Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Chewy centers and crisp edges, topped with smooth chocolate and crunchy nuts.
Taste: Sweet and creamy coconut cookies, rich chocolate, and salty nuts.
Ease: So easy! You only need 5 ingredients to make these.
Top Tips: Gently fold the egg white mixture into the coconut mixture to keep them light and airy!
Would I make these again? Yes! I love that these cookies are made with ingredients that most already have in their kitchen, without requiring a lot of specifically gluten-free products. I can make them when visiting family out of town without special shopping trips!
xoxo erin
This post was originally published in November 2016. It was updated with new photos and instructions in December 2024.
These chocolate coconut cloud cookies are uniquely delicious! A bit like a macaroon, a bit like a meringue, and yet they also remind me of 7-layer bars in cookie form. I’ve never had anything like them — in such a good way!
I love to make these naturally gluten-free treats during the holidays when I’m traveling to visit family, needing cookies for a cookie exchange, or wanting to share a small gift with neighbors and friends. Anyone who loves coconut will absolutely love these cookies!
Featured Comment
From Madison: “These are dangerously good! I mean like I could eat a whole batch. You’ll love these cookies if you’re a fan of coconut and chocolate!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Chocolate Coconut Cloud Cookies
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Are these chocolate coconut cloud cookies gluten-free?
- Can these chocolate coconut cloud cookies be made dairy-free?
- Can I add other toppings to these cookies besides macadamia nuts?
- More Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
- Coconut Cloud Cookies (Gluten-Free!) Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these chocolate coconut cloud cookies. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Coconut: The sweetened coconut flakes make up the core ingredient of these cookies. They provide the coconut flavor, sweetness, and add the overall texture.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This ingredient adds moisture, richness, and little bit of sweetness while binding the coconut flakes together. No crumbly cookies here!
- Egg whites/sugar: Whipping the egg whites with the sugar until stiff peaks form creates the light, airy structure for these cookies. Folding them into the coconut mixture creates lift and makes sure the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Toppings: The chocolate chips and coconut oil make up the smooth chocolatey topping for extra rich flavor. Finely chopped macadamia nuts add crunchy texture and a little saltiness to balance the flavors and textures for the perfect bite!
How to Make Chocolate Coconut Cloud Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make these cookies. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In a large bowl: Mix the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until combined.
- In a medium bowl: Beat the egg whites on medium speed using a stand or hand mixer and slowly add sugar over the course of 3-4 minutes. Then, up the speed to high and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form (about 4-5 more minutes).
- Gently fold: Fold the egg white mixture carefully into the coconut mixture. Don’t overmix! You want to fold them together until just combined. Overworking it can cause the air to go out from the egg whites and will mess with the cookies’ texture.
- Scoop dough: Scoop the dough out onto a prepared baking sheet in 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized mounds. Set them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake the cookies on 325°F until lightly golden (about 20-25 minutes). Let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add toppings: Make the chocolate topping by melting the chocolate chips and coconut oil together. You can either place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until it’s melted. Or you can melt it in the microwave on 50% power, stopping every minute or so to stir until it’s all melted. Drizzle the chocolate onto the tops of the cookies, then sprinkle with macadamia nuts. Let the chocolate set. Enjoy!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: You can prepare the coconut mixture up to 1 day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will need to come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The egg white mixture needs to be made fresh, just before folding the two together and baking the cookies.
To Store: The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: Place the cookies on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for about 1 hour until firm. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag (parchment or wax paper between layers prevents sticking). Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Are these chocolate coconut cloud cookies gluten-free?
Yes, these cookies are naturally gluten-free! The recipe does not call for any flour and no special gluten-free ingredients are required.
Can these chocolate coconut cloud cookies be made dairy-free?
Definitely! I like to use coconut sweetened condensed milk in this recipe, instead of the traditional dairy version. You can also swap out the regular chocolate chips with dairy-free chocolate chips.
Can I add other toppings to these cookies besides macadamia nuts?
Absolutely! Any finely chopped nut will work. If you want to skip nuts altogether, you could crush pretzels or just add more shredded coconut on top of the chocolate. Top these chocolate coconut cloud cookies with whatever you like for one personalized treat!
Coconut Cloud Cookies (Gluten-Free!)
Ingredients
- 14 oz package (396g) sweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup (60ml) sweetened condensed milk I use this dairy-free condensed coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg whites
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 2/3 cup (80g) finely chopped macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt until combined.
- In a medium bowl, place the egg whites. Beat on medium speed, adding the sugar slowly over 3-4 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes more.
- Fold the egg white mixture carefully into the shredded coconut mixture, until just combined being careful not to overmix. Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Combined the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until melted. Alternatively you can melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% heat stirring every minute until melted.
- When the cookies are cool, drizzle the top of each with some melted chocolate. Top with a sprinkle of macadamia nuts. Let the chocolate set and enjoy!
delicious! Will make again and again!
Yay! We’re so glad this recipe was such a hit! Thank you for sharing your kind feedback with us. Happy baking!
What kind of chocolate chips did you use (semi-sweet, milk)?
Hi Gretchen, semi-sweet works well, but you could use dark or milk chocolate if you want to play with the flavor profile. We hope you love the cookies!
Loved them, they were a big hit at the cookie exchange!
Yay! We’re so glad they were a hit! Thanks for sharing with us, Gretchen!
On a low sugar diet here and feel.likenincould easily swap allulose for the sugar here but do you think coconut cream (unsweetened) would work here too?? I don’t want to use dairy or cane sugar .
Thx!
Hi Darcey, we don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes so we can’t say how the allulose will do. For the dairy substitute, we recommend using dairy-free condensed coconut milk for the best texture. We hope you enjoy the cookies!
I haven’t tried these yet but would like to. What could be substituted for the egg whites? My grandson is allergic to gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts and soy. So hard finding recipes for him. Thank you!
Unfortunately these cookies won’t turn out without the egg whites! Sorry about that. The eggs are really needed for the structure.
Could you use coconut cream instead of condensed coconut milk; don’t want the sugar. Trying to see if I can make keto with monk fruit extract.
Hi Jenn, thank you for your question! Coconut cream and condensed coconut milk have different properties so swapping one for the other will impact both taste and texture. The condensed coconut milk is used to bind the coconut together. We aren’t sure how the monk fruit extract would do as we don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes. We hope this information helps!