Easy Coconut Macaroons
These easy vegan coconut macaroons are easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients. Perfect for Christmas or anytime of year!
Features
- easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients needed
- vegan and gluten-free
- the perfect addition to a Christmas goodie tray (but totally acceptable anytime of year, of course!)
- can be made sugar-free
Ingredient Notes
- shredded coconut – use fine or medium unsweetened shredded coconut, may be labelled desiccated coconut
- dates – any variety works but I like medjool best in this recipe – they’re so sweet and caramelly, they sweeten the recipe beautifully
- raw cashews – use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt
- chocolate – use dairy-free chocolate chips or dark chocolate, recipe can be made sugar-free if use sugar-free chocolate chips such as stevia-sweetened Lily’s
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Soak the dates (pitted) in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well. It’s fine to leave them wet just make sure any excess water has been drained off.
Step 2. While the dates are soaking, add the cashews to a food processor and blend into a coarse, grainy flour.
Step 3. Add the coconut to the food processor and process until the mixture starts to get a bit chunky, oily and almost paste-like. This may take a few minutes.
Make sure you reach this consistency as the oils from the cashew and coconut are what bind the macaroons together.
Step 4. Add the sea salt, vanilla (if using) and drained dates and blend for a bit until the mixture is completely combined. It should be oily but somewhat sticky.
Step 5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper then use a small, approximately 1.5 inch cookie scoop to create 15 macaroons. If you don’t have a scoop, you can use your hands to shape 1.5-2 inch domes.
Bake the macaroons for 12 minutes then let cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes.
They will be soft and fragile when they come out of the oven, so resist handling them until they’ve firmed up for at least a half hour.
Step 7. When you’re ready, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments until smooth and creamy, taking care not to burn it.
Quick Tip: If using the microwave, melt in two or three 15-second increments, giving it a quick stir in between, then just stir to melt in any remaining chunks. This will prevent burning the chocolate.
Step 8. Press each macaroons into the melted chocolate so the chocolate reaches up the sides a bit. Place them back on the baking tray once dipped in chocolate.
Place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until the chocolate has hardened. Enjoy!
Notes and Tips
- Low-Sugar/Sugar-Free Options: For low-sugar macaroons, use 70-90% dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips. For sugar-free macaroons, use sugar-free chocolate of choice, such as Lily’s.
- Cashews: This recipe works best with cashews and I do not recommend substituting them.
- Decoration: Drizzle any extra melted chocolate over the macaroons then sprinkle with shredded coconut.
Storing
- Fridge (Recommended): Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Store in a sealed container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- Room Temperature: They’re ok for sometime at room temperature but if it’s warm out, the chocolate will start to melt. I recommend storing in the fridge until shortly before serving.
Related Recipes
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Rum Balls
- No-Bake Vegan Nanaimo Bars
- Vegan Chocolate Coconut Bars
- Chocolate Macaroons
- Coconut Almond Macaroons
Did you try this recipe?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure to tag me @runningonrealfood if you post it on social media.
Vegan Coconut Macaroons
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 15
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Beautiful and incredibly delicious, vegan coconut macaroons that are easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients! These lovely sweet treats are perfect for the holidays or anytime of year.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed, pitted dates (110 g)
- 1 cup raw cashews (150 g)
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (200 g)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for at least 15 minutes then drain well, shaking off any excess water.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place the cashews in a food processor and process for 30-45 seconds until broken down into a coarse, grainy flour. If there are a few larger peices left behind, that’s ok.
- Add the coconut and process until it starts to become a bit oil and almost paste-like. You should start to see bits of paste sticking to the side of the food processor. This might take a few minutes.
- Add the soaked dates, sea salt and vanilla (if using) and process until completely combined. The mixture should be oily but somewhat sticky.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper then use an approximately 1 to 1.5-inch cookie scoop to create each macaroon. If you don’t have a scoop, you can use your hands to shape the dough into little domes. You should get 15-16 macaroons.
- Bake for 12 minutes then remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes. They will be soft and fragile when you take them out of the oven so don’t handle them until they’ve firmed up for at least 30 minutes.
- When you’re ready, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-second increments (stir between each increment) until completely smooth and creamy.
- Press the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate so the chocolate coats the bottom and about 1/8th of an inch up the sides. Once you’ve coated them all, place the entire tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm.
- Enjoy right away.
Notes
Storing: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months. I recommended keeping them in the fridge until just before serving as the chocolate may melt if gets warm. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days if kept cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6.2 g
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
Keywords: easy coconut macaroons, healthy coconut macaroons
Thank-you for this recipe! Even before I went whole food plant based I couldn’t eat macaroons because of egg whites. These are delicious! My sister and father really love them too. Also, the chickpea meatloaf is a favorite of mine. Thank-you for all the time and effort you put into the recipes!
These are absolutely delicious! The recipe is easy and requires just a few ingredients. The pictures of each step are so helpful!
★★★★★
Amazing! So glad you loved them.
Super easy to make and so so good!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the kind review!
These macaroons are outstanding and so easy to make. They are a million times tastier than the tinned kosher ones I usually purchase. These will definitely be a holiday tradition for us.
★★★★★
Amazing! I’m obsessed! These were so good and so easy to make. These disappeared in days at our house. These will be a new Christmas tradition for sure. I can’t wait to try the chocolate ones too!
★★★★★
Love, love, love! I’m hooked on these, haha. They are so perfect with the chocolate coating. I love macaroons and these totally deliver on the flavour and texture of a traditional one. Thank you!
★★★★★
Fancy but not!! What a simple delectable!! Thank you so much for this one, Deryn. Love the no processed sugar. They are just the right amount of sweet with the dates and coconut on their own. I used a super dark chocolate for the feet, to keep it that way and drizzled the tiniest bit with my fork on top. Making to cheer people up while healthying em up, too 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you, Suzi! I’ve been waiting for some feedback on this recipe since I loved them so much too. So happy you enjoyed them and thanks for letting me know!