Chocolate and Vanilla Coconut Macaroons (dairy, gluten, and refined sugar-free)

Hi, my name is Jamie and I am addicted to cookies.

Cookies are my kryptonite.

I love a good cookie. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, macadamia nut, etc. etc. etc. I love all cookies…except if they have raisins…I’m not a fan of those cookies. I like my cookies sans raisins. All you raisin lovers out there, you can have the raisins I pick out of my cookies…that’s right, I didn’t say you could have the cookie, just the raisins.

The problem is, last I checked anyway, cookies aren’t exactly a health food. They are a “sometimes food”. Now-a-days, I make my cookies with organic sprouted whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, muscavado sugar, and real butter, but even with healthy substitutions, eating cookies everyday (all day…) isn’t great for your waistline or regulating your blood sugar.

Confession: I am eating peanut butter cookies as I type this…at least they are the healthy kind…

But I have made a discovery in recent weeks. And that discovery is the macaroon…the coconut macaroon to be exact. Made with simple and healthy ingredients, this is a cookie I feel good about keeping around the house. I make them often. I eat them often. Not to mention, it is essentially allergen-free. You seriously need to try this cookie.

A few notes about this loverly cookie:

• I like to make both chocolate and vanilla macaroons. It is simple to split the batter in half and add the cacao to one. I love both of them equally.
• This is a cookie that requires patience as they take 3-4 hours to crisp up in the oven…I promise it’s worth it.
• You can easily halve this recipe if you are worried about oven space. The full recipe makes A LOT of cookies!
• You can make this cookie without coconut if you have an aversion to coconut the way I do to raisins. The outcome is more like a meringue cookie or a french macaroon.

Yield: 80 or so cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup egg whites from happy, pastured chickens if available (1 cup is equal to 8 egg whites)
• a pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla depending on preference
• 2/3 cup grade ‘B’ maple syrup (higher in minerals and tastier than grade ‘A’. Also you can add up to a cup of syrup for a sweeter cookie. I like to cut the sugar just a bit)
• 4 tablespoons cacao powder (only use this amount if making the entire batter chocolate. If you are making half of the batter chocolate, add just 2 tablespoons. Omit it all together if you want just vanilla macaroons)
• 3-5 cups unsweetened organic shredded coconut (I prefer less coconut so I go for 3 cups…feel free to find your own preference)

*no, none of these links are affiliates…just thought you might like a visual.

Method

• Set your oven to it’s lowest setting (my oven’s lowest is a setting called “warm” which is around 175 degrees)
• Prep your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. You don’t want to skip this step as these cookies will stick something fierce.
• Pour your eggs whites into the mixer, add a pinch of salt and turn on to medium speed.
• Mix until stiff peaks form (6-10 minutes). see pictures below
• Add arrowroot powder and mix again until well incorporated.
• Add vanilla and mix again until incorporated.
• While mixer is running, add maple syrup in a steady stream. Whip again until well incorporated and smooth.
• At this point, you can divide the batter if making both chocolate and vanilla.
• Add cacao powder (if using). Whip again until smooth.
• Fold in coconut using a rubber spatula (remember that’s 1 1/2 cups for each batter if you divided it in two)
• Using a 1 inch scoop or a small spoon, spoon the batter onto your prepared cookie sheets. These cookies don’t spread much so you can place them fairly close together.
• Stick them in the oven and let them dry out for 3-4 hours. You may want to rotate the cookie sheets half way through. You will know they are done when they are firm/hard to the touch.
• Remove them from the oven. Cool and store in an air tight container. These will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks….but they probably won’t last that long…

mixing speed

stiff peaks

pouring in the maple syrup

creamy and smooth

coconut added

cookie scoop – highly useful purchase

ready to go in

Tips to Enjoy

• Take two chocolate macaroons and smear a little organic peanut butter in between. Heaven!
• We haven’t eaten cereal around here for a long while (all of it is pretty dang toxic and void of nutrients), and we miss it like crazy so we are always looking for substitutes. When crumbled up and covered in milk, the chocolate macaroons are reminiscent of cocoa pebbles…enough said.
• Mix in a few mini chocolate chips for an extra chocolate-y surprise.

How have I never tasted/made this cookie until now? Since one of Selah’s favorite foods is egg yolk, we end up having an abundance of egg whites around. I have literally been whipping up these babies once or twice a week for a few weeks now. Because they are so high in protein from the egg and have a decent fat/fiber content from the coconut, these cookies don’t destroy your blood sugar. They are a cookie I feel good about feeding all members of our family.

Indulge without the guilt!