Although typically made with eggs and dairy, it's incredibly easy to make coconut macaroons vegan with a few simple ingredients and my easy method.
These cookies have an intense coconut flavor, similar to a bounty bar but in a baked chewy cookie form! The coconut is complemented by real vanilla bean and intense dark chocolate.
This recipe is sponsored by Nature’s Charm. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who sponsor my work!
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Easy To Make - The recipe is made using minimal ingredients too.
- Ready In Under An Hour - With around 25 minutes prep time, the rest is just waiting for them to bake and cool!
- Allergy Friendly - As well as being eggless and dairy-free, they're also naturally nut-free, and grain-free. and gluten-free!
If you love coconut desserts try my vegan recipes for coconut sorbet, bounty bars, pina colada ice cream, pineapple coconut popsicles, raspberry coconut bars, and coconut panna cotta tart next!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to make vegan macaroons at home:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Condensed Milk - To keep them with the coconut theme, I use sweetened condensed coconut milk by Nature's Charm which is beautifully sweet and thick with a hint of coconutty flavor.
- Aquafaba - Traditional coconut macaroons are made by folding whipped egg whites through the mixture. Hence, aquafaba (chickpea brine) is the perfect egg replacement here thanks to its meringue-like qualities.
- Shredded Coconut - Unsweetened shredded coconut which is often labeled as desiccated coconut is best for these macaroons.
- Vanilla Pod - I love adding this for the beautiful flavor and little vanilla specks it gives throughout the cookies. You can easily swap it out for vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if preferred.
🥣 How To Make Vegan Macaroons
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
As promised these homemade macaroons come together in just a few simple steps. Make sure you check the printable recipe card below for full details. Here is a visual of how they're made:
Step 1: Whisk the aquafaba and cream of tartar until they reach stiff peaks.
Step 2: Mix the vanilla, sea salt, and condensed coconut milk in a separate large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add the shredded coconut to the bowl and mix it with the condensed milk mixture.
Step 4: Carefully fold the whipped aquafaba into the coconut until combined.
Step 5: Scoop the cookies (I use a 2-inch cookie scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake until golden brown.
Step 6: Once cooled, dip the cookies in melted chocolate and place them back on the parchment paper. You can drizzle them with any leftover chocolate if desired.
🥥 Variations
I absolutely adore this macaroon recipe as written, but here are a few ways you can change up the flavors according to your taste:
- Plain Coconut - The chocolate is completely optional, these coconut cookies taste amazing without chocolate too!
- White Chocolate - My dairy-free white chocolate would make the perfect pairing with coconut.
- Cherries - Add up to 100g of dried cherries to the mix for a coconut cherry variation.
- Lemon Coconut Macaroons - Add a tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest to the cookie dough for a fruity twist.
💡 Recipe Tips
Let them cool on the pan completely. Unlike most of my cookie recipes where I recommend cooling them on a wire rack after the first 5 minutes, these cookies need to stay on the baking tray until cooled. They are quite delicate until fully cooled so you don't want to risk breaking them.
Dip in chocolate carefully. Don't let the cookies sit in the chocolate and make sure you use two forks to dunk them in melted chocolate carefully. If your chocolate is super thick, thin it out with a teaspoon of melted coconut oil.
💬 FAQs
Once cooled, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week.
Yes! You can freeze them in a sealed container for up to a month. Just take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.
I did try them with sugar-free condensed coconut milk (also by Nature's Charm), and they worked well. The texture was fluffier, and not chewy since the sugar is what creates that lovely caramelized flavor and chewy texture!
🍪 More Vegan Cookies
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Description
Ingredients
- 80 g (⅓ cup) aquafaba, *see note 1
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, or lemon juice
- 1 vanilla pod, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 320 g (11.25 oz) sweetened condensed coconut milk, I use Nature's Charm
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 360 g (4 ½ cups) unsweetened shredded coconut, desiccated coconut
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whip the aquafaba: Take a medium clean bowl and wipe it with a little vinegar or lemon juice to ensure that there is no residue or grease. Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to the bowl and whisk with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside.
- Make the cookie dough: Slice the vanilla pod lenghtways and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to a separate large bowl with the condensed coconut milk and sea salt. Whisk to combine.Add the shredded coconut and mix using a spatula until combined.
- Fold the aquafaba: Add the whipped aquafaba to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and carefully fold it until combined.
- Shape: Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to divide the mixture into cookies and place them on the lined baking sheet, about 1-inch apart from eachother.
- Bake: Bake them for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet. *see note 2
- Melt chocolate: Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (bain-marie). If using a microwave, heat it in 20-second intervals, being careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Dip in chocolate: Carefully lift each macaroon with 2 forks and dip the base in melted chocolate. They will be quite delicate so don't try to dip them without holding the base with forks. *see note 3Place them back on the parchment paper. If desired you can use a piping bag or spoon to drizzle any leftover chocolate over the tops. Place them in the fridge to set for 15 minutes before serving!
- Storage: Once cooled, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. You can freeze them in a sealed container for up to a month. Just take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.
Notes
- Aquafaba: This is the liquid from canned chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid for this recipe, and save the chickpeas for hummus, salads etc!
- Let them cool on the pan completely. These cookies need to stay on the baking tray until cooled. They are quite delicate until fully cooled so you don't want to risk breaking them.
- Dip in chocolate carefully. Don't let the cookies sit in the chocolate and make sure you use two forks to dunk them in melted chocolate carefully. If your chocolate is super thick, thin it out with a teaspoon of melted coconut oil.
Nutrition
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