Sheet Pan

Cracklin' Coconut Cherry Macaroons

May 27, 2021
1
2 Ratings
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Makes 20 or so cookies
Author Notes

If coconut macaroons and oatmeal cookies had a love child, I'm pretty sure it would be these cookies. The photo for the Best Recipe with Cereal Contest reminded me that I hadn't used Cracklin' Oat Bran® for about a million years, and some lonely egg whites in the back of my bridge inspired me to create macaroons.

I used Alice Medrich's Genius Coconut Macaroons as my starting point, beginning with an even mix of sweetened shredded coconut and Cracklin' Oat Bran. I threw in some dried tart cherries and cinnamon for some extra pizzazz. Give them a try—I don't think you'll be disappointed! —hardlikearmour

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Hardlikearmour is a veterinarian with a serious sweet tooth.
WHAT: A chewy, golden cookie-macaroon hybrid.
HOW: Add a kick to traditional macaroons with Cracklin' Oat Bran, cinnamon, and dried tart cherries. Bake them into golden brown nests, then have them for dessert or breakfast (they have cereal in them, after all).
WHY WE LOVE IT: Who would've thought that Cracklin' Oat Bran would be so good in a macaroon? Oh right, everyone. The coconut provides a chewy but crunchy base for the tart cherries, and the nutty cereal make it a just-sweet-enough dessert. —The Editors

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Ingredients
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal
  • 1/3 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped
Directions
  1. Combine egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large stainless steel bowl. Whisk together, then add the remaining ingredients (shredded coconut, Cracklin' Oat Bran, and dried cherries). Set aside.
  2. Fill a large skillet with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a low simmer then rest the entire bowl in the skillet over the water. Stir and scrape the mixture inside the bowl using a Silicone spatula, until the cereal is soft and mostly broken up, about 6 minutes. Remove the bowl from the skillet and let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes.
  3. Place oven racks in the middle and lower positions, then preheat the oven to 350º F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or Silicone liners.
  4. After the batter has rested, stir it to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Use 2 tablespoons (the kind you eat with) to transfer the batter onto the baking sheets in 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon dollops. To do this, use one spoon to scoop the batter from the bowl, and the second spoon to scrape the batter onto the baking sheet. The dollops should be spaced evenly, with 10 to 11 macaroons per baking sheet.
  5. Reduce oven heat to 325º F and place the sheet pans in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and from front to back after 6 to 7 minutes. Once done, the bottom of the cookies should be evenly browned and the tops should be golden and lightly browned. Monitor the cookies and reduce the oven heat if needed to prevent burning.
  6. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool fully before removing the cookies. The cookies are at their best the first day and will lose crispness after that. But if you have to eat them the next day, store them in a tightly sealed container.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.

15 Reviews

Cristie S. January 8, 2018
I love these cookies. These are a healhy cookie that I can feel good about eating. These cookies burn easily. I cooked them on a greased cookie sheet for 6 minutes, then flipped them over and cooked them for 1 more minute.
fiveandspice April 30, 2015
YUUUUUMMMMM
hardlikearmour April 30, 2015
Thanks! A breakfast cookie seems right up your alley ;-)
Patricia C. April 30, 2015
I'm in Australia and Cracklin Oat Bran Cereal is not available here. Would normal oat bran work?
tellmeaboutfood April 30, 2015
Good question.
hardlikearmour April 30, 2015
Dunno for sure, but I think it would be worth giving it a go. What's the worst that could happen :-) ?
Patricia C. April 30, 2015
I guess the biggest change would be to the consistency as oat bran isn't exactly crunchy (I assume Cracklin Oat bran is?). I'll give it a go!
hardlikearmour April 30, 2015
Right. It's a sort of O-shaped cereal that is pretty hard until soaked in milk for awhile. Mixing it with the egg white softens it up, though. You may want to add it after heating the mixture and before resting it.
lapadia April 29, 2015
A winning day all the way around, when it rains it pours! IMO you should go play the lotto on this lucky day...
hardlikearmour April 29, 2015
Thanks, L! It was pretty surprising, and I do feel lucky today :-)
Oh yum! I would love this with the cherries and coconut. And I love the crispy chewy combo!
hardlikearmour May 21, 2013
Thanks, TWV! They're a little bit addictive.
aargersi April 10, 2013
These sounds awesome! I love the coconut / cherry / oat thing you have going on. So - make them and gobble them up is what I am hearing - I think I could manage that!!!
lapadia April 10, 2013
Well, I like crispy, but I like the next day macaroon "chew," too! :)
hardlikearmour April 11, 2013
Gracias! They're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside on day one, then get chewy throughout on day two. They're delicious either way, but I like having the textural contrast.