Coconut Macaroons
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Published May 07, 2024
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These healthy coconut macaroons are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. They’re vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened and only require 6 main ingredients!
If you like coconut you have to try my coconut macaroons because they are jam-packed with coconut flavor! They’re so dang delicious and super easy to whip up.
Once baked, they’re crispy on the outside with a tender and moist center. For this version I melted chocolate chips for dipping and drizzling, but the chocolate is totally optional. They’re 100% delicious without the chocolate as well, but everything is better with chocolate, am I right?!
I love making these macaroons for Passover or Easter, but they’re delicious any time!
Why You’ll Love These Coconut Macaroons
- Six ingredients – You only need 6 main ingredients to make these coconut macaroons!
- Healthy – These macaroons are the perfect healthier treat to enjoy whenever you’re craving something sweet. No egg whites, no sweetened condensed milk, no sweetened coconut and no refined sugar or flour in this recipe! Plus, one macaroon only has 4 grams of sugar!
- Perfect texture – They have the perfect chewy texture, while being crisp on the outside and moist on the inside.
- Allergen friendly – These bites are gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free, so are perfect for anyone with dietary or allergy restrictions.
// ★★★★★ Review //
“I made these spontaneously on a weeknight because they looked SO GOOD. And they exceeded expectations. Had my husband not seen me make them he would have thought I bought them! A third of them were gone before I dipped any in chocolate (they’re so good warm from the oven). The best ever, and without all the refined sugar of more traditional macaroons. Thank you EBF!!” – Danielle
Ingredients Needed
As I mentioned, you only need SIX ingredients to make these healthy coconut macaroons… minus the chocolate chips (which are optional, but highly recommended!). Here’s what you need:
- unsweetened fine shredded/desiccated coconut – 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 or the Bob’s Red Mill fine shredded coconut.
- 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 – acts as a binder to help keep the macaroons together. You’ll want to measure your coconut oil in liquid form.
- vanilla – the perfect flavor enhancer.
- sea salt – brings all the flavors together.
- dairy-free chocolate chips – this is optional, but I love the macaroons with a chocolate drizzle. I love Lily’s chocolate chips for a low-sugar option and Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips for a dairy-free/soy-free option.
How to Make Healthy Coconut Macaroons
This recipe is easy peasy and pretty hands off! Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Stir together unsweetened shredded coconut, almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt in a medium sized bowl.
Step 2: Use a rounded Tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Once done baking, 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.
Step 3: 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. Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate and/or drizzle chocolate over each macaroon. Place macaroons in the fridge/freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. After the chocolate has set your macaroons are ready to enjoy!
Brittany’s Tips!
- Don’t swap ingredients: I don’t recommend swapping any of the ingredients for this recipe otherwise your macaroons will likely have a different texture/consistency.
- Use the right coconut: This is super important! Make sure you’re using unsweetened fine or desiccated shredded coconut. If you use longer coconut shreds or flakes the macaroons won’t hold together or will spread while baking.
- Don’t over-bake: Keep an eye on your macaroons towards the end of baking because they can easily go from golden to burnt in a matter of minutes.
- Let cool before dipping: If adding chocolate, make sure to let the macaroons cool completely before dipping/drizzling with chocolate otherwise they might not hold together.
How to Store Coconut Macaroons
- At room temperature: These macaroons can be left at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days. Just be careful as the chocolate could melt slightly depending on the temp of your house.
- In the fridge: This is my preferred method of storing to keep them nice and firm. Store your macaroons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- In the freezer: These macaroons freeze well! To store in the freezer, place in a freezer-safe container or bag and store for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before eating. They’re really hard straight from the freezer!
More Coconut Treats to Try:
- Coconut Protein Balls
- 4-Ingredient Almond Coconut Cookies
- Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
- Trail Mix Coconut Butter Cups
- No Bake Coconut Quinoa Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Larabars
Be sure to check out all of my coconut recipes as well as the full collection of dessert recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened fine shredded/desiccated coconut, see note
- ½ cup packed almond flour
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil, be sure to measure it liquid
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup chocolate chips + 1 tsp coconut oil, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Stir together unsweetened shredded coconut, almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Use a rounded Tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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. Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate and/or drizzle chocolate over each macaroon.
- Place macaroons in the fridge/freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. 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.
Video
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.
This post was originally published on May 24, 2017 and republished on May 7, 2024.
These are my favorite “healthy”cookie ever!!! So good! Even my friends think they are great!
So glad this recipe was a hit, Lisa! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Do you use refined coconut oil or do you use unrefined coconut oil? Please advise. Thank you.
Hi Laurie – Either will work for this recipe and I have used both for this recipe. Only difference is unrefined will have more of a coconut flavor compared to the refined. Enjoy!
I make these often! Most of the time I skip the chocolate altogether. So good!