Dulce De Leche Coconut Macaroons

Dulce De Leche Coconut Macaroons are sweet, salty, chewy, and chocolatey! Made with homemade Dulce de Leche, they're especially popular for Easter and Passover. And they're gluten-free to boot!

The holiday season is always cookie season! And really, so is every other season. At least in my kitchen. 😉

During the winter holidays, we give, receive, exchange, and of course devour cookies. Though cookies seem to the be the most popular around Christmas, they are most certainly more than welcome at every other holiday. And since Macaroons do not contain flour, they're a perfect dessert for Passover.

One of the reasons these gluten-free Dulce De Leche Coconut Macaroons are so magnificent is because of the homemade Dulce de Leche. That, combined with the chocolate and coconut, all in one bite, it not to be missed, whether or not you're celebrating anything.

About the Ingredients

• egg white - The egg white is whipped until it's frothy, which give the cookies structure and helps hold them together.
• granulated sugar - I don't recommend using brown sugar. Stick to the granulated!
• Kosher salt - If you use table salt, use half the amount.
• vanilla - I've tested this recipe with both pure vanilla extract and vanilla paste and both work well. Vanilla paste includes the beans so the flavor is a touch stronger.
• dulce de leche - Homemade Dulce de Leche is made from sweetened condensed milk, which is cow's milk that has had the water removed and sugar added to it. When the sweetened condensed milk is cooked very slowly, it turns into dulce de leche, which literally means "milk candy." It's very easy to make, though it takes a while (or inactive) cooking time. You can also find canned or jarred dulce de leche in most major grocery stores.
• unsweetened shredded coconut - Be sure to use unsweetened -- these are very sweet as they are. Some coconut is grated thicker than others -- any will work, but the finer the shred, the more refined the cookie will look.
• semisweet chocolate - Once baked, the cookies are dipped into melted chocolate. This is optional. (I always opt in.) For a less sweet option, use bittersweet chocolate.

How to Make Dulce De Leche Macaroons

- Make the dulce de leche if you haven't purchased it. It can be made up to two weeks ahead. Here are the dulce de leche instructions.

- Preheat the oven to 325°F and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

- Whisk the egg white until it's frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, and dulce de leche, and mix to blend. Then use a spoon to fold in the coconut.

- Use a 1¼ inch ice-cream scoop or a spoon, form approximately 1 to 2 inch balls of dough and place them on the parchment-covered baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven just until the cookies become golden brown along the edges.

- After about 10 minutes move the cookies to a cooling rack.

Recipe tip: There's a chance you may need a little more coconut. This will depend on the size of the coconut flakes, and/or the consistency of the dulce de leche. These are things that will just vary for every person who makes it. The key is that you want the batter to keep its shape when it hits the baking sheet. If it begins to spread/fall, there's not enough coconut, and you should add more.

- Once they are cool, dip the bottom of each cookie in melted chocolate, and then place it back on the parchment-lined baking sheet to let it set. It should take about an hour to set. Alternately, you can drizzle them with the melted chocolate (It should be left to set the same way.)

I love the thick layer of chocolate on the bottom of each macaroon, but you can also -- or in addition -- drizzle the chocolate on top.

Making Them Ahead and Storage

* The Macaroons should be made at least 3 hours ahead of time so they have time to cool completely before they're dipped into the chocolate, and then time to let it set.

• Room temperature. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for a few days, but are best the day they are made.
• Freezer. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to two months.
• Either way, it's a good idea to layer them with either parchment or wax paper.

What are Macaroons?

• Macaroons are usually very sweet, coconut based and can be made fairly quickly.
• Super popular in Jewish communities, Macaroons are said to have been a part of a mid-20th century campaign by kosher companies, to capitalize on the Jewish holiday market.
• They are an American twist on the French Macaron.
• Macaroons rarely contain dairy which makes them Pareve, which is a food or dish that's doesn't contain meat or dairy. (Kosher laws prohibit serving meat and dairy together.) So this could be why macaroons became a favorite dessert among Jewish communities.
• Macaroons are sort of rustic, lumpy looking cookies that vary in shape.

So then, what's a French Macaron?

• Other than the very minor difference in spelling, French Macarons are quite different from Macaroons.
• French Macarons are not overly sweet, meringue based, and can be quite difficult and time consuming to make.
• Made with almond flour, Macarons are delicate, very refined and are made in a wide variety of colors and flavors.
• Originally from Italy, when they made their way to France, Macarons transformed from a single cookie to a sandwich cookie, with a filling of jam, ganache or buttercream.
• Here's an example of beautiful French Macarons.

More Amazing Gluten-Free Cookies

Enjoy every last delectable crumb of these Dulce De Leche Coconut Macaroons!

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