I cannot believe that I haven’t posted this recipe yet!
I just made a batch of these Vegan Coconut Macaroons and I went to get the recipe off our site and I was very surprised to see that I haven’t shared these gems with you yet.
This is one of our family’s favourite treats: Vegan Coconut Macaroons
These are the cookies that I make to give as gifts, to share with friends and to have around during my children’s play dates.
They are always well received and I usually end up sharing the recipe with whoever has tried them, so I thought you guys might want to try them too.
I guarantee you won’t be disappointed unless you don’t like coconut…then I recommend trying my Paleo Nut-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.
I’ll share a little something with you…at our house, these cookies don’t last long, and I usually do my baking when my kids are in bed for the night. That way I am able to sit down and enjoy a couple of cookies with a cup of tea or put a few away for the next day before my children and husband eat them all for breakfast.
These little bites are very energizing. The coconut butter is filled with healthy coconut fat, fiber, and nutrients, keeping your energy levels fueled and your hunger satiated.
They pack very well in school lunches, for road trips or to take on camping trips (like I will do this weekend).
Another thing that makes these cookies great is that they are free of the top 10 priority allergens identified by Health Canada: tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, sesame, dairy, wheat, mustard, seafood (including fish, crustaceans, and shellfish), soy and sulphites.
This is something we are very tuned into in our house since my eldest daughter has multiple food allergies and my youngest daughter, myself and my husband have a gluten intolerance.
You may already be familiar with coconut butter but if not, there is a difference between coconut oil and coconut butter.
Coconut oil is oil that has been extracted from the coconut flesh, while coconut butter is flesh that has been ground into a separate paste. Therefore, it contains the same healthy fat, with the addition of fiber and nutrients from the coconut meat.
I find that for this recipe, using coconut butter gives the cookies a little more flakiness and they aren’t as dense as when I tried using coconut oil.
Add in a little maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, desiccated coconut flakes and some sea salt and you have created a wonderful snack that will keep you going for hours.
You can forgo adding the chocolate chips if you prefer and/or once the cookies are cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate, dip half the cookie into melted chocolate for added flavour, or just enjoy them plain.
Next time you are at the health food store, pick up a jar of coconut butter (or better yet, find a recipe to make your own, that is my next challenge) and give these Vegan Coconut Macaroons a try.
Vegan Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of coconut butter (or coconut manna)
3-4 tablespoons of real maple syrup
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups of organic, unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/3 cup enjoy life chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium pot, melt the coconut butter over low heat.
3. Once melted, add the maple syrup and vanilla and combine gently.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the coconut. Allow the mixture to cool, then stir in the chocolate chips (as best you can, they won’t mix in too well).
5. Using a small ice cream scoop, press the mixture into balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Give the ball a little press to flatten slightly.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies start to brown.
Let cool and enjoy for a quick satisfying snack!