Crisp and golden on the outside yet soft and flakey on the inside, these mocha coconut macaroons come together with simple ingredients in no time. Naturally gluten free and vegan, they’re dipped in chocolate and loaded with sweet coconut flavor for a tasty dessert perfect for every occasion.
Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons
If you’ve never had a coconut macaroon, you’re seriously missing out! In fact, they might be my all-time favorite cookie. Bold statement, I know. However, while I love all the classics like chocolate chip and sugar cookies, there’s just something truly irresistible about the light and chewy texture and sweet taste of macaroons. I can’t get enough!
Plus, they’re unbelievably easy to make. All you have to do is combine the ingredients, roll the batter into balls, and bake. No chilling dough or working with tricky batters required. Desserts don’t get better than this. Trust me when I say you’ll want to whip up a big batch to serve at holiday parties, give away as gifts, and snack on yourself!
What’s the Difference Between a Macaroon and Macaron?
Often confused, macaroons and macarons are not the same things. However, they do have quite a few similarities. For instance, both desserts contain whipped egg whites as a crucial ingredient. They’re also both made without the use of flour and are naturally gluten free and kosher.
Macaroons: Pronounced mac-uh-roon, coconut macaroons originated in Italy and come from the Italian word, “maccherone,” meaning paste. Traditionally, macaroons were made with almond flavor and were adapted as a Passover treat. As the dessert gained popularity and began to spread throughout the world, the coconut flavor was adopted and remains the most common flavor found today. When compared to macarons, coconut macaroons are larger, densier, and chewier. Plus, they’re so much easier to make!
Macarons: Pronounced mac-ah-ron, these cookies are believed to have been brought from Italy to France by Catherine di Medici when she married Henri II in the 1500s. It is thought that the original macaron was something similar to an Italian pignoli. Known for their vibrant colors that indicate their flavor, macarons consist of two meringue-based cookies used to sandwich a sweet filling of jam or fruit curd, chocolate ganache, or buttercream. As a result, their texture is much lighter than macaroons, and they have a chewy consistency similar to cake.
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need
Traditionally, coconut macaroons are made with whipped egg whites. However, to keep our version vegan, we swapped them out with aquafaba instead, and you would never know the difference!
- Aquafaba with Sugar – To keep this recipe sweet and satisfying while also providing structure, we took our standard whipped aquafaba and mixed in white sugar for good measure.
- Instant Espresso or Coffee – Technically optional, we love the robust flavor just a pinch of instant espresso or coffee adds to this recipe.
- Oat Flour – Used to form the base of the batter. You can find it in the baking section of your local grocery store or easily make your own.
- Salt – Helps enhance the rest of the ingredients for bold flavor.
- Unsweetened Finely Shredded Coconut – Used to provide extra texture and irresistible coconut flavor. Make sure they’re finely shredded! Otherwise, they won’t stick.
- Pure Almond Extract – Used in a similar way to vanilla extract, almond extract helps bring out the natural flavors of the rest of the ingredients and adds a subtle sweetness we love.
- Dark Chocolate – Used to dip, dunk, and drizzle, we prefer to use dairy free dark chocolate, but any chocolate you like best would do!
How to Make This Vegan Coconut Macaroons Recipe
Coconut macaroons might be the easiest cookies we’ve ever made! Just follow the instructions below, and they’re ready in minutes.
- Make the whipped aquafaba. Place the aquafaba (chickpea brine) in a stand mixer, and using a wire whisk attachment, beat the liquid until it is foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and beat on high until soft peaks begin to form. Place the mixer on medium speed, and slowly add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it is well incorporated into the mixture.
Tip: Save the leftover aquafaba to make vegan meringues!
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a second large mixing bowl, whisk together the espresso powder, oat flour, and salt. Add in the coconut and almond extract.
- Form the batter. Gently fold the whipped aquafaba into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop shape the mixture into evenly-sized balls, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and let the cookies bake until they are just lightly browned. Let them cool, and in the meantime, melt your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, dip, dunk, or drizzle your cookies with the melted chocolate, place them on a wire rack to set, and enjoy!
Baking Tips & Tricks
Fold Gently. Be sure to use a gentle hand when combining your ingredients. Whisking too vigorously will cause the aquafaba to deflate.
Toast the Coconut. For an even bolder coconut flavor, try toasting your flakes in the oven before mixing them into the batter.
Don’t Overbake. You’ll want to pull your coconut macaroons out of the oven as soon as they begin to turn golden brown. Otherwise, they’re likely to dry out and become a bit crumbly. We want the middle soft and the outside a little golden.
Use a Cookie Scoop. We always recommend using a cookie scoop to portion out even sized cookies which allows for even baking.
Don’t Forget the Parchment Paper! Be sure to line your baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone liner to prevent the bottom of the macaroons from browning too quickly which may cause them to burn.
How to Store
Although they disappear almost immediately, coconut macaroons can be transferred to an airtight container and kept at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Or, wrap each cookie in parchment paper, place them in a freezer-safe container or sealable bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Coconut Macaroons Frequently Asked Questions
While we don’t believe there is such a thing as good or bad foods, when it comes to dessert, these coconut macaroons are fairly nutritious! Thanks to the use of simple, vegan ingredients, they’re naturally high in fiber and have a good amount of healthy fats.
No worries! You can combine the ingredients by hand using an electric mixer. However, be aware that it will take more time and a bit of elbow grease to achieve the same results.
If you can’t find almond extract or can’t consume it, you can easily replace it with vanilla extract or even coconut extract instead.
More Gluten Free Vegan Desserts You’ll Love
Whether you’re preparing for a bake sale, prepping a holiday feast, or just want something a little sweet, we’ve got just what you need!
Do you have questions, feedback, or tips about this recipe? Leave a comment below with any questions or feedback you’d like to share!
Mocha Coconut Macaroons (Vegan)
- Total Time: 35-40 minutes
- Yield: 15–18 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan mocha coconut macaroons come together with simple ingredients in no time!
Ingredients
- sweetened aquafaba (below)
-15 ounce canned chickpeas
-1/2 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar - 2 teaspoons – 1 Tablespoon instant espresso/coffee
- 1/2 cup (60 g) oat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To make the whipped aquafaba, drain the canned chickpeas and reserve the liquid (⅔ cup -¾ cup). Place the aquafaba (chickpea liquid) in a stand mixer. Using the wire whip attachment, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture forms soft stiff peaks. Place the mixer on medium speed and slowly add in the sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the instant espresso, oat flour, and salt. Add in the shredded coconut and almond extract mixing until the coconut is coated with the flour.
- Fold 2 ½ cups of whipped aquafaba into the coconut/flour mixture. Using a small cookie dough scoop, firmly press the batter into the scoop to form balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. If the batter falls apart when releasing from the cookie scoop, then place back in the mixing bowl and add an additional ½ cup aquafaba. See notes. Repeat the process until there are 15-18 macaroons.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet then drizzle or coat half of the cookie with melted dark chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for 10 days.
Notes
Baking Tips – If the batter is too dry and will not hold together after pressing it into the cookie dough scoop, refrigerate batter for 30 minutes and then try again. Texture of batter can vary depending on the brand of shredded coconut you purchase. For the best results, I used finely shredded coconut vs flakes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 23.7 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0.4 mg
Keywords: coconut, macaroons, macaroons recipe, vegan dessert
I just have a question, do you add the espresso powder to the coconut mixture? I watched the video but didn’t see it added or listed in recipe. Thanks, I’m planning on making them soon.
just added to recipe! Let me know if makes sense. 🙂 Sorry about that.
Thanks for the quick answer to my question! It definitely makes sense ?
Is it one cup whipped aquafaba or one cup aquafaba prior to being whipped? Thanks!
Oh it’s one cup whipped. I’ll update that. Thanks
Hi Lindsay! Just wondering where in the recipe does it say when to add in the maple syrup and salt to the mixture?
Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for pointing that out! I just updated it. You add the maple after you mix the sugar and aquafaba. Does that make sense?
Macaroon + coconut + mocha all in one . . . but can it be true!?!? These look dreamy and delicious, and anything with chocolate magic shell is a win for me!
so true! and so good!
That aquafaba looks too fun to experiment with. I’ve used it in a few recipes, but nothing like these stunning macaroons.
what recipes have you tried? I would love more!
So far I’ve just used it in savories for the magazine I work with – for them recipes need to be free of the top 11 allergens, so I’ve been using it where it fits. One was in an obvious place – veggie burgers! That issue is already out. I can’t say on the next one 🙂 I still haven’t tried it in sweets or as a meringue, like I’ve often seen it. For some reason, I thought you used eggs in your baking Lindsay, but cool that you are working with alternatives, too! We can use eggs in our home, but I have a lot of vegan and allergen-free requests, so I need to play around with this more!
Coconut, coffee AND chocolate together!? These look amazing – and don’t sound too hard to make either! Win win!
Oh you would love this Kristy! WIN WIN for sure!
I LOVE macaroons! The chocolate drizzle looks DIVINE. And food allergies kind of work the same for me–if I have too much peanut butter I have to back off of it because it will hurt my stomach!
I can totally relate. When mold allergies are high here, I have to back off PB for sure!
Girl, everything you make looks amazing! Love the chocolate drizzle.
haha, thanks! the drizzle is the best part, right?
Girl you are killing me with these!!! Can you PLEASE send me a dozen, ok ok I’ll settle for 2!
yes i can! i’ll make a dozen for you ANYTIME! <3
I won’t make as you know but I want them!!! 🙂
I think we need to move closer so i can share cookies!
Oh my, these look AMAZING! So many great ingredients and that espresso just one more layer of awesomeness! Isn’t aquafaba the best? I’ve recently been obsessed with it too!
thanks friend!
it so is! love it!
While magicians are not supposed to break their code and discuss their secrets… I really must know how you friggin’ take such AMAZING PHOTOS. You may have blogged about this, but I clearllllyyyyy missed that one!
Haha I haven’t yet. Should I? I feel like i still need more practice
These macaroons look amazing! I love the addition of mocha flavor! Bourbon vanilla is one of my favorite pantry baking staples….and sign me up for all things coconut! This recipe truly looks perfect!
that is my fav too! that vanilla! oh my!
Oh man, these look so delicious! Love your use of aquafaba!
thanks friend!
So I really need these coconut mocha macaroons in my life!! Genius, my friend!
thank you! I know you’d love!
You have mad skills my friend. I’m loving the videos too.
you have mad ALL skills. just sayin…
If I didn’t love you so much I’d be jealous of your genius. Love, love, love the mocha idea too.
haha nah, we bros. We share genius factor
Hi there
That’s a great recipe – looks totally yummy, I will definitely try these! I have a page – similar subjects, perhaps you want to check it out? It’s slimtrim.com, it is workouts, health advice and recipes, I think you’ll enjoy it – perhaps you want to do an article for us and we can do one for you? Guest posting in other words, think about it and let me know 🙂
Les
Thank you thank you thank you for introducing me to whipped aquafaba! LOVE that tutorial and gosh-farn – so LOVE these cocoroons! Hey, so I’m trying to cut my sugar intake for the next week or so and have been seeing a lot of articles on substituting with stevia and xylitol in baking/treats etc – and was wondering what your take was on xylitol for a temp period like say in making these cocoroons? Thanks lovely!
Yes! So xylitol works great with Paleo baking. It doesn’t work well with the aquafaba though. So you could make these with egg whites and xylitol and it would be perfect!
Coconut macaroons are THE best! I’m a sucker for anything chocolate and coconut of course!
These look so decadent and delicious! Its hard to believe they are made with good-for-you plant-based ingredients! Yum!
OH MY GOODNESS!!! i love love love macaroons!!
I could eat the whole tray of these. The coconut-chocolate flavors remind me of a Girl Scout Cookie I used to love.
AQUAFABULOUS. That is all. Totally pinning.
LOL! totally using that term from now on
I love macaroons but never tried them mocha-style! I bet they’re simply amazing 🙂