Cranberry Chocolate Chip Macaroons are a delightful cookie with a toasted shredded coconut exterior and a chewy interior. The tangy bits of fresh cranberries and mini chocolate chips are a mouthwatering combination sure to satisfy any coconut cookie lover. Dip them in melted chocolate for a real treat or leave them plain, either way you’ll love these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Macaroons!
Every kind of coconut is always stocked in my pantry unsweetened, sweetened, flaked or in chip form. Coconut is a versatile staple that can be used in both savory or sweet recipes. During the winter holidays in the USA the grocery stores are stocked with fresh cranberries to make traditional cranberry sauce and used in holiday cooking and baking. Raw fresh cranberries are rich in antioxidants, low in sugar, and have health benefits including promoting good digestion and helping to control blood pressure. So many good reasons to consume raw fresh cranberries! These mouthwatering Cranberry Chocolate Chip Macaroons won’t disappoint!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACAROONS AND MACARONS?
Macaroons are extremely easy coconut cookies to make and can be made with many different flavors. Don’t confuse macaroons with macarons. The main difference between the two cookies is their main ingredient: macaroons are made with shredded coconut and macarons are made with almond meal.
Macaroons are made with shredded coconut, sugar, and egg whites (or sweetened condensed milk in place of the sugar and egg whites). They have a toasted exterior with a chewy interior and are often dipped in melted chocolate. Macarons, on the other hand, are made from a batter of ground almond flour, egg whites, and powdered sugar. They are piped into little circles and puff up when baked to form a smooth surface cookie with a hollow center and a base called a “foot”. Macarons are a meringue-type cookie that are sandwiched together with countless fillings, such as jam, buttercream, or ganache.
WHERE DO MACAROONS AND MACARONS ORIGINATE FROM?
Both cookies are thought to have originated from Italy. Almonds were introduced to southern Italy by the Arabs in the 8th century. Italian-Jews made almond macaroons popular because they could eat these unleavened cookies for Passover. By the 16th century almond macaroons had made their way to France. Dried coconut became widely available around the 19th century in the USA and Europe. Bakers started to swap almonds for coconut to make a cookie that was a little sturdier and had a longer shelf life. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the famous Parisian (almond-meal) macaron was developed. In France, the coconut macaroons are called: rochers coco, not macaroons. Coconut macaroons and almond macarons still remain popular in the Jewish community during Passover.
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP MACAROONS
- Fresh cranberries
- All-purpose flour
- Shredded sweetened coconut
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pure vanilla extract
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional to melt for dipping or decorating (*see notes)
HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP MACAROONS
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, add the chopped fresh cranberries and flour together; stir to coat with a rubber spatula or spoon.
- Add the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, mini chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt; mix well.
- Using a 18/8-cookie scoop (small scoop), form 15-18 balls per prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
NOTES
- To make Cranberry Chocolate Chip Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons: Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir and continue for 15 seconds more if needed.
- Immediately dip the cooled macaroons in the melted chocolate and/or drizzle the melted chocolate over each macaroon, then place on parchment to let the chocolate harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
OTHER DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Coconut Macaroons
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Turtle Cookies
- M&M Cookies
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (14 oz) bag shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional to melt for dipping or decorating (*see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a large bowl, add the chopped fresh cranberries and flour together; stir to coat with a rubber spatula or spoon. Add the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, mini chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt; mix well.
- Using a 18/8-cookie scoop (small scoop), form 15-18 balls per prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- To make Cranberry Chocolate Chip Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons: Melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir and continue for 15 seconds more if needed. Immediately dip the cooled macaroons in the melted chocolate and/or drizzle the melted chocolate over each macaroon, then place on parchment to let the chocolate harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
