If you love coconut, you’ll love these macaroons! You get the taste of toasted, sweet coconut and a burst of refreshing lime for a stunning yet delicate bite-sized dessert.

I absolutely love coconut! I love it in any form – coconut milk, shredded coconut, toasted coconut, coconut cream, and I even love to chew on raw coconut right from the husk! Fortunately, living in the tropics, there is an abundance of fresh coconuts to eat.

A lot can be said about the pleasures of coconut. Yet coconut is one of those foods that seems to ping-pong between the ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ list, and if you’re confused about this, don’t worry – even the experts can’t quite agree.

The confusion starts because of the differences between the use of coconut oil in cooking and the use of coconut milk or coconut flesh. The American Heart Association and the National Heart Foundation recommend avoiding coconut oil for cooking, but both of their websites include recipes containing coconut milk. So while the experts continue their back and forth as to whether coconut is healthy or not, I will continue to enjoy it to the fullest (of course, in moderation)!

This recipe lets the coconut shine but adds subtle notes of lime and is finished off with a light coating of white chocolate. It all works together to create a sophisticated yet delicate dessert.

To make this recipe:

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Next, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone pan liners; this keeps the macaroons from sticking to your pans.
In a large bowl, toss together the coconut and the flour until the coconut is evenly coated with the flour. Next, stir in the lime zest. When zesting the limes, ensure that you are only zesting the outer green rind. The white layer is less flavorful and can be bitter.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and stir until completely incorporated. The batter will be very sticky.
Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the coconut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, about an inch apart. Gently press any loose coconut into the cookies, so they do not burn. If any tips are sticking up, they tend to burn quickly.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. You want the tops golden brown and toasted, but not burnt. Coconut does burn quickly, so you do need to watch it closely. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

White Chocolate Topping

Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on the package. I like to use the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals at 50% power. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the melted chocolate and tap off any excess chocolate. Place them back on the baking sheet, resting them on their side. Allow the chocolate to cool and set up completely. You can place them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to speed up the process.
When the bottoms are set, drizzle any remaining chocolate over the top of the macaroons. The easiest way to do this is to put the melted white chocolate in a sandwich bag. Seal the bag and snip off just a bit of the corner. Then drizzle the chocolate, using a back and forth motion.

Coconut Lime Macaroons

If you love coconut, you'll love these macaroons! You get the taste of toasted, sweet coconut and a burst of refreshing lime for a stunning yet delicate bite-sized dessert.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Course cookies

Servings cookies

Ingredients

5 cups shredded coconut, (14-ounce bag)
⅔ cup flour
1 large lime, zested
1 can sweetened condensed milk, (14-ounce can)
2 teaspoons vanilla
11 ounces white bakers chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone pan liners.
In a large bowl, toss together the coconut and the flour until the coconut is evenly covered with flour. Stir in the lime zest.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and stir until completely incorporated.
Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, drop the coconut mixture onto the lined baking sheet, about an inch apart. Press any loose coconut into the cookies so they do not burn.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

White Chocolate Topping

Melt the white chocolate according to the instruction on the package. I like to use the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals at 50% power. Be sure to stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the melted chocolate, and tap off any excess chocolate. Place them back on the baking sheet, resting them on their side. Allow the chocolate to cool and set up completely. You can place them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to speed up the process.
When the bottoms are set, drizzle any remaining chocolate over the tops of the macaroons.
Store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.Follow me on Facebook and never miss a recipe!

This is a tropical twist on a classic tapioca recipe. Pairs perfectly with fresh mango for a Thai-themed dessert. But honestly, you can’t go wrong using any fresh fruit; strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches…The sky is the limit!

Tapioca is a classic dessert. You can find my recipe for classic tapioca here. But there are so many other variations as well. I have had sweet potato tapioca, honeydew tapioca and pumpkin tapioca. I have some variations of my own swirling around in my head, so expect to see those recipes soon. This is my take on coconut tapioca. This pairs perfectly with sweet fresh mangoes. It has a Thai feel and reminds me of the popular Thai dessert, mango sticky rice. Of course, this would pair nicely with any fresh fruit. You could even add toasted coconut or shaved chocolate. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Growing up, my mom always used tapioca granules. But recently, I have found tapioca pearls. They come in large and small pearls. They give a lot more texture to the dessert than the granules do. With the small pearls, you need to soak them for a couple of hours to help them soften when cooking. The large pearls need to be soaked overnight. I typically use the small pearl for my tapioca desserts. But this recipe will work well with either; you’ll just need to soak the large pearl tapioca longer.

Any fresh fruit will pair nicely with this tapioca, but mango, in my opinion, is the best! There is just something about mango and coconut that goes together so perfectly. To get the best mangoes, it is best to buy them in season, which is the summer months here in Hawaii. Buying locally grown will ensure you are getting the sweetest, freshest, and best-tasting mangoes! If fresh mangoes are hard to come by where you live, you could use frozen. You will have a softer texture than if you were using fresh and frozen will have a slightly less sweet taste, but it’ll work.

For this recipe:

In a small bowl, soak the tapioca in a can of coconut milk. Stir it well to incorporate the coconut solids with the liquids. There is no need to refrigerate; just let it sit on the counter, stirring it occasionally. I found 3 hours to be enough time to get the tapioca pearls soft enough to cook up quickly.

After the tapioca has sat in the coconut milk for 3 hours, pour all the contents into a medium saucepan. Add to the tapioca, milk, salt, sugar, and egg yolks and heat on medium heat, stirring frequently. You do not want to bring the mixture to a boil because you risk scalding your milk. You want it to be steaming and to see movement in the saucepan, but not a boil. Once you reach a simmer, turn it down to a low simmer (medium-low heat), and let it simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. It will begin to thicken as the eggs cook and tapioca absorbs more of the liquid.

After 10 minutes, you’ll want to check that your tapioca pearls are soft and no longer chewy. Take a small amount in a spoon, be careful because it will be very hot, and taste to check that it is done. You do not want your tapioca balls to be chewy or tough. If you need to cook it longer, cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again, repeat until done. If your tapioca is taking longer than 20 minutes, make sure you haven’t turned the temperature down too much.

Once the tapioca is done, remove it from the heat. Let the tapioca cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your egg whites. With a handheld beater, beat the egg whites with 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks are peaks that do not collapse when you lift your beater (turn it off before lifting it). This should only take a couple of minutes. Add the coconut extract and gently fold the egg whites into the tapioca.

You can serve the tapioca warm or chill it in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Top with mango or fruit of your choice and enjoy!!

Diced mango with whole mangoes in the background

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

This is a tropical twist on a classic tapioca recipe. Pairs perfectly with fresh mango for a Thai-themed dessert. But honestly, you can't go wrong using any fresh fruit; strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches…The sky is the limit!

4.73 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 30

Course Dessert

Servings 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

1 cup small pearl tapioca, not granulated or quick cooking
1 can coconut milk
2 cups milk
¾ cup granulated sugar + ½ tablespoon (for egg whites)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 eggs yolk,
2 teaspoons coconut extract (or instead you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Toppings

mango or other fresh fruit
shredded or shaved coconut, toasted, (see notes) (optional)
Shaved chocolate (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, soak 1 cup small tapioca pearls in one can of coconut milk. Stir and let sit on the kitchen counter for 3 hours (no need to refrigerate), stirring occasionally.
After letting the tapioca soak, pour it into a medium saucepan. Add to the tapioca mixture, 2 cups of milk, ¾ cup sugar, salt, and egg yolk. Heat on medium heat, stirring frequently to keep milk from scalding. Once the tapioca mixture is simmering (do not boil), turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly to keep milk from scalding.
Carefully taste-test the tapioca to be sure the pearls are soft and no longer chewy. If the tapioca pearls are still chewy, cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again. When the tapioca is done, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
While the tapioca is cooling, beat the egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form.
Stir the coconut extract into the tapioca and gently fold in the egg whites until completely incorporated.
Serve warm or chilled for 4 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, divide tapioca into individual bowls and top with fresh mango or fresh fruit of your choice. Garnish with toasted coconut or shredded chocolate (optional).

Notes

I write my recipes using the small pearl tapioca, but you can use any of the types of tapioca. You skip the soaking step altogether for the granules, and with the large pearls, you soak them overnight.

How to toast coconut in a skillet:

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast coconut until lightly browned and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.

How to toast coconut in the oven:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.Follow me on Facebook and never miss a recipe!

Tag: coconut