Double Coconut Macaroons

Sep 28

Sep 28 Double Coconut Macaroons

Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Snacks, Vegetarian, Sweet

Delicately chewy, creamy, coconut-y macaroons! A well-loved classic given a healthy twist, these cookies are dairy and refined sugar-free. Made with homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk, and drizzled in date-sweetened chocolate, they are the perfect light dessert or afternoon treat!

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I grew up eating a whole lot of macaroons. I’ve always thought of them as a Jewish cookie, but in fact they were just adopted by the Jews because of their unique composition. Macaroons are leavened by whisked egg whites, rather than the baking soda in your typical cookie. During Passover, the Jewish holiday throughout which you are meant to avoid any leavened foods, macaroons make for the perfect dessert. I wasn’t raised in a particularly religious household, and we definitely never ate kosher for Passover… but we did hold seder every year with my extended family, and we definitely ate a lot macaroons!

Macaroons are always a gluten-free cookie, but most often are made with sweetened condensed milk and sweetened coconut flakes. Traditional macaroons, especially dipped in chocolate, can end up being sickeningly sweet and packed with thickeners, stabilizers and refined sugar. Enter the Camel’s double coconut macaroon (one for the shredded coconut, double for the coconut milk)! Reducing a can of coconut milk with a bit of maple syrup makes for a naturally flavorful sweetened condensed coconut milk that holds the moisture of the cookie beautifully.

These cookies are addictive, yet feel good! Topped with an almond and drizzled with homemade date-sweetened chocolate, these macaroons do take a little extra effort than your standard recipe. But with a perfect balance of creamy sweetness, light and chewy on the inside, and crispy on the outside, what’s a little extra effort in the name of good health and happy taste buds?

Ingredient Fun Facts:

- unsweetened shredded coconut: the main ingredient in this cookie, unsweetened shredded coconut is much drier than sweetened. This means that it requires a lot more moisture from the rest of the recipe to create a chewy macaroon texture. Coconut is very nutritionally dense, and high in fiber. 1 or 2 of these light tasting cookies go a long way!
- almond flour: a small addition of almond flour helps to maintain moisture in the macaroons and a denser structure inside. There isn’t much flavor from the almond flour, and is mostly a textural addition, so if you don’t have it in the house, it can be left out
- sweetened condensed coconut milk: the key to making this cookie a healthy delight! Coconut milk is filled with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, and works as a beautiful substitute for processed sweetened condensed milk. Honey or coconut sugar can also be used to sweeten the milk as well.
**Hot tip: Watch the coconut milk like a hawk when first heating it up… I can’t tell you how many times mine has boiled over in the blink of an eye!
- egg whites: act as the binder as well as the leavening for these cookies. Whisking the egg whites to stiff peaks creates air bubbles in the cookies that keep them from collapsing as they cook. Egg whites are also an excellent binder, moisture-retainer, and hold the crumbly mixture together in tip-top macaroon shape
- DIY paleo date-sweetened chocolate: yes there are companies making paleo chocolate, and you can use that too! It is much cheaper to buy basic unsweetened chocolate, and dissolve in your own sweetener. I like date sugar for this recipe because it doesn’t need the chocolate to be smooth, and the dates have a particular fruity sweetness that I think is a nice touch for these cookies. You can also use maple sugar, coconut sugar, or any other crystalline sugar!

How to Make Double Coconut Macaroons:

Optional, if working with a food scale: place a medium pot on a food scale and write down the weight. Zero out the scale, then pour the coconut milk and maple syrup in, to determine the starting weight of the mixture.

1. In a medium pot on medium heat, gently bring the coconut milk and maple syrup to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Keep an eye on the mixture as you bring it to a low boil! It can boil over in the blink of an eye. I can’t tell you how many times it has happened to me…

2. Stir every few minutes, and let the milk mixture simmer until it has reduced by about 1/2 or to 9oz/255g (under 1 cup). This takes somewhere between 35-50 minutes.

3. Once the sweetened condensed milk is ready, preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat

4. In a large bowl, add the shredded coconut, almond flour, milk mixture and vanilla extract and combine thoroughly

5. In a separate bowl add 3 egg whites and the salt. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is pulled upwards (if you’re feeling adventurous you can test it by holding the bowl upside=down over your head!)

6. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites gently into the rest of the ingredients until just incorporated. Make sure to work gently and not over mix, otherwise you’ll loose all the lovely air bubbles you just whisked up.

7. Using a large cookie scoop or tablespoons, scoop macaroon mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and shape into mounds about 1/2” apart from each other. Use wet hands or spoons to help shape and condense the mounds as much as possible

8. Press 1 almond onto the top of each mound (optional, but awesome). Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until brown on the edges and top

9. Let cool on the baking sheet. Meanwhile, melt 100g of unsweetened baking chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave 15 seconds at a time (alternatively, you can just melt 100g of dark chocolate, or paleo chocolate)

10. Once melted, add the date sugar to the chocolate and stir until as dissolved as possible. Then add the coconut oil and mix until smooth and shiny

11. Using a small spoon, drizzle the chocolate in zig-zags across the cooled macaroons (and/or dip the bottoms for a more chocolatey macaroon experience). Because of the coconut oil in the chocolate, it will melt very easily when handled. You have been warned.

12. Place back on the baking sheet and place in the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes

13. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week

Yield: 17 Cookies

Author: Samantha Sterman

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 35 MTotal time: 1 H & 50 M

Ingredients

Macaroons:

1 full can 13.5oz full fat coconut milk
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 225g
1/4 cup almond flour 28g
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 egg whites

Additional Toppings:

17 whole almonds (raw or lightly toasted)
100g unsweetened chocolate (or 125g of dark chocolate, and ignore date sugar)
40g date sugar
1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

Optional, if working with a food scale: place a medium pot on a food scale and write down the weight. Zero out the scale, then pour the coconut milk and maple syrup in, to determine the starting weight of the mixture.
In a medium pot on medium heat, gently bring the coconut milk and maple syrup to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low*
Stir every few minutes, and let the milk mixture simmer until it has reduced by about 1/2 or to 9oz/255g (under 1 cup). This takes somewhere between 35-50 minutes.
Once the sweetened condensed milk is ready, preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat
Add the shredded coconut, almond flour, milk mixture and vanilla extract into a medium bowl and combine thoroughly
In a separate bowl add 3 egg whites and the salt. Whisk until stiff peaks form
Using a spatula, fold the egg whites gently into the rest of the ingredients until just incorporated
Using a large cookie scoop or tablespoons, scoop macaroon mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, shape into mounds about 1/2” apart
Press 1 almond onto the top of each mound. Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until brown on the edges and top
Let cool on the baking sheet. Meanwhile, melt 100g of unsweetened baking chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave 15 seconds at a time
Once melted, add the date sugar to the chocolate and stir until as dissolved as possible. Then add the coconut oil and mix until smooth and shiny
Using a small spoon, drizzle the chocolate in zig-zags across the cooled macaroons (and/or dip the bottoms for a more chocolatey macaroon experience)
Place back on the baking sheet and place in the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week