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Not to be confused with the French macaron (the colorful, delicate sandwich cookies made with almond flour and buttercream), macaroons (pronounced ma-ka-ROONS) are something else entirely. Ours are made with coconut, egg whites, almonds, and a drizzle of melted chocolate. They are chewy, sweet, naturally gluten-free, and nothing like macarons. If you’ve ever mixed up the two at a bakery, you are not alone – but once you make these, you’ll never confuse them again.

We love to make these cookies at Christmastime as a lighter option to mix in with all the holiday treats. When your cookie tray already has ricotta cookies, Italian sprinkle cookies, and Italian wedding cookies, the macaroons add something completely different – a chewy, coconut-forward cookie with a whole almond on top and a drizzle of dark chocolate that looks elegant and tastes incredible. They stand out visually on the tray and they’re always one of the first to go.

The fact that these are naturally gluten-free is an added bonus. There is no flour in this recipe at all – just egg whites, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, coconut flakes, almonds, and chocolate chips. That makes them perfect for anyone avoiding gluten, but they are so good that everyone eats them, gluten-free or not. Nobody picks up a macaroon and thinks “this is a gluten-free cookie.” They just think “this is a delicious cookie.”

These macaroons are also incredibly easy to make and don’t take very long. The batter comes together in about 5 minutes, they bake for 20 minutes, and the chocolate drizzle takes another 5 minutes once they’ve cooled. Start to finish, you can have a batch of 20 to 25 macaroons done in under 30 minutes. They can be made anytime of the year, but they’re especially nice during the holiday season when you want something quick to add to your baking lineup.

What Makes Italian Macaroons Different

Italian macaroons are simpler and less fussy than the versions you find in most American bakeries. A lot of macaroon recipes call for sweetened condensed milk, which makes them very sweet and very dense. Ours use beaten egg whites as the binder instead, which creates a lighter, airier texture while still being chewy in the center. The egg whites get beaten until foamy – not stiff peaks like a meringue, just foamy – and then the coconut gets folded in. This gives the macaroons structure without making them heavy.

The almond on top is not just decorative. It adds a satisfying crunch that contrasts with the soft, chewy coconut interior. The almond extract in the batter echoes that flavor throughout the whole cookie, so the almond on top feels intentional rather than random. Almonds and coconut are a classic combination in Italian and Sicilian baking – you see them paired together in everything from Sicilian granita to traditional pastries.

The chocolate drizzle is the finishing touch. We melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzle them over the tops of the cooled macaroons. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll also dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the melted chocolate in addition to drizzling some over the top. The extra chocolate on the bottom adds richness and makes them feel a little more special. Just make sure the macaroons are completely cooled before drizzling or dipping in chocolate, or it won’t set properly.

What You Need

Egg whites: Four egg whites. These are the binder and the structure of the macaroons. You want them at room temperature for the best volume when beating. Separate the eggs carefully – even a small bit of yolk will prevent the whites from foaming properly. Save the yolks for another use (they’re great in our cannoli filling or for enriching pasta dough).

Sugar: Half a cup of granulated sugar. This dissolves into the beaten egg whites and sweetens the batter. It’s less sugar than you’d find in most American macaroon recipes, which tend to be cloyingly sweet. Ours lets the coconut and almond flavors come through.

Vanilla extract: One teaspoon. A warm, aromatic base that pairs beautifully with the coconut.

Almond extract: Half a teaspoon. This ties the whole almond on top to the flavor inside the cookie. Almond extract is potent, so half a teaspoon is plenty – you want a hint of almond, not a marzipan bomb.

Coconut flakes: Four and three-quarter cups. This is the bulk of the cookie. Use unsweetened coconut flakes if you can find them – the sugar in the batter provides all the sweetness you need. If you can only find sweetened, they’ll still work but the cookies will be sweeter overall. Look for flakes rather than shredded coconut – the flakes give a better texture.

Whole almonds: Half a cup – one for the top of each macaroon. Use raw or lightly toasted whole almonds. They add a beautiful visual element and a satisfying crunch when you bite in.

Semi-sweet chocolate chips: A quarter cup, melted for drizzling (and dipping, if you want to go all in). Semi-sweet gives you richness without being too bitter or too sweet.

How to Make Italian Coconut Macaroons

Beat the egg whites. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until the whites are foamy, about 2 minutes. You’re not going for stiff peaks here – just foamy and well combined with the sugar and extracts.

Fold in the coconut. Add the coconut flakes to the bowl and fold them in gently with a spatula until everything is evenly coated with the egg white mixture. The batter will be soft and seem like it wants to fall apart – that’s completely normal. Don’t worry about it holding its shape perfectly at this point. When they bake, the egg whites will bind the mixture all together.

Shape and top with almonds. Drop the mixture by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each mound. Gently shape them into rounded mounds with your fingers if they’re too flat. Press one whole almond into the top of each mound. The almond will stay in place as the macaroon bakes and firms up around it.

Bake. Bake for 20 minutes. The macaroons should be lightly golden on the edges and tops, but still soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool. Don’t overbake – you want them chewy inside, not dry and crunchy throughout. Transfer to cooling racks and let them cool completely.

Drizzle with chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each one, until smooth. Using a fork or a small spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the tops of the cooled macaroons in a zigzag pattern. If you want to go the extra mile, dip the bottoms of each macaroon into the melted chocolate before drizzling the tops – it adds another layer of richness and looks beautiful when you see the chocolate peeking out from underneath. Allow the chocolate to harden completely before serving or storing, about 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature or 5 minutes in the fridge.

Tips for Perfect Coconut Macaroons

Don’t worry about the batter being soft. Before baking, the coconut mixture will be loose and seem like it’s going to fall apart on the baking sheet. This is normal. The egg whites act as a binder as they cook, and the macaroons will hold together beautifully once they come out of the oven. Resist the urge to press them together too tightly – a little looseness gives them a better texture.

Cool completely before adding chocolate. If the macaroons are even slightly warm when you drizzle or dip them in chocolate, the chocolate won’t set properly. It will melt into the coconut and get absorbed rather than forming a clean drizzle on top. Patience here makes all the difference.

Use coconut flakes, not shredded. Coconut flakes are wider and give the macaroons a better, more rustic texture. Finely shredded coconut can make the cookies too dense and compact. If you can only find shredded, they’ll still work, but flakes are the better choice.

Separate your eggs cleanly. Even a tiny bit of egg yolk in the whites will prevent them from foaming properly. Crack each egg into a small bowl first, then transfer the whites to your mixing bowl. This way, if a yolk breaks, you haven’t ruined your whole batch of whites.

Dip the bottoms too. If you want to take these up a notch, dip the bottoms of each cooled macaroon into the melted chocolate in addition to drizzling the tops. It adds richness, it looks elegant when someone picks one up, and honestly – can you have too much chocolate? I think not.

Storing and Serving

Once the chocolate has fully set, store the macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They also freeze well for up to two months – place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag with wax paper between layers. They thaw in about 20 minutes at room temperature.

These macaroons are a wonderful addition to any Italian-American holiday cookie tray. They bring something completely different in both flavor and texture – chewy coconut against the soft, frosted cookies and the buttery, powdered ones that make up the rest of the spread. Paired with our ricotta cookies, Italian sprinkle cookies, and Italian wedding cookies, you have a four-cookie tray that covers every flavor and texture anyone could want.

They also make a beautiful homemade gift. The chocolate drizzle and the almond on top give them a polished, bakery look that impresses people, but they take almost no effort to make. Layer them in a small box or tin between sheets of wax paper and tie it with a ribbon. People will think you spent hours in the kitchen, and you absolutely do not need to tell them otherwise.

We make these every year alongside the rest of our holiday baking, and they always earn their spot on the tray. They’re different, they’re delicious, and they’re naturally gluten-free without trying to be. That’s the best kind of cookie – the kind that just happens to be good for everyone at the table.

This Italian Coconut Macaroons recipe is from our family cookbook, Roots of Sicily. It has 167 authentic Sicilian recipes and 139 family stories passed down through four generations – from quick holiday cookies like these to elaborate multi-course feasts.