Healthy Macaroons

Healthy Macaroons Recipe! My healthy coconut macaroon recipe is made without refined sugar and tastes just as delicious.

You just need a few simple ingredients to make my 5 ingredient healthy coconut macaroon recipe. These are made with no sweetened condensed milk and no corn starch!

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5 HEALTHY MACAROON INGREDIENTS

1. 4 large egg whites
2. ¼ cup honey
3. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4. pinch sea salt
5. 4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

ARE COCONUT MACAROONS HEALTHY?

While traditional coconut macaroons aren't the most unhealthy cookie out there, they are not a healthy cookie. Coconut macaroons use sweetened coconut flakes, and sweetened condensed milk. Both of these ingredients are loaded with refined sugar which will spike inflammation all over your body and make you age faster.

1 traditional coconut macaroon cookie usually has around a whopping 15 grams of added sugar!

Is one coconut macaroon going to make or break you? No of course not! But if you can make a coconut macaroon that tastes just as good minus the refined sugars... then why not!

I made my healthier coconut macaroon recipe using organic unsweetened coconut flakes to limit the refined sugar content. I also used honey as a sweetener.

While honey does still spike blood glucose, it is not as much as refined white sugar and it is also less processed.. so less chemicals. Plus, the fiber in the coconut and the protein in the eggs will decrease the blood glucose spike.

1 of my healthier coconut macaroons has around 5 grams of added sugar.

HOW I MADE MY MACAROONS HEALTHIER

I love to look at traditional cookie recipes and figure out what substitutions I can make to create a cookie that is healthier but just as delicious. Here's what I did with the ingredients from a traditional macaroon recipe.

1. Sweetened Flaked Coconut. Instead of using sweetened coconut, this easy healthy cookie substitution was a no brainer. I just used my favorite organic flaked unsweetened coconut!
2. Sweetened Condensed Milk. In place of highly refined sweetened condensed milk, I used raw local honey. Now I know this is still a sweetener, but it is far more natural than refined sugar. Better for your body to process. I also reduced the total amount of sweetener from almost an entire cup of sweetened condensed milk to about ¼ cup honey.
3. Vanilla Extract. I always use pure vanilla extract in place of artificial vanilla extract.
4. Egg whites. This one I pretty much left alone. I do buy my eggs locally since they're allowed to eat a real diet and not grown up in the dark.. some might argue the nutrition is the same, but I'm in the camp that food from animals treated well will be more nutritious.
5. Salt. In place of bleached refined salt that many times has anti caking ingredients and a type of iodine that your body can't really absorb, I used pure real sea salt. If you need iodine try some fish or seaweed!

And that's it! I took the refined sugar content out of these macaroons, reduced the artificial ingredients and came up with a healthy macaroon cookie that tastes just as good!

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY MACAROONS

USE PARCHMENT PAPER OR A BAKING MAT. Macaroons can stick to a baking sheet very easily, and you don't want them cooking on a lot of grease. So the best way to not have macaroons stick to your tray is with parchment paper or a baking mat!

BEAT EGG WHITE AND HONEY TILL FROTHY. Beating them till frothy will give you a little bit of fluffiness. But don't beat them to stiff peaks, you want a little egg white liquid in there for the coconut flakes to absorb.

DO NOT OVER BAKE! Just bake them until they are starting to turn golden brown. Overbaking will result in harder macaroons instead of light fluffy macaroons.

COOL COMPLETELY ON A RAISED WIRE RACK. Remove healthy coconut macaroons from the cookie sheet and transfer them a wire rack. This helps to prevent egg white macaroons from getting soggy.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY MACAROONS

For full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Equipment needed:

• Hand held beaters or a standing mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Cookie sheet
• Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
• Cooling rack
• Small saucepan
• Wire whisk

STEP 1: BEAT HONEY AND EGG

Now lets make the healthy macaroons!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add:

• 4 large egg whites
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Beat the egg whites with the honey, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer. Beat the egg whites until the mixture is frothy.

STEP 2: FOLD IN COCONUT FLAKES

Next, fold in the 4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes. Make sure to do this gently. You don't want to deflate your egg whites.

STEP 3: BAKE AND ENJOY!

Form the macaroon batter into balls with your hands and place them on your prepared baking sheet.

Bake them for about 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack completely before removing!

FAQ's

Frequently asked questions about my healthy egg white macaroons recipe.

CAN MACAROONS BE HEALTHY?

Yes macaroons can be healthy if you use healthier ingredients! Skip any artificial ingredients like fake vanilla and overly refined sweetened condensed milk. Choose natural sweeteners like honey or pureed dates. And choose unsweetened coconut flakes.

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN AN AVERAGE MACAROON?

A traditional macaroon made with sweetened condensed milk has around 130 to 140 calories per cookie.

ARE COCONUT MACAROONS GOOD FOR YOU?

Are coconut macaroons healthy? No. Coconut macaroons are not healthier than any other cookie out there. Yes they're made with coconut, but most traditional macaroons recipes are made with sweetened flaked coconut. There is also a TON of sweetened condensed milk in them. Instead, make my healthier take on coconut macaroons!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MACARON AND A MACAROON?

Macarons are typically made as a sandwich cookie and almond flour, giving a unique hard shell with light fluffy center. Macaroons are made with coconut flakes and rolled into a ball.

You're going to love these Healthy Cookie Recipes next!

• Lemon Zucchini Cookies with Lemon Glaze
• Healthy Molasses Cookies
• Half Moon Cookies
• Healthy Meringue Cookies
• Matcha Macarons with Mango Buttercream
• Almond Pulp Cookies Chocolate Dipped
• Healthy Lofthouse Cookies
• Healthy Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
• Coconut Flour Cutouts

If you try my Healthy Coconut Macaroon Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!