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Festive and fun, these Easy Vanilla Sugar Dusted Macaroon Trees are such a treat. Tis’ the Season for simple vanilla coconut macaroon cookies shaped into the cutest, sweetest, little snow-capped Christmas trees. Made effortlessly by shaping the dough into trees, then stacking them on top of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup “trunks”. Dust each festive mini tree with deliciously sweet vanilla sugar and you’ll have yourself an adorable, delicious Christmas cookie. Fun to bake, delicious to eat, and make for a great homemade gift!
I glanced at the calendar today and suddenly we’re less than one week away from Christmas Eve. How is this even possible? I know I probably say the same thing every single year, but where has this month gone? It feels like Thanksgiving was just yesterday and we should still have all of December left to celebrate the season!
Clearly, that’s not the case, but I wish it was. With this in mind, I’m bringing out all the show-stopping, super easy holiday recipes. With limited time, I want to share recipes that are delicious and festive, but still relatively simple and easy too. These mini snow-capped trees have been on my “to make” list for the entire month. I figured if there was ever a time to make these, it’s now.
And aren’t they cute? But what I love even more is that they’re cute and delicious. Those mini Reese’s tree stumps really makes them extra special and perfect for the holidays.
Making these mini trees is easy, here are the steps.
You need a total of seven ingredients for these cookies. Eight if you have vanilla powder on hand, but that’s an optional ingredient!
Soo, when I said these were simple and easy, I really meant it.
Simply mix egg whites with vanilla extract, then toss in shredded unsweetened coconut, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together…that’s the cookie dough. Now, using your hands, form mounds of the dough into mini trees. This could not be easier.
Bake until the trees are lightly golden, which only takes just over ten minutes. You’ll realize almost immediately that these are going to be good. The smell of the vanilla and sweet coconut together is amazing. Somehow it just smells like Christmas…a truly wonderful thing.
Let the trees sit on the baking sheet for a bit to cool. Then assemble – then eat!
I dipped the bottom of each tree in melted white chocolate, then flipped a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup upside down and stuck it right underneath each tree. The Reese fit perfectly to make little tree trunks…and they’re an extra special last bite too.
To finish, I mixed powdered sugar with vanilla bean powder, then generously dusted the mix over each tree. It looks just like a dusting of light snow and couldn’t be any more sweet and delicious.
Keys to success.
These are easy, but I still have some tips for you!
First up, when forming your trees don’t stress about making them perfect. I ended up loving the trees that looked more like a “Grinch” tree than a perfect tree. So the less perfect, the better!
Next, when dipping each tree into the melted chocolate, just be sure to pick the trees up from the bottom and not the middle or top. If you pick the tree up in the middle, you could end up breaking the tree in half. So pick the tree up from the bottom, dip gently, and you’ll be all good.
And other than that, there are no other things to note!
These cookies make a delicious addition to any holiday party and or cookie plate. And if you have young kids these are a must bake before Christmas. They’ll have so much fun creating the trees and dusting them with sugar. It’s something they can easily do all by themselves!
I’m really hoping to be able to set aside time one of these days before Christmas to do a baking day with Asher. These are the perfect cookies to make with her! Of course, she’ll be dipping the bottom of her trees in regular ole’ semi-sweet chocolate…and devouring the peanut butter cup too. But to be honest…I can’t blame her.
Looking for other easy holiday desserts? Here are my favorites:
Easy Hot Chocolate Lace Cookies
Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars
Lastly, if you make these Easy Vanilla Sugar Dusted Macaroon Trees, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Vanilla Sugar Dusted Macaroon Trees
Servings: 22 trees
Calories Per Serving: 238 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups ( 8 ounces) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces white chocolate, melted
- 22 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- 1/2-1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites and vanilla. Add the coconut, sugar, and salt and mix until fully combined. Working on the prepared baking sheet, mound 2 tablespoons of the dough into trees about 2 inches tall. Use your hands and fingertips to make the point at the top. I found the more imperfect they are, the cuter.3. Bake 12-14 minutes, until golden. Let the trees sit on the baking sheet at least 15 minutes before moving, then use a spatula to gently release the trees. 4. Carefully dip the bottom of each tree in melted white chocolate, place each back on the parchment lined baking sheet. Chill until firm 10-20 minutes. Spread the bottom of each Reese's with a small amount of white chocolate, then place the trees on top, holding in place for a few seconds to secure. Chill until firm, another 10-15 minutes. 5. Combine the powdered sugar and vanilla powder. Generously dust each tree with the vanilla sugar. Cookies can be made up to a week ahead.
Hello,
This looks delicious and so festive– planning to make it for Christmas eve dessert. I was hoping you could clarify measurements for me. I purchased the Bob’s Red mill unsweetened shredded coconut in a 12 oz bag. The bag measures out to ~3 cups meaning an 8oz would be ~2c and I would need 24 oz to get 6 cups. I saw some folks had trouble with texture and wondering if this is a possible reason. Should I be using 6 cups or an 8 oz bag (~2c)?
Thanks so much and happy holidays!
Hi! I was wondering if you could refrigerate half the mixture and bake a few days later?
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried this before so can’t for sure! xT
I made these last night used flakes and shredded coconut. Yes they were a bit soupy but stick with it they came out cute and don’t skip the dusting of powder sugar — magical! I also sprinkled edible stars .
Hey there,
Happy Friday!!☃️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
I could only find sweetened coconut, should I reduce the sugar?josnI made these last Christmas, so cute and delish.
Hey Joan,
You should be fine to just follow the recipe as is:) Let me know how they turn out! xT
Mine came out a little soupy as well. Baked them anyhow. They melted a bit at the base (kind of like partially melted snowmen). Checked all the measurements, but they were right. The egg whites were still cold…would that cause soupiness? I am tempted to throw it all in a bowl, throw in more coconut and reform/bake. Any ideawhat went wrong? It smells good
Hey Laurie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear you had some issues. I’m really not sure what caused this for you. Next time, I would try using just 3 egg whites. I hope this helps! xT
Delicious! 🙂 where is the best place to store these overnight??
Hey Jeremy,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! You can store in an airtight container on the counter. Happy Holidays!? xx
HOW does “6 cups” translate to “8 ounces” in your ingredient list? I’m so confused by this instruction and didn’t know how much shredded coconut to use… Am I missing something?
Hey Mary Ellen,
6 cups of shredded coconut is equal to 8 ounces:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I followed the instructions to a T but sadly it was just a soupy mess and there was no way to form the Christmas trees or even make cookies out of the “cookie dough”.
Hey Jess,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
1 cup = 8 ounces
Jess, one thing I have learned when working with egg whites, is that if there is too much humidity in the air (or if it is raining outside – weird but true!) the egg whites will not form stiff peaks. I have had this issue before, and now only do recipes like this when the weather is nice and dry.
These are beautiful. When you say mix egg whites and vanilla, should I whip to stiff peak? I’m starting now but it seems super loose, like it won’t hold together.
Hey Jacky,
No need for stiff peaks, just whisk them together until mixed. I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Would you change the cooking time or any other steps if I were to make these smaller for cookie boxes?
Hey Erin,
You should be good to follow the recipe as is:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are absolutely adorable!!! I have to make these!
Hey Erin,
Thanks so much, I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Love all your posts and current cookbooks. How about doing a book on desserts, cookies, and drinks only. Would be a best seller especially for the holidays and not just Christmas
Thanks so much for the feedback!! xTieghan
These look adorable! Looks like the recipe states they take a couple of days to make, though. And won’t the 16-18 PB cups result in a handful of trunk-free trees if the recipe makes 22 macaroons? Can’t wait to try them! Thank you!
Hi! That was just a typo. Recipe all fixed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! And Happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
These are perfect for a Holiday cookie!
Thanks so much Donna! xTieghan
These are so cute. Such a neat idea.
Thanks so much Charlotte!