Marvelous Bakehouse Coconut Macaroons
A classic Jewish American Passover pastry we make every day!
Passover is still about three weeks away, but I’m happy to say that we’ll be making macaroons all through the month of March! Nearly 20 years ago, the Chicago Tribune described these as “more humble than haute.” It’s still true in 2026. They’re terrific!
The Bakehouse Coconut Macaroons are lightyears better than what I grew up with. My experience was very much what writer Leah Koenig shared in Kveller a few years ago:
For most of my life, I loathed macaroons—and from the evidence I gathered, so did the rest of my family. Every year around Passover an aluminum cylinder of Manischewitz coconut macaroons would show up amongst the overflowing bags … my mother brought home from Chicago’s kosher supermarket. And every year … the cylinder would remain, virtually untouched. … Despite my family’s shared loathing of the tinny, cloyingly sweet cookies, they were so iconic that the holiday simply did not feel complete without them.
The company was started in 1888 in Cincinnati, where Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz came to the U.S. in 1885 from the region of Kovno in Lithuania (the same town and the same time that Emma Goldman did as well). Born Dov Baer Abramson, he got into the U.S. by making use of the passport of a dead man named Manischewitz. He worked first as a peddler but entrepreneurially embarked on a project to make matzo in his basement when he realized that there was none in the community. In the spirit of the ever-growing Industrial Revolution, Manischewitz switched his hand production to be mechanized and produced en masse, a move that at the time was quite controversial.
When it comes to the Bakehouse’s macaroons, I’ll just say here that the chocolate are deeply chocolaty; the vanilla have that creamy complexity that makes vanilla so special. In Zingerman’s Bakehouse, they’re very accurately described as having “a crisp exterior and a dreamily moist interior.”
Because the Bakehouse’s Coconut Macaroons happen to be gluten-free, they are also a wonderful option for anyone steering clear of grain. They’re terrific, I’ll add too, dipped in the marvelous Noccioliva chocolate hazelnut spread we get from Italy! Spread a bit of the Noccioliva on a plate and place a macaroon on top, and it will be both beautiful and delicious. You can craft another quick, fun, and delicious dessert by gently smashing a macaroon so it opens up like a fried artichoke, then set a small scoop of Zingerman’s gelato on top and drizzle on a small bit of chocolate sauce. Or if you’re doing it with a vanilla macaroon, maple syrup is super tasty too!
You can make off with some of the great-tasting macaroons at the Bakeshop, Deli, and Roadhouse for all of March! And, as I said above, you can also ship these great macaroons to a friend or family member somewhere else in the country (especially to spots where they’re still stuck only with the ones in the can!). Delicious any day of the week, I say! Enjoy now, and then pick up more in a few weeks when Passover starts up!
Macaroon or two?
