Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe
Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe (V, GF): an easy vegan recipe for sweetly tart lemon macaroons made from healthy ingredients to brighten your day! Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free.
So I had no idea whatsoever that my sister Jenny LOVES coconut macaroons. Like… I’ve only known her for 32 years of my life. No big deal, right?
Wait a minute, I’m 32, right? Someone call Erik and check my age for me!!
The older I get, the less I actually remember what age I am, when my birthday is (or even what month it’s in), and apparently what my family member’s current likes and dislikes are.
Meanwhile, when I started this coconut macaroon expedition a few months back (in March, and yes, I totally had to check), I did my usual thing: tested, re-tested, then tested again to make sure the recipe for my 4 ingredient vegan coconut macaroons (the base recipe for all of my coconut macaroons) was on point.
After those rounds of testing, I did my other usual thing, which was to bring those batches over to my mom and my sister Jenny’s house.
Never expecting for a moment the reaction I’d get.
Jenny said, “WOW. These taste like…
…the REAL THING.”
And coming from Jenny, who loves all manner of junk food and is a connoisseur of desserts, I was blown away. And pleased with myself, of course. 😉
In the months that followed, I made and shared more vegan coconut macaroon recipes with you (and Jenny), and yet, still, she would ask for more. See: my Chocolate Dipped Vegan Coconut Macaroons Recipe and my 4 Ingredient No Bake Coconut Macaroons. The thing is, sometimes when I’m recipe testing, I unfortunately have loads and loads, make that batches and batches, of the exact same thing to share.
When I was testing this Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe, there were like 1,000 cookies (OR 1,000 lemon coconut macaroons, I should say) that I had to unload. And there’s only so much the freezer will take. So the burden falls to loved ones/casual acquaintances/people on the street to take these goodies.
But after you bring these folks the 5th batch of the same thing, ya kinda feel bad, ya know? Like, they must be sick of this by now.
Surely!!
Well, guess what? Jenny never got sick of my coconut macaroons. And she sure as heck never got sick of these Lemon Coconut Macaroons. OH YEAH!! Even after the possibly-100s of paleo coconut macaroons I’ve brought her, she’s still asking me to make a bigger, wink wink, batch of these lemon coconut macaroons to bring over. And, in typical Jenny fashion, she also asked me to bring over some vegan lemon poppy seed muffins and a few slices of my easy vegan lemon loaf along with all the macaroons.
And that, folks, is how you KNOW they’re good.
Lastly, special shoutout to my reader, J, for requesting these lemon coconut macaroons. And a super special shoutout to my J for requesting that they be made with lemon icing. (Um, YUM!!) I went ahead and included that optional lemon glaze just in case you wanted your socks blown off in the most delicious way possible.
Yep, even I don’t really know what that means… Heh heh.
In case you’re still on the fence, check out this Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe’s finest points! They’re…
- super easy to make
- vegan, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free
- made with just 6 simple ingredients
- the perfect excuse to bust out your citrus zester and your citrus squeezer
- just the vegan macaroons recipe you’ve been searching for
- made with the healthy & allergy-friendly, whole ingredients that you know and love
- perfectly tart and delightfully sweet
- basically everything you could ever want out of healthy paleo macaroons
Are you ready to bake this? You grab the coconut, I’ll grab the lemons! Let’s do it. 🙂 It’s truly such a joy to share these recipes with you. I can’t wait to hear what you and your loved ones think (hopefully they’re as pleased as Jenny!!).
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
If you enjoyed this Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe, then you’ll just love these healthy paleo dessert recipes:
Gluten Free Vegan Coconut Recipes and More
- Dairy-Free Coconut Flour Cookie Dough Recipe (Vegan, Paleo, GF)
- 2 Ingredient Chocolate Coconut Candy Clusters (Paleo, GF)
- Healthy Lemon Raspberry Muffins Recipe – Easy Gluten Free Vegan Muffins!
- Easy Vegan Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Bread Recipe (Healthy, Vegan, Gluten Free)
- Macaroons made with Coconut Flour: Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons Recipe (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
- Keto Coconut Macaroons – 3 Low Carb Recipes!
Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 9 large cookies or 18 medium cookies 1x
Description
Lemon Coconut Macaroons Recipe (V, GF): an easy vegan recipe for sweetly tart lemon macaroons made from healthy ingredients to brighten your day! Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy-Free.
Ingredients
Lemon Coconut Macaroons
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened small coconut shreds* (I use these gluten-free small coconut flakes)
- 1/4 cup finely ground, blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, solid**
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest, more for topping (about 1 teaspoon)
Optional Lemon Glaze (leave out glaze for paleo)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons organic, unrefined confectioners’ sugar*** (sugar-free substitute in notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside.
- Add all Lemon Coconut Macaroon ingredients (coconut, almond flour, oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and lemon zest) to a food processor (preferred) or blender. Here are the gluten-free small coconut flakes that I use–you must use small coconut flakes in this recipe, about the size of sprinkles. Using large coconut flakes will result in flat, spread-out cookies.
- Blend just until you get a wet and sticky mixture, with smaller, but still noticeable coconut pieces. If any maple syrup remains at the bottom of the processor, fold into dough until well mixed.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop firmly packed balls of coconut mixture. Drop onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure to space balls evenly apart.
- Bake for 14-18 mins, until golden around the edges and slightly golden on top. Mine took 16 mins for large ones. Place baking sheet onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 30 mins-1 hour.
- Optionally, make glaze (skip for paleo). In a small bowl, whisk together Lemon Glaze ingredients: organic, unrefined confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until thickened. Drizzle macaroons with glaze. Optionally, top with lemon zest. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.
Adapted from my 4 Ingredient Paleo Coconut Macaroons.
Notes
- *You must use small coconut flakes for this recipe. The coconut flakes should be the size of sprinkles, or about half a grain of rice. Large coconut flakes will result in flat, spread out cookies (unlike the round macaroons you see in the pictures). Here are the gluten-free small coconut flakes that I use (pictures included in link).
- **Solid coconut oil is best for this recipe. Using melted coconut oil will result in smaller macaroons.
- ***Powdered sugar substitutes: Swerve powdered sugar is a good sugar-free, low carb substitute. You can also grind the sweetener of your choice, such as Xylitol, in a coffee grinder or small blender until you get a powder. Since Swerve is a bit drier, use about 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice to make the glaze. You can also add more powdered sugar if you’d like a thicker glaze.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- If freezing, store in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw for 15 minutes before enjoying.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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This cookie dough has great flavor! The recipe was very easy to follow and delicious. I skipped the glaze And didn’t miss it!
Woohoo!! I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. Happy baking, Travy! 🙂
Making these tomorrow! Will the glue harden or stays soft? I want to package them to take to a class
Thanks!
The glaze? 🙂 Not sure it that’s what you meant by “glue” (autocorrect?!? Lol). It depends on how much powdered sugar you add. The more you add, and the thicker it is, the harder it will get over time. Enjoy!
thank you! I was thinking I put my glaze on too soon as it just disappeared into the macaroon. Still, delicious 🙂
My pleasure! Also, make sure to cool the macaroons all the way before drizzling. Hot macaroons can cause the glaze to stay melty and disappear. 😉 Enjoy, Jeannie!
These look so good!! Quick question: can I use coconut flour instead of coconut flakes? I may not have an access to coconut flakes anytime soon… and these look so good to delay. Haha! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jhuls! Unfortunately, I don’t think that will work. If you ever try it, let me know your results!
I love macaroons, so this recipe is definitely going to get made by me 🙂
Fantastic! Can’t wait to hear how you like them Julia!
Hi Demeter! I was so excited to find an “allergy-friendly” macaroon recipe….and then I saw the almond flour. Unfortunately that is not safe for macaroon eaters with nut allergies, like in our house. Any suggestions for a substitution? Thanks! Sarah
Hi Sarah! Aw, darn… I’ve had a reader use coconut flour (perhaps 2 tablespoons or so bc it’s way more absorbent). Try it and let me know how they turn out!
Ahhh! I love these. This was my first attempt at a vegan dessert, and I’m obsessed! The texture is awesome!
Woohoo!!! I’m so happy that you loved them, Bridgette! 🙂 Here’s to more delicious vegan desserts (homemade by you!) in the near future. ❤️☺️
What a perfect little bite of a cookie. It looks absolutely delicious!
Oh yes Renee, it’s totally delicious! .
I could finish a dozen of these macaroons! Looks delicious!
Haha I know what you mean! . Totally irresistible!
So delicious! And I love the texture of these vegan macaroons.
You got that right Abeer! Such a wonderful texture. .
I want to grab these from my screen and eat them up!
Thanks Amy! Enjoy. 🙂
I’m loving all of your macaroon recipes! Lemon and coconut sounds like a wonderful combination! 🙂
Thanks Marsha! It’s definitely becoming one of my new baking obsessions! Lol
Hi, Demeter. Do you glaze the macaroons when they are still warm or after they are cooled?
Hi Abby! You can do either. 🙂 I hope you love them!
Love lemon and coconut paired together! These look amazing and so delicious! They’re a perfect summer dessert!
They’re seriously the perfect combo! Thanks so much, Erin. 🙂
Any sweet treat that has that many finer points is a winner in my book! Love the lemon and the glaze!!
Haha oh yes! The glaze is definitely a fun addition. 😉
Thanking so much for the shout out Demeter!! 🙂 Means so much to me. When I first got the email blast, I was curious if I was part of the inspiration. Lemon brightens it up for summertime and gives an already delicious treat an additional punch of flavor. I can see them pairing well with unsweetened iced tea or coffee at a summer picnic.
You’re welcome to send over some of your test batch lemon macaroons and I can send you a batch of mine for taste testing comparisons. 😀
Sending you California sunshine vibes from here in SoCal,
J
My pleasure, J!! You know, I was totally debating whether or not to reply to your comment on the Coffee Talk to let you know. 🙂 Gosh, these would be AMAZING with unsweetened iced tea. Lol, I so wish I could send you some! Sending you warm, hot ‘n muggy (let’s be real here) vibes from Boston, ❤️ Demeter
I just love that lemon and coconut flavor combination!
Yes! It’s seriously soo good! .
Wow Demeter, thank you for sharing! I’m pleased to see that these little beauties are not only vegan but also clean (if you leave out the glaze). Can’t wait to try it. Do you think I could use date sugar instead of maple syrup?
You are so welcome Gabi! I haven’t tried it myself, but you could try swapping it for date syrup rather than granulated date sugar. Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks, yes date syrup was what I meant…will let you know how it turned out:)
Wonderful, can’t wait! 🙂
OMG…these are the most gorgeous coconut macaroons i’ve seen. They look perfect. And the photos make me drool
Thank you Jyothi! . You’re too sweet!
Such cute little macaroons! I love how easily they come together. That lemon glaze over the top looks perfect with the sprinkling of lemon zest.
Yes! These are seriously so easy to make! 🙂 And the glaze just adds that extra little touch. ☺️
Haha – Demeter, your sis and I have something in common – we love coconut macaroons – and these are fantastic! So loving that drizzle on each of these beauts!
Woohoo! Well I’m not surprised to hear that. . Thanks Shashi! ☺️