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With only a few simple ingredients, these Gluten Free Macaroons are easy to make and bake up in just 16 minutes. Besides being Gluten Free, these babies also happen to be Vegan, Keto Friendly and Egg and Dairy Free.

If you’re looking for an easy snack or dessert recipe that’ll suit the needs of many – the gluten frees, the non-dairies, the vegans, the coconut lovers, those following a low carb or keto diet or those who just plain and simply love to get down with a great tasting treat, then bake up a batch of these easy Gluten Free Macaroons cause literally EVERYONE will thank you. They only require a few basic ingredients to make and the best part is you can whip up two different kinds – a coconut and a chocolate version – from the same batch! They’re a coconut lover’s dream and the perfect bite sized treat any time of day!

bowl of chocolate and coconut macaroons, more on a parchment lined baking sheet in the background, hand grabbing one of the pan

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Nobody, and I mean nobody (aka me on the Keto Diet), should have to suffer and miss out on ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS just because they can’t have this. Or can’t have that. No sugar here. No gluten there. You know what I’m saying?? Most recently, the boyfriend decided to do one of those food sensitivity tests and gone are the days with eggs and dairy, at least for now, so I’m told. He’s lucky he has just about the best girlfriend evvvvah. Cause, of course, she (I) took to the drawing board and out came these Gluten Free Macaroons.

Teccccchnically I made them for him. You know, without the eggs and the gluten and the dairy and things. But when they came out of the oven and one *accidently* crumbled into my mouth (I mean hand…), I just couldn’t resist eating another. And then another. These Gluten Free Macaroons are highly addicting! And besides, it was up to me to make sure that both the plain coconut and the chocolate coconut toasted to perfection in the oven, wasn’t it? And I can confidently and without a doubt confirm that they did! 😉

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE GLUTEN FREE MACAROONS (TWO WAYS)

ingredients for gluten free macaroons - unsweetened coconut, sweetener, coconut flour, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla, coconut milk — *Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.*

All it takes is 7 simple ingredients (6 if you’re just making the plain coconut version) to make these Gluten Free Macaroons. Since half the ingredients literally have the word “coconut” in it, I sure hope you’re a big fan of it!

Unsweetened Coconut: The bulk and base of our gluten free macaroons. Coconut flakes toast in the oven as they bake giving them this distinct irresistible nutty flavour. Make sure you’re grabbing the unsweetened version as we add our own sweetener to this recipe in order to control what kind and the amount put in. The grocery store likes to confuse things and offer a million different kinds and types of shredded coconut. What you’re really looking for is unsweetened coconut flakes with a medium shred as opposed to a fine shred.
Coconut Milk: For extra coconut flavour and basically takes the place of any eggs or dairy used in traditional coconut macaroon recipes. Full fat works best in this recipe.
Coconut Flour: For extra coconut flavour and helps to thicken the milk mixture before adding the coconut flakes. Also helps to soak up or absorb some of the liquid from the coconut milk.
Sweetener: To sweeten up our gluten free macaroons, of course. Since I’m currently on the Keto Diet, I used Erythritol but you can use whatever kind of sweetener that suits your needs.
Vanilla Extract: A popular baking ingredient that adds a nice sweetness to the macaroons. Also helps to balance out the flavours of the rest of the ingredients.
Salt: Might seem like a weird ingredient to use in baking but it’s actually used quite often (a little goes a long way). It balances out the rest of the ingredients while amplifying the overall flavour of the dessert.
Cocoa Powder: Turns our plain coconut macaroons into chocolate coconut macaroons! Regular plain raw cocoa is what I used here. If you’re making the entire batch chocolate, you’ll need 4 tablespoons. But, if you’re planning on splitting the batch and making half chocolate and half plain, you’ll only need 2 tablespoons. See the recipe card down below for the full amounts and instructions for both versions.

close up of a coconut macaroon with more in the background

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE MACAROONS (KEY TIPS)

close up of a chocolate macaroon, more plus coconut ones in the background

The coconut mixture before and after baking is extremely crumbly and kind of hard to work with. BEFORE BAKING: Try and handle it as little as possible. AFTER BAKING: Allow them to cool completely before handling or they will crumble.
Once you have the coconut mixture ready to go, use a tablespoon, cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to help you drop the batter onto the baking sheet. You don’t want to press or shape the macaroons too much – just scoop and drop!
The gluten free macaroons don’t need much space on the baking sheet as they don’t rise, grow or spread as they bake. Sure, give them a little room to breathe but don’t worry too much about “overcrowding” the pan.
Keep an eye on your gluten free macaroons in the last few minutes of baking. All ovens are different and coconut toasts easily which means it can burn quickly.
Allow the coconut macaroons to cool for at least 10 minutes on the pan directly out of the oven before attempting to transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. It is only when the macaroons have completely cooled that they will be firm enough to touch…lol. As I said, they’re EXTREMELY crumbly and fall apart easily.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW SHOULD I STORE GLUTEN FREE MACAROONS?

Allow the gluten free macaroons to cool completely before storing. Then, carefully (they’re VERY delicate, ok!!) transfer them to an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to a week.

CAN I FREEZE GLUTEN FREE MACAROONS?

Sure, you can freeze these coconut macaroons for a quick gluten free treat for future you. After all, you baked these babies up and you deserve to have them at your fingertips whenever you please. Am I right?

Allow them to cool completely on the sheet pan and then transfer the pan to the freezer. Let them harden (either in a few hours or overnight) and then carefully transfer them to an airtight container or a ziploc bag. They’ll be good for up to 4 months. Simply defrost on the counter before eating.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACAROONS AND MACARONS?

I know, I know. Just looking at the two words can get a little confusing as they’re obviously quite similar and both refer to very delicious desserts. However, if you had them side by side, you’d be able to see that they’re actually very different.

Macaroons is what you see here. Traditionally made with coconut, egg whites, sugar and sweetened condensed milk. However, besides the coconut, we obviously use none of those things since our version is gluten, dairy and egg free as well as Keto friendly. Macaroons are generally distinguishable by the dollop looking shape they get by dropping the “batter” mixture onto the sheet pan before baking. They have toasted coconut flake exteriors, dense textures and are more of a ball than a cookie.

Whereas Macarons are generally colorful, soft, sandwich type cookies that have a filling of some sort (cream, jelly, chocolate, etc). They’re traditionally made with almond flour, food colouring, egg whites and powdered sugar. They have a soft and moist texture, are light and airy and come in a combination of a variety of different ways/flavours.

hand holding a coconut macaroon split in half up to the camera above a plate with more and chocolate versions in the background

GLUTEN FREE MACAROONS

Yield: ~15 Macaroons

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 31 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (medium shred)
1 cup Coconut Milk
4 tbsp Sweetener (I used Erythritol)
1 tbsp Coconut Flour
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt
4 tbsp Cocoa Powder, optional, for chocolate version*

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside until ready to use.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the coconut milk, sweetener and salt. Whisk to combine.
Whisk in the coconut flour until smooth.
If making the chocolate version, add in the cocoa powder now and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Please note that the chocolate version will thicken slightly more than the plain version and neither will be completely thiiiiick as can be. Just use your judgement and work with it.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut flakes and vanilla extract.
Using a tablespoon, cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, drop the batter into individual mounds onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 16 minutes or until the tops and sides are golden and toasted. Cool for at least 10 minutes on the sheet pan then carefully transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before eating/handling.

Notes

To make the whole batch chocolate: Use 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder. To split the batch and only make half chocolate: Use 2 tablespoons and only add it to half the batch.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 119Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 5gNet Carbohydrates: 1gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.