These Greek coconut macaroons with cherries are soft and fluffy inside, with lightly golden edges and a delicate vanilla flavor. Made with shredded coconut, eggs, and a few simple ingredients, these traditional-style coconut cookies are piped into beautiful rosettes and topped with a cherry before baking.
Greek Coconut Macaroons with Cherries
28
servings20
minutes15
minutes145
kcal35
minutesEasy Greek coconut macaroons. These soft, fluffy coconut cookies are shaped into rosettes, decorated with candied cherries, and baked until lightly golden. A classic homemade sweet that’s perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
5 5 Large Eggs
230 g 1 cup +2 1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
270 g 3 cups Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
50 g 3 1/2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
50 g 1/3 cup +1 tbsp Self-rising Flour
2 2 Vanilla Powder Capsules
1 pinch 1 pinch Salt
Candied or glacé cherries, for decorating
Recipe directions
- Place a saucepan over low to medium-low heat.
- Add the sugar and eggs.
- Whisk continuously until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Keep the heat gentle and do not allow the mixture to boil or the eggs to scramble.
- Add the butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Continue stirring with a whisk until the butter has melted completely.
- Add the desiccated coconut.
- Switch to a spatula and stir until the coconut is evenly incorporated into the mixture.
- Add the self-rising flour.
- Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are combined into a thick coconut mixture.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Transfer the coconut mixture to a bowl and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Remove the mixture from the freezer.
- Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pipe the mixture into individual rosettes, leaving a little space between them.
- Rinse the candied cherries to remove excess syrup.
- Drain and pat them dry.
- Place one cherry, or half a cherry depending on its size, in the center of each coconut rosette.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 355°F using conventional top-and-bottom heat for approximately 15-17 minutes, until the coconut macaroons are set and lightly golden.
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What are Greek coconut macaroons?
They are traditional-style coconut sweets made with shredded coconut, eggs, sugar, and flavorings. They are often piped into rosettes and decorated with candied cherries.
Are coconut macaroons the same as French macarons?
No. Coconut macaroons are made primarily with coconut, while French macarons are delicate almond-based sandwich cookies.
Can I use sweetened shredded coconut?
Unsweetened desiccated coconut is recommended because the recipe already contains sugar. Sweetened coconut will make the cookies noticeably sweeter.
Why do I need to chill the mixture?
Chilling helps the mixture firm up so it can be piped into rosettes more easily.
Can I make the macaroons without a piping bag?
Yes. You can shape the mixture into small mounds using two spoons, although they won’t have the same decorative appearance.
Can I omit the cherries?
Yes. The cherries are used for decoration and can be omitted without changing the coconut mixture.
Why did my coconut macaroons turn out dry?
They may have been baked too long or made with coconut that absorbs more moisture than expected. Keep a close eye on them during the final minutes of baking.
Can I use regular flour instead of self-rising flour?
Self-rising flour is recommended for the original recipe. If substituting all-purpose flour, you would also need an appropriate amount of baking powder.