Kokosmakronen (German Coconut Macaroons)

What Are Kokosmakronen?

Kokosmakronen (German Coconut Macaroons) are a classic German Christmas cookie recipe and one of my childhood favorites!

Reasons You’ll Love Them

• Only 3 simple ingredients needed!
• These are easy to make! No rolling, cutting or fancy decorating skills needed.
• They keep well which makes them the perfect make ahead treat and great for gifting.
• This flourless cookie is a delicious gluten free option! (as long as you don’t use the baking wafers on the bottom that is!)

Ingredients You’ll Need

The basic version of this German Coconut Macaroon recipe only needs 3 simple ingredients! Or feel free to add in one or more of the optional flavor additions.

• Egg whites: Egg whites play a vital role in these cookies since they are essentially a coconut meringue macaroon. I use the egg whites from 4 large eggs.
• Sugar: I use organic cane sugar.
• Shredded coconut: Make sure to use the unsweetened type.
• Optional Flavor Add-Ins: You can also add one or a combo of the following for some additional flavor (cinnamon, almond extract, vanilla). I have tried every variation and they are all delicious!
• Oblaten (optional): I like to use the 50 mm Back Oblaten (baking wafers).

What are oblaten?

Oblaten are thin, round tasteless baking wafers. They are often used to form the base of a variety of German cookies like these Kokosmakronen. Oblaten are more difficult to find in North America but I have found them in German or European specialty shops around Christmas and on Amazon. They help to keep delicate cookies like this together and from sticking to your baking sheet. However, you can also make these Kokosmakronen without them by simply scooping small mounds of the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Special Equipment You’ll Need

I highly recommend the following two pieces of special equipment:

• Mixer: Either a stand mixer with whisk attachment or a hand mixer. Because beating egg whites until stiff by hand is just a crazy type of torture in my opinion!
• Digital Kitchen Scale: I highly recommend weighing dry ingredients like the coconut in this recipe using a kitchen scale. It’s the only way to achieve accurate and consistent results every time. Not to mention, it’s so much easier and no mess! I use this Escali kitchen scale but you can also find others on Amazon (some for under $10).

How To Make Kokosmakronen

These German coconut macaroons are really easy to make! Before we get started, preheat the oven to 300F / 150C and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. If using the oblaten (baking wafers), lay them out on the prepared sheets leaving a bit of space between them. Now let’s start baking!

STEP 1: Using a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and any optional flavor add-ins while beating continuously. Continue beating until stiff peaks form (they stand straight up when the beaters are lifted).

STEP 2: Gently fold in the shredded coconut using a rubber spatula.

STEP 3: Place small scoops of the batter (approx. a heaping tablespoon amount) on the oblaten or directly onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets. You can place the little heaps of batter down with the help of two teaspoons or my preference is to scoop up a small amount of the batter with a spoon and then use my finger to slide the mixture off the spoon and shape.

STEP 4: Bake for 15-20 minutes or until only very lightly colored on the outside. Bake one sheet at a time. Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Possible Variations

• Drizzle with chocolate: These coconut macaroons are delicious and beautiful drizzled with some melted chocolate.
• Toast the coconut: For a more intense coconut flavor, you can first lightly toast the shredded coconut before continuing on with the recipe.
• Add lemon juice: Some variations also include 1 tablespoon of lemon juice when the sugar is being beaten into the egg whites.
• Make a half batch: This recipe also works well when cut in half. Perfect for when you just want a smaller batch of cookies or when you have a few egg whites to use up after making a recipe that calls for yolks.

Tips For Success

Here are a few tips to help you achieve the perfect Kokosmakronen.

• Don’t overbake! You don’t want them to get too dark or they will dry out. Bake them just long enough so that they are only very lightly colored on the outside but still moist on the inside.
• Beat egg whites until stiff! To achieve the stiff peaks, make sure both the bowl and beaters are very clean and that no bits of egg yolk fall in with the whites. Oils and fats prevent egg whites from beating up properly. If a bit of egg yolk happens to fall in, just lift it out with the empty eggshell half. Letting the egg whites come to room temperature before whipping can also help them whip up more easily.
• Use a kitchen scale! For the best results, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to measure dry ingredients. Not only does weighing ingredients guarantee accuracy and consistent results but it is also quicker, easier and way less messy!

A Few Questions Answered

More German Cookie Recipes

Here are some more delicious German cookie recipes to try!

• Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies)
• 15 German Cookie Recipes You Need To Try

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