Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
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Published Apr 08, 2019, Updated Apr 11, 2022
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Simple chocolate coconut macaroons that you can whip up in under 30 minutes. The perfect coconut treat for Passover or Easter. Vegan and gluten-free.
You may or may not have already tried my recipe for healthy coconut macaroons… now I’ve got a chocolate version for all of you chocolate lovers! The only additional ingredient is cocoa powder so you could easily make half regular coconut and half chocolate to please everyone.
I always thought macaroons were hard and time consuming to make but they’re actually quite simple! Stir together all of the ingredients and then use a cookie scoop to scoop perfectly portioned balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake and then let them cool until you drizzle or dip in chocolate. That’s it!
What Type of Coconut to Use
One important ingredient tip to note! You have to use unsweetened fine or desiccated shredded coconut. This is super important because if you use the longer shreds, the macaroons won’t hold together and they’ll spread across the pan. I’ve found a couple brands that make fine shredded coconut that works perfectly including Let’s Do Organic (they sell it at most grocery stores, on Amazon and at Target) or the Bob’s Red Mill fine shredded coconut.
Ingredients for Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
These macaroons are made with 7 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen – 8 if you want to drizzle them with chocolate (why wouldn’t you?!)
- unsweetened fine shredded/desiccated coconut – see note above
- almond flour – make sure you grab almond flour, not almond meal!
- maple syrup – pure maple syrup is the perfect natural sweetener to use because it’s liquid.
- coconut oil
- cocoa powder
- vanilla
- sea salt
- chocolate chips (optional) – I love Lily’s chocolate chips for a low-sugar option and Enjoy Life chocolate chips for a dairy-free/soy-free option.
How to Store Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Store any leftover macaroons in the fridge or freezer. If you do store them in the freezer, let them sit out at least 10 minutes before eating. They’re really hard straight from the freezer.
More Healthy Treats to Try
- Coconut Macaroons
- 4-Ingredient Samoas
- Coconut Almond Cookies
- Healthy Homemade Tagalongs
- Healthy Peanut Butter Balls
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened fine shredded/desiccated coconut, see note
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips + coconut oil, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine ingredients: Stir together coconut, almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla and sea salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Form macaroons: Use a Tablespoon or cookie scoop to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool — they will firm up as they cool so wait about 15 minutes or so before serving or dipping in chocolate.
- Melt chocolate: If adding melted chocolate, add chips to a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds and stir. If chips aren’t melted, heat for another 10 seconds or so. If the chocolate seems too thick after melting you can add a teaspoon of melted coconut oil to thin it out.
- Drizzle chocolate: Drizzle chocolate over each macaroon.
- Set: Place macaroons in the fridge/freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Store any leftover macaroons in the fridge for later.
Notes
- Coconut: Be sure to use fine shredded/desiccated coconut. With this type of coconut, the shreds are really tiny and the coconut is more dry. If you use regular shredded coconut (the long strands) the macaroons won’t hold together as well and will spread way too much!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What can I substitute for almond flour? My son cannot have almonds. Can I use oat flour, tapioca, or cassava? Would I need to adjust the liquid?
Hey Jennifer – I haven’t tried a sub for the almond flour, so I’m not 100% sure how these would turn out with a different flour. Oat flour might work? Let me know if you try these and how they turn out for you!
So good! I made them as written and they came out perfectly. They definitely need a few minutes to cool otherwise they do crumble but once cooled they held together really well. I didn’t have any issues with the oil seeping out as another review mentioned
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad these macaroons turned out for you, Kim! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
These are delicious and baked perfectly! Melt in your mouth goodness!
Ahh yay!! So glad you tried this recipe and loved it, Allison! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Delicious!!! Unfortunately, however, the oil seeped out onto the parchment and created a hard film, causing the whole bottom of the cookie to stick to the parchment. Had to carefully scrape them off the pan and crumbled into a granola =)
yum!
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that they didn’t turn out as expected for you, Ainsly. Did you add any extra oil or just the amount listed in the instructions? I’m glad you at least enjoyed these even though you had to enjoy them as granola. 🙂
that’s a great tip about the coconut shreds. I’ve been guilty of cutting my macaroons into squares because they spread too much. Still tasty, but not so pretty.
How can I make these into Keto, what would equal maple syrup?
Is almond meal the same as almond flour? I am going to give this recipe a try!
Is there an option that would work to make these nut-free (a substitution for the almond flour)? These look delicious but my husband has a nut allergy! Thanks!