While my diet is not gluten-free today, I strictly avoided gluten containing grains for over 3 years. I had stubborn digestive issues, and skin issues for years – removing gluten from my diet really helped. I noticed an improvement in my digestion, my energy and my skin. In an effort to heal my digestive system, I not only removed those grains, but I also had homemade bone broth and homemade sauerkraut about 5 times a week. By both removing the food that was causing an issue, and adding healing foods, it was the right combination for me.
I can now tolerate some gluten, mostly in the form of homemade sourdough bread, but my diet is still largely gluten free. I got in the habit of eating this way, and I know it’s best for my body. I came up with this recipe when I was gluten free, and it’s still a stand-by. They’re chewy and just sweet enough, and very nutrient dense!
These macaroons are egg free, grain free and can be nut free (the chocolate version). If you can tolerate seeds but not nuts, sub ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds for the almond flour. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Chocolate OR Vanilla Macaroons
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened fine coconut flakes
- 1 cup cocoa powder - for blonde macaroons, replace cocoa powder with 1½ cups almond flour
- 1 cup grade A dark amber maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, fine ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to combine – I use my hands.
- Spoon the dough and roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Flatten if desired.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cooking time depends on size of the cookies, so keep a close eye on them.
- Let cool on a baking sheet. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for a longer shelf life.
Notes
- If you’d like to make half a batch of chocolate and half a batch of vanilla, simply grab another bowl and divide all of the ingredients – 1 ½ cups of coconut flakes per bowl, ½ cup cocoa powder, ¾ cup almond flour, ½ cup of maple syrup in each bowl, ⅙ cup of coconut oil, 1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract in each and ¼ tsp sea salt.
- I use maple syrup as the sweetener because it is an unrefined sweetener, and therefore doesn’t have any nutrients stripped from it, making it better for you and easier to metabolize. I choose Grade A Dark Amber because it’s the most nutrient dense, it is usually the cheapest, and it has a stronger maple flavor than the lighter grades.
