An easy recipe for moist, chewy homemade vegan coconut macaroons. This recipe calls for aquafaba instead of eggs, making these aquafaba macaroons 100% egg free. These aquafaba macaroons also happen to be dairy-free, gluten-free and are made without condensed milk or any type of flour. These classic vegan cookies can be enjoyed plain or dipped in chocolate, instructions for both ways are included.
Prepare your baking sheet(s) by lining with parchment paper.
Add aquafaba and apple cider vinegar to a clean metal or glass bowl and begin whipping at high speed.
When you reach the soft peaks stage, add the vanilla extract and almond extract, if using. Keep whipping until you get to the stiff peaks stage. This can take anywhere from 2.5 minutes or more, depending on your mixer and your aquafaba.
Once you reach the stiff peaks stage, slowly add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and continue whipping with your mixer. Wait until the sugar has been dissolved into the aquafaba before adding more sugar. The mixture will start to become glossy and thicker. Once all the sugar has been added and the aquafaba is glossy, stop whipping.
Gently fold the shredded coconut, a little at a time, into the whipped aquafaba.
Using a medium (1.5 tablespoon) scoop, scoop the coconut mixture onto your lined baking sheet. Be sure to pack the mixture into the scoop for each cookie very well by pressing the coconut into the scoop.
Bake for 20-minutes or until golden around the bottom edges.
Leave macaroons on the cookie sheet to cool for about 5-minutes so they can firm up more, then remove and place on a cooling rack.
Dip in Chocolate (optional)
Place chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and place the bowl in the microwave and set for 30 seconds. When the time is up, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate. Scrape down the sides and repeat until just a few lumps remain. At this point, don’t put the bowl back in the microwave, just stir until all of the chocolate has melted and is completely smooth, set aside to cool a little. (The double boiler method can also be used to melt the chocolate, see notes below.)
When macaroons have cooled, dip each one into the chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a spoon, you can also drizzle a little on the tops of each macaroon.
Place baking sheet in the refrigerator until chocolate has firmed up.
Notes
Aquafaba can be tricky to work with, so before making this recipe, please read all of the expert tips and troubleshooting info above, as well as the notes below to ensure the recipe result is successful for you.
Even if your baking sheet is non-stick and/or brand new, still line it with parchment paper or a silicone/silpat liner or you run the risk of your macaroons sticking.
It is important that all tools you will be using be free from any oil and oil residue. Oil will prevent your aquafaba from whipping.
Fresh lemon juice can be used in place of the apple cider vinegar.
If you're not using the almond extract, replace it with more vanilla, bringing the total amount of vanilla to 1 ½ teaspoons.
It's important that the proper type of shredded coconut be used for this recipe. First, it has to be unsweetened, second, you need coconut that's finely shredded. See the image above to make sure you have the right kind. If you have coconut that is shredded into long pieces, pulse a few times in your food processor until it looks like the picture above. This is a brand I recommend (Amazon link).
Coconut flour or freshly grated coconut will NOT work as a substitute for the shredded coconut.
A 1.5 tablespoon scoop (this is the one I have) is highly recommended for scooping the coconut onto the baking sheet since it compacts the coconut, gets rid of any extra spaces, and will help your macaroons hold together and not be crumbly.
If using the double boiler method to melt your chocolate, fill a medium pot ⅓ of the way with water and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Place a tempered glass or stainless steel bowl on top of the pot and stir until the chocolate has fully melted. Be sure that no water makes its way into the bowl or your chocolate will seize. Click this link to see this method in action.
This recipe makes 16 vegan coconut macaroons if using a medium scoop like I use.
Macaroons will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator but will start to dry out and become crumbly over time.
Nutrition info is for one of 16 macaroons, not dipped in chocolate, and is to be used only as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.