
I made these yesterday for last night’s seder. The family loved them. Even the most discerning taster said they were sublime. Many thanks for the great recipe.
Since Whole Foods had only unsweetened coconut and I could not bring myself to go to another grocery store since I had already been at Trader Joe’s (they don’t carry coconut at all, btw), I made these with 8 oz unsweetened flaked coconut, about 3 oz (all I had left) of Angel Flake coconut, and 3/4 c. sugar. They turned out amazingly well, with, to my taste, just the right amount of sweetness. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and even my fussy hubby can’t keep his paws off. I don’t even like raspberries, but found the flavor a perfect complement to the rich coconut, and the seeds did not bother me. Thank you for the fabulous recipe and the inspiring photos.
Hollyday — I went through the same hunt! Wither the sweetened coconut? I understand if it were loaded with junk like HFCS; as it is not, I think it is being unfairly ostracized by these stores. Nevertheless! I went to the lovely remodeled Key? Met? Food on 2nd Avenue and found it in droves (eh, two sizes) there. P.S. Glad you liked the cookies.
I couldn’t wait to try these! Unfortunately as I just finished baking and cooling the first batch realized they will not come off the pan!! The edges are golden brown and seem to have stuck to the parchment paper. I baked them for 23 mins (until the tops were a little golden) Any ideas here?
hi Deb, I wanted to 1/2 the recipe. any suggestion on the egg whites?
Hi Kim — You’ll just have to use half of one egg white. Large egg whites are about 2 tablespoons, so you’ll only need one.
OK, since I’m a coconutNUT, I had just freshly grated some raw coconut from the shell and I thought “why not”? Upped the sugar per your suggestion on unsweetened coconut. Disaster. I knew the batter wasn’t right just by looking at your photos — too liquid. I tried to salvage with some flour, to no avail — they flattened right out in the oven! Probably should have toasted the coconut, eh? They taste amazing, however…crisped them up a bit longer in the oven and they’re like tuiles. Oh well, I’ll try again with commercially processed coconut next time.
Made a batch – such a quick and easy recipe. Used my July garden raspberries from the freezer (still frozen, unwashed). Pushed mounds off a regular spoon, and popped them in the oven, 33 minutes. They are tasty, easy, gluten-free, Passover-y. Thanks Deb!
My daughter is a blogger Stylesolutionsnyc.com and I learned about your blog through her. I am sooo happy. Your writing style is great and your recipes are wonderful. I made the raspberry macaroons last night and took them to friends this evening. They are amazing. Not only the raspberry and coconut combination but the almond extract and sea salt gave it a great flavor. I used a chocolate drizzle made from Giradelli semi-sweet chocolate. Didn’t do a great aesthetic job with the drizzle but they taste wonderful. Thank you for a creative twist to a holiday tradition. Amy
I am not a huge fan of coconut – BUT – The next time you melt (temper) chocolate, make a bit extra and try this easy candy. Toast some coconut and simply mix it with the chocolate. Drop dallops onto waxed paper and wait for it to harden. Enjoy!
I forgot to mention that the next time I make these (toasted coconut chocolates, above) I am going to sprinkle them with fine sea salt. I am a bit obsessed with chocolate and salt.
p.s. Enjoying more of them the morning after. They are moist (sorry), and not mushy. A real treat.
To Melissa @ #275, try it again with parchment paper. It’s different than wax paper. They are worth remaking. Good-luck.
My daughter and I made these last night, they were very easy to make and very delicious. Processing the coconut was a genius idea that I believe besides the fresh taste of the raspberries made all the difference. Great job Deb! Oh, and thank you for all your hard work!
Mmm. I made these, and they were absolutely perfect. My sister and I are a bit addicted… I never liked the standard macaroons, but I’d like these ones even as a non Passover dessert. I made some drizzled with chocolate and some plain, and everyone I talked to preferred the ones without the chocolate, because it really let the raspberry flavor shine. The chocolate was good, but not as good.
Also, I made these with frozen raspberries. I dumped the frozen raspberries in a metal strainer, put that in a bowl, and put it in front of the fan. I stirred the raspberries periodically, and I poured out the raspberry juice from the bowl halfway through because it was above the level of the bottom of the strainer. I bought a 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries, and was left with 6 oz of raspberries and quite a bit of raspberry juice. So I just used the 6 oz of strained raspberries as if they were fresh (they looked very damp, but it wasn’t a problem). My macaroons came out perfectly. They held their shapes, looked nearly identical to your pictures, and were absolutely delicious. They were a huge hit at the seder.
Hi Deb. I made 3 batches, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry. These were fantastic! I especially liked the tip about blending the coconut 1st. I love the flavor of coconut but am picky about the texture and the blending made it perfect. Thanks for the fabulous recipes. :)
WOW, Deb!
I just made these. The batter came together in less than 10 minutes, they baked up perfectly, and they have already been voted as one of the best.passover.recipes.ever.
Thank you, thank you, for a coconut dessert that my non-coconut husband didn’t just “like;” he loved them. This is the kind of treat that would be easy to make on a weeknight.
I found these way too sweet as written for my first batch, cloying. So second batch I used unsweetened coconut and left the sugar the same and they were perfect.
Update- I made them again for Passover and they were good. I wouldn’t say I loved them, but everyone else at the Seder did, so I’m guessing it’s because I like a more traditional macaroon. Oh well. Also, I made the chocolate caramel crack which was a huge hit, AND the hazelnut brown butter cake, which everyone loved. Thank you so much for making delicious Passover desserts possible!
Wow! What beautiful, delicious cookies! My daughter loves your site & recipes and today she made these for our Easter party, everyone agreed, they were amazing! Such a lovely little dessert, a sweet, colorful touch. Thank you for all your hard work!
LOVE! I made these as well as a batch with blueberries for my family’s passover sedar and also to write up on my own blog. I loved them, and they are SO easy. Thank you for sharing… I’m now inspired to try more flavors!
I made these for Passover dinner. Halved the recipe, since we were also making several other desserts, and substituted unsweetened coconut. I added 3/4 C sugar, but I might try reducing that slightly when I make them again–I think 1/2 C might be sufficient for someone without much of a sweet tooth! Excellent recipe!
I made these on Friday night for my family’s Saturday night Seder. Dipped half of them in melted bittersweet chocolate… next time I will dip the whole batch. :) They were very popular. I did use frozen raspberries and felt that my macaroons came out fine. I should have baked the trays side-by-side rather than one on top of the other though; they would have come out more evenly. As a side note, I ended up using almond extract from Whole Foods because, even though it was organic, it was half the price of the extract from my regular grocery store!
Love the idea of adding raspberries to the macaroons, I will be trying this recipe although it is far from my normal recipe for macaroons in which I only use sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut, with variations adding crushed almond or bits of cherry, all three of which are top sellers.
A friend brought these to my house Saturday and they were absolutely amazing. They were light, refreshing and had a great texture. I can’t wait to make them myself. Whe also made plain ones and coated them with chocolate. Yummy too!
woo~ looks good~ and I wanna try to make some too.
Wow! Love the color. Raspberry & shredded coconut combo is gonna be great !
Gorgeous. Totally pretty in pink, even if Easter has already passed :)
made these and love them (drizzled chocolate on them as suggested)… but the recipe (followed to a t, promise!) didn’t make anywhere close to 50 :( more like 35. i used a tablespoon, being careful to make level scoops, but maybe it just isn’t exactly like (as efficient as) the cookie scoop? regardless, they are really tasty and next time i’ll do two recipes…
it looks like so yammy. thank u man.
i wanna try to make this one soon..
You inspired me! I just made a batch with blackberries (all I had in the fridge) — they were delicious!
I used frozen raspberries and they came out fine. I hadn’t read the comment about using them straight from the freezer, so I defrosted and let them drain out their liquid for awhile in a strainer–in the meantime, I prepped everything else. They didn’t come out with the marbled look, but were definitely still pink. They baked for a few extra minutes. So delicious, and perfect for Passover.
I have already commented on fabulous these are, but, I wanted to tell you that I tried them again today. I didn’t have any raspberries, so I used strawberries. OMG again!! Keep the great recipes coming!
I made these for Easter. The coconut lovers in my family devoured them! I used raspberries in half and blueberries in half. The raspberry macaroons were fabulous! The blueberry were good too, but I didn’t use organic blueberries and they had no blueberry taste. It was still pretty to have the purple and pink cookies sitting out. Oh, I also used unsweetened coconut and they were still perfectly tasty.
made these the day the recipe posted. DELICIOUS!!!!
These sound delicious! I personally like my macaroons with larger pieces of coconut, so I think I will forgo the blending. I like that this recipe is super similar to my own in that its very simple. No filler, just coconut-y goodness! Definitely will be trying this.
Will post again once I make these but I have to wonder about some other fruits that may dance beautifully with coconut: pineapple for one and believe it or not, peach.
I made these for the last night of Passover. We cut the sugar in half, but followed the rest. PERFECT!
I really don’t bake, but with this easy recipe I want to try it for my kids, I am sure they would like it. Nice colors.
I have too many egg whites in my freezer and have no desire for the fuss of parisian macarons, but this sounds like something I might do once raspberries are at the height of their season and cheaper.
In the mean time, I just saw this:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/04/pineapple-coconut-macaroons/
I made these as my contribution to a dinner party – they were loved by all! This is something that you can actually use your immersion blender for instead of a food processor (to whoever wanted to know, because I was curious). Next time I will definitely dip them in chocolate though – it’s really not dessert if it has no chocolate . . .
THESE look absolutely delicious.. I have a dinner party coming up and am thinking of making them. If I do, I’ll have to let you know how they turn out! The idea of drizzling chocolate on them is making my mouth water… :)
There is no need for additional sugar if you use unsweetened coconut, in my opinion. We also used frozen raspberries, as we did not have access to fresh. We drained off as much extra juice as we could. The macaroons were delicious.
I made these for Passover and they were fantastic. The tartness of the raspberries works perfectly with the deep sweetness of the coconut and they were so pretty and spring-y looking. The tiny serving size meant that people who were stuffed with brisket could still have one, and they were fantastic with post-seder breakfast the next day.
The instructions to process the hell out of the coconut before adding the raspberries are absolutely right and necessary. Otherwise the coconut is kind of fibrous. (I processed maybe a smidge less than the instructions said to do, and wished I hadn’t skimped.) I would not make these without a processor. Terrific recipe.
I made these last week. They were super easy and delicious! I’m on a wheat free diet so these were great. I also shipped a half dozen to my parents across the country. They held up to the mailing test. ;) I might cut back on the sugar a touch next time as they did come out super sweet. I used Bakers sweetened coconut.
Thanks for the recipe!
like many others, thank u for sharing the recipe! i made these with everything halved since i didn’t have enough coconut, used blackberries that were on sale, used a scant 1/4 cup of sugar with unsweetened coconut and they were perfect — so simple yet so delicious!! thanks again :)
So my 1st try worked, but today it was too wet! Any ideas on how to remedy that in the future? Thanks
I don’t know if anyone else mentioned this (I may have skimmed the 300+ comments, but not too carefully) but it is possible to make these with thawed frozen raspberries. I followed the recipe exactly, only instead of fresh raspberries, I found some frozen ones from last summer in my freezer, and let them thaw most of the way. They macaroons turned out as expected (and delicious, they turned out delicious and very pretty). So if anyone was wondering, frozen is ok.
Next time, I may even pass the berries through a sieve to get the seeds out. I expect the puree to bleed into the coconut a lot faster than fresh whole berries, but it may be worth it for some people.
Thank you for the recipe! It is so easy, and the results are definitely better than store-bought!
I made these in my Kitchen Aid mixer instead of the food processor, and they were fabulous. I like the full texture of the coconut (don’t like mushy/creamy things) so didn’t want to pulverize the coconut at all. The mixer blended everything perfectly and otherwise I followed the recipe as written – everyone who tried them (and I brought them to work so had a big tast tester group) loved them! They are my new favorite cookie.
Made these for Easter with frozen raspberries and fresh unsweetened coconut (that I got directly from an actual coconut), and they were absolutely fantastic. Did not make up for the missing sugar, and they tasted like little morsels of flavorful bliss. An absolutely winning combination.
I made these for my boyfriend with bittersweet chocolate drizzle and sea salt on top. We ate them all in about two seconds. As an fyi, the sweetened flaked coconut I bought from safeway was already extremely sweet and we did not need to add any extra sugar. I guess that the different brands of sweetened coconut vary in sugar content?
Made these for Passover this year and they were a hit! I ended up using frozen raspberries and they were definitley a little wet- nicely done on the outside, but a little gooey inside still when they should have been finished. Cooked them a little longer and had a nice challenge getting them off the baking sheet. I would probably cut back on the sugar next time and definitley recommend a chocolate drizzle!
I am definitely making these this weekend. I make plain macaroons all the time and I dip the bottom in melted chocolate chips (either milk chocolate or semi sweet depending on what I have on hand) Just wait until they are completely cool and then dip them in the chocolate and then place them on wax paper until the chocolate sets up. They are a huge hit every place I take them. And sooooooooo easy to make!! :-)
DEB! Oh. my. gosh. I know that this post is months old, but I have to say that this recipe was a life saver.
I am a recent convert to gluten-free eating thanks to some health issues that have reached a breaking point and I’m in gluten-withdrawal mode. I’ve been searching for gluten-free cookie recipes that don’t taste like crispy cardboard. And here are these lovely macaroons! They’re soft, chewy, not too sweet, and just plain amazing. Thanks for pulling me out of my gluten-free funk.
I just fnished making these for a party and the are delicious! I didn’t have my food processor on hand but was able to battle it through with a blender, a kitchenaid mixer, and (get this) a potato masher for the raspberries LOL. Unorthodox I know, but they still look and taste wonderful – thank you!
Hi Deb,
I am a huge fan of your recipes and make them often. This is my first time posting a comment. I am currently planning my fall wedding and since I love to cook and bake I am going to be making cookies as favors for the wedding. I love macaroons and have been searching for a cookie that I can make the weekend before the wedding and freeze. Do you think these macaroons will survive 4-5 days in the freezer, come out 2 days before the wedding for assembly and still taste fresh?? Thanks so much for all of the delicious recipes and I can’t wait for the cookbook!
HI Amalia — I froze mine until we needed them. They were less pretty after they were defrosted, but tasted perfect. I might run them back through the oven next time, to re-crisp them, before serving.
These are amazing.
Raspberries are my favorite fruit of all fruits, and coconut takes a close second. Macaroons are a weakness.
I used unsweetened flaked coconut (Bob’s Red Mill) and 1 1/4 cup sugar. I have a silly blender thing, so I had to do the final pulsing in small batches. The coconut softened with the egg whites and raspberry juices and was not dry at all, despite being unsweetened. I ended up pureeing it a bit more than I meant to, but the result was still lovely and marbled. I have an antique manual gas stove c. B.C.E. 150, so I had to finagle temps and turn the sheet at intervals, but other than personal appliance quirks, the macaroons turned out absolutely perfect. I melted up some dark chocolate but I found it was overpowering to the present perfection.
Thank you!
Hey, I don’t have a processor at home, only a blender or a cake whisk. Do you think I can make these without the processor?
Thanks
Hi Deb just wondering if you could make this recipe without the raspberries to have as a basic macaroon recipe (and then drizzle with chocolate later). I didn’t see one in the archives. If not, do you know of a good recipe or a cookbook that has one in it? Let me know when you get a chance : ). Thanks!
You can actually skip the raspberry to get a standard macaroon with the delicacy that comes from grinding the coconut. They might need 5 minutes less baking time, so keep an eye on them.
I just made these with unsweetened coconut, and 1 1/2 cups sugar was perfect.
I also switched the raspberry out for blueberries, which came out tasting like a tiny blueberry muffin. Thanks for the recipe, these are terrific brunch treats.
I don’t think I’ve seen this in the comments: is desiccated coconut the same thing as flaked? The internet isn’t really helping me here, though it seems like there are some macaroon recipes that use desiccated …
Desiccated coconut is fully dried. It can be either flaked or shredded. I usually see desiccated coconut only sugarless. Here, I used sweetened, shredded coconut.
I love raspberry and coconut, but what is a macaroon? I don’t think I even care they look soooo good!
Hello! They look great, the macaroons!
I would like to try the recipe, but I have a convection oven. Remains just the same recipe or not?
So I just made these, plus a tiny bit of dark chocolate drizzled over the top, and I must officially declare them the only actual cure for PMS. You should patent them and try to get a deal with a pharmaceutical companies. Women everywhere would thank you.
So Good! I made them as written, and will definitely make them again.
Hi,
I was thinking about making these for Rosh Hashanah this week. What do you think about Pomegranate seeds mixed in instead of raspberries? Would anything need to be altered? Would they be too heavy?
Would love your thoughts ASAP as it is just 2 days away :)
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Hi Jen — I haven’t tried it but it’s worth checking out. I don’t think they’d be too heavy. You may not need to grind them much at all.
these are the best macaroons i’ve ever had (and i’m a fiend). Plus they’re little beauties! Thank you jen!
I made these on Sunday with cranberries and popped them in the freezer for an event on Thursday night. Defrosted on Wednesday and they still looked beautiful. On Thursday, stuck them in a 325 degree oven for a few minutes and drizzled with white chocolate. They were delicious. Could even cut back on the sugar a bit as the cranberries were not as tart as I expected once mixed with coconut and baked. Now I can’t wait for a summer version with blueberries…
Hey Deb, I know this post is old, but I just wondered. I’ve seen recipes for macaroons which cook the egg white mixture on the stove first, whereas you use a food processor. Any idea why they might cook em? Think it makes any difference? Does the food processor mimic something here, that simple hand-mixing wouldn’t?
Sorry for all the questions, I want to make these for a cookie swap in a few weeks, and I want to be sure before I start..
Thanks for your help!
Hi eatwithaspoon — I haven’t seen that before! So, it’s hard for me to guess why. If I run into it, I’ll definitely circle back here and tell you what I’ve learned. The FP smooths everything — I prefer my coconut ground, it will also chop your raspberries for you.
Stop making such a noise.I can’t do thisAre you kidding? You can’t go in no matter who you are.Someone is ringing the bell.I count you as one of my friends.After you.You should have a mind of your own.Long time no see!I’d like to get this film developed.
Just wanted to thank you a bunch for this recipe! I came across your blog a year or so ago and have had it in my google reader. I saw this one and waited for the right time to use it (I should add that I’m not a cook by any means, and only really cook eggs, pancakes, and meat on the grill).
Well, my wife is having a cookie party this weekend, and I thought I’d give a try at this recipe. I told my wife that I had seen enough cooking shows to (hopefully) know what I’m doing, so she had to leave the kitchen and let me at it. She reluctantly agreed and left me alone.
How good are they? Let’s just say that after eating it, she raised her eyebrows in shock, and then frowned. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, “These are amazing! Now I have to go rebake my cookies or I’m going to have to tell everyone that my husband, who never bakes, has the best cookies!!”
So, Thanks! I also bought the book for my wife for Christmas, so she and I can start playing with the other recipes.
Cheers!
The person who was talking about cooked egg whites may have been referring to these: http://food52.com/blog/3097_alice_medrichs_new_classic_coconut_macaroons.
Which, incidentally, are amazing. I bought a case of the big flakes of unsweetened coconut from Amazon and have made them several times. The cinnamon/lime zest suggestion is definitely brilliant.
I have several gluten free family members, though, so another macaroon recipe can never hurt. I plan to try these raspberry ones this weekend and will report back.
I just made these with some frozen cranberries I had left in my freezer from Thanksgiving. They were amazing!
Will try these with fresh coconut….have some left over from tarts that I made, the coconut is already seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon….will keep you posted on the result!So happy to have stumbled upon your site!
These are my favorite go-to glutten free treat. So simple and so delicious! Thank you for bringing them into my world. :)
A late comment on an old post, but: for those without food processors, don’t be intimidated to try this one! Mine turned out so well. I achieved a similar effect (avoiding the mouthfuls of stringy, chewy coconut- yuck!) by buying very finely flaked coconut, which I found in a bulk bin at my grocery store. I was worried about using bulk-bin coconut too, because it was a little drier than shaved coconut from a bag (although I don’t think it was technically “dried” coconut.) I just used a tiny bit less coconut (and a little less sugar) and the extra moisture from the raspberries held everything together nicely. The raspberries were easy to roughly chop and stir in.
Thanks Deb- your recipes are never a letdown. Macaroons are my boyfriend’s favorite and as a self-professed coconut hater, I am so happy to have found some I can stand to make for him!
Oh please please post the first picture in this recipe in your Smitten Kitchen prints so I can buy it. I love making these macaroons but mine never look quite like your pictures:) I need the picture so I can frame it on my wall and remind myself how beautiful these are supposed to look!
I have bags of frozen raspberries from our bushes. Can I use them for this recipe. They sound wonderful!!
It’s not even passover yet and I’ve already made two batches and fielded a request to bring them to a seder! I substituted in some homemade jam for the raspberries, and they turned out wonderfully. The raspberry flavor is stronger than with fresh fruit, but I do miss having the little clumps of raspberry in them. I’ve made them with other jams, too. They’ve yet to turn out bad, not even when I ran out of white sugar and used black sugar and honey instead.
I have been making coconut macaroons for many years using unsweetened coconut. The recipe came from a Martha Stewart magazine — made by a friend of Martha’s. I mix it all by hand: Egg whites, sugar, vanilla or almond extract, and unsweetened coconut. Then I make haystacks (with wet hands) and place them on parchment. Sometimes I dip the bottom in melted chocolate. There was also a recipe for chocolate, which is a bit messier with that melted chocolate, and also chocolate chunk. My favorite is the simple, plain macaroon.
I love the idea of adding raspberries — jam sounds great.
Here’s praying for a quick reply. These look gorgeous and our Rabbi Sweet Tooth has a bday in 2 wks. He iz diabetic so i want to use unsweetened coconut and splenda. Any suggestions on adjusting the amt of splenda?
Sorry, I haven’t tried it with either. However, I think it’s worth trying, especially if you have two weeks to get it right. ;)
I just made a second batch of these, for a dinner party we were invited to. Everyone loved them! However, I used our local “store brand” sweetened coconut instead of Baker’s; the first batch that I made a few weeks back (also with store brand) was delicious, but also INCREDIBLY sweet, even though I’d cut the sugar to 1/3 cup. This time, I cut the sugar to 1 tbsp. and they came out perfectly, still quite sweet but not overwhelming. I suspect that Baker’s sweetened coconut may be much less sweet than some store-brands, so I’d recommend tasting before adding in all the sugar. This time, using store brand coconut and only 1 tbsp. sugar, the batter still tasted “too sweet” after blending, but the baking seems to have dissipated the sweetness down to “just right”.
I made this with fresh coconut that I got a blister flaking out of its shell today– I think I screwed up somewhere. Possibly my fresh coconut had too much liquid in it? Mine never really came together as they baked– they sort of spread out and leaked water everywhere (however– like the person above to whom this also happened, I too was using a Silpat; surely that can’t be it?). I would also say that doubling the sugar to compensate for unsweetened coconut is a bit too much– but I don’t like things very sweet. In general the flavor of these is great (minus me adding too much sugar) and the raspberries really add something. I’d do this next time I need macaroons for sure, except I’d follow directions a little better. Eheh.
Praying for a quick reply!
I’m just wondering how far in advance I can make these? I want to make them for Saturday but only have time on Thursday to make them..will they be okay in a tupperware container for a day and a half or so?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Sam — They lose some outer crisp in tupperware but otherwise keep. If you can, you can toast them in the oven for just a minute or two before serving them on Saturday. Happy baking!
I just baked these this afternoon! I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a long time and finally fresh raspberries showed up in my market (interior of China). I thought the batter was too wet, but they held their shape and turned out so delicious–even in an oven that won’t hold a steady temperature! We ate a few and will drizzle the rest with some chocolate. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks, Deb!
I would like to make these along with 3 other desserts for a shower I am helping host a week from today. (This is my gluten-free sweet option.) How well do these freeze if I make them ahead of time? If not well, do they tend to dry out? I’ve never made macaroons before so I don’t know what to expect.
Thanks for any advice!
Kessa — Mine froze well and also kept well at room temperature for several days. But freezing is safer. You can always pop them in the oven for a few minutes before you serve them, not for warmth but so the edges get a little more crisp and dry again after defrosting.
Thanks so much! The showerr is tomorrow and I already have my four (yes, I added another dessert) other desserts prepared and in the freezer ready to bake/frost for tomorrow.
Other items on the menu:
Braided Lemon Curd Bread (Thank you so much for this recipe. It is my favorite and a staple anytime I bring a dessert somewhere.)
Blueberry Hill Cupcakes (An Epicurious recipe.)
Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies (My all time favorite recipe with chocolate chips.)
Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies (A hodgepodge of a few recipes I’ve worked with and am still working out.)
Thanks again!
Everything was a huge hit! The gluten lovers and abstainers alike loved these macaroons.
Hi, it looks amazing!! I want to do it for a bake sale but I don’t have a food processor. You think it will be good if I made it by wooden spatula?
Salha — It will still be tasty but you’re not going to have pureed raspberries or a fine coconut crumb.
Your recipes almost never fail to please – and these pleased me a lot! Raspberry and coconut is really a match made in heaven. You’re right that the berries provide a slightly tart note that beautifully offsets the sweet coconut. My new favourite sweet treat!
I was just looking for reasons to make these. I just adored them!! They’re so pretty and innovative. Thank you for reinventing such a delicious wheel.
Hi! My first time ever posting on a site. I just want to thank you for this wonderful recipe… So simply and clearly explained ( which I need ;-) i made these as gifts at Christmas just gone (2013) and my friends and family LOVED them.
I have to say you did all the work ( your effort, time and creativity) and I got so much praise!!
I only got 30ish cookies with a Tbsp measure. I should have doubled the recipe! The kitchen smells divine. I’ll try dipping some of them in chocolate once they’re cool.
This is a great recipe! I was looking for a GF and DF dessert for a friend and this one is perfect. I made it with strawberries and it was yummy – everybody loved it. Will definitely make it a regular treat :-) Thank you!
Brought these to a group dinner of 16 people. Everyone {no exaggerating} loved them. And really easy to boot.
I made these for Passover the first year they were posted and now they’re requested every year. In the three times I’ve made them, they’re always delicious, but they stick to the pan, even when fully cool. Silpats seem to be worse than parchment (presumably because the parchment absorbs some of the extra moisture that’s causing them to stick). This year, each macaroon was surrounded by a small circle of ooze and they stuck worse than ever. Any suggestions? The raspberries were dry, but on the riper side. Maybe the coconut had more moisture than average? It was Stop and Shop brand sweetened shredded coconut, which I’m sure others here have used. I was thinking about cutting down the egg whites, but that’s what’s holding them together. Or maybe I could try drying the coconut a bit in the oven by itself for a few minutes first.
Made these for Passover this year and they were great – I did half of the recipe without raspberries and then dunked them in semi-sweet chocolate, and the other half with the raspberries, both were big hits. I could even see cutting down the sugar a little more . . . which I may try later this week since I have another bag of coconut beckoning from my cupboard.
I made macaroons for the first time for Passover this year — usually we buy the inedible ones along with a host of other awful (from taste and health perspectives!)
kosher for Passover cookies but this year my husband insisted on fewer but better quality desserts that I was to make myself. A friend gave me a basic tried and tested macaroon recipe — similar to yours but sans the raspberries and with a few different measurements — and I was shocked at how good they were and how EASY they are to make. I cannot wait to try your version — love the raspberries for taste but also for natural color! Otherwise my brownies and standard macaroons leave the table with too much beige and brown. Brilliant!
I made these last year and they were perfect. This year I had to use desiccated coconut (flaked stuff hard to find in the UK). They were ok but even after adding juice from 3 limes, 300g of raspberries, and double the number of egg whites they were dry. I used 230g of sugar, ie I didn’t double the amount given for the sweetened coconut, and think they are still too sweet so will use less next year. Edible but not great.
These look great and I look forward to trying them. Not sure if you’ll ever get round to reading this tip, but when I read your bit at the top I thought “aha!” because I once made some awesome macaroons years ago…from the shredded coconut I had soaked in hot water in order to make coconut milk. I didn’t want to just throw away the coconut having got ‘the milk’ and it was enough to make macaroons and they were so moist and melting.
How many calories and carbs per recipe. Also per serving.
I am not able to have the directions or the recipe sent to me. How can I accomplish this. They sound so delicious and I can’t wait to try them. Thank you.
THANK YOU I NOW HAVE THE ANSWER AND I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THEM.
I wanted to try these, but I didn’t have raspberries, just frozen strawberries. And I didn’t have a use for the extra yolks at the present, so I halved the recipe and used 1 whole egg, and tossed in a few frozen strawberries (unthawed). Oh, and I used unsweetened coconut and I didn’t compensate with extra sugar. They are sweet enough with the 1/3 cup of sugar and the strawberries. All that to say — flexible recipe, quite tasty, and I’ll definitely make it again. A good gluten free/Passover recipe.
Deb
Not sure if you are still reading these but I have a question. I notice that you mix the egg whites together with everything but all the other macaroon recipes I read say to beat the egg whites separately and then slowly blend them in. Is there a difference between what you do and what ‘other recipes’ do? If so, what is it?
Anna — Just different techniques. Though, I’ve mostly seen meringue recipes that need the egg whites beaten separately. For macaroons, I’ve never found any reason to whip the eggs. They’re a chewy cookie.
I made these today with fresh cranberries instead of raspberries. Yum! The cranberries are much drier so instead of a pink wash you end up with red flecks – it has a bit of a candy cane look, which is appropriate since I made them for Christmas.
I used medium unsweetened coconut and 1 3/4 c of sugar (a little extra since cranberries are really tart). I don’t have a food processor big enough for everything, so I processed the coconut (half at a time) and then the cranberries by themselves, and used a hand mixer in a big bowl to combine everything.
They turned out crisp on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside – I’ve never made macaroons before but these turned out great! I’ll definitely do them again.
I love macaroons and am glad I came upon this recipe to try. My standard is to use shredded unsweetened coconut and to toast it lightly before adding it to the egg yolk/sugar/salt/vanilla mixture. They are also really forgiving, I can whip the egg mixture until just foamy or until really soft peaks and they still work well with just a slight change in texture. It is also quite simple to play with the amount of coconut, I use anywhere from 3 – 5 cups, depending on how light I want them. I am excited to try the addition of raspberry, great idea.
I had some coconut sugar hanging about so I decided to use that instead of white sugar. As long as you don’t mind tan colored cookies – it worked great. Nice contrast between the tart raspberry and sweet cookie. Plus all the benefits of coconut sugar :)
Made these for a gluten free friend and they were scrumptious. And they pair beautifully with wines! Had them with a Malbec — was heavenly! but then opened a bottle of Italian sparkling — not sure what but not Asti not prosecco but something that said Arosa? — and that was pure perfection.
For your sad bags of dried unsweetened coconut, I highly recommend Cooks Illustrated Coconut Cream Pie. The dried coconut is rejuvenated by soaking in a custard made with coconut milk. Will turn skeptics into coconut lovers.
This summer’s crop of homegrown raspberries will be our third, and I can hardly wait to make these!
Cannot wait to make these.
Did it mean to say this, ‘reducing the cough-inducing shreds with a thick paste to paste’?
Jes — Nope! Thanks for catching.
You’re killing me,Deb. You are my favorite go-to for creative recipes (especially desserts)! However, I have moved to Iceland where everything is at least twice as expensive as in the States so I cannot afford either a food processor or a KitchenAid (KAs are ~ $800 here). Can you offer alternatives sometimes to these devices ’cause I really want to make these bad boys.
Carole — I can offer alternatives depending on what the recipe is using it for. Here, the food processor is mostly grinding the flakes of coconut so they’re more fine/more like ground nuts and rough-chopping the raspberries. You don’t have to grind the coconut to make the macaroons; the recipe will work either way, the grinding just makes for a smoother texture. You can rough-chop the raspberries on a cutting board and just half-stir them in. Hope that helps.
Thanks for recipe, coconut is my favorite food and ingredient.
OMG!!!!I just made them and ate the first one. They are beyond awesome!!!!!So rich and soooo much flavor! Also, thank you for giving measurements for a good size portion, cause my family will have trouble only eating a few:))
Just made these for a friend who’s allergic to gluten and lactose. They turned out wonderfully! Love the chewy texture and raspberry flavour. I will be making these again and again, and not just for my friends with allergies.
I’ve made these a couple times this year for my family. My grandmother is on a low sodium diet (no salt, baking soda etc). These have been just perfect to make for her and everyone agrees that they are delicious (no salt needed!). For the 4th of July, I made some with blueberries as well as ones with raspberries and they turned out great. I just made them again for the holidays, they are a nice, fruity fresh balance to all the heavy spiced and butter cookies popular this time of year. Thank you!
Would coconut flour work, if I add the sugar you suggest for unsweetened coconut?
hi! i was wondering if i could add some kindof liquore to the recipie, just like and almond something?
eve — Maybe a tiny bit, but if too much, it will throw off the consistency.
Deb, which Cooks Illustrated macaroon recipe were you looking at? I’m only finding a “triple coconut” version that doesn’t use a food processor. (I’m curious because I’m interested in making these alongside a plain, non-raspberry macaroon…)
http://www.food.com/recipe/triple-coconut-macaroons-chocolate-dipped-coconut-macaroon-354651
Perfect. Just this morning, I was staring at the pint of organic raspberries in my fridge and thinking, “What can I do with those that’s not coulis. Again.” and POOF! this post appears on Facebook. Thank you, I can’t wait to try these!
They looks sooo delicious!!!!
PS. I just realized this post is actually from 4 years ago so you might not remember which Cooks Illustrated recipe you were looking at…
I’ve gone Paleo, so I am going to try these without sweetened coconut or the added sugar. I don’t like things too sweet anymore, but I love coconut and raspberries. I’ll let y’all know how they turn out :)
Tara — It’s okay, I found it! It’s this one. I find it remarkably easy and reliable; I use it still.
Hi Deb
This looks delicious and I’m making it for a friend who eats gluten free.
The references in the comments to a cooked coconut and egg white recipe comes from Alice medrich’s new classic coconut macaroons. They are made with unsweetened coconut chips, and they are delicious. They have a different consistency from yours obviously and no berries. I think my friends will love your version and they are so pretty. I love what you do. Thanks!
Hi Deb!
It’s Seri’s Auntie here. I made these today and subbed in blackberries. Also made a dark chocolate ganache drizzle which basically sent these babies over the top. My question is, I baked them for 30 minutes and let them cool completely. I still find that they are a bit sticky. Is is okay to leave them out on the counter overnight uncovered? Will they dry up a bit on the outside? Thank you! Xo
Hi Deb! Do you think these can be made ahead of passover and frozen? Would they hold up well if not frozen for too long? Thanks – you keep me inspired!
I just made these about an hour ago and they are fantastic, everyone loved them! I did use 1/2 c of sugar instead of 3/4 and it was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
These were delicious….but…..I found them to be very wet. Perhaps I pulsed the raspberries too much? I would love to make them again but wonder what I can do to make them less soggy, perhaps pulse the raspberries separately and the just gently fold them into ththe coconut batter. Any other suggestions?
I have made these several years in a row now, and they are delicious!
But this year I ran into the same problem as Jane above- each one was surrounded by a little puddle of (cooked, sticky) ooze, and both macaroon and ooze are totally stuck. When I try to take one about a third of it sticks to the foil (I always line my sheets with foil, so on the bright side I won’t have to try to remove all the sticky ooze which is now like a coating of hard candy…)
But I would like to know if you have any ideas on preventing this. I didn’t have a food processor, but the coconut was already tiny (that’s the style here in Denmark), and unsweetened- but I have used unsweetened before no issues. The only other possibly is I had a yolk burst while separating the whites so maybe some yolk got in??
Also
If you have ideas about how to get this year’s macaroons off the foil without losing a third of them– they are still just as tasty as ever and I don’t want to sacrifice any!
Wow, great recipe! My brother is allergic to both wheat and dairy, it makes it tough to bake for him when birthday time rolls around. I found this recipe while searching for ideas for this year. I followed the recipe to a T and then dipped in chocolate. Served with raspberry sorbet and a reisling, it was a festive and memorable celebration. Thank you for this post.
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Help Deb…I don’t have a food processor what do I do to substitute? Blender doesn’t seem right but don’t know what else to do… Thanks for your guidance!
The FP is mostly about grinding the shred into smaller bits. You can do it by hand, mix with a handmixer or whisk.
Thanks Deb will do… Suggest using shredded cocnut instead of flaked to mimic the result of the coconut with the processor?
I always thought the bagged flaked was more fine, but I guess I haven’t closely looked…
I only have unsweetened coconut in the house. Can you suggest how to make it work?
I have those unsweetened coconut chips (Amazon accident – I ended up with dozens of bags!). If we start with the grams of sweetened coconut as the guide, do I use that amount of unsweetened coconut, or some smaller amount since the sweetened is both coconut and sugar? Does that even make sense? Like maybe 300g coconut and 230g total sugar?
Just made these for a catering gig. I know they’ll be a hit.
Hi Deb.
I made these yesterday and they were a huge hit with the adults and kids in the house. They really are the perfect blend of sweet and tart. They’re beautiful too! (Definitely resist the urge to scrape down the sides of your food processor/over mix, because as the recipe states, they’re much lovelier with swirls of white and pink.)
Here’s my question: What’s the best way to store these? I put mine in an airtight container and left them out, but they seemed to get a little mushy.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Karen
I go for more of a loosely covered container, so it doesn’t trap too much moisture.
Thanks for your reply. I love your blog and books so much. You seem to post something every day that I want to make and actually do make and then actually make again because most of what you post is perfect. Thank you thank you thank you.
Hi Deb!
If I only have medium eggs, how many egg whites would you recommend I use?
Thank you so much!
So, 5 large = 5 to 6 medium eggs, so it’s hard to say how much more you’d need if your eggs are medium, if any. Half a white? If you throw in a whole extra, it probably won’t ruin anything though.
Have been making these for several years. They are a staple at our Seder dinner table. When we have extra egg whites in the house my husband gets this gleam in his eye and starts to whine “raspberry macaroons, raspberry macaroons….” I never liked macaroons because all I knew was the yukky stuff in the cans. These are phenomenal. And so easy to make! A real keeper.
ah shoot, i was having trouble commenting (kept getting an error to sign in) and forgot to click “i made this.” deb, can you delete my other identical comment so this ends up in the right tab? thanks!
just made these today – my mom requested i help her with only one of the three xmas cookie types we usually make so i wanted to audition a couple other things just because.
i have to be honest – i’ve never had a macaroon before that i can recall, mounds bars aside. so i can’t say how they compare to ‘regular’ macaroons, just that they are good :) i only have a mini food processor, so i did it in two batches, dumping them into one big bowl and stirring them together once finished. i also ran out of white sugar so had to use a little bit (prob 1/3rd the amount) of brown sugar. (i used the sweetened shredded coconut to start & the full 2/3c sugar called for.) they were a little on the sweet side…so…i dipped them in melted dark chocolate. i realize this seems both counterintuitive and like gilding the lily, but it worked for me!
i used a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop, and next time i might even make them smaller. i used foil to line my cookie sheet (i’m just afraid of paper in the oven!) and lots of pam and they still were a bit trying to pry up. none stuck or came apart, but just be aware they don’t slide right off like some other cookies do :) (if you do what i did anyway, of course, haha.)
thanks deb, for another super easy and super delicious recipe. and thanks everyone else for more ideas…i love the idea of using fresh cranberries! [& here’s a shot of them cooling]
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOYAtawDjhp/
My wife made these and they came out pretty well! Glad I found the recipe. I think my faves are still these salted caramel macs from Danny Macaroons: https://dannymacaroons.com/collections/coconut-macaroons/products/salted-caramel-macaroons Pretty much my favorite…you should try ’em if you haven’t!
Is OK if I did them in melted dark chocolate as I do with plain macaroons?! Cannot wait to make these!!! 😋
Can I use strawberries instead? Cant eat raspberries…
I cannot wait to make these! They’ll be perfect for my friends upcoming baby shower. They sound like the perfect combination of tart and sweet, plus they are so pretty! I think dark chocolate will definitely need to make an appearance though :)
What kind of chocolate do you dip them in?
I want to make these this summer.
I made these exactly as directed and they were perfection. Bloody love it when this happens!!!
I decided to make these for our Seder this year, breaking all of my husband’s family’s rules against raspberry anything (Raspberries are evil, everything must contain chocolate). So glad I did! These were the best macaroons ever – they disappeared, leaving the regular macaroons in a cloud of pink dust. I had to cook them a lot longer than the instructions say, however.
My trick for regular macaroons, which are pretty popular, is to cut out the sugar and evaporated milk from the recipe on the back of the package. Instead, I use about 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk for a 14 oz bag of coconut. With the sweetener in the condensed milk and the sugar in the coconut, the macaroons have a light sweetness without being cloying, and a good texture – give it a try sometime! This came about as a happy mistake – because I sent my husband out to buy evaporated milk. He came back with condensed and I didn’t feel like going back out.
Just made these and they are yummy!!! I plan to freeze them after they cool and hope they keep their beautiful moist texture!!
Do you think this would taste ok with blackberries, too? Looking for pink and blue cookies for a baby shower …
How do you suggest drizzling/dipping them in chocolate– coconut oil + chocolate? Ganache?
They will DEFINITLEY go over well at my meeting tomorrow night … !
Made these tonight- a really easy and delicious macaroon!! I only pulsed the fruit 5/6 times and it didn’t swirl like yours did but was still very pretty and I loved the raspberry flavor with the coconut. Drizzled with bittersweet chocolate because chocolate makes everything better. Thanks for such an easy and yummy dessert!!
Would frozen raspberries work here? The fresh ones are pretty pale and flavorless right now…
Sorry for the delayed response on this; yes, I’d just drain them well, the wetness would be the enemy.
Hi Deb,
Love your site! Is this recipe gluten free? It seems like it would be.
thanks,
Lorraine
It is.
Tasty, but they stuck horribly; the bottom of each one was left on the parchment paper. Maybe I should have sprayed with oil? I guess I probably won’t make these again, but if I do, I will definitely spray first!
This happened to me too! I managed to get them off by pouring a teeny tiny bit of water under the paper on the tray. I let them sit there for a couple of minutes and they came right off, no problem. Maybe it’s too much sugar in the type of coconut I picked? They had caramalized sugar rings around the bottom, which is why they stuck.
Hi Deb!
I have taken to using Trader Joe’s dehydrated raspberries (which I re-hydrated w a very scant 1/4 cup of water = definitely more than 1/8, but usually less than 1/4) in your pinwheel rugelach cookies because I have a daughter who demanded raspberries in the cookies. So I use the dry raspberries and raspberry jam. She is a sailor in the US Navy and her entire ship fights to get at these cookies. Just sayin :-))))
Question – since here in MA we have good raspberries only a few months a year, what do you think about using dehydrated raspberries in this recipe? Thanks.
I think it would work. Might bake faster. I’d probably grind them up first to make a powder.
I have a grandchild who is allergic to nuts and therefore cannot use almond extract. Can t substitute vanilla?
Yes.
Working out of a commercial kitchen, will this recipe work at all with frozen raspberries?
I have a recipe for coconut macaroons that everyone loves. Everyone but me. They are just too cloyingly sweet. So I tried making these last year for Passover. They are perfect little clouds of coconut and the raspberries cut the sweetness beautifully. I am making them again this year as I am hosting the first night this year. Thanks for this prefect little gem of a macaroon!
This is like a no-fail recipe where the whole time you make them you think you are failing! I have made these every year for the past five years. Each time they have turned out brilliant! But funnily enough each time the process of making and baking have been completely different. I follow the recipe exactly, weigh the coconut, measure out tablespoons of egg white from a carton and use an oven thermometer.
And here are some of my adventures:
-cooled them on the parchment on the tray for over an hour before I had any chance of removing them in one piece.
-squeezed the scoop of dough together with my fingers on the tray because the dough was so crumbly it would not form anything that looked like a cookie otherwise.
– had perfectly round cookies because the dough was very wet
– baked for 40 minutes until they were toasted and done
– baked for 20 minutes until they were toasted and done
– removed from tray easily but the parchment was a complete gooey sticky mess
This year:
– baked in EXACTLY 25 minutes,
– cookies came off in one piece immediately: no cooling, no spatula, just picked them up with my fingers. I can even reuse the the parchment!
I am starting to suspect that the differences are due to the dryness of the coconut.
Nevertheless, thank you Deb for creating the perfect recipe!
These were good but I’m not sure they’re really my thing. I love coconut and raspberries, but these were still very, very sweet. I’m not sure they need 2/3 cup of sugar on top of sweetened coconut. 13 pulses also completely pulverized my raspberries so next time I’ll try 10.
Deb, Happy Passover! I just made these for Seder and they look pretty but the coconut mixture seemed a bit dry and didn’t hold together well. Looking back at the recipe I wonder if the egg whites quantity be 5 instead of 3? It looks like you have 5 yolks in your photo.
I just made these for the second time and wanted to report that with using all unsweetened coconut, using a scant cup of sugar seemed to be just about perfect. I may even reduce it more to 3/4c next time… Admittedly I don’t love things super sweet, but I think they would be pleasantly if not perfectly sweet enough to most with just the cup of sugar! These are beautiful and delicious!
Definitely looking forward to trying these. A note on using unsweetened coconut (which I prefer)- I whip my egg whites to about medium peaks before lightly folding them with the coconut. It creates a nice chewy meringue like macaroon that doesn’t feel like biting shards of glass and helps them keep their shape. Highly recommend giving it a try that way if you want to keep the sweetness in check! I will also be processing my coconut in conjunction with my whipped egg whites now too!
These are amazing the next day! They were really good the first day but the second day… wow! It’s worth remembering to make them the day before you “need” them. Ours werent as pretty since we didnt have an ice cream scooper to get that nice rounded shape, but still oh so yumm!
Have you ever tried Aquafaba (chickpea ‘water’) as a substitute for egg whites? If so, how did you like it?
Have you tried different berries? Was thinking about doing half pink and half blue (with blueberries) for a baby shower. Think it would work?
I haven’t but I’d expect it to work. The only thing I’d caution is that the color of uncooked blueberry puree isn’t very … blue. Perhaps grab some blackberries and do a little mix to get the hue you want.
these are perfect as written. but today i got creative and swapped 6oz of fresh ripe mango, cut into small bits and they turned out delicious, fun and festive. I also accidentally let a yolk get into the mixer and they still turned out great (although a little more golden) so take heart if you’re a butter fingers like me!
These were PHENOMENAL and a big hit with the large crowd that I prepared them for. My food processor died, so I used a blender and it worked ok, but mixed the raspberries in by hand because I used frozen (thawed and drained) and they were so soft. Multiple requests by people for the recipe. A KEEPER!!!! Thank you!!
Is it possible to omit the almond extract (my son is allergic) or do you have a suggestion for something else? Vanilla? Thank you
Hi Deb,
If I don’t have a food processor will a blender do the trick?
Thanks!
Deb, I’m an idiot and even though I read through preamble before trying the recipe, I missed the part where you said a 14 oz bag of coconut is about 5 cups in volume (4 in your case). I used 14 fluid oz, so less than 2 cups of coconut and my “dough” was a soupy mess and I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong. I just dumped more coconut in, but definitely not enough. My macaroons were still delicious, if not a bit too sweet, but now I’m excited to try this recipe again tomorrow with the correct amount of coconut!! Thanks for the recipe. :)
Made these a few years ago and they were a HIT, so tried again for a group of special visitors this weekend. I don’t have a food processor anymore, so I used my Vitamix blender to blend the coconut in small batches – used a 3 setting and blended for about 20-30 seconds. Then I put the blended coconut in a bowl, and used my immersion blender for the rest. There was a bit of “flying coconut” as I mixed in the sugar, but all in all, it worked fine! I barely blended the fresh raspberries when I put them in, and then gently combined with a rubber spatula to leave some of the white, which I think does make them prettier. :) ALSO, I always used unsweetened coconut, and only add half the amount of sugar. The berries add plenty of sweetness – they turned out GREAT once again – Thanks Deb!!
I’ll use xylitol as alternative low carb sweetener.
Very good, I’II do it. thank you!
These are super moist in the middle! I didn’t have raspberries so ran a package of freeze dried strawberries through the food processor first. And used vanilla extract instead of almond. No white/pink streaks, but delicious!
What if I used freeze dried berries (ie like the ones from trader joe’s)? Would that change anything?
Would work fine, I bet. They don’t need as long to bake because they don’t add wetness, of course. I’d grind them up first.
these are so good. I’ve made them every year since you posted the recipe. I dip the bottoms in dark chocolate, but leave some plain for my chocolate hating son (the horror!)
happy passover!
I love these! I make them every year thank you! If you do do you put chocolate drizzle on before or after?
I made this in high school. I recently got back into this blog (I’m now 23!) and remembered making these and finally figured out where I got the recipe! I think I didn’t strain the raspberries so their seeds made the macaroons pretty difficult to eat. Unless I used another type of fruit with seeds… can’t remember. But I loved making them, so fun. I want to invest in a food processor to do it again!
I have been making these for years and they are so delicious! I’ve always used unsweetened coconut flakes and just did today again. Although this time I did not increase the called-for sugar and they turned out perfectly again! Before I have increased it slightly with great results. But am pleasantly surprised that it tasted . plenty sweet without increasing the amount. I tasted the “dough” after adding the initial sugar just in case – and again after it was blended with the berries – and I think it’s perfect. Just in case anyone is considering the same, seems like it works just fine!
These are delicious! However, there is no way you can get 50 cookies out of this recipe. I struggled for 30. But, all in all a very, easy, tasty recipe.
These are SO GOOD! I’ve never been a macaroons girl because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and most macaroons are just coconut flavored sugar, but the tangy raspberries were a perfect addition to the yummyness of coconut! I used vanilla because I was too lazy to go buy almond extract and had to do an awkward 3/4ths recipe calculation since I only had 300 g of coconut and they still came out absolutely delicious!
Do you think I could use a blender? My food processor is too small!
You might be able to. But you could also do it in two batches and mix it in a bowl. Or, you could leave the coconut intact (it still works, just a little longer strands) and hand-chop the raspberries, mixing everything by hand.
Have you ever tried with aquafaba. I recently failed miserably and turned my macaroonish crumbles into fur on an Easter bunny cake. But I want to share the joy of the coconut macaroon with my egg allergic kids…Any tips?
So, I haven’t made sweetened condensed milk macaroons before, I but I know they’re popular. They don’t use eggs. Here’s one recipe — again, I haven’t vetted it. I’d look at a few and you’ll get an idea of standard proportions. Then maybe try blending raspberries in, but I’d try without them first, just to get the hang of it.
These look divine. I have a freezer full of raspberries from the garden. Am I asking for a watery mess if I use those instead of fresh?
Maybe scratch this question…one responded that they used still frozen with success and you mentioned defrosting and draining. Hmm. Might have to experiment.
So, just made these this morning. I blended frozen raspberries, not defrosted. I needed to cook them quite a bit longer and I would recommend getting that bottom pretty toastsed and crunchy. I pulled the first batch out too early. They are a bit too sweet for me so I drizzled some melted very bittersweet chocolate over the top. I think next time I would use unsweetened coconut with the given amount of sugar. I think the raspberry flavor will come through more. But, I will definitely make these again. Made about 30 cookies with a smallish scoop. Thanks for the oh so pretty grain free recipe!
ove the blended raspberry idea — brilliant! I won’t be able to resist dipping those little beauties in white chocolate, however. :)
can i use another berry? black or blue perhaps?
What if you don’t have a food processor – I only have a mixer
Wondering the same!
I must admit I can’t think of anything sweet I’d rather have than a cup of coffee and a coconut macaroon. I can’t handle the seeds from raspberries or strawberries, so I will try blueberries in this recipe. Hopefully it will work. Love, ❤️ love, love, this fruity idea in macaroons!
These sounds yummy! I’ve searched through many of the comments below because I didn’t want my question to have been asked already. I saw that it is NOT recommended to use frozen raspberries ( although someone patted them dry and it worked) & that dehydrated berries do work. My question is: if I use raspberry jelly and eliminate the sugar, will the recipe work. Due to CoVID 19, I’m trying to limit going out for shopping and delivery is almost non existent. I have plenty of Raspberry jelly and thought to use this. Please let me know since you’re the Expert Baker! Thanx!
I don’t think it will work the same, but it might still taste nice. Use less, I’d think.
I made these a few days ago to have on the first night of Passover. They were beautiful and delicious. Mine were much larger than those shown in the photos, so I guess I didn’t scoop them properly. Nevertheless, we liked them. And as a nod to a relative who always dipped them in chocolate, I coated them lightly with melted bittersweet chocolate. So good!
I’m sure I’m not the first to have done this, but we drizzled semi-sweet chocolate on top of each, and WOW!
Other points, we had to sweeten our unsweetened coconut…be sure to let that dry thoroughly. The raspberries also need to be very dry. Patting dry may not be dry enough. Ours had too much moisture, so the cookies were not uniform and the raspberries blended too quickly to give the marbles look. That said, they were still delicious!
I just did a pantry inventory and found six bags (!) of various kinds of coconut, so I looked on your site for something I could do about my apparent obsession. These were easy and absolutely delicious! I used frozen berries and they turned out great. Thank you so much for always, always, always having something easy and appetizing.
Too sweet, I agree with the other commenter, I would use unsweetened flaked coconut. I’m surprised by this – as this is not a complaint I typically have with SK recipes.
They look delicious! Can I use frozen raspberries too? Thanks, Christinr
I don’t know why I put off making macaroons for so long. I think I assumed they’d involve making meringue, which I still haven’t mastered. But these are both super easy and super delicious! I accidentally scooped mine a little bigger and yielded about 25, but 30 mins still cooked them perfectly. Thanks!
Hi Deb, these look amazing and I would love make and send them to a friend for her birthday. Do you think would ship well???
Hi Deb- could these be made with frozen raspberries? Thank you!
Yes; I wouldn’t defrost them.
Any ideas for egg white substitute to make vegan?
What is the best way to store these?
Room temperature or in the fridge; either works.
I made a half recipe and even smaller bite size cookies, as I have a small food processor. These cookies are perfection! Thank you will be recommending it for everyone .
These were amazing. Thank you
Delish Deb. Thanks again for a great recipe!
I was looking for a way to use the freeze dried raspberry powder that I bought and these worked great, I used about 40g and got nice raspberry flavor. I got 36 cookies using a #50 scoop and think the chocolate is a must. Loved how easy these were and thought they were even better the next day.
I made these with unsweetened shredded coconut and they did not need the extra sugar! I’d love to try them again with your recommended amount. So tasty and beautiful! Happy Mother’s Day!
Not a fan of these or maybe I did something wrong. Used fresh, completely dry raspberries from the garden but they were quite ripe. Mixing up the batter was no problem – I used a food processor to do the coconut and sugar as instructed but hand mixed the rest with a whisk as Deb mentioned this worked in an earlier comment. Seemed great!
However, from here, it was not great. A red puddle of goo assembled around each macaroon base when cooking. It also took longer than the written time for mine to begin to brown, so this liquid goo began to harden like candy and begin to brown the fastest. Quite unattractive.
As far as taste goes, they were really soft and moist. The bottoms were quite brown but a gooey sugary layer (with an unappealing brown ring from the goo) and the rest was chewy and soft. The flavor was too much… Out of six people I fed this to, not one of us liked it. We all loved the classic shortbread though that I made alongside this, will be making those again! But this macaroon recipe will sadly not be a repeat for me.
Thoughts on trying these with fresh cranberries for a Christmas cookie?
Update: the cranberries were delightful! I made half of batch plain, which tasted pretty plain so I covered those with white chocolate. The cranberries added a nice flavor, which I drizzled just a decorative amount of white chocolate on. The chocolate version is still my favorite though. Those are really yummy.
I realize that I’m a little late to the party with my comment, but I just made a test batch for an upcoming Seder to which I’m invited and they are fabulous! Unfortunately I may not be able to freeze them as my husband and I are eating them at a really fast clip. Followed your instructions exactly – no substitutions and 13 pulses on the food processor.
Can these beauties be made in advance and frozen until day of use?
I haven’t frozen them, but I’d expect them to freeze just fine.
Wow. These turned out amazing! Just wow!!!
Can you use frozen raspberries?
Thank you for this great recipe!
I used unsweetened coconut and added 190g brown sugar, and for my taste the cookies turned out quite sweet so next time I’ll try with maybe 150g. Also as it’s now quite the season for raspberries in Europe and since I didn’t have any frozen ones either, I used frozen red and black currants instead. Worked like a charm, the cookies are super soft and moist inside.
My granddaughter has a metabolic disease and has a limited diet. These dairy free macaroons were perfect. your recipe for rice crispy treats made with a dairy substitute butter were fabulous and i can’t figure out why considering the substitution. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Deb,
I know this is REALLY last minute and I’m sure you’re up to your eyeballs right now but I have a question. These macaroons look fabulous and would love to use the batter to bake them in a cake pan (it’s my daughter’s bday).
What do you think?
They work with frozen raspberries!!! I tried it and they are perfect! Do NOT overmix – I would have liked a little more white.
That’s great news. Thank you
You’d have to make these pretty tiny to get 50ish cookies. I got 27. I would up the salt a touch. (Did the heaping of kosher salt.)
Excellent! I could only find unsweetened coconut so iadded sugar. I nearly doubled it but think you can get away with using 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra and still love these.
Deb is right! Do not over mix! The moisture from the raspberries if too mixed (fully pink) makes these a little too wet. They taste great but aren’t as pretty!
In our relatively secular house the Pesach go-tos are cinnamon balls, coconut pyramids and almond macaroons, all from Evelyn Rose; the macaroons are mostly just sweet, but they are my mum’s favourite so special to me for that reason. The coconut pyramids are a nightmare to shape but they have lemon zest and juice added so are delicious. I’d never thought of making macaroons from coconut so will definitely give these a go this year. (We added your matzo crackers to the list a few years ago too.)
Is there a big difference in this recipe between flaked and shredded coconut?
They’ll work the same here.
Thank you! If I weren’t sick I’d be making them right now!
Made these with blackberries, and since I used sweetened coconut, I reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup. They worked like a dream, and taste even better! I love the tartness of the berry to cut through the sweetness.
One thing – it’s a mystery to me how Deb got a yield of 50 cookies! I used my smallest cookie scoop and got 28. I’d make two batches of the “dough” next time, if I wanted a yield closer to 50.
Another winner! Made these along with the Dark Chocolate Macaroons. These are so fresh and YUM! Reminds me a bit of the Sno-ball snack balls or the raspberry Zinger cakes of my youth. But better, of course! Thank you for the recipe :)
Oh! And I used my #50 scoop and the batch made 30 cookies.
How would the macaroons be if you subbed vanilla extract for almond extract during Passover?
They’d still be delicious.
I can’t wait to try these! My scoop is a #40, so about double the #70. Any thoughts on baking time adjustment or do I need to go buy myself a #70 scoop?
No, just bake them longer.
If I use unsweetened coconut can I just add more sugar?
I was 100% instagram influenced today to make these for dinner and they were as delicious – and quick – as promised. Going in the regular Pesach rotation.
DELICIOUS! I couldn’t get any raspberries that weren’t ridiculously expensive, but I did have some frozen blackberries so I used them. I thawed them a bit and patted them dry and they worked great. The berries disintegrated pretty quickly so the cookies were mostly blue, but the taste is spectacular. I don’t even really like macaroons but these are going on my regular Passover rotation. Thanks!
I don’t like the mushy/soggy texture. Flavor is fantastic, they are lovely, came together so fast, but I am not a fan of this mushiness. I did cook them five minutes longer than suggested, and still they are gooey. And day two is even worse. Any suggestions? I’d love a tweak, because the flavor combination is wonderful and they look stunning.
Long time fan here! I’ve made many of your recipes over the years, but this will be a new one for Passover this year. Might be a silly question, but if you freeze these, how do you defrost? Just let them sit at room temp for a few hours?