3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons with condensed milk and egg whites, a super simple and delicious dessert that is quick and easy to make, and ready in well under half an hour. It's a scrumptious flourless and gluten-free dessert that can be whipped up in no time, and it's perfect for every occasion.

There might be some confusion between the terms macaroons, which are these beauties made with desiccated / shredded coconut, and macarons, which are really delicate cookies made with almond flour and sandwiched together with a filling.

I tried to make macarons once, and although they were quite good, I decided they were too fiddly and time consuming, and not quite worth all the effort. On the other hand, these coconut macaroons are way easier to make and require minimal prep and effort.

And if I tell you that they can be made with only 3 ingredients, you can get an idea why I prefer them. I do love 3-ingredient goodies, and my 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies, 3-Ingredient Nutellas-Stuffed Nutella Cookies and 3-Ingredient Banana Brownies have always been very popular on the blog.

Traditionally macaroons aren't made with condensed milk, but with egg whites and sugar. Using sweetened condensed milk means that there is no need to add any more sugar, and the macaroons are sweet enough.

Jump to:

• Ingredients used
• Easy tweaks
• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Why the recipe works
• Expert tips
• Other coconut desserts
• 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients used

• desiccated coconut - or shredded coconut, it's usually easy to find in the baking section of any large supermarket
• sweetened condensed milk - the unsweetened one does not work here, as we use it instead of refined sugar
• egg whites - from large eggs

Easy tweaks

I do love the simplicity of this recipe, but you can, of course, go fancier with the macaroons by adding any extract of your choice: vanilla or almond being some good choices here.

You can also melt some chocolate and dip the bottom of the macaroons in once they are cool, let it set, then drizzle some melted chocolate over the top too - the chocolate can be milk, dark or even white.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

• preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (340 Fahrenheit, 140 fan oven)
• in a mixing bowl, add the egg whites and use a hand mixer to beat them well until you get stiff peaks
• in a separate bowl, add the desiccated coconut and condensed milk, and mix well
• use a spatula to gently fold the egg whites in and get a lighter, airy texture
• line 2 baking trays with non-stick paper, and use 2 spoons or an ice cream scoop to scoop out mixture ( see photo 6)
• bake for 15-18 minutes or until nicely golden

Why the recipe works

• it's failproof - literally, there is very little that can go wrong - you only need to make sure the mixture is the right consistency for baking
• the recipe requires only 3 ingredients
• it's quick - out of the oven in less than 20 minutes
• can be made with leftover egg whites - so many recipes call for egg yolks only, so this is a great recipe if you want to use the egg whites

Expert tips

Make sure the coconut mixture is not sloppy, or the macaroons will spread in the oven, if you think it's not firm enough to be scooped, add more desiccated coconut.

I flattened mine a little bit, to ensure a quicker, even baking, and that worked a treat - perfect macaroons, with a light and airy texture, and a divine coconut flavour.

Other coconut desserts

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