For some reason I have always had a thing for these little mounds of coconut.
I can’t really say why, but since my son’s diagnosis with a life-threatening allergy to egg, my heart always ached whenever I saw a macaroon recipe. I just really wanted to make them for him. I tried once or twice, but the resulting cookie fell apart much too easily.
So when I saw a recipe for Egg-Free Coconut Macaroons just before Easter, my face lit up with a smile, I pulled the ingredients together and gave them a whirl.
I adapted a recipe by Recipes Reinvented, and we now have another dessert success in our coconut-loving home.
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup coconut milk (I think other milk alternatives would work as well, but coconut milk is thicker and will result in a better finished product. See my recipe for making your own!).
4 Tbsp sweetener (if using granulated sweetener, add 1 Tbsp water. If using stevia extract, use 4 scoops and increase to taste)
2 Tbsp gluten-free flour (I used a mix of sweet brown rice and millet. Sweet rice adds a bit of “stickiness” to your gluten-free baked goods.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt (I use Real Salt)
cocoa or carob powder for the chocolatey version (use 4 Tbsp for the whole batch / 2 Tbsp if you split the batch in half and make half vanilla and half chocolatey)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or prepare by greasing. (I use baking stones that require no pre-treating)
3. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the coconut milk, sweetener, and salt.
4. Add flour and stir completely
5. Heat the mixture to a full boil and simmer for about two minutes or until thickened (if making chocolate version, add 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder to the mixture)
6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coconut.
7. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet. I used a cookie scoop to make things quick and less messy (and it makes nicely shaped macaroons, too 
!)
8. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling rack
Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
These have just the right touch of sweetness and hold together pretty well for not having eggs in them.
Happy Mom — Happy Sons.
Enjoy!
Do you have a recipe that needs a makeover for health or allergy reasons? Let me know!
Shared at Tasty Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real Food Weekly, Allergy Friendly Friday, Bake with Bizzy, and Gluten Free Wednesday.
Oh, YUM!!! We love coconut here, too!
Oh wow!!! I have a grand multitude of food allergies and I simply can’t tell you how excited I was to find your blog the other day!! This is a treat I can actually eat without changing a million ingredients! Thanks SO much!!
I’m now your biggest fan!! lol!
I know how you feel. I try to make all of my recipes helpful to those with typical allergies. I can’t promise, but if there is something else I can help with, please let me know! Thanks for the compliment
.
This recipe look great! Thanks for posting it!
Yum! I always wondered how one would make macaroons without eggs, but now I know!
you never cease to amaze me!!
Can’t wait to try it!!
blessings!
LIB
You are too kind!
I am so happy to see this recipe! This was one on my list of must-try-to-invent recipes. Now I don’t have to!
hi,
I tried this recipe. it turned well but it was soft in the center. is it supposed to be that way? anyways, looking forward to more healthy recipes from you.
scinia.
Did you follow the recipe exactly? I have made it a number of times and I wouldn’t call the centers “soft”. The cookie overall is soft as macaroons are supposed to be.
thanks for your reply. your blog inspired me to make macaroons for the first time. i followed your recipe exactly and it was soft as you mentioned. so i guess, i made it right.
This is wonderful. Is the texture different from egg white macaroons? I have to try this for my husband. Thanks for sharing it with us and at Bake with Bizzy.
I am really excited about this one. It is not just another recipe.
Thanks for the compliment! I didn’t think that the texture was much different from macaroons with egg. They don’t stick together quite as well, but I think that you will like them. We certainly ate them all up! If your husband is allergic to eggs, let’s stay in touch! My oldest is so I am always baking something without eggs
!
I love macaroons, too. I’ll bet these are really delicious with the addition of the coconut milk. They’re beautiful. Thanks for sharing on Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
can you tweek the macaroon recipe so that it doesn’t use sugar or sugar substitute?
Linda, – I’m not sure how to answer you – do you mean that you don’t want sweet macaroons? Or are you just looking to avoid certain sweeteners? ~Adrienne
I want to avoid using Stevia.
I would just use whatever you are OK with. You can use anything really – the directions show that you can use granulated or liquid. There is some info there about subbing the sweeteners and you can also see my post on substituting sweeteners.