Coconut Macaroons

Here it is: the only coconut macaroons recipe you'll ever need! They're crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and oh-so-good with a chocolate drizzle.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Truth: I have a hard time writing cookie posts without getting up to eat at least one. two. For this reason I usually like to post salads and other lighter foods on Mondays, but I’m switching things up today because sometimes you just need a #cookiemonday (or in this case a coconut macaroon Monday) and that’s ok.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons Recipe

This coconut macaroons recipe is from Angela Liddon’s new book, Oh She Glows Every Day. I’m sure you all have it by now, right? If you don’t, and you’re vegan (and even if you’re not), you’re going to love it. It’s packed with SO MANY yummy vegan recipes and some especially show-stopping desserts. There’s even an entire chapter devoted to vegan cookies because Angela is a girl after my own heart.

Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Bean Coconut Macaroon Recipe

Coconut Macaroons Recipe Ingredients

If you hadn’t guessed by now, these coconut macaroons are vegan, so you won’t find any sweetened condensed milk or whipped egg whites here. All the same, they’re moist, buttery, and full of rich coconut flavor. Here’s what makes them just as good as (if not better than) a classic coconut macaroon:

  • Lots of shredded coconut makes these guys fresh, rich & coconut-y – just what a macaroon should be!
  • Maple syrup subs in for the usual confectioners sugar, so these cookies are refined sugar-free. Even better, the maple adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
  • Almond flour makes them nutty, rich & crisp on the outside.
  • Vanilla and cinnamon give them a delicious warm flavor.
  • Coconut butter takes the place of the traditional egg whites, binding these guys together. I think it’s even better than the egg, because it adds extra richness and lovely coconut flavor! Don’t know where to find coconut butter? No worries! You can make your own at home – you’ll find the instructions in the recipe.

Angela’s recipe also calls for dark chocolate for drizzling & dipping. FYI, I loved these macaroons warm out of the oven even before adding the chocolate. So if you’re short on time, you can bake them off and stop there. If not, get messy and melt some chocolate (you definitely won’t regret it)!

Melted dark chocolate

How to Make Coconut Macaroons

Before I tried this recipe, making macaroons always seemed too involved to try at home. But let me tell you, they’re really not tricky. They’re especially simple with this recipe, as you don’t need to worry about beating egg whites into soft peaks! Here’s how you make them:

  1. Stir together the almond meal, shredded coconut, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut butter, and vanilla.
  2. Scoop the mixture into 2-tablespoon mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake in a 275-degree oven for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Pull them out when they’re a light golden brown.

If you’re not a chocolate fan, stop here. Otherwise, proceed with the dipping process!

First dip the base of the macaroons into the chocolate, then freeze them just long enough for the chocolate to harden:

Dipping coconut macaroons in chocolate

Then, flip them over and drizzle the tops with chocolate and TRY to make yours a little prettier than the mess I made here:

Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Bean Coconut Macaroons

Freeze them for 5-10 minutes so that the chocolate can harden, and then enjoy!

Oh She Glows Everyday Cookbook

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

If you love this coconut macaroons recipe, try one of these cookie recipes next:


5.0 from 5 reviews

Coconut Macaroons

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Vegan and gluten-free coconut macaroons recipe from Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon. Great for the holidays!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds, ground into a fine meal* (see note)
  • 1½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup coconut butter (I used this brand)** (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I skipped and added more vanilla extract)
  • 3½ ounces non-dairy dark chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a large plate with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, shredded coconut, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds until throughly combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
  3. With a 2-tablespoon retractable cookie scoop, scoop a ball of dough and pack it in so that the top is flat. (note: I didn't have the right scoop so shaped these with my hands). Release the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough, setting the macaroons about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the macaroons are a bit golden around the edges. Watch them closely during the last 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together over low-medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
  7. Dip the flat base of each cooled macaroon into the chocolate and twirl the macaroon until the base is coated in chocolate. As you dip them, place each macaroon onto the parchment paper-lined plate, upside down, so the chocolate coating is facing upward. Freeze the macaroons for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
  8. Flip each macaroon chocolate-side down and drizzle the remaining chocolate on top (reheat the chocolate until liquid, if necessary). Freeze for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chocolate drizzle is firm.
  9. Store leftover macaroons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
*I grind them in my Vitamix for a little less than 1 minute.

**Angela's instructions advise not to skip this because they won't hold together with coconut oil. She has a recipe for homemade coconut butter in the book (just process unsweetened shredded coconut in your food processor until it's smooth & creamy), but I used the Artisana brand coconut butter and it was great.

Vegan Chocolate-Dipped Vanilla Bean Macaroons

18 comments

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Snigdha
    11.10.2020

    I made this after failing miserably with another recipe using coconut oil… DON’T
    Make this!
    I even made the coconut butter which took a fair bit of time and patience.
    But the result is wow!
    The macaroons come together pretty easily, I’ll add a tad less of maple syrup the next time.

    One question Jeanie, if you wouldn’t mind
    Is the temp 275 F which roughly means 135 C? I felt the macaroons weren’t baked after 20 mins on 135 C and turned it up to 180 C for about 5 minutes and they were perfectly browned and baked. Crunchy outside and chewy inside.
    Should I have the temp still at 135 for next time, or should I increase it from the start?
    Long post, sorry, but I’d appreciate a response 🙂
    Many thanks for the amazing recipe.

  2. Averie
    10.28.2019

    I can’t wait to make this recipe! I’m a coconut lover so this recipe looks great!

  3. Taryn
    05.01.2019

    Amazing! Moist on the inside with delicious crunch on the outside. Perfectly chewy… Will definitely be making these again!

  4. Suzanne
    05.03.2017

    Can I use almond flour rather than almond meal?

  5. shelly
    12.07.2016

    These make me so happy! I chose to keep the vanilla bean scrapings, (some beautiful beans I had leftover from my extract batch, I had gotten at slofoodgroup.com) and really loved how it turned out. The vanilla and the raw almonds are a wonderful combo- thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.08.2016

      Hi Shelly, I’m so glad you liked them!

  6. Natasha from saltandlavender.com
    10.26.2016

    Mmm these look fabulous!! All that melted chocolate 🙂

  7. Ha! Yes sometimes we do need a cookie Monday. And I think the melted chocolate step is essential. Love the combination of coconut and almond flour. These would be a great additional to a holiday cookie tray.

  8. Alene
    10.25.2016

    I have so many ingredients for my gluten free diet that I hesitate to buy coconut butter, something that I am not likely to use very much, if at all. Do you think there might be something that I can substitute it with? I am not vegan, but just gluten free. The recipe sounds delicious, and I want to make it. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.26.2016

      Angela makes her own coconut butter, this is what she does (I haven’t tried it): Blend 3-4 cups of medium-shredded coconut in a heavy duty food processor until liquid, about 5-8 minutes. Hope that helps!

      • Alene
        10.26.2016

        Thank you! I will give it a whirl, so to speak. 🙂

  9. Meg Beasley
    10.25.2016

    These look wonderful! I buy some that have similar ingredients & they cost an arm & a leg so I’d love to make my own. I’m assuming I can use almond meal instead grinding raw almonds – does it comes out to a bit less than 1 cup once ground? Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.26.2016

      Hi Meg – I think it should work. I would go with around 3/4 cup.

  10. Virginia
    10.25.2016

    Hi Jeanine,
    Thank you for this recipe. My husband loves coconut and chocolate – We do not have any vanilla bean momentarily. How much vanilla extract did you use? I don’t want to mess up the recipe by adding too much or too little extract. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.25.2016

      I used a total of 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Hope you like them!

  11. Katie from iheartkatiecakes.co.uk
    10.25.2016

    Oh I love macaroons!! We call them Haystacks in Newcastle 🙂

    So glad it’s not just me that over indulges on cookies while writing up their post.

    Katie xoxo

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.