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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.

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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.

A glazed macaroons on a table with lemons and unglazed macaroons behind it.

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.”

Lemon macaroons on a table before being topped with lemon glaze.

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. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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. 

Overhead shot of unglazed lemon macaroons.

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.

Batch of lemon coconut macaroons with lemons around them.

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. ๐Ÿ™‚ 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

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 #Macaroons #Coconut #GlutenFree, #DairyFree #RefinedSugarFree #Dessert #HealthyDessert #Lemon #LemonDesserts #VeganDesserts | Recipe at BeamingBaker.com
5 from 18 votes
Servings: 9 large cookies or 18 medium cookies

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.
Prep: 12 minutes
Cook: 16 minutes
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Ingredients 

Lemon Coconut Macaroons

Optional Lemon Glaze (leave out glaze for paleo)

  • 1 ½ tablespoons organic, unrefined confectioners’ sugar*** (sugar-free substitute in notes)
  • ½ 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.

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.
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Photo of Demeter, author of the Beaming Baker blog.

Hi there!

I'm Demeter, it's nice to meet you! Here, you'll find easy recipes that are fun & approachable. I love cozy movies, a good mystery, and chocolate. Welcome!

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68 Comments

  1. Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says:

    5 stars
    I’m loving all of your macaroon recipes! Lemon and coconut sounds like a wonderful combination! ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Thanks Marsha! Itโ€™s definitely becoming one of my new baking obsessions! Lol

  2. Abby says:

    Hi, Demeter. Do you glaze the macaroons when they are still warm or after they are cooled?

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Hi Abby! You can do either. ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope you love them!

  3. Erin Dee says:

    Love lemon and coconut paired together! These look amazing and so delicious! They’re a perfect summer dessert!

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      They’re seriously the perfect combo! Thanks so much, Erin. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says:

    Any sweet treat that has that many finer points is a winner in my book! Love the lemon and the glaze!!

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Haha oh yes! The glaze is definitely a fun addition. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  5. J says:

    Thanking so much for the shout out Demeter!! ๐Ÿ™‚ 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. ๐Ÿ˜€

    Sending you California sunshine vibes from here in SoCal,
    J

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      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. ๐Ÿ™‚ Gosh, these would be AMAZING with unsweetened iced tea. Lol, I so wish I could send you some! Sending you warm, hot โ€˜n muggy (letโ€™s be real here) vibes from Boston, โค๏ธ Demeter

  6. Jessica Formicola says:

    5 stars
    I just love that lemon and coconut flavor combination!

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Yes! Itโ€™s seriously soo good! .

  7. Gabi says:

    5 stars
    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?

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      You are so welcome Gabi! I havenโ€™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!

      1. Gabi says:

        Thanks, yes date syrup was what I meant…will let you know how it turned out:)

      2. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

        Wonderful, canโ€™t wait! ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Jyothi (Jo) says:

    5 stars
    OMG…these are the most gorgeous coconut macaroons i’ve seen. They look perfect. And the photos make me drool

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Thank you Jyothi! . Youโ€™re too sweet!

  9. Tara says:

    5 stars
    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.

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Yes! These are seriously so easy to make! ๐Ÿ™‚ And the glaze just adds that extra little touch. โ˜บ๏ธ

  10. Shashi at SavorySpin says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Demeter | Beaming Baker says:

      Woohoo! Well Iโ€™m not surprised to hear that. . Thanks Shashi! โ˜บ๏ธ