No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

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These Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons are no bake and so easy to make! The perfect mix of coconut, caramel and chocolate! I’m in love!

No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons recipe

So we are only about 3 weeks away from Christmas. Can you believe it?! It’s going to come SO fast! Normally at this point I like to have all of our decorations up, but this year I’ve had a few dilemmas.

One is the traveling. We were out of town for Thanksgiving and then my parents were in town visiting this weekend. Not to mention we’ve had a ton of rain, which makes it hard to go get a tree outside. I’m pretty sure it has been raining like this the last 3 years when we’ve gotten our tree. Crazy coincidence?

And this year we have some of the hubs’ family visiting from South Africa for Christmas. Normally I put our tree up so early that by the time the actual day of Christmas rolls around, it’s getting a little droopy. We don’t want that to happen this year because we don’t ever have his family here from South Africa and we both want it to be nice.

On top of that, the sun totally changes as winter rolls in and daylight savings changes. I’m finally getting the hang of the change in sunlight for photo taking purposes. Right now, the best light in our house is right where we put our Christmas tree. 🙂 I mean, HELLO DILEMMA! What ever will I do once we put up the tree? I’m considering rearranging furniture to help fix this problem. #foodbloggerproblems

Best No Bake Coconut Macaroons recipeEasy No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

Something else I rearranged is this cookie. It’s sort of a modification of these Caramel Clusters my family has made most Christmas’ since I was a kid. We are big caramel lovers and these super easy cookies were always a hit!

I decided to change them up and turn it into a Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroon and it was a fabulous idea! These cookies are to die for – and possibly even better than the original. The caramels are melted on the stove, then the coconut is stirred into the mixture. I used a cookie scoop to form them and place them on parchment paper to cool and firm.

Once cooled, they are dipped in some melted chocolate, then a little more chocolate is drizzled on top. I used almond bark, since it melts so nice and smooth, but there are several melting chocolate options at most stores – especially this time of year. They are sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt on top, but you could leave that off if you prefer.

Favorite Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons recipeHomemade No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

Knowing that my dad in particular is a lover of caramel like myself, I took him some of these over Thanksgiving. I was totally right – he loved them! These Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons actually remind me a lot of a samoa. They have the soft caramel and coconut texture and flavor, with the chocolate. They are just without the vanilla cookie.

When I saw my dad again this weekend, he had high hopes that I might still have some of these cookies lying around. Sadly I did not, but he’s put in a formal request for more. I think it’s safe to say we’ve found a new favorite. 🙂

Best Salted Caramel Coconut MacaroonsNo Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons overhead view

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”0bGpQneW” upload-date=”Mon Oct 16 2017 05:13:12 GMT+0000 (UTC)” name=”No Bake Salted Caramel Macaroons” description=”These Salted Caramel Macaroons are no bake, so easy and full of coconut, caramel and chocolate!”]
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Recipe

No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 24 Cookies
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons are no bake and so easy to make! The perfect mix of coconut, caramel and chocolate! I’m in love!


Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp (45ml) milk
  • 6 tbsp (84g) salted butter
  • 11 oz bag Kraft caramels*, wrappers removed
  • 45 cups (288g-360g) shredded sweetened coconut
  • 4 oz melting chocolate, such as almond bark
  • Sea salt

Instructions

1. Add the milk, butter and caramels to a large pot set over medium heat. Allow everything to melt, stirring often so that the mixture doesn’t boil.
2. When the caramel is melted and smooth, add the coconut, starting with 4 cups. Mix together until the coconut is well coated with caramel. Add additional coconut as needed so that the coconut is all well covered, but not too “wet” or the final cookies will end up gooey.
3. Scoop out spoonfuls of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture onto parchment paper, or another nonstick paper.
4. Allow to cool completely.
5. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate according to the package directions.
6. Dip the bottoms of each macaroon into the chocolate, then set back onto the parchment paper to dry. Drizzle with some additional chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt.
7. Allow cookies to firm completely, then serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

* Should be 40 caramels.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 99
  • Sugar: 10.4 g
  • Sodium: 261 mg
  • Fat: 5.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.8 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 7.9 mg

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Enjoy!

No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons! So easy to make!

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154 Comments
  1. Lucy Beard

    This was A miracle! My long time boyfriend is from Colombia and all the desserts he loves have either caramel or coconut but were too hard to make (forme.) I made these,instructions wonderful, and he gobbled them up😋 He asks for them every time he’s here. THANK YOU!






    1. Kim

      They were out of Kraft’s at my store so I used Werther’s Chewy caramels and they turned out very well. I’m not sure if they have those in the UK but it seems likely.

  2. Amy Roach

    Came out beautifully! I didn’t use any milk and just about 5 cups of coconut and the consistency was just right! They’ll be a hit at my daughter’s Tri-M picnic tomorrow. Thank you!

  3. Sheryl

    Thank you so munch for your recipe! These were easy to make & delicious! They were a big hit at Christmas with my family. They will be going on my permanent Holiday baking list! So glad that I found your blog, can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

  4. Viidel

    I make these every year for my cookie exchange! They are so super easy! I use chocate chips for the chocolate bottom and drizzle and they turn out just fine with that! They are a huge hit every year!! Thank you!!






  5. Delfa Snook

    Can I substitute the Kraft Caramels for Eagle Brand Dulce de Leche? And if so, how much Dulce de Leche would I need for the recipe? I am looking forward to making these!

  6. Judy

    About how long did you let your cookies cool completely? And do you think putting in the fridge is recommended?

    1. Lindsay

      Gosh, I’m not sure exactly. Maybe a couple hours. And yes, it would be fine to refrigerate them to cool them more quickly.

  7. Aless

    I love these! I have made them twice before and they turn out great.

    I just had a question about making these ahead for an event…Can you freeze them?






    1. Lindsay

      You could try popping in the freezer until they firm up to remove them from the parchment paper. Sounds like a measurement may have been off. If there’s too much moisture and they’re too sticky, you can always try adding some additional shredded coconut.

      1. Lisa P.

        I’m about to do the chocolate step though the coconut part seems gooey still. Now that it’s all cooled, can I put it all back into a bowl to add more coconut or will a little gooey still work out?

      2. Lindsay

        If it’s just a little gooey it should be fine. The chocolate on the bottom will help make it easier to handle and not stick.

  8. Griffith Joanne

    Making the Coconut Macaroons can I substitute the chocolate (for the bottom and drizzle) to chocolate chips. If so do I have to add anything with that and amount of an additional ingredient?






    1. Lindsay

      You can try chocolate chips, but it doesn’t make as smooth of a coating and drizzle and tends to not work quite as well.

  9. Dawn

    I had a big mess with the Caramel Coconut Macaroons. They did not form a ball as shown and stayed runny. Disappointing.

  10. Lisa Paquette

    Hello, I have been making these cookies for a few years now and my family LOVES them!! I am wondering if they can be frozen? I have a cookie exchange party this weekend and wanted to bring these. Do you think freezing them is OK?

  11. Elyssia Browning

    I absolutely love this recipe! I had trouble having enough to dip in chocolate because my husband kept eating them. First time I made it, I made it with Kraft caramel nibs. It’s the same thing as unwrapped Kraft caramels and the same weight. It turned out beautifully! The second time I made this recipe I didn’t have caramels so I made my own caramel from scratch (omitted the milk, butter and Kraft caramels), well technically in the microwave, it’s so easy and it still worked beautifully.

    ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter
    ▢ ½ cup white sugar
    ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
    ▢ ½ cup corn syrup (Karo Syrup)
    ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
    ▢ ½ cup sweetened condensed milk

    Microwave for 7 minutes in a large bowl, stirring every 90 seconds. Then add to coconut (I like mine toasted) and continue with directions.

    Love love love! Thank you

    1. Elyssia Browning

      I totally meant to say Kraft caramel bits 🤣 **update: I found that when I made the homemade caramel, I probably should have treated it like the Kraft caramels and added the other ingredients because once they completely solidified a day later, they were like candy—hard.

  12. Jaime Allen

    I love this recipe! (Now i just need to stop making them with only 2hrs sleep… The difference between 6oz and 6tbsp is either truffles or macaroons)






  13. Jen

    Could you make these with lightly toasted coconut? Some of my family has issues with the texture of raw coconut.
    Are there adjustments I need to make to the recipe if the coconut is lightly toasted?

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried them so I’m not sure. They are the same brand, so I’d think it’d be ok. But I’m not sure.

  14. Jo-Ann

    Just made these, no idea how anyone can have problems, mine are perfect, held together just fine! Will be making again! Thx for the recipe






  15. Shannon

    I’ve been making your macaroons for two years at Christmastime and they are so easy and delicious…the recipe is forgiving too! This time I didn’t have sweetened coconut and it worked fine; the macaroons didn’t need any extra sweetener to compensate. I also used chocolate chips with a little Crisco in place of the chocolate bark. Thanks for the recipe!






  16. Christine C Rosa

    Found this recipe for my daughter, who is gluten free. This cookie doesn’t miss on flavor and is so easy to make. The sea salt is a must! Will definitely add to my annual Christmas Cookie must have list!






  17. Eileen

    Outstanding recipes! These are definitely going to be a permanent cookie/candy on the holiday cookie platter!  I too found the mixture too gooey initially, but I just kept adding coconut until it was perfect!  I am going to freeze them right away so that they do not disappear before Christmas!






  18. Andrea

    I made this for the first time yesterday for a Christmas party and they were amazing all gone before I could take a pic!! Love all your recipes. Thank you!






  19. Jami

    I have the kraft caramel bits on hand. Do you think it would still be 11oz?
    Making these for my birthday party! Yum

  20. Dee

    Yummy!  These are fabulous!  Only change I made was to toast the coconut a wee bit before I added it.  These are definitely going to be on the cookie list from now on, fab results and so easy to make!  Thank you for sharing!






  21. Carolyn

    These are so good. Thanks for the recipe. Mine. Aren’t nearly as pretty as yours but that didn’t hurt the taste. 

  22. jom

    Hello! I really love to try this recipe. Just worried about the shelf life. I live in a tropical country and the weather is hot. How long will this last outside the fridge? Thank you!

    1. Lindsay

      It would be best to use the ones in the recipe. I can’t guarantee results will work with other ones. The cookies could end up too soft or too hard with others.

  23. Ashley Barrientes

    I have made over 10 of theses recipes, and we LOVE it!!!! We add crushed pecans when adding the coconut, and we like our balls a little smaller so they are more bite size- I get about 70 per recipe. I have also experimented with white chocolate and dark chocolate. They are amazing!!! Even people that don’t like coconut have 2 or 3! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!!

  24. Diane

    These were wonderful. Other than using the whole bag of coconut I followed the recipe exactly. Definitely a keeper. 

  25. Lisa Mojonnier

    I just made these about 45 minutes ago and before I will ever get them dipped I think they’ll be gone! These are DELICIOUS! i bake every week all year round and these are already being hollered to put on my weekly list!

  26. Sandra Duke

    Well, I have to be brutally honest. I just made these and I could not stop tasting the coconut. They are drying and I am dying to taste them. I already love them. Thanks Lindsay!. Merry Christmas.

  27. KBaker

    I want to make these for my Christmas cookie plate and am wondering about adding some time of cookie on the bottom. A vanilla wafer or shortbread cookie base, scoop the coconut on top, then dip and drizzle. Have you tried this and what cookie worked for you?

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried it, but have thought about it before too. 🙂 I think it’d be great. Either cookie would work well I think.

  28. Rebecca

    Do you think I could add crushed graham crackers to the coconut and caramel mixture? I’ve run out of coconut and my mix is very gooey. Thanks!!

  29. Tara Elderton

    I just made a sample batch and I used all the exact ingredients and it’s been a few hours. In fact my coconut bag said it had 5 & 1/3 cups in bag & I ended up using ENTIRE bag as it looked too wet. They are cool but they are not firm enough at all. They were coming apart a bit when I was putting choc on bottoms. Do you have any sort of time guide for how long until they should be firm? Thanks. Also any tips for forming? I used a scoop but it was still tough getting them to form and what did u use to drizzle choc on with? Thanks.

    1. Lindsay

      I’d say several hours is best, maybe 3-4 just to be sure. It could also depend a bit on the temperature in your home. I believe I used a cookie scoop for shaping them and then a piping bag and tip for drizzling.

  30. Linda Vanfossan

    Lindsey, I’ve been a great fan of your site for a long time and have successfully baked many of your recipes to rave reviews. I’m certainly not a professional baker, but your recipes make me look like one! On this recipe for No Bake Salted Caramel Macaroons, I read the recipe three times and still could not figure out why the photos did not seem to correspond to the recipe. I had to watch the video to see that when you say “dip the coconut balls in chocolate” you mean JUST THE BOTTOM, not the entire ball!! That had me really confused for awhile. I hope others don’t have the same problem. I’m making these for my New Years party. Thanks for a wonderful blog and recipe site!

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes! I can see how that wording may have been confusing. It’s been updated. Thanks!

      1. Pat

        Thank you. I always try to do as much ahead of time as possible.  If I made them now for Christmas, I feel pretty certain I wouldn’t have any left for gift-giving.  I will let you know how they freeze

  31. Kelli

    I have a date tonight with your “No Bake Samoa Cheesecake!” That is getting made tonight….. nom, nom ,nom. Thanks for sharing. I love “No Bake! “

  32. jody centorino

    i made these used the exact ingredients and they didn’t firm up either. I cooled them off and nothing. somethings off with these if everyone is saying the same thing. They are still amazing but gooey

    1. Lindsay

      I’d try thinking about them similar to rice krispie treats – too many rice krispies and they’re hard, too few and they’re sticky. If these cookies turned out sticky, they probably just needed another handful or so of cornflakes.

      1. Lindsay

        Just use more coconut, not cornflakes. I have another cookie thats very similar and uses cornflakes. The way I see comments on the backend is very different than how you see them so it can be easy to be confused about which recipe someone is asking a question about.

      2. Nancy

        I would love to make this recipe but there is something definitely wrong with it because so many have problems with it. Please respect your readers and figure out what’s wrong. It casts doubt on ALL your recipes. And since your reply above indicates that there are cornflakes in the cookies but none in the recipe, this could be the missing item and the reason your subscribers are having a problem with their cookies being too gooey.

      3. Lindsay

        Hi Nancy – Let’s start with the cornflakes. If you read my entire response above, then you’d see that I mis-spoke (and clarified that) because I have a different but very similar recipe that uses cornflakes. There’s not a problem with the recipe, I simply mis-spoke. It happens. Let’s be clear on that. Second, I have plenty of respect for my readers, as evidenced by the fact that I take the time to respond to hundreds of comments I get every week and help when I can. I have updated many recipes when necessary, but given that I have made these cookies literally DOZENS of times, I KNOW they work. And while you can’t see it here, I did a full tutorial showing people how to make them on Instagram at one point. Please don’t lecture me on respecting others and helping. That’s completely off base. As for issues with gooeyness, if you’re concerned about that, it’s usually attributed to not adding enough coconut. So if they are too gooey, simply add more coconut. Also, your comment seems to indicate that most people have issues with this recipe, which is not the case. MOST people have success and some have commented that they’ve made them repeatedly without issue. I’ve been tagged over and over on Instagram from people who have had success. So again, I am 100% confident in this recipe. If you try them and have a specific question, please let me know. Thanks.

    1. Lindsay

      My measurements are not wrong. If you look at several different sites, they’ll all have something a little different. My measurements are correct for my recipes. Thanks so much.

      1. wendy

        I thought they were fine…I had no issues and made them as they are. they took some time to sit, but no issues at all. They are delicious!

    2. Edna

      I personally can’t wait to try this recipe! But I definitely agree room temp could definitely play a factor.. Also humidiy. Low humidity works best for setting caramel.. If available maybe try running a humidifier for a day or so before making. But I look forward to giving this a shot!

  33. Richard Moore

    To all you non bakers: FYI -You should never have both metric & US standard measurements in the same recipe, it makes it very confusing to many people.
    11 oz Caramel should say 312 grams

    1. Lindsay

      Actually, I’m thanked by people all over the world for including both. I sorry you find it confusing though.

  34. Sharon

    Made the salted carmel macaroons for my sons engagement party and was not disappointed.  They were a huge hit.  Super easy, the only adjustment was added 5 cups of coconut.  They will be added to my Christmas cookie tray.

  35. Patti Malott

    I’m planning on making these nummy No Bake Salted Caramel Chocolate Macaroons and wondering if using semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips would work melted instead of the chocolate bark, which I don’t have on hand. Will the CC harden enough after cooling?

    1. Lindsay

      Did you use the Kraft caramels? I ask because I know some people have wanted to try other caramels and as far as I know, that wouldn’t work as it wouldn’t firm up. Otherwise, it could be that a little too much liquid was added to the mix or something. They should be firm but it can take a bit for them to cool completely.

  36. Cristina

    I wish there were specific drying times. I made my own caramel sauce because that’s just me. I am waiting to dip them in chocolate but don’t know how long to wait. This recipe is super easy and took 30 mins to make even with making caramel from scratch. Will let you know how long it takes to firm up.

    1. Lindsay

      I definitely wouldn’t suggest suggest making your own caramel unless you know it’s firm when at room temperature. Most caramel sauce is not, and therefore these cookies wouldn’t hold together or dry.

  37. Lynne

    Are you able to freeze these? I always make coconut macaroons for Christmas and freeze them weeks ahead of time.

  38. Ezequiel

    Can Kraft caramel be replaced for Dulce de leche? I’m from Argentina and here we do not have Kraft caramels but as far as I can see it seems to be something similar. Dulce de leche should be even better…

    1. Lindsay

      Caramels are much firmer than dulce de leche. The cookies wouldn’t firm up the same way using dulce de leche.

  39. Kris Muur

    How many does one batch make. I’m considering on making these for my daughters wedding.  We are doing a dessert bar.  There will be several different desserts.

  40. Leslie

    The second recipe of yours I’ve made so far. Just finished making a batch of these macaroons and popped one into my mouth…. yuuuuuuummm. Salty, buttery, coconutty, chocolatey and sweet, all good flavors individually, but together they are especially delicious. I couldn’t find Kraft caramels, for some reason, so I used Werther’s Chewy Caramels, which were perfectly fine. Oh, and candy doesn’t get much easier than these. The fact that they are no-bake means that I can make them any size I please, and have no obligation to make them all equal. Thank you!

      1. Molly

        I had a similar problem and couldn’t even really form them or get them off my wax paper. I put them in the fridge (one pan) and freezer (the other) which helped and am storing them in the fridge….will they turn to goo outside the fridge?
        Also how do you keep the shape while dipping? Mine tasted fabulous but kind of looked like blobs.

      2. Lindsay

        It sounds like some of the ingredient amounts might have been a bit off. Either there was a bit too much milk or butter added, or there wasn’t enough coconut to “soak up” all the caramel mixture. If there’s an imbalance there, you could get cookies that don’t hold shape as well. You want the coconut well coated in the caramel mixture, but not dripping with it. I hope that helps!

    1. Lisa

      I made this AM and they seemed gooey also. I used exact amounts. After I formed them. I ended up putting back in bowl and adding another cup of coconut seemed to help. Then redid the balls. Seem better now. 

  41. Lori Feist

    Just made these for Christmas entertaining…they are so delicious!  My husband loves them.  He suggested adding an almond.  I will making more batches for sure!  

  42. Anita

    I made these twice in two days. These are so so good! I made them for a cookie exchange and I may have to just keep them!

  43. Kay

    I think I saw a chocolate cheesecake covered with ganache and shavings of chocolate on top. I thought I had put it on my FB Page and now can’t find it. If it came from your website, please post again. I love a good challenge!! Thanks!!

  44. Diana hayes

    Can I use a homemade caramel sauce, my daughter is allergic to corn syrup. If so. How much ch caramel sauce would I need?

    1. Lindsay

      I’m sure a homemade sauce would be ok, but it’d have to be a certain thickness for these to dry and not be sticky or fall apart I think. Without testing it I wouldn’t be able to say for sure. I love this caramel sauce and it’s relatively firm at room temperature so you could try it. I’d add small amounts of caramel sauce just until everything comes together and go from there.

  45. Vivian | stayaliveandcooking

    Ahhh I love salted caramel, and they look so cute! I want these on my Christmas cookie plate 😉

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29