Pistachio Coconut Macaroons – Soft & Chewy

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These homemade pistachio coconut macaroons are chewy and soft and made without sweetened condensed milk! A hint of rosewater makes these so special! Perfect for Christmas! Jump to Recipe 

Want to make Coconut Macaroons special? Add Pistachios! 

There is something so special about anything that has pistachios in it. Growing up in Germany, we would sometimes get those famous Mozart Chocolate Truffles that feature a center of pistachio marzipan. It always felt like they were the “fancy holiday nut.”

And due to their price tag and I still save recipes like my pistachio cheesecakes for special occasions.

Today’s recipe for Pistachio Coconut Macaroons, are perfect for Christmas, Easter and Passover. I LOVE me a good homemade coconut macaroon and while I usually resort to my favourite German Soft Coconut Macaroons recipe this year I am trying these! Let me tell you they are the perfect vehicle to showcase the pistachio in all of its glory.

These coconut macaroons are made with rehydrated shredded unsweetened coconut, which provides a nice, chewy base without having to add sweetened condensed milk. The rich combination of pistachio and coconut is utterly irresistible. I added a hint of rosewater to these – for Persian twist! I just LOVE the pistachio/rosewater flavor combination. Have you tried my Persian Love Cake Overnight Oats? To take these from good to great I dipped the coconut pistachio macaroons in dark chocolate!

Do I have to skin the pistachios? 

Skinning the pistachio nuts will result in a brighter green color and a prettier end result, but if you are in a hurry just add some food colouring. 

Which kind of coconut shall I use for this pistachio coconut macaroons recipe? 

This coconut macaroons recipe uses unsweetened dried coconut but fresh grated works too. As we have no sugar added, the shreds are a bit drier and will need to be rehydrated before use. 

How to rehydrate shredded coconut? 

Rehydrate unsweetened coconut shreds by pouring the shreds into a bowl and covering them with warm coconut milk or water. Do I add a splash or amaretto to this mix? YES I sometimes do. Let the coconut soak for 5 minutes, then drain.

Now firmly squeeze all the liquid out of the coconut shreds with your fingers. Proceed with the Christmas cookies recipe.

However, if sweetened coconut is what you’re having just note that it won’t need to be rehydrated and it’s already sweetened, so you can cut the sugar in the recipe down to 1/4 cup). 

How to store these Pistachio Coconut Macaroons? 

I like to store these homemade coconut macaroons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for best shelf life. If you added sea salt on top and plan to keep them in a sealed container too long the internal moisture from the macaroons will “melt” the sea salt, So if you want to store these, you may wish to skip the sea salt sprinkle.

Tips:

• I added orange peel to the chocolate ganache and it was delicious! 
• Orange water is a superb stand in for rose water. 
• You should use raw pistachios for this recipe. They have a nicer color and they will hold together better because they have more moisture.
• You can use potato starch instead of cornstarch.
• For a greener color, add some drops of food color.
• If you want, you can use skinned almonds or hazelnuts instead. 

★ Did you make and love this easy recipe for homemade soft and chewy pistachio coconut macaroons? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

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Pistachio Coconut Macaroons

These easy homemade pistachio coconut macaroons are chewy and soft and made without sweetened condensed milk! A hint of rosewater makes these so special! Perfect for Christmas! Dark Chocolate makes these so special! Great homemade coconut cookies for the holidays 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coconut mararoons with chocolate, pistachio Christmas cookies, soft coconut macaroons

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 20

Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut flakes see
• 1 1/2 cups skinned pistachio nuts see notes
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp rosewater or orange flower water or vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• Pinch salt
• 9 oz dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. In this recipe, you can use either grated fresh coconut or dried coconut flakes. If using dried coconut, rehydrate it by pouring it into a bowl and covering it with warm water. Let the coconut soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Squeeze all the excess liquid out firmly with your fingers. Proceed with recipe. If using fresh coconut, no need to prep it-- simply proceed with the recipe.
2. Skinning the pistachio nuts will result in a brighter green color and a prettier end result, but if you are short on time it is not required. You can learn how to skin them by searching my blog for "how to skin pistachios." Place skinned pistachios into a food processor. Process for a few seconds until the mixture becomes a mixture of fine crumbles. Don’t over-process and let it turn into a paste… it should resemble crumbs.
3. Beat the egg and egg white together in a small bowl. Stir the processed pistachio crumb mixture into the rehydrated coconut along with the sugar, potato starch, rosewater or vanilla, beaten egg and egg white, and salt. Stir with a fork well to combine, making sure all ingredients are evenly dispersed.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Place rounded tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced, forming the mounds into rounded haystack-like shapes. They will feel very loose and delicate at first, but will firm up as they bake.

5. Place the macaroons in the oven and let them bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bases turn light golden brown. Don’t overbake or they will become dry. Remove the macaroons from the oven and allow to cool directly on the baking sheet. Do not try to move them before they are cool as they are super delicate, but they become firmer as they cool.

6. Melt 9 oz dark chocolate, either in the microwave or in a double boiler. If using the microwave, heat at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then continue to melt in 15 second bursts at 50% power until the chocolate becomes smooth. Grasp each macaroon at the top and dip the top into the melted chocolate, twisting it into the chocolate and coating it about 1/4 inch up the sides. Place back on the baking sheet.

Recipe Notes

• I added orange peel to the chocolate ganache and it was delicious! 
• Orange water is a superb stand in for rose water. 
• You should use raw pistachios for this recipe. They have a nicer color and they will hold together better because they have more moisture.
• You can use potato starch instead of cornstarch.
• For a greener color, add some drops of food color.
• If you want, you can use skinned almonds or hazelnuts instead.