These naturally gluten-free caramel coconut macaroon thumbprints are sweet, moist, and chewy, with a delightfully crisp and toasty exterior. Classic macaroons are quick and easy (no dough chilling required!), and come together with just a few simple ingredients. This upgraded version features a delicious pool of homemade salted caramel, a drizzle of melted chocolate, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Perfection.
One reader, Becca, commented: “So chewy, so delicious, so EASY!!! I love these cookies and I’ve never made them before today. I love the contrast with the caramel, chocolate, and salt. Will definitely make again!! ★★★★★”
Have you ever made coconut macaroons? When done right, coconut macaroons taste like the irresistible coconut center of an Almond Joy or Mounds bar. Sweet, moist, and tons of texture! They’re a favorite in my collection of naturally gluten-free dessert recipes.
I also include a variation in my cookbook Sally’s Cookie Addiction, and a chocolate version is tucked inside those pages, too!
While the classic macaroon is delightful all on its own, today’s recipe features ooey-gooey salted caramel. Coconut + caramel + chocolate… these sweet caramel coconut macaroon thumbprints are sure to become your new favorite version of the humble cookie!
Why You’ll Love These Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints
- Just 5 ingredients in the base recipe
- No cookie dough chilling required
- Make-ahead friendly
- Naturally gluten free
- Like the Girl Scout Caramel Delite, only without the cookie layer!
While you can (and should) enjoy macaroons year round, I especially love these in the springtime; the thumbprint version is shaped like a little nest. Feel free to add a few jelly beans to the middles like we do for these jelly bean sugar cookies!
3 Notes About the Main Ingredient, Coconut:
- Use Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Sweetened coconut is extremely moist and a little sticky, which is exactly what you want. Unsweetened coconut could work, but it’s very dry and you may need to increase the egg whites and add more sugar. For best results, use sweetened.
- Amount: You may need to buy 2 packages of coconut, but you won’t use all of the second package. You need 17 ounces (481g) of sweetened shredded coconut, which is a standard (in the U.S.) 14-ounce (396g) package plus an additional 1 cup (85g) of coconut.
- Chop It/Pulse It: Pulse the coconut shreds in the food processor to chop up the pieces. Why? Finer pieces of coconut keep the macaroon thumbprints compact and help hold the shape better. I give it about 15 quick pulses. If you don’t have a food processor, spread the coconut out on a cutting board and give it all a rough chop.
Other Ingredients You Need:
- Sugar: We’re using white granulated sugar to sweeten the macaroons.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: The flavor enhancers all cookies need!
- Eggs: 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites bind everything together.
It’s a pretty short and simple list! We’ll add the caramel and chocolate drizzle after baking.
How to Make Macaroon Thumbprints
Even though the process for making caramel coconut macaroon thumbprints is simple, I want to walk you through a few steps so you feel confident when it’s your turn in the kitchen.
Beat the egg and egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract together until foamy and the sugar is mostly dissolved. The trick here is to not over-beat the egg whites—this should take just a minute or two.
Avoid This: If you over-beat the eggs, you’ll end up with a stiff meringue-like mixture, and the baked macaroons will be very dry.
Fold the chopped coconut shreds into the egg mixture until everything is combined and all the coconut is moistened.
After that, use a medium cookie scoop to shape 1.5-Tablespoon portions (about 28–30g each) of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Use a finger, thumb, or small measuring spoon to press an indent into the center of each macaroon.
You may need to use your hands to reshape the edges into a circle after you make the thumbprint. It’s a little messy!
Coconut macaroon thumbprints do not spread much while baking. Sometimes they can leak a little sugar/egg liquid, but if you chopped up the coconut enough, this shouldn’t happen.
Success Tip: Bake the macaroon thumbprints at 325°F (163°C)—the lower temperature helps ensure the centers are cooked before the exteriors burn.
These macaroon thumbprints take just about 20 to 24 minutes to bake. You want to take them out of the oven when they’re starting to turn a toasty, golden color but are still mostly white. Over-baking will dry out your coconut macaroons.
Salted Caramel Filling
My recipe for homemade salted caramel is one of the most loved recipes on my blog. Made with just 4 simple ingredients, homemade caramel sauce takes just a few minutes to prepare.
You won’t need the entire batch of this salted caramel to fill these cookies, but I have a list of more than 50 ways to eat salted caramel for you to peruse. The caramel keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, and I know you will find plenty of ways (or rather, excuses) to use up the leftover caramel!
A drizzle of melted chocolate and sprinkle of flaky sea salt are the finishing touch on these caramel coconut macaroon thumbprints.
Macaroons, Not Macarons
Remember, these are coconut macaroons, not macarons. (Today’s cookies are much quicker and easier!) If you want to learn how to make those delicate sandwich cookies, I have an in-depth French macarons tutorial.
P.S. If you love today’s flavor combination, try these chocolate caramel coconut cupcakes sometime!
Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 22 to 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These naturally gluten-free caramel coconut macaroon thumbprints are sweet, moist, and chewy, with a delightfully crisp and toasty exterior with homemade salted caramel in the center. Finish with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Be sure to pay attention to the exact amount of sweetened coconut you need. See recipe Note.
Ingredients
- 17 ounces (482g) sweetened shredded coconut (one 14-ounce bag + 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup (145g) homemade salted caramel sauce, cooled (see Note)
- one 4-ounce bar (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- optional: sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preliminary Note: Make the caramel sauce ahead of time, so it has time to cool and thicken. You do not want it hot or warm when spooning into the baked thumbprints.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Place the coconut in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (about 15 quick pulses). If you don’t have a food processor, spread the coconut out on a cutting board and give it all a rough chop.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg, egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is frothy, about 1–2 minutes. Fold in the coconut until completely combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop 1.5 Tablespoons (about 30g) of the mixture and arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. With your thumb, finger, or a small measuring spoon, press into the center of each macaroon to make an indent.
- Bake until lightly golden and set around the edges, 20–24 minutes. Keep a close eye on them after around 18 minutes. You want to take them out of the oven when they’re starting to turn a toasty, golden color but are still mostly white; over-baking will dry out your coconut macaroons.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet set on a cooling rack.
- Spoon salted caramel into the middles of the macaroons (use however much will fit—about 1/2–1 teaspoon each).
- Melt the chocolate: You can melt it in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled macaroons. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. Allow chocolate and caramel to set, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator (to speed it up).
- Cover and store macaroons at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Macaroons, with or without caramel and chocolate, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature. You can prepare the coconut macaroon dough up to 3 days in advance; cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to shape and bake. You can also make the salted caramel in advance. Cover tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Microwave refrigerated caramel sauce in 10-second increments until it’s thin enough to spoon/drizzle into the macaroons, but not overly warm. 20 seconds is usually plenty.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor (like this one or this one) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Medium Cookie Scoop | Thin Spatula | Cooling Rack | Flaky Sea Salt
- Amount of coconut: You need 5 and 2/3 cups of sweetened shredded coconut, which is 17 ounces or 482g. This is more than 1 standard 14-ounce bag. If you aren’t using a scale, be sure to measure 5 and 2/3 cups before you pulse/chop it in step 3.
- Can I use unsweetened coconut? I love unsweetened coconut for a lot of baking recipes, but it’s not the best choice for this macaroon recipe. The macaroons will taste very dry. If you want to try it, you’ll need to increase the egg whites and sugar.
- Salted Caramel Note: If you want to make regular caramel, instead of salted caramel, reduce the salt in that recipe to 1/2 teaspoon. Additionally, it’s imperative for the caramel to be cool before spooning in the macaroon thumbprints. I recommend making it in advance.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wonderful flavor profile and easy step by step directions.
So yummy and easy to follow directions!
Very yummy and really easy! First time making caramel sauce and that was easy. Putting these together was a breeze and they got rave reviews. Excellent Easter dessert.
Much easier than I thought! The caramel was such a perfect touch and it all came together so well. Really popular in my house!
I loved this recipe! This month, I finally chose to do the baking challenge, and I had the totally random idea that the cookies would look so good as decoration on a coconut cake! The only problem was that I had the inspiration at a time where I only had about 8 hours to get the whole thing done. So, of course, I went ahead and tried it anyways. However, the cookies did burn a little bit because my oven runs a bit hot and I was multitasking at the time and didn’t remember. However, the cookies actually turned out better for it, because all I had to do was pick a couple extra burnt pieces off and it turned out perfectly! The only problem was that the caramel sauce kept leaking out and I kept refilling the cookies, but that might have been a mistake on my part, I did have a bit of trouble making the thumbprints in the cookies. However, at the end of the day, I got it done and took it to youth group that night, and everybody loved it!
Loved the macaroons. Added pecans with the caramel sauce and chocolate to make little turtle macaroons. Thanks for another great recipe.
One of the best cookies I have ever made. It was easy to make and tastes incredible with the salted caramel. This will be a new favorite in my cookie rotation.
While these cookies are tasty I actually prefer them as just simple coconut macaroons or with just the addition of caramel. The chocolate feels like too much and I’m a chocoholic! My 8 year old son did love making the caramel from scratch though and has since told a few people how to make caramel!
Like others I had a difficult, and messy, time forming the cookies with the depressions and I probably will not be making these again.
I really enjoyed making this recipe since I love coconut. It was very easy and turned out excellent. Thank you, Sally, for such delicious challenges.
Very delicious! The recipe is easy to follow, and the instructions are very clear. These taste just like a Mound candy bar. I look forward to making them again.
We’re so happy everyone enjoyed these macaroons, Alissa!
My family and co-workers all lost their minds over these macaroons. Another 5 star recipe from Sally!
I made the alternate recipe–mini cheesecakes. They were easy to make and looked pretty for Easter dessert.
I usually don’t love macaroons, but these were so tasty. I overbaked them, was 40 grams short on coconut and had issues with the chocolat and they still were delicious! I will be making these again for sure!
This recipe was delicious ans easy. We made then for Easter and they were all gone really quicky. My husband doesn’t like coconut, but he loved these cookies.
The flavor was great but I didn’t care for the texture of these cookies, nor did my guests. I should have used a cookie scoop as suggested to make them look prettier. I did really enjoy the salted caramel sauce though!
I am personally not a fan of coconut flavor, but these tasted good to me still. I brought them to an Easter event and people there enjoyed them. I did have a hard time shaping some of them with an indent in the middle as they fell apart some. But once baked they seem much sturdier. Overall I enjoyed making these!
Very tasty cookie and the Carmel sauce was super technically but so tasty! Totally worth the extra steps and arm muscles storing that sauce!
These were great! As always, so easy with Sally’s directions!
Really yummy… particularly the caramel, which was super easy and not too runny. These cookies were a big hit at our Easter dinner.
Tasted just like I expected. Sweet and yummy
These are delicious! The homemade caramel is fantastic and easy to make – but it is super sweet. Making the cookies is quick and easy, but forming the cookies is messy. I tried to roll them into balls and then flatten them and that worked pretty well. I didn’t have my special tool to drizzle the chocolate, so mine looked more like a Jackson Pollock painting than the nice even stripes that Sally gets! This was a perfect Easter dessert and I love that it is naturally gluten-free. Next time I’ll make a few without the caramel – and I might try dipping the bottoms of the cookies in chocolate – I felt like it needed more chocolate! I’ll definitely make this recipe again!
These were yummy! I was worried when I was scooping them onto the cookie sheet because they were not staying together, but they ended up looking just how they were supposed to!
Delicious and surprisingly easy. Great balance of texture, sweetness, and a hint of salt. Perfect for an Easter brunch!
This is a great recipe! The instructions were very detailed and allowed me to make the coconut thumb print macarons easily. The timing was perfect on the steps. Mine turned out great.
I’ve never made macaroons before. Some of my family members do not like coconut. I’m not sure cooked them long enough because I was afraid of drying them out. I made Sally’s recipe of salted caramel, which turned out to be a challenge on its own. The end cookie result is a bit hard to chew due to the caramel. The combination of flavors is great, but I think I swung and missed on the bake of the cookie alone as well as the caramel. Thanks for the challenge as always!
I love coconut and these are delicious! The caramel is so easy to make! I did have some trouble with the macaroons staying together, so I just squeezed them tightly into balls before forming the Thumbprint.
These are so cute! I LOVE coconut, it just tastes like spring;
This was a fun recipe with easy to follow instructions. It tastes delicious!
These were surprisingly good considering i don’t even like coconut lol i preferred the cookies that were a little extra toasted, it helped with the chewy texture that i don’t care for with coconut. I love how easy they were to make too! It was the perfect way to use up the homemade salted caramel i had in the fridge