Gwynedd Stuart
Why don’t we eat macaroons more often? Sure, coconut isn’t for everyone, so a cookie made almost entirely from sweetened coconut shreds probably won’t ever achieve cookie supremacy. All the same, it’s nice that every year, as Passover approaches and macaroons join matzo and Manischewitz on the shelves of your grocery store’s Kosher food endcap, people who do like coconut cookies can be reminded to pick some up. But which macaroons are the best macaroons? And why have they become a Passover staple?
According to Atlas Obscura, macaroons became a popular Passover treat for a few reasons, but mostly because their ingredients align with Jewish dietary rules (for instance, they don’t contain dairy, so they can be eaten with meat). Anyway, the leadup to Passover is a good time to revisit macaroons if you haven’t had them in a while, even if you aren’t Jewish.
But what makes macaroons the best macaroons? We were looking for moisture—these things shouldn’t be dry—balanced sweetness, and a flavor that made them taste freshly baked even if they weren’t. An annoying thing is that most macaroons are pretty high in fat and calories, so a serving size is frequently one cookie, which I truly think should be illegal. These are cookies to savor rather than scarf—so they have to be good! Here are the best coconut macaroons we tried during our taste test.
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- Manischewitz Cappuccino Chip
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On the whole, I didn’t love the line-up of Manischewitz macaroons. They’re moist upon first bite, but they’re a little chalky, too. I imagine that if you grew up on these, you love them, but they’re a little bit of a let-down if you’re used to bakery macaroons. What Manischewitz does right? Flavors. Not all of them are excellent (for instance, you can skip Cookies & Cream), but this cappuccino chip flavor was one of the best macaroons we tried. The coffee flavor isn’t overpowering, it just adds a little bit of a roasty, pleasant punch to the coconut flavor you know and love. Not all of the Manischewitz macaroons work, but these do.
Credit: Merc / Manischewitz
- Absolutely! Grain Free Gluten Free Chocolate Macaroons
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I’m loath to start off another review on a negative note, but I feel like I should warn you that these macaroons look like actual pieces of shit. Seriously, buy a bag of these and toss a few on the floor when you want to prank your spouse or roommates. But if you’re buying them to eat them, you’re probably curious about the flavor, right? Well, these chocolate macaroons have a pleasant, subdued cocoa flavor that makes its presence known but doesn’t overpower the flavor of the sweetened coconut. If you want a big chocolate flavor, go for chocolate-dipped macaroons, but if you want just a subtle suggestion of chocolate to complement the cookie itself, these are a good option.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Jennies Organic Chocolate Drizzle Macaroons
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These organic macaroons come individually wrapped in plastic. Normally this would bug me—enough with the plastic trash, humanity—but, I gotta say, it kind of makes sense for macaroons. These are so. so. moist. thanks to their packaging—super sticky and coconutty. The dark, flavorful chocolate drizzle is great, too. These don’t quite have the freshly baked flavor you’ll find in the best of the very best coconut macaroons, but they make up for it with their excellent texture and longevity. I’m certain these have a much longer shelf life than macaroons from the bakery.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Sprouts Market Corner Two-Bite Coconut Macaroons
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We tried macaroons from a few different grocery store bakery sections—Walmart, Trader Joe’s—but Sprouts’ macaroons are by far the best—they’re much more moist and tender than what you’ll find at competing stores. Their biggest virtue is their huge coconut flavor—all macaroons are coconut forward, but these really bring it. They’re the best macaroons we tasted and, bonus, the serving size is two cookies rather than one!
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Flavored
Best Chocolate
Best Dipped
Best of the Best
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Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
Will Morgan
