Chocolate Dipped Cherry Macaroons
These pretty-in-pink Chocolate Dipped Cherry Macaroons are sweet mounds of toasted coconut love! Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas or any other occasion. They make great gifts too!
Easy Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
These cherry macaroons originally came about as a Valentine’s Day treat. Besides Christmas, my next favorite holiday for some specialty baking has to be Valentine’s Day. With all the sweet sentiments associated with this day, I believe that homemade treats should be on everybody’s baking agenda.
But I quickly realized that these chocolate dipped cherry macaroons should not be reserved just for the holidays! THis is a fun project in the kitchen any time, especially if you can share it with the special people in your life.
These cherry macaroons are fun and easy to make, a baking project that always feeds me joy. But the super duper bonus is that they taste so good!
From their perfectly crisped outer shells, to their dense and chewy insides, these cherry macaroons are all kinds of beautiful. And just when you think they couldn’t get any better, they take a dip into some semi-sweet chocolate. Cherries and chocolate were just meant to be together.
What’ll You Need
These cherry macaroons are made with less than 10 ingredients! A fancy treat made with simple ingredients!
- Maraschino cherries – Chopped into small pieces.
- Shredded coconut – Be sure to use sweetened shredded coconut
- Condensed milk – The condensed milk should be sweetened as well.
- Vanilla & almond extracts – For flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Egg whites – Eggs should be room temperature.
- Kosher salt
- Chocolate baking bar – I like to use Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Macaroons
Macaroons may have an intimidating reputation but the process to make them is quite simple! You definitely do not need to be a baking expert to make a batch of these chocolate-dipped macaroons!
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 325° and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare the macaroon mixture. Stir together coconut, condensed milk, extracts and chopped cherries until the mixture is evenly colored. Sprinke with flour and stir again. Whisk together the egg whites and salt, then fold into the coconut mixture. Pack the mixture tightly into a cookie scoop and drop onto the baking sheets.
- Bake. Bake for 30-33 minutes, alternating pans halfway through baking time. Let macaroons cool on the plan for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool.
- Dip into chocolate. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, then return to the baking sheet. Let sit until chocolate is set.
Tips for Success
If this is your first time making macaroons, or at least chocolate-dipped ones, here are a few things I found handy to keep in mind throughout the process.
- Whip the egg whites properly. Be sure to whip the egg whites and salt until medium-stiff peaks form. If you under whip them, the macaroons will not hold the shape.
- Be sure to use baking chocolate. For this recipe, you want to use a bar of quality baking chocolate, not just melting wafers or chocolate chips. I like the Ghiradelli brand.
- Remove excess chocolate when dipping. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, so chocolate reaches about ¼ inch up the sides. Wiggle the macaroon so excess chocolate will fall back into the bowl. Very gently scrape the bottom of the macaroon across the lip of the bowl, from inside of bowl to outside, to let excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy your chocolate-dipped macaroons at room temperature! I usually wait just long enough for the chocolate to harden before diving in.
Macaroons also make great edible gifts. Grab a pretty gift box or bag and make someones day by gifting a few of these beautiful cherry cookies!
How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Keep them in a cool place out of direct sunlight or lots of humidity to prevent the chocolate from melting.
Can I Freeze Macaroons?
Yes, you can freeze these chocolate-dipped macaroons! Just place in an airtight container and use parchment paper to separate any layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy!
More Cherry Desserts:
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
- Dark Cherry Scones with Chocolate-Chili Glaze
- Patsy’s Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials
- Chocolate Brownie Cherry Cordials
Chocolate Dipped Cherry Macaroons
Ingredients
- ⅔ c. Small-chopped Maraschino Cherries
- 14 oz. weight Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- ¾ c. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp. Pure Almond Extract
- 3 tbsp. All-purpose Flour
- 2 Large Egg Whites At Room Temperature
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- 6 oz. weight Ghirardelli Semi-sweet Chocolate Baking Bar Chopped Into 1/2-inch Pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Spread chopped cherries out on a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together coconut, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then fold in the chopped cherries. This will turn the mixture a light pink color—just fold until the whole mixture is evenly colored. Sprinkle flour evenly over the mixture and then fold again to incorporate.
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt on high speed until there are medium-firm peaks. Very gently fold egg whites into coconut mixture. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (the one I used is 1-3/4 inches in diameter), pack the coconut mixture fairly tightly into the scoop, and drop the batter onto prepared baking pans. Place both pans in the oven and bake for about 30–33 minutes, or until golden brown and set, alternating pans halfway through the total baking time. Remove pans from oven and let macaroons cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a rack to cool completely.
- Line a pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a very small microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the chocolate in the microwave. Heat for 15–20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, taking extra care to make sure the chocolate doesn’t scorch. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate, so chocolate reaches about ¼ inch up the sides. Wiggle the macaroon so excess chocolate will fall back into the bowl. Very gently scrape the bottom of the macaroon across the lip of the bowl, from inside of bowl to outside, to let excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Place chocolate dipped cherry macaroon on parchment paper lined pan. Repeat until all macaroons are dipped. Let macaroons sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, or place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to speed up the process.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. These also freeze very well in an airtight container with parchment paper separating any layers of macaroons.
Macaroons are one of my (many) weaknesses. I just can’t resist anything with coconut. Love the festive addition of cherry!
I haven’t had a macaroon in so long! Love how pretty these little bites are. Happy Valentine’s Day!
This recipe looks so delicious! Stopping by from I’m Lovin’ It Link Party.
Be still my Valentine heart! I love macaroons and your chocolate dipped cherry ones look amazing!
Macaroons are one of my favorite desserts, but I never thought of adding cherries to the mix! What a lovely idea!