Vegan Coconut Macaroons (paleo)
Vegan coconut macaroons that are chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside! They taste like regular macaroons but are paleo and maple-sweetened. With just four ingredients + salt!
January 2019 update: I’ve been making these cookies every few weeks since I posted them, and now I always dip them in semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle more on top. They’re really insanely delicious like that! I highly recommend it.
These macaroons (not to be confused with French macarons) are one of the easiest cookie recipes I have! They’re probably tied with my gluten-free peanut butter cookies recipe.
They require just maple syrup, coconut butter, shredded coconut, vanilla and salt. And the result is some paleo and vegan coconut macaroons that really taste just like the regular kind!
No eggs or refined sugar, and they’re still amazing. I think they’re a perfect healthier Easter dessert, just like these paleo cupcakes.
Some macaroons I’ve had are sickeningly sick but not these. They’re just sweet enough. The same is true of these raw chocolate macaroons!
I first tried making these with coconut oil, knowing that way more people have that on hand than coconut butter, but it was a huge mess.
Please do not use coconut oil in these vegan coconut macaroons! It won’t work.
Store-bought coconut butter is usually pretty expensive, so I make my own. And it’s super easy!
You just need shredded coconut and a high-speed blender or food processor. Here’s how you make
homemade coconut butter. Then you can also make these peanut butter coconut Rice Krispe treats with the leftovers!
And on a personal note – we finally have a babysitter! Only took 3 months to find someone. :) Hopefully she’ll stick around so I can bring you more new recipes!
Questions about these vegan coconut macaroons?
Can I use something other than maple syrup?
I’m guessing another liquid sweetener would work fine, but since I haven’t tried, I can’t say for sure.
Can I use something other than coconut butter?
Unfortunately not. There’s no sub for coconut butter and coconut oil will absolutely not work. I recommend trying these Gluten-free Coconut Macaroons if you don’t have coconut butter.
Can I use something other than shredded coconut?
These won’t come out properly if you don’t use shredded coconut. I don’t think flaked coconut (those are the longer strands) would work and coconut flakes / chips definitely wouldn’t work. Desiccated coconut probably would.
Can I reduce the maple syrup?
I used the least amount that I thought was enough. You could try reducing it by a little, but the macaroons will be drier and more crumbly. They might not even hold together. So I really don’t recommend reducing it!
Do I have to let the dough sit?
When I didn’t let them sit, they didn’t hold their shape as nicely. The edges were overbaked, and the cookies were overall kind of greasy. I also tried chilling them to speed things up, but letting them sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes was better.
Vegan Coconut Macaroons (paleo)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (80 grams) coconut butter NOT coconut oil! Please weigh this as it's hard to measure correctly and different brands vary quite a bit
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup (120 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together everything except the shredded coconut. Stir frequently until everything is melted and well combined. Remove from the heat.5 tablespoons (80 grams) coconut butter, 6 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Stir in the shredded coconut. Let the mixture sit for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.1 1/2 cup (120 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C) and line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop (the scoop is important so they have the right shape – if you don’t care about the shape, you can roll them into balls and flatten slightly with your palm) to form 12 25-gram balls. Place at least 2″ apart of the cookie sheet. If any bigger bits of coconut are sticking out, pat them down so that they don’t burn.
- Bake for 21-23 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned. Let cool on the cookie sheet and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. They should stay good for up to 1 week. If you dip them in chocolate and drizzle chocolate on them, they last even longer (like 10-14 days!).
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Hi there! Looking forward to trying this recipe. I have a question. Do you think it would work if I added a small amount of chopped or ground nuts to the dough?
Hello! I think chopped nuts would be fine but not ground nuts. :) I hope you’ll enjoy them! I’d love to hear how they come out.
I’ve made plenty of macaroons over the years but always with egg whites and honey. This version is so much better! My daughter has a chicken egg allergies so these were a perfect treat for her. We just knew you would have something decadent on here we could make Erin. Her and my husband wanted to see what they taste like dipped in chocolate so I dipped the bottoms of a few in some melted semi-sweet chocolate and it was heavenly. It tasted like the absolute best version of a Mounds bar you could wish for. YUMMMMMM!
I’m so happy you tried these out! They’re definitely one of my favorites (when they’re dipped in chocolate!). I need to update this recipe to include the chocolate dipping part because it really makes them irresistible. Thanks as always for your comment! I’m really happy you could find something your daughter could eat. :)
Looking forward to trying these, they look great!
Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
Erin, these macaroons are delicious! I have made them several times and we love them. They could not be easier and I like the wholesome ingredients.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
June
You’re welcome for the recipe! I’m really glad that you liked them, too. :) You have to try dipping the bottoms in chocolate and drizzling more chocolate on top. That’s how I’ve been making them recently and they’re even (WAY!) better than the plain version. Thanks for your comment!
Macaroons were one of my favorite treats as a kid. But I have to admit, these look even better despite being healthier!
I hope you’ll try them out!
Always love a quick recipe with minimal ingredients! I need to find some coconut butter. I’ve been loving better-for-you treats lately :)
I hope you find it soon! These cookies are seriously SO good. :D
Looks great! Thanks for the extra tip on how to make your own coconut butter! :)
You’re welcome! :)
Hi was wondering in the description you said “The (sic) require just maple syrup, coconut butter, shredded coconut, vanilla and sugar” yet maybe I am missing something but I do not see in the ingredients list any sugar mentions just maple syrup. Would you mind clarifying please? Thank you so much and cannot wait to make these!!
Oh geez. Thank you for pointing out the typo and a totally wrong word. That should be salt and not sugar! I fixed it (the recipe was correct, the sentence in the post was just wrong). Thank you so much! Sorry for the confusion. I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Wow these are amazing tastes WAY better then ones I’ve had made with bakers sweetened shredded coconut egg whites and more sugar yuk!
Your recipes never disappoint! Thanks so much! 5*
Oh, yay! I’m so very glad that you enjoyed them and thought that they were better than the regular kind. I was super excited to post these and was bummed to not have gotten any feedback – so thank you so much for coming back to let me know how you liked them! :)
I’m so excited to try this recipe. I’ve had a bag of coconut in my pantry for months, but I never found a good looking recipe to try Macaroons until now.
I hope you’ll make them soon!
Adding coconut butter to my grocery list.
Good idea! :)
Wow these look great! My family will love them!
I hope you will, too! :)
WOW! these macaroons like majorly delicious! I can’t wait to try them!
I hope you will soon! :)