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A birthday cake flavored coconut macaroon recipe with dark chocolate, rainbow sprinkles, and cake batter flavoring. The sweetest birthday party treat!
Why Make This Coconut Macaroons Recipe?
One of my most favorite cookies is the macaroon, a traditional Jewish-American cookie made with coconut. Macaroons are sweet and chewy, with a light toasted coconut flavor. I could eat coconut macaroons all day long…especially if they’re dipped in chocolate!
Macaroons are especially popular during Passover, as they’re easily made kosher. (I’ve used a bit of flour here, but you can substitute potato starch to make a treat that is both kosher and gluten-free. There are also numerous recipes available which omit the flour altogether.)
Dipped in chocolate and decorated with rainbow sprinkles, this birthday cake macaroon recipe adds a fun, celebration-themed twist to traditional coconut macaroons. I’ve even added cake batter flavoring to the coconut mixture. These cookies don’t just look like birthday cake, they taste like it, too!
Macaroons vs. Macarons: What’s the difference?
Macaroons should not be confused with macarons, the classic French confection comprised of meringue, icing sugar, and almond flour, and paired with sweet fillings like jam or buttercream.
It’s amazing how many people think “macaroon” and “macaron” can be used interchangeably, when in fact they’re two distinctly different cookies with completely different ingredients. (Although, according to this article, macarons and macaroons actually share the same history, so perhaps there exists some reason for the confusion!)
For the record, neither macaroons nor macarons have much in common with Macron, a.k.a. the President of France! This illustration is one of my absolute favorites, and one I hope to hang in my kitchen someday:
While I welcome the endless creative possibilities offered by French macarons, I actually prefer to eat macaroons. I think I love them so much because of my affinity for all things coconut. I’ll always choose the coconut-based candy bar, and I can devour an obscene number of these homemade Mallo Cups. Caramel deLites are the #1 Girl Scout cookie as far as I am concerned. I love coconut seltzer, coconut sorbet, coconut rum, and even non-edible coconut things like candles and lip balm. So it’s no surprise that coconut macaroons are right up my alley.
As a bonus, macaroons are considerably easier to make than macarons. Simply combine sugar, egg whites, and sweetened coconut, spoon onto a tray, and bake until lightly golden brown. For this birthday cake coconut macaroon recipe I’ve added a splash of cake batter flavoring and a dunk in dark chocolate.
Coconut Macaroon Recipe Ingredients
To make this coconut macaroon recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Coconut – When choosing your coconut, choose the flaked and sweetened kind. Unsweetened coconut works nicely in lots of recipes, but you really need to use the sweetened version here.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar enhances the sweetness of the coconut.
- All-Purpose Flour – Or plain flour, in the UK. For gluten free macaroons, replace the flour with potato starch.
- Kosher Salt – I test my recipes with Diamond Crystal, but you can use any kosher salt, or substitute fine sea salt instead.
- Egg Whites – You’ll need the whites of two large eggs, or about 40 grams of egg whites. No need for the yolks—save them to make my lemon curd recipe, or churn up some white chocolate coconut ice cream.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – Extract works in some recipes, but I highly recommend using the good stuff for this one! Nielsen-Massey makes my go-to vanilla bean paste.
- Cake Batter Flavoring – I like LorAnn Oils super strength cake batter flavor, but any cake batter or birthday cake flavoring will work. Depending on the brand you choose, you might have to taste and adjust the amount of flavoring accordingly. You want the cake flavor to be noticeable, not so strong that it overpowers the natural taste of the coconut.
- Rainbow Nonpareils – I used rainbow nonpareils, but standard rainbow sprinkles will work, too!
- Dark Chocolate – You can dip your macaroons in any kind of chocolate you’d like. For best results I do suggest opting for a high-quality couverture (Callebaut, Valrhona) or a better supermarket brand (Ghiardelli, Lindt) rather than chocolate chips.
Tips & Tricks for Making Birthday Cake Macaroons
While some macaroon recipes are gluten free, this recipe uses flour as the binder. For a gluten free option, replace the all-purpose flour with potato starch.
If your macaroons spread on the tray while baking, do not fear! Pull the tray out of the oven for a minute and use a round metal biscuit cutter or tart ring to gently reshape each macaroon, then return to the oven to finish baking.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Coconut macaroons taste best on the day they are made. Layer leftovers between sheets of parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
More birthday cake-inspired recipes you might enjoy:
Funfetti Slice and Bake Shortbread
Birthday Cake Marshmallows
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Birthday Cake Macaroons
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 15 macaroons 1x
Description
A birthday cake flavored coconut macaroon recipe with dark chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. The sweetest birthday party treat!
Ingredients
125 grams sweetened coconut flakes (1 1/2 cups)
65 grams granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
25 grams all purpose flour (3 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon cake batter flavoring
Rainbow nonpareils
120 grams chopped dark chocolate (4 ounces)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 330° F / 165° C. Line a lhalf sheet rimmed baking tray with a silicone mat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sweetened coconut, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, and kosher salt.
Stir in egg whites, vanilla bean paste and cake batter flavoring.
Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto prepared tray. (You should have about 15 macaroons total.) Sprinkle with rainbow nonpareils or rainbow sprinkles.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown.
Cool completely on silicone mat. Meanwhile, line a separate tray with parchment or a clean silicone mat. Melt dark chocolate over a bain marie or double boiler, or microwave in short bursts, stirring periodically.
Dip macaroons in melted chocolate, completely coating the bottoms. Arrange, chocolate-side down, on prepared tray.
Set aside and allow chocolate to set at room temperature, about 1 hour.
Store coconut macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
I used LorAnn Oils super strength cake batter flavor, but any cake batter or birthday cake flavoring will work.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert