If you love the combination of chocolate and coconut, these raw chocolate coconut macaroons will be your new favorite dessert. They are coconutty, chocolaty, tender, and slightly chewy. In addition to being raw, these chocolate macaroons are also vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Many of the recipes I share on this blog are inspired by a product I have either seen in the store (and didn’t buy because of the outrageous price) or purchased (and liked so much that I wanted to recreate it for this blog). This recipe falls into the latter category.
These chocolate coconut macaroons are a copycat recipe for Hail Merry Dark Chocolate Bites. Hail Merry is a great company that believes in consuming foods as close to their natural state as possible. It is most known for its raw snacks and desserts, including tarts, cups, and bites. I essentially went off the back of the Hail Merry Dark Chocolate Bites to make these macaroons.
If you’re a coconut macaroon connoisseur, you may notice that this recipe is a bit different than the classic version. There are no whipped egg whites, condensed milk, or baking. However, the macaroons are still moist, and buttery, and it takes real willpower to stop at just one.
Ingredients
These chocolate coconut macaroons are made with whole, real ingredients that make them just as good as (if not better than) classic coconut macaroons:
- Coconut: the three most common forms of dried coconut are flaked, shredded, and desiccated. This recipe uses unsweetened desiccated (sometimes also called finely shredded) coconut. If you can only find shredded or flaked coconut, process it in the food processor first.
- Coconut butter: the original Hair Merry macaroons contain coconut oil. I prefer coconut butter for several reasons – it’s a whole food, it adds extra richness and lovely coconut flavor, and if you make coconut butter at home, it is really cost-effective. Coconut butter is also sticky and beautifully binds the macaroons together.
- Cacao powder: you can use either cacao powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe. Sometimes I also add a little bit of melted chocolate right into the batter to make the macaroons even more chocolaty.
- Maple syrup: I frequently use maple syrup in my raw desserts because pure maple syrup is indeed used in raw cooking. However, maple is not actually raw. The process of making maple syrup involves a very long process of cooking down the sap collected from maple trees. This is a very tedious process that needs to be continually monitored for the correct temperature and air exposure. The reason maple syrup is used in raw cooking is that it contains more nutrients and has a more balanced ratio of glucose to fructose than most raw sweeteners including agave or raw honey. That being said, you can substitute maple syrup for agave, raw honey, or any other liquid sweetener if you wish.
- Sea salt: a pinch of sea salt is crucial in any chocolate dessert recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Since this recipe doesn’t require beating egg whites into soft peaks or precise baking, making these macaroons couldn’t be simpler.
- Mix. Add the desiccated coconut, coconut butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and sea salt into a medium bowl and mix until well combined. The mixture will be slightly crumbly, but it should stick together when you press it between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit more coconut butter, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time. If the mixture is too wet, add a little bit more desiccated coconut.
- Scoop. Using a 2-Tbsp./30-ml cookie scoop, fill the scoop with the mixture and release it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The cookie scoop will create a dome shape that is flat on the bottom.
- Chill. Transfer the macaroons to the fridge and let them chill until firm, for about 20 minutes.
- Dip in chocolate (optional). Once chilled, you can dip the bottom of the macaroons in melted chocolate.
How to Store Raw Macaroons
- Refrigerating: transfer the macaroons into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- Freezing: transfer the macaroons into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons Variations
There are many possible variations for this recipe:
- Swap the coconut butter for nut butter: while coconut butter is the most obvious choice for coconut macaroons, you can use any nut butter you like. Almond butter or cashew butter would be my top choices.
- Replace the maple syrup: any liquid sweetener that is not too thick and sticky, such as coconut nectar, will work in this recipe.
- Coat the macaroons with chocolate: love chocolate? Dip, drizzle, or coat the macaroons with chocolate.
- Experiment with spices and/or extracts: cinnamon (to add warmth), vanilla (to enhance the other flavors in the macaroons), coffee extract (to bring out the chocolate flavor), etc.
More Raw Coconut Macaroons Recipes
If you love coconut and enjoy raw desserts, try these macaroons next:
- Raw coconut macaroons: not a chocolate fan? These coconut macaroons are essentially a vanilla version of this recipe. They are perfectly sweet, tender, and moist.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup coconut butter , melted*
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Mix. Add the desiccated coconut, coconut butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and sea salt into a medium bowl and mix until well combined. The mixture will be slightly crumbly, but it should stick together when you press it between your fingers. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit more coconut butter, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time. If the mixture is too wet, add a little bit more desiccated coconut.
- Scoop. Using a 2-Tbsp./30-ml cookie scoop, fill the scoop with the mixture and release it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The cookie scoop will create a dome shape that is flat on the bottom.
- Chill. Transfer the macaroons into the fridge and let them chill until firm, for about 20 minutes.
- Dip in chocolate (optional). Once chilled, dip the bottoms of the macaroons in melted chocolate and then set the macaroons back onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to harden, Drizzle any remaining chocolate on top. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes
- Store. Leftover macaroons keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
This recipe looks awesome. I will definitely make it 🙂
Thank you Ana!❤️ they are so good!