Grain-Free, Egg-Free Coconut Macaroons
Ricki Heller’s blog, Diet Dessert & Dogs, was one of the first that I discovered, and quickly fell in love with, back in the early blogging days. Her wit, her stories, and oh, those wonderful recipes. Sure, anyone can make a pepperoni pizza, but have you seen a truly tasty, made-from-scratch version that is also vegan and gluten-free? What about decadent truffles that are dairy-free, low in sugar, and sneakily packed with sweet potatoes? And have you ever thought to replace the carrots in quick bread with nutritious parsnips?
This woman is immensely creative with healthy food and can take on ANY special diet challenge. Honestly, I am so grateful to have a friend who is so inspirational.
But lest you think she is too perfect when it comes to nutrition … Ricki is human … she has a voracious sweet tooth. So it came as little surprise to me when she married her passions for sweets and good health in her latest e-cookbook, Desserts without Compromise.
Ricki already has a vegan and wheat-free dessert cookbook under her belt (just in case you aren’t familiar, Sweet Freedom is a must have too!), but she took it several steps further, creating a collection of desserts suitable for her ACD Diet. That means these desserts are all low glycemic, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, … and just for kicks, Ricki makes all of her recipes egg-free, since she is also vegan. Yes, if you are looking for diabietic-friendly, ACD (anti-candida diet) and SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) qualified, or simply healthier dessert recipes, then Desserts without Compromise is definitely for you.
Desserts without Compromise was literally my savior during my recent ten-day “sugar break.” Just when I thought I couldn’t hold out any longer, I remembered Ricki’s e-cookbook, and went straight to the kitchen. Within minutes, I had several Carob-Coconut Sweeties just waiting to be devoured …
(This is actually Ricki’s photo, my photos were not nearly this nice!)
As Ricki mentions in the recipe, it makes a small batch, just in case you can’t stop. Smart move, because yes, I did devour the whole batch. I’m not a big tahini fan, so I prefer all nut butter in this recipe, but it does have a nice contrast for those of you who do like tahini.
With that success, and my strict sugar-free challenge completed, I moved on to the lightly sweetened recipes, and these awesome Grain-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies …
Loved, loved, loved them! Ricki mentioned that you could use any nut in the recipe. Since we didn’t have any hazelnuts, I used ground cashews, and the cookies still turned out perfect!
Of course, once I get started on cookies, I can’t stop. So I also made the heavenly Grain-Free Coconut Macaroons …
Again, I used cashews instead of the almonds called for in the recipe (this time, because the husband is allergic to almonds). In addition, I made a few little changes to the recipe, customizing it to the ingredients and tools that I had on hand. So Ricki was kind enough to let me reprint my version for you here …
Grain-Free Macaroon Cookies
Recipe adapted from Desserts without Compromise by Ricki Heller.
These little gems brown quickly on the outside, but stay soft and chewy on the inside … like a cross between a macaroon and a chewy cookie. This recipe is Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Wheat-Free, and optionally Vegan.
- 1/3 Cup (1.5 ounces) Raw Cashews
- 2 Tablespoons Flaxseeds
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
- 1/4 Cup Honey (or agave nectar if you are keeping it vegan like Ricki)
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil, melted
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- up to 1/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (I chopped up some dark chocolate chunks) or Cacao Nibs
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In your spice grinder, grind the cashews and flaxseeds into a powder (takes just about 30 seconds). Place the cashew / flax mixture in a medium-sized bowl, and add the coconut flour, honey or agave, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Stir until everything is well combined. Fold in the shredded coconut, followed by the chocolate or cacao nibs.
With slightly wet hands (to avoid sticking), shape the dough into 12 little rounds. Flatten each to about 3/8 to 1/2-inch thickness (they don’t spread). Place the cookie disks on your prepared cookie sheet, and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the cookie sheet for even browning, and then bake for another 4 to 6 minutes (I take mine out at exactly 10 minutes total), or when they are turning a golden brown on the outside.
Makes 12 macaroon-cookie gems
Now this is just the tip of the iceburg for Desserts without Compromise. Check it out on Ricki’s website. Other great recipes that I hope to make soon include the Soy-free Corn-free Creamy Vanilla Custard, Almond Cinnamon Fudge (with other nuts for us!), Mint Chip Ice cream, and Individual Bread Puddings with Caramel Sauce …
33 thoughts on “Grain-Free, Egg-Free Coconut Macaroons”
Wow, Alisa, your treats look phenomenal! Thanks so much for this amazing review. I’m so glad you liked the recipes. . . and yes, those Carob Coconut Sweeties were pretty much a staple for me during the first months of the anti candida diet. 😉 But now, I’d love to share some of those goodies you made! 😀
Thank you Ricki! Seriously awesome recipes. I’ll be turning to your ebook a lot as I think I need another sugar-free challenge and permanently sugar-low!
Thanks, Alisa! Hope it helps. 😀
These macaroon cookies sound scrumptious, love that they are egg-free and healthy!
These look absolutely fantastic! And those carob/coconut balls have me incredibly intrigued 🙂
Christin,
You can actually find the recipe on my blog, in this post: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2009/04/15/anti-candida-desserts-what-do-you-eat/ 😀
I LOVE macaroons… but have yet to make them but now have no excuse since my mom just gifted me a bag of coconut flour and you this recipe… mmmm I better go for a long run tonight!
Oh you will love coconut flour! Just remember that it has zero binding power and sucks up moisture like you wouldn’t believe! It takes a little getting used to in terms of baking, but is awesome once you do.
So it all looks WAY too good. I can’t even make them because I know if I do I’ll eat them ALL. probably in one day. They look that good.
I totally need that ebook. Love that you reviewed it AND posted great photos!
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies I must make.
Yes, I KNOW these recipes are right up your alley. And yep, really hard not to eat them all. But my weight didn’t go up while trialing, so they can’t be all bad, right?
Those chocolate hazelnut things are making me drool. I might need this cookbook for that recipe along.
Yes, you might 🙂
I love Ricki’s blog! She is so creative. These look delicious!
Ricki is the bomb! It was from Ricki that I learned to make cashew butter and make incredible cookies and she’s taught me that sweetness from alternative sweeteners is even better than that “right to the vein” stuff. 😉 You did a fantastic job with these, Alisa! If I didn’t have baking plans already, I’d be making one of these recipes for sure! Thanks for sharing some more of Ricki’s greatness. 🙂
Hugs,
Shirley
You always know all the cool people Shirley. I should just follow you around the web 🙂
I’m definitely getting more into low sugar and fruit-sweetened, with just a wee bit of stevia. That stuff can quickly overpower!
Hooray for Ricki! Her recipes have yet to disappoint. 🙂
Wow, these all look amazing! The pictures are great. Looking forward to trying some of them out.
Thank you Alisa and Ricki for your generosity in sharing this recipe! Want to know why I’m particularly completely overly and very excited? I bought coconut flour for the first time yesterday 🙂 These are GOING to happen incredibly soon 🙂
Oh sweet! Coconut flour is awesome! It has it’s own rules, but it is great when you abide by them 🙂
Wow. All of her recipes that you made look absolutely amazing!!! Thanks for the review and introducing us to her cookbook!!
Thanks Laury! I assume you already follow Ricki’s blog, but if you don’t, you should check it out. She is one of my favorite vegan recipe bloggers as she is so darn creative!
Aw, thanks, Alisa! 😀
this recipe sounds amazing! i love anything with coconut so can’t wait to try these!
I used to read Ricki’s blog constantly and now for the life of me, I can’t remember why I stopped! All of these treats sound amazing…I definitely need to pick up that cookbook!
They look so perfect! Ricki is the bomb! The bombest! I’ve never met a Ricki recipe I didn’t adore! 🙂
These look so good; definitely making them this weekend!
Ricki’s blog was the first I found too and I love her recipes… but yours are great too. I’ve just done a week vegan to write a piece for work so your dairy-free recipes were perfect; thank you 🙂
That is awesome Eleanor! So glad the recipes were helpful too. Loved your chocolate cupcakes, they looked yummy.
ricki is awesome, and i need to revisit that cookbook 😉 sometimes i get overwhelmed with all the recipes i want to try…
I love her coconut macaroon recipe! I’ve made a version myself based off of it. So chewy and delicious.
Delicious! Thank you so much!! I was wanting a sweet coconut cookie today and this is definitely it!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy the cookies Janice!
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