Coconut macaroons are the most coconut-y of all cookies. Loaded with almost all coconut, these chewy, tender coconut bites will leave you in tropical, coconutty heaven. They are delicious by themselves but even more irresistible when dipped in dark chocolate. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
These coconut macaroons are not to be confused with macarons. Although these two confections have a lot in common, they are different.
Yes, their spelling is almost identical, they are both members of the cookie family, most likely of Italian origin, and even their ingredients are similar. However, macarons and macaroons differ in their main ingredient – for macarons it’s almond flour, whereas for macaroons it’s shredded coconut.
Macarons are made from a batter of ground almond flour, egg whites, and confectioners’ sugar that puffs up to form a smooth-surfaced cookie. These airy almond meringues are then formed into sandwich cookies filled with ganache, jam, or buttercream and chilled, yielding a chewy center and shell-like surface.
Macaroons, on the other hand, are made from shredded coconut held together by egg whites and granulated sugar. They have a craggy surface and chewy interior and are often dipped in chocolate.
So, where does the confusion come from?
The English word macaroon comes from the French macaron, which in turn is a translation of the Italian word maccarone. With some American bakers translating the almond sandwich cookie into English and others sticking with the original French selling, it’s easy to confuse the two.
So, to be clear โ this recipe is for dense and chewy coconut macaroons.
Tips for Making Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
Although these raw coconut macaroons don’t contain whipped egg whites, sweetened condensed milk, or confectioners’ sugar, they are sweet, buttery, and full of coconut flavor. Here’s what makes them just as good as classic macaroons:
- Coconut: my favorite type of coconut for these macaroons is unsweetened desiccated coconut because it yields the most delicate macaroons. You could also use shredded or even flaked coconut, but make sure it is unsweetened. Whichever form of coconut you choose, just keep in mind that the finer the coconut is, the more delicate and denser the macaroons will be.
- Almond flour: while you can stick with only coconut for the dry ingredients, I prefer macaroons that are more cookie-like, which is exactly what almond flour delivers. Use finely ground blanched almond flour for best results.
- Coconut butter: what sets these coconut macaroons apart is coconut butter. Coconut butter takes the place of traditional egg whites, binding all the ingredients together. It also makes the macaroons rich, buttery, and even more coconutty. You can either buy already made coconut butter or make your own from desiccated coconut.
- Maple syrup: it’s important to use liquid sweeteners because they’re sticky and help to bind the ingredients. However, liquid sweeteners that are too thick and sticky, such as coconut syrup, aren’t ideal. Thinner liquid sweeteners, such as maple syrup, agave, or yacon syrup, work much better.
- Vanilla extract: I have a deep love for vanilla in desserts. It’s warm, with a sweet floral aroma that makes any dessert sparkle. I like to use both vanilla paste and vanilla extract, but you can use either.
How to Make Raw Coconut Macaroons
The proper color of macaroons is a matter of great controversy and personal taste. Snowy-white or toasted golden? If you love raw desserts like me, keep the macaroons raw. If you prefer a more traditional dessert, bake the macaroons at 275ยฐF/135ยฐC until slightly golden, for 25-30 minutes. Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Mix the ingredients. Add the desiccated coconut, almond flour, coconut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to 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 it’s too dry, add a little bit more coconut butter, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time. If it’s too wet, add a little bit more desiccated coconut.
- Shape the mixture. Using a 2-Tbsp./30-ml cookie scoop, fill the scoop with the dough 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 refrigerator to firm up, for about 20 minutes.
How to Store Raw Macaroons
- Refrigerating: transfer the macaroons to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 month.
- Freezing: transfer the macaroons to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Coconut Macaroons Variations
While the basic coconut macaroons are easy and taste great, they can be gussied up in many ways:
- Dip the macaroons in chocolate: once chilled, you can dip the bottom of the macaroons in melted tempered chocolate. There’s just something irresistible about the contrast between the coconut-y base and the dark chocolate at the bottom. Tempering the chocolate will create a nice, crisp shell around the outside of these soft cookies. Alternatively, you can also drizzle melted chocolate over the macaroons.
- Add almond extract: if you prefer the pure coconut-almond flavor, add ยฝ tsp./2.5 ml or so of almond extract.
- Stir in chopped blanched almonds: to add a little bit of crunch, you can stir in some chopped blanched almonds.
More Coconut Macaroons Recipes
If you love coconut and enjoy raw desserts, try these macaroons next:
- Raw chocolate coconut macaroons: love chocolate? These chocolate coconut macaroons are essentially a chocolate version of this recipe. They are coconutty, chocolaty, tender, and slightly chewy.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 1 cup almond flour , finely ground
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut butter , melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients. Add the desiccated coconut, almond flour, coconut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to 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 it's too dry, add a little bit more coconut butter, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time. If it's too wet, add a little bit more desiccated coconut.ย
- Shape the mixture. Using a 2-Tbsp./30-ml cookie scoop, fill the scoop with the dough 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 refrigerator to firm up, for about 20 minutes.
- Dip in chocolate (optional). Once chilled, dip the bottoms of the macaroons in melted chocolate and then place the macaroons back onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle any remaining chocolate on top. Refrigerate to allow the chocolate to set, for about 10 minutes.
- Store. Leftover macaroons keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Wow, super recipe! Now I just need to get a high speed blender ๐
Do it! I use my high-speed blender (AND a food processor) all the time. Really, one of the best investments of my life. Thank you for commenting, Shay! ๐
Hi You are so unique you go the nine yards in this recipe letting us know the best ingredients to buy and use I like that not every one give us information
Thank you for such kind words, Ellen ๐
I’m your huge fan from South Korea.
I run a organic vegan cafe in Korea.
our cafe name is Majueyagi which means our beautiful story.
your blog and youtube is very helpful and touchable for me and always give healing mind.
i wanna see you some day.
if you come to Korea some day. l hope you come to my cafe. ๐
facebook :
http://www.facebook.com/majueyagi
instagram:
@maju_story_vegan_cafe
Thank you so much, Sunny! So happy my recipes have been helpful ๐ All the best with your cafe!
The day after I made these: there are literally 3 left ๐ my 2 teens and hubby loved these, thank you for the beautiful video instruction and recipe!
Yay! So happy your family enjoyed the recipe so much!! Your comment just made my day. โค๏ธ
Dear Petra
Do you know why the macaroons might turn out hard?
Thank you.
Hi Alexandra – did you bake the macaroons or dehydrate them? Were there hard even on the inside? They should be crispy on the outside but moist on the inside.
Hi Petra! Thank you for your reply! O baked them, I used honey and yeah they were hard on the inside too. Do you think if I add more coconut butter they will ve soft on the inside?
Dear Petra
I added more coconut butter and it worked out great! I think the honey was making them dry. They are so good!
Thank you so much!
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the feedback, Alexandra!โค๏ธ
can I substitute almond flour to cassava flour or coconut flour? Im on aip diet which means I need to be nut-free… I really wanna try them TT
Hi Deborah, I have never tried it in this recipe, so I am not sure. Sorry!
Hi Petra, I am currently following autoimmune protocol (AIP) Paleo. I am not permitted to have almond flour. Could I successfully substitute either coconut, tiger nut or cassava flour? Many thanks.
Hi Leonie – are you planning on baking or dehydrating the macaroons? If you want to keep them raw, I would not recommend cassava flour (cassava flour shouldn’t be eaten raw). If you want to bake the macaroons, then I would try either tigernut or cassava flour. I have successfully replaced almond flour with tigernut flour in a few recipes (raw brownies and pancakes, for instance), but never tried it with this recipe, to be honest. I wouldn’t use coconut flour because it is much more absorbent than almond flour. If you wanted to use coconut flour, you would have to tweak the recipe a bit. Please, let me know how it goes if you give it a try.
These were everything I was hoping theyโd be! I absolutely love love love coconut and chocolate! My oldest daughter and I made these for Motherโs Day dessert. They were just the right treat for this mama. My whole family (all 7 of us) LOVED them! My husband ask why we only made a dozen ๐ thanks for the delicious recipe! I made them exactly as directed but for the dipped chocolate part I use melted enjoy life chocolate chips. Next time we want to try them with sliced almonds in it. Thank you again! Youโre recipes never disappoint! <3
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that, Ashly! Your comment just made my day! BTW, your husband very much reminds me of mine ๐