Vegan Macaroons

Chewy, lightly sweet Vegan Macaroons packed with coconut and crunchy dark chocolate, these vegan coconut macaroons are simply the best cookies for the holidays or coconut lovers.

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Have you tried my vegan bounty bars, coconut banana cookies, or no-bake coconut cookies? Well, these vegan macaroons are a combination of all these recipes! Except they are baked until the coconut is just toasted and golden for a light crisp on the edges.

They taste like the authentic Italian coconut macaroon without the egg whites and sugar.

Why You Will Love These Vegan Coconut Macaroons

• Quick and easy cookie recipe
• Refined sugar-free
• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Gluten-free
• Packed with wholesome ingredients
• Low-sugar and keto-friendly

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Finely Shredded Coconut – prefer unsweetened. If you only have shredded coconut with a coarse texture, here’s a simple way to make it thinner. Pop in the food processor and pulse a few times until fine.
• Canned Coconut Milk – Shake the can before opening and measuring to mix the two layers that often naturally form in the can.
• Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup or coconut nectar.
• Almond Flour – You could use oat flour but the macaroons get dry and not as moist and tender in the center.
• Ground Flaxseeds – This adds a chewy texture to the macaroons and helps with texture. This is 100% better than aquafaba, often used as a swap for egg whites in vegan desserts. In cookies, a flax meal is way stronger as a binder. When in contact with almond flour and the warmth of the liquid ingredients, it acts as a glue. It also creates a chewy inside. Another option, if you have flaxseed intolerance, is to use a tablespoon of cornstarch instead.
• Almond Extract or vanilla extract for flavors.
• Pinch a Salt to enhance the sweetness.
• Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips to create a crunchy chocolate feet to the macaroons.
• Coconut Oil to melt the chocolate chips, but you can skip this for an oil-free option.

Making Vegan Coconut Macaroons

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil paper with cooking oil spray.

1. In a saucepan, add maple syrup and coconut milk. Bring to medium-high heat until it boils. Reduce heat to simmer. Bubbles should form on the sides of the saucepan. Cook for 1 minute without stirring.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the ground flaxseeds.

3. Fold in the finely shredded desiccated coconut, almond flour, extract, and salt.
4. Stir to combine and coat all the coconut with the wet ingredients. The mixture should be sticky and hold well together.

5. Oil a small cookie scoop and grab a tablespoon of macaroon batter. Press and pack the batter well in the scoop to make sure there’s no air between the coconut pieces or they get fragile after being baked.
6. Release mounds of coconut on the lined baking sheet and repeat, leaving a thumb space between each cookie. They won’t expand in the oven. Bake the macaroons for 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet for at least an hour at room temperature without touching the vegan macaroons. They are still fragile, and they firm up as they cool down. After an hour, transfer the macaroons to a cooling rack and pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Dipping Macaroons In Chocolate

7. Meanwhile, melt the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil in a glass bowl in the microwave or au bain-marie. When the chocolate is melted, glossy and shiny, remove the macaroons from the fridge. Hold the top of the macaroons with your hand and dip the bottom the melted chocolate, once at a time. Wait for a few seconds above the bowl to let the excess chocolate run down to the bowl.
8. Release on the cooling rack, placing the macaron on its side. Don’t place the chocolate-coated macaroon on its chocolate base, or it will stick to the wire rack, and it will be a nightmare to release later.
   Now, pop the wire rack, with all the macaroons dipped in chocolate, in the freezer for 10 minutes. This quick cooling process hardens the chocolate layer and firms up the macaroons. When set, store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.

Expert Tips To Make Egg-Free Macaroons

• Pack The Batter Firmly. The batter must be sticky and packed as much as possible in the scoop to remove any air between the coconut flakes. This makes the macaroons firmer and ensures they won’t break after baking.
• Be Patient. Cool down the macaroons at room temperature, and don’t move or touch them. They firm up on the baking sheet as the temperature drops, and if you touch them, they might fall apart.
• You must use finely shredded coconut. If you use coarse coconut threads, the batter won’t stick together resulting in fragile macaroon. If you are unsure if yours is thin enough, pulse it a few times in the blender, the thinner, the better they hold their shapes.
• Use Full-fat coconut milk for an ultra moist, crumb in the center.
• Don’t use sweetened coconut. In the US, shredded coconut is most of the time sweetened. Don’t use coconut with added sugar or the macaroon come out ultra sweet.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Vegan Macaroons

Chewy, lightly sweet vegan macaroons packed with coconut and crunchy dark chocolate. These vegan coconut macaroons are simply the best cookies for the holidays and for coconut lovers.

4.50 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Cool: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 macaroons

Calories: 109.1 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ ⅓ cup Maple Syrup - (note 1)
• ▢ ½ cup Canned Coconut Milk - shake can before opening and measuring
• ▢ ¼ cup Almond Flour
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut - fine, not coarse
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Flaxmeal
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract

For the shell

• ▢ ½ cup Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Coconut Oil

Instructions

• If your desiccated coconut is not finely shredded, place it in a food processor and process it a few times. This ensures that the macaroon batter sticks together and holds its shape.
• In a nonstick large saucepan, add maple syrup and coconut milk.
• Warm over medium heat, bring to a light boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 minute without stirring.
• Remove from heat and stir in flax meal first, then add almond flour, finely shredded unsweetened coconut, salt, and almond extract. Stir until it forms a sticky, moist batter.
• Use a small cookie dough scoop to scoop out some coconut mixture, and press firmly in the scoop so it packs the mixture nicely together.
• Release the cookies on the prepared baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
• Bake at 325°F (160°C) until slightly golden brown on the sides – about 20 to 22 minutes.
• Cool down, untouched, for 1 hour before dipping the macaron feet into melted dark chocolate.

Chocolate shell – optional

• In a small microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave until melted – about 1 minute.
• Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate and place upside down on a wire rack.
• Pop the wire rack in the freezer or fridge to set the chocolate shell quickly.

Notes

Note 1: You can use sugar-free maple syrup made from Monk fruit; brands like Choc Zero are vegan and keto-friendly.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1macaroon | Calories: 109.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.6g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 8.8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 23.5mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 15.7mg | Iron: 0.5mg | Magnesium: 14.3mg | Phosphorus: 29.5mg | Zinc: 0.3mg