Raw Vegan Coconut Macadamia Macaroons
16Piggies, I continue to share my favourite quick easy gluten free snack recipes to celebrate Celiac Awarness Month and our Gluten Free Healthy Surprise Giveaway. I have received several emails, tweets, and facebook messages about the wonderful customer service people have experienced from Joe and the staff at Healthy Surprise. If you are not acquainted with Gluten Free Surprise, check it out. Also, have a read of Joe Winke's story as part of my Pig Of The Month series. It is really funny. Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win 6 months of gluten free snacks delivered to your door! AMAZING!
So, here's today's gluten free snack recipe. I have been meaning to share these quick easy raw vegan coconut macadamia macaroons since Christmas time. I was planning to save them until next Christmas, but decided I couldn't wait. They were too good to keep to myself. Mum and I made these raw macaroons as part of our "Christmas Table Treats" last year and they were a HUGE hit with everyone after one bite. "Little Christmas bites of Heaven" my mum called them. We were secretly hoping our "weird raw vegan treats" wouldn't pass the Christmas acid test in amongst all of the mainstream goodies. But, alas, they were gobbled up and we drove home with an empty goody basket! LOL!
What I love about these raw macaroons is that they are insanely easy to make. You can throw them together in under 30 minutes in the morning, stick them in your Excalibur dehydrator for 24 hours, and pull them out when you wake up the following morning. You can enjoy them in as little as 12 hours. But I like to leave them in for an extra 12 hours so that they develop a slightly crispy outside to give some textural variation with the moist chewy inside. They resemble traditional cooked macaroons this way. But the gorgeous rich decadent flavour is the same no matter how long you leave them in. I ate one (or was it two) completely raw! That is the beauty of raw cookie dough - you CAN eat it raw! You also have a very accurate idea of the flavour of the end product, so that you are able to "tweak to taste" before you dehydrate.
I will say, these are extremely sweet and indulgent. You could start with half the sweetener if you want to make these more forgiving. But my thoughts are, they are meant to be treats, so just commit! We don't eat these every day, so just enjoy them! A bag of these would make a fantastic homemade gift.
**For those of you who do not have an Excalibur dehydrator, try placing your oven on 180 / 350 F, bringing it to temperature, placing the macaroons on a baking sheet and then turning the oven off. Allow the oven to completely cool. These will not technically be "raw", but you could still enjoy them. You might have to repeat this process in order to achieve the right consistency.
Raw Vegan Coconut Macadamia Macaroons
- 3 1/2 cups unsweetened coursely shredded dried coconut
- 1 cup unsweetened coursely shredded dried coconut (for coating and rolling)
- 2 cups raw macadamias (makes 2 1/2 cups of meal)
- 1 cup raw agave nectar
- 1/4 cup raw unrefined coconut butter
- 3 tsp non alcoholic vanilla extract or 1 1/2 tsp regular extract
- 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt
- Place the raw macadamias in the food processor container and place that container in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will prevent the macadamias from turning into butter when you process them.
- Pulse the macadamias in the food processor just a few times until just ground.
- Add in the other ingredients (except the extra cup of coconut for rolling) and pulse until well combined.
- Use a large tablespoon and form this mixture into small balls or mounds.
- Flatten these balls a little or leave as is.
- Roll these in coconut.
- Place on Excalibur dehydrator sheets at 115 F for about 24 hours until slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
- **For those of you who do not have an Excalibur dehydrator, try placing your oven on 180 / 350 F, bringing it to temperature, placing the macaroons on a baking sheet and then turning the oven off. Allow the oven to completely cool. These will not technically be "raw", but you could still enjoy them. You might have to repeat this process in order to achieve the right consistency.
Piggy Cooking Tips
selecting and storing raw cashews
“Raw” cashews are widely available in pre-packaged bags as well as bulk bins. Always purchase from a supplier where there is a high turnover to ensure freshness and quality. Look for plump cashews that are uniform in colour. Avoid the limp and shrivelled ones. Cashews should smell nutty and sweet. If they have a sharp or bitter smell they have gone rancid. To preserve the precious oils, store cashews in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to six months. Always soak cashews before using to remove the enzyme inhibitors and make them more digestible.
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Piggy Grunts!
Add Your GruntI am sorry for the confusion.
It is unsweetened dried coconut.
Enjoy :)
These are SO easy and yummy!
I still need to learn how to take amazing photos from my iphone like YOU!
We need to catch up!
These ARE amazing AND hard to quit eating. HA! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
amazing! wondering if honey or maple syrup would work just as well? Sonia :)
Honey and Maple syrup have such strong flavour that they might overpower the flavour of the coconut? However, I LOVE maple syrup. Maybe start with 1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey and keep tasting? You might need to add a bit more coconut oil in order to get the right consistency too. But it would work. The only reason I used raw light agave was so that the colour stayed white and the coconut flavour remained dominant. Please let me know how you go if you try other sweeteners. Yacon syrup could be interesting too….
These look so good.
Do you have to keep them in the fridge because of the coconut oil?
Yes. These are best if kept in the fridge or freezer. In very warm weather the coconut oil will melt.
Yummm! I can’t resist a recipe with coconut - I’ll be making these ASAP!
LOL! Me neither!
Can’t wait to hear what you think :)
Oh my goodness! Macadamias, coconut, agave - what a TREAT! I will have to make these pronto. Can’t WAIT!
Well I know what I’m making tonight. These look absolutely amazing! Can’t wait.
Great!
I can’t wait to hear what you think :)