Easy Vegan Macaroons (6 ingredients!)

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Three stacked Crispy Vegan Macaroons balanced on vintage measuring cups

Does aquafaba know any limits? No, it does not.

Have you tried using it yet? It may seem intimidating at first, but once you do it once, it’s like second nature.

Ever since discovering the magic of aquafaba, I’ve saved every drop of chickpea brine from my canned chickpeas to put to good use in recipes like THESE aquafaba macaroons! Let’s do this!

Baking sheet filled with perfectly toasted shredded coconut for making Crispy Vegan Macaroons

This recipe is simple, requiring just 6 ingredients. Plus, from start to finish, it requires about 45 minutes.

The base is toasted shredded coconut (not to be confused with desiccated coconut, which is much stiffer).

When it comes to shredded coconut, you want it as light and fluffy as possible. I included two brand recommendations in the notes!

Freshly whipped aquafaba for adding to Crispy Vegan Macaroons recipe

The other important element in this recipe is aquafaba. The structure and the makeup of this magical brine allow it to be whipped into things like meringue and mayonnaise and used as a fluffy egg substitute in things like donuts, cakes, and cookies!

In this recipe, the aquafaba is whipped into semi-stiff peaks. Then you simply add a little salt, vanilla, coconut oil, and maple syrup – which keeps this recipe naturally sweetened!

Using a wood spoon to stir chopped toasted coconut into aquafaba

All that’s left to do is stir your maple-sweetened coconut into your aquafaba base, scoop, and bake.

The dough should be wet but scoopable. This is key! If it’s too dry, the macaroons will be crumbly. If it’s too wet, they won’t fluff up in the oven. I include some tips in the instructions to help you achieve the right texture.

Stirring together ingredients for Crispy gluten-free Vegan Macaroons
Freshly baked Crispy Vegan Macaroons on a parchment-lined baking sheet

The name of the baking game here is slow and low. I bake these for 20 minutes at 325 degrees F (162 C) and then 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F (176 C). This allows the macaroons to firm up, and the higher temperature adds a beautiful golden-brown exterior.

YUM. You can enjoy these macaroons as is or create a quick, 2-ingredient chocolate coating to dip and drizzle them with. This is completely optional, but it takes them to the next level for sure!

Wooden cutting board with Crispy Vegan Macaroons, some with a chocolate drizzle

I hope you all LOVE these macaroons! They’re:

Fluffy
Crisp on the outside
Tender on the inside
Coconutty
Perfectly sweet
Easy to make
& Insanely delicious

These would make the perfect healthier dessert to have on hand during the week or for road trips and picnics. They’re extremely portable, which makes them ideal gifts or treats to bring along to baby showers, bridal showers, BBQs, and more.

For more simple dessert recipes, be sure to check out our 5-Ingredient Vegan Gluten-Free Cookies, Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Vegan Chocolate, Coconut No-Bake Cookies, Almond Butter No-Bake Cookies, and Dark Chocolate Hemp Energy Bites.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see your macaroons in action. Cheer, friends!

Crispy Vegan Macaroons with chocolate drizzle balanced on vintage measuring cups

Update: 4/26/19 – We retested this recipe to address any texture issues some readers were having. But instead of changing this recipe entirely as some of you do like it, we created a new recipe for a similar style of cookie that has an easier method and improved texture. Find the Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies here!

Easy Vegan Macaroons (6 Ingredients!)

Vegan macaroons made with aquafaba! Just 6 ingredients required, naturally sweetened, fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside! The perfect plant-based dessert.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Measuring cups of Easy Vegan Macaroons with some dipped in chocolate and others plain
3.50 from 42 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 39 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes
Servings 22 (macaroons)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days

Ingredients

MACAROONS

  • 4 cups packed shredded unsweetened coconut* (see notes for brand recommendations)
  • ½ cup aquafaba (brine from canned chickpeas // see our Aquafaba Guide!)
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional // to help the aquafaba stiffen)
  • 7 Tbsp maple syrup (DIVIDED // or sub stevia to taste – 1-2 packets)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil (If avoiding oil, omit // coconut oil adds moisture and helps them brown in the oven)

CHOCOLATE COATING optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread coconut on a baking sheet (or more baking sheets if making a larger batch). Toast for 2-4 minutes or until just slightly golden brown (be careful not to burn // see photo). Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (162 C).
  • Transfer coconut to a food processor (or a mixing bowl) and add just under half of the maple syrup (3 Tbsp or 45 ml maple syrup as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Pulse a few times (or stir) to combine, being careful not to overmix. This will slightly moisten and sweeten the coconut (see photo). Set aside.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add aquafaba and cream of tartar (optional), and whip with a hand or stand mixer (you can whisk by hand, but it takes longer).
  • Once fluffy and semi-stiff peaks have formed (see photo), add remaining maple syrup (4 Tbsp or 60 ml maple syrup as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), vanilla, and salt and whip again to combine. Lastly, pour in melted coconut oil and whip again to combine. At this point, taste your aquafaba and see if it needs any more sweetness. You can add either a little stevia or a bit more maple syrup. But don’t go overboard with the maple syrup or it may deflate your aquafaba.
  • Start with adding 3/4 of your coconut to the aquafaba and fold/stir to combine. If it looks too wet, add more coconut flakes a little at a time until you get a very moist “dough” (see photo). If the dough is too wet, they won’t rise in the oven. If it’s too dry, they will be crumbly. So be sure to add a little at a time until the proper texture is achieved. If you add all of the coconut and it still appears too wet, it’s fine to add a little untoasted coconut!
  • Measure out heaping 1 Tbsp amounts (I like this scoop) and scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F (162 C) for 25 minutes. Then increase heat to 350 degrees F (176 C) and bake for 8-10 min more or until golden brown and semi-firm to the touch (see photo).
  • Let cool. Then enjoy. For a chocolate coating (optional), melt vegan dark chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler (or in the microwave in 30 second increments) until smooth and creamy. Then dip the macaroons into the chocolate and place on a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet or serving platter. Drizzle the tops with remaining chocolate and set in the refrigerator (or freezer) to cool until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
  • Store leftover macaroons covered and at room temperature up to 3 days, in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. They are crispy the first day and then tend to soften, which is normal. They are still delicious though! Just best when fresh.

Notes

*The brand of shredded coconut you buy will determine how much you add. I used a mix of Trader Joe’s unsweetened shredded coconut (which is light and stringy) and Let’s Do Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, which is light and fluffy and shredded (but much lighter in texture and weight than desiccated coconut, which is entirely different). In the recipe, I recommend starting with 3 cups and then working your way up to 4 cups, depending on how fluffy your aquafaba is and which brand of coconut you have.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 4 cups shredded coconut per 22 macaroons and without the chocolate topping/shell.
*Recipe loosely adapted from the Kitchn.

Nutrition (1 of 22 servings)

Serving: 1 macaroons Calories: 76 Carbohydrates: 5.4 g Protein: 0.5 g Fat: 6.2 g Saturated Fat: 5.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 23 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Sugar: 3.8 g

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  1. Helen Walker says

    I used another recipe for macaroons have made them before but with egg white this time I used chick pea liquid from a can, the chickpea liquid beat up really well add the sugar and you can’t tell the difference but when cooked they were crumbly while egg white once cooked made a lovely coconut rough. What did I do wrong.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Helen, these won’t be quite as structured as an egg white version due to the binding ability of eggs, but pressing down firmly when releasing the scoop, blending the coconut a little longer, and adding a little more maple syrup, as needed, can help!

  2. Michelle says

    I’ve been waiting to make his until I had all of the ingredients and I’m glad I did. Amazing! I used Whole Foods 360 brand of cocount and had to use about 4.5 cups. This was my first time using aquafaba in this way and now I need more recipes with it since we go through chickpeas at least once a week. Another MB triumph!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle. Thank you for sharing! You can search by ingredient for aquafaba using our recipe index filters (see here). Hope that helps!

  3. Belinda says

    My dough was quite wet, but the macaroons turned out very loose and didn’t stick. All crumbled up when I tried to pick it up. It was still delicious. Not sure what I did wrong.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Belinda, so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right! Did you make any modifications? Were you using the metric or US measurements?

  4. Megan says

    I had good luck with these! I used egg whites instead of the aquafaba, and I whipped the mixture till it had stiffer peaks than specified – I think both of these combined maybe helped it not fall apart, like I saw some of the other commenters saying, upon adding the coconut oil.

    I had a bit of trouble getting them to keep their shape while forming them into balls to bake. I added almost all the toasted coconut into the mixture; it didn’t hold together great but I managed.

    The one thing I would change next time is shaving some time off the baking. Like I’d take them out at least 5 minutes sooner. I think I’d prefer them a bit moister – maybe they got a little too dried out in the baking process. I made the chocolate drizzle for the top/bottom and that came out great, and really “made” them!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Megan! For next time, could you possibly leave a star rating with your review? It helps us and other readers so much. Thanks again! xo

  5. Kirsten says

    These are GREAT! They are so tasty, chewy and crisp! We didn’t have any of the problems others did.A few tips: whip the aquafaba to stiff peaks, stream in coconut oil while whipping and fold in (rather than stir in) coconut, and let the cookies cool completely before eating. A great recipe, will definitely make again!

  6. Sibyl says

    This was my first time working with aquafaba. Definitely a novice baker. I did struggle with these not falling apart but they were absolutely delicious. Thank you for the straightforward recipe. We wound up microwaving them and putting them on topo of vegan ice cream :)

  7. Silvia Raum says

    I follow the instructions but it was too wet. I cooked it in muffin containers but I don’t think they stiffen up. Disappointed

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Silvia, we’re so sorry to hear they didn’t turn out as you were hoping! We haven’t tried these in a muffin tin, but perhaps that was part of the issue? They won’t really stiffen (perhaps you are thinking of a macaron not a macaroon?), but should be golden brown and semi-firm.

  8. Matt says

    Thank you so very much for not forcing me to scroll through 10,000 words to get to your actual recipe, which I’m going to try tonight. I love these macaroons but have never tried making them and especially never vegan ones. I’m excited!

      • Matt says

        I had the same experience as Alanna below. As soon as I added the coconut oil it deflated and wouldn’t come back up at all. I gave it a whirl anyway, and was able to get it to stay in shape, but it didn’t bind, so I ended up with yummy toasted coconut basically. I ended up melting chocolate and creating coconut rough with it. I’ll give it a whirl again another time without the coconut oil.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thanks for the feedback, Matt! We actually retested this recipe and shared the results, but as a new recipe (that we’ve found to be a bit more reliable). However, so many people like these as is that we didn’t want to change it! Try the newer recipe if you’d like!

  9. Alanna says

    I have no idea how you added coconut oil to the aquafaba and it didn’t completely fall apart and liquefy. Found out the hard way to never do that again. Had to throw out all those ingredients and start again. I hate wasting food.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Such a bummer! The oil does mix in with the aquafaba, it just deflates a little. Did you try to keep going?

  10. Holly says

    After searching for something to make with aquafaba I ran across this recipe and we loved them. I had no problems with the texture and they held together perfectly. Great use for something I would have thrown out. Thanks!

  11. Ricky McGrath says

    Tried this recipe and it was a spectacular failure. I think it calls for way less than 4 cups of coconut as the resulting mixture…following the recipe exactly…was too crumbly to form into macarons without falling apart. This even after overnight refrigeration and adding more aquafaba. On the bright side I have enough aquafaba infused toasted coconut to sprinkle on my morning oatmeal for the next 10 years or so.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! We’re so sorry to hear that was your experience, Ricky! They shouldn’t fall apart completely, but the brand of coconut/how finely shredded it is can make a difference. We developed a new version that stays together better, but kept this recipe because some readers really enjoy these ones.

  12. Leah Piehl says

    I’ve made regular macaroons a million times so I’m very familiar with the texture and consistency. These looked perfect but literally crumbled when I tried to pick them up. I will have to repurpose this much coconut into a granola so it’s not a waste of ingredients. I generally have great luck with all your recipes (big fan!) but this was a complete disaster.

    Flavor of the actual mixture is 100%

    Sorry and hope others have better luck!!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Leah, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! We retested this recipe to address texture issues some readers were having. But instead of changing this recipe entirely as some readers do like it, we created a new recipe for a similar style of cookie that has an easier method and improved texture. Find the Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies here! Hope that helps!

  13. Sam says

    Not sure what I’ve been doing wrong! My first bake it went so successfully, the problem: I was pretty intoxicated when I made them the first time, and I cannot remember a thing! What I do know is that they came out perfect because I took a photo! Round and everything! Now this is the third time trying it since my first success. Is it possible to over-whip the aquafaba? I had beautiful peaks and only did two tablespoons of maple syrup + the salt, and vanilla. The minute I added the coconut oil (2 tbsp) it completely collapsed :( Was it the amount? The temperature of the oil? I added it after microwaving it.
    Still tasty (even if I make it as a coconut sheet hehe)! Great recipe, but finicky steps and baker should be paying very close attention.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, maybe try pouring in the coconut oil slowly next time while whipping and see if that helps!

  14. Alison says

    So good! Made these today. I had navy bean aquafaba and wanted a recipe to use it up. It worked great! No bean flavor. I only had the standard sweetened shredded coconut. I used a teensy bit of maple when whipping the aquafaba otherwise let the sweetener come from the sweetened coconut. It worked great. I would totally leave out the maple if I used sweetened coconut again. I did use cream of tartar. I did not add any oil. I had to use a plastic tablespoon measure and press the mixture in it to form the cookies. They turned out beautiful and delicious. My first aquafaba attempt. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

  15. Karen Newsome says

    I think that the 3-4 cups of shredded coconut is way too much for the amount of aquafaba whip. I even made a second batch of aquafaba whip to add to the mix. So, my first tray got really brown at 350 for 25 minutes so i did not leave in at 325 for another 8-10. The second tray, i scraped them into a food processor (i looked at the instructions from your “snowball” recipe) and they did stick together a bit more. Next time, I would probably only use 2-1/2 cups of coconut for this recipe. Maybe it’s because i live in Nevada. I have had to “tweek” many recipes (oven temp and time). sorry for the harshness in my first post, i was very frustrated

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Karen, I have to say that the snowball recipe is my preferred for this type of cookie. But so many people loved this recipe that we left it as is. But next time, try the snowball recipe!

  16. Louise says

    These didn’t work out for me, they are in a shape but fall apart when I pick them up. Nonetheless I have put them close together on a plate, slathered them with melted vegan choco chips and am eating them with a spoon out of the fridge. Will try the snowball recipe you mentioned. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks, Louise! Yes, these are tender. I have to say I now prefer the snowball recipe, but others seem to prefer this one so I left both!

  17. Sarah says

    There was definitely a texture issue! This cookie was TERRIBLE. I wasted time and ingredients…ended up throwing it all out after I rinsed my mouth out with water. There’s a FAR better recipe at theblenderist.com and it has fewer ingredients and steps.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sarah, sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you! We haven’t had this issue, so aren’t sure what went wrong! Did you make any modifications to the recipe? Did you use maple syrup or stevia?

  18. Julie says

    I made this recipe and even after accidentally over processing the aquafaba after adding coconut oil, they still turned out Deliscious and crunchy on the outside and soft a chewy on the inside.

  19. Kat says

    Followed the recipe to a T. They looked great before baking but completely flattened in the oven. I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t have the same issues as other commenters.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kat, sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you! We haven’t had this issue, so aren’t sure what went wrong! One idea is that the aquafaba may have needed to be whipped more? There may also be some variability with different brands of garbanzo beans.

  20. JennyG says

    I tried to make these for our Jewish cultural dinner at a vegan restaurant I bake at. I should have practiced first! As written in many other comments, my macaroons would not hold together when they came out of the oven. They fell apart completely. It sounds like other peoples’ macaroons held together after they cooled, so perhaps I wasn’t patient enough. My solution? I used melted chocolate as a binder. Rather than pouring a small bit of it over the cookies, I rolled chocolate completely throughout it, then froze them so they’d stick together. It definitely worked, but they weren’t the delicate, dense, sweet coconut with judge a smidge of chocolate that I was looking for. I would like to try again and let them cool much longer before I try to manipulate them.

    Also! I with the recipe had addressed whether to buy salted or unsalted chickpeas. My cans of chickpeas had salt added, and then I added more salt as per the instructions. The batter was very salty and I was worried! The flavor turned out fine, I think? But I probably would buy unsalted next time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We retested this recipe to address any texture issues some readers were having. But instead of changing this recipe entirely as some of you do like it, we created a new recipe for a similar style of cookie that has an easier method and improved texture. Find the Vegan Coconut “Snowball” Cookies here! Hope that helps!

  21. Nan Bröchner says

    I just made a triple portion of these for my workplace. The recipe turned out to be completely useless – I now have a baking tray of coconut dust in large heaves and no macarons, even though I added coconut oil and only 2/3 of the coconut. A waste of time and money that goes in the garbage as soon as it’s cooled.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nan, sorry to hear this- it sounds like something definitely went wrong! Our best guess is that the dough needed more moisture. The dough should be wet but scoopable. This is key! If it’s too dry, the macaroons will be crumbly. Better luck next time!

  22. Cyndi says

    I made this recipe and was pleasantly surprised! I say that because after combining all ingredients my mixture wasn’t holding together as I scooped it onto the baking sheet. For that reason, I almost threw it all away before baking because I was convinced I did something wrong.. but I decided to bake it and I’m glad I did! They binded a bit while baking then firmed up all together once cooled (phew!).
    Here are my adjustments and recommendations:
    I didn’t put my coconut in the food processor – I will next time because I think the macaroons would hold together better (I used Trader Joe’s shredded coconut, about 1&1/2 bags).
    I didn’t have any vanilla so I used vanilla soy milk in its place (I think it worked fine in a pinch but vanilla extract would obviously have a stronger flavor so I’ll try that next time too).
    I didn’t have coconut oil on hand so I used canola oil (it seemed to work but I might omit next time if it has to do with browning in the oven – that’s next…)
    Baking ~ I used my OXO pro cookie sheet because I thought that would be better that parchment paper or a sil pat.. I was wrong! Even though it’s nonstick they stuck! I had to carefully but quickly slip a metal turner under each one to remove it. I did however have some leftover “dough” so I used a regular baking sheet with a sil pat and that was better for removal.
    I only baked mine at 325° for 20 minutes. I turned the temperature up to 350° with the first batch but after only 1 minute they were burning so I quickly removed them and they were just fine.

    Overall, this is a great recipe! I made them for a group of non-vegans.. I think it will be a hit! I did dip and drizzle with chocolate so really how can they NOT be good?! ?

    I will be making these again! Thanks Dana for another fantastic recipe! I’ve made several of your recipes and have enjoyed all of them!

  23. Anna says

    I only have desiccated coconut (finely shredded) where I live, so I made some changes so it wouldn’t fall apart. I’m also gluten free, so I referenced this recipe to add some flour to help it hold together: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-coconut-macaroons/.

    Basically, I ended up mixing 3 1/2 cups of desiccated coconut with 3/4 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder, but I had about 1 cup of the coconut-flour mix left over that I didn’t use. I replaced the maple syrup with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and added about 1/3 cup of white sugar because I like mine sweet :). I only had to bake them about 15-20 minutes at 325. Next time I might add a little more oil or milk to make them a bit moister with the extra flour.

    I had trouble getting peaks to form in my aquafaba (I only have a food processor, not a mixer), but I’m pleasantly surprised to say that these still turned out well despite all the changes! I wasn’t sure I could do an egg-free, gluten-free macaroon with only desiccated coconut, but I hope it helps others to know that you can do it with a few changes!

  24. Evey says

    Hi Dana; I’m a big fan of Minimalist Baker. I’ve made lots and lots of your recipes, from crepes to smoothies to veggie bowls. Unfortunately this one had me stumped. No matter what ratio of toasted coconut to aquafaba mixture I tried, I couldn’t get the dough to look like your picture. In fact I’d barely describe it as dough; it was more like very wet coconut that didn’t hold a shape at all. I ended up having to rescue the recipe with (4) full eggs and nearly half a cup of corn starch to get it to bind. Wowsers. I did get a beautiful and tasty dessert in the end, but at the cost of vegan glory. Do you have any pointers for me the next time I try?

  25. David says

    I tried these making macaroons, but it wasn’t a great success. The whipped aquafaba slumped when I added the coconut oil – should I just fold it in? The baked macaroons fall apart despite trying a wetter mix on the second batch, although they taste fine. I didn’t have shredded coconut (never seen it in UK) so used flaked coconut and chopped it up a little in a food processor before toasting. Any thoughts on what I could use to bind the dough more firmly (xantham, psyllium, chia)?

  26. Kate McMurry says

    You state in your directions that when you are toasting the shredded coconut at 350 degrees, don’t let it toast longer than 4 minutes, or it might start to burn. Then you say in the directions to add the equivalent of 1 cup of liquid to this coconut, which is already toasted, mix it into a moist dough, and put it on a baking sheet in 1 tbsp scoops. Then you say to bake these very small cookies a total of almost 35 minutes. I can’t figure out why these macaroons won’t turn into little, burnt lumps of charcoal after cooking that long when coconut burns so easily. These ingredients are not cheap, and the time it takes to make these macaroons is not inconsiderable. I have them ready to go into the oven, but before I commit to baking them as long as you say, I want to make sure my whole effort won’t be ruined.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kate. Good questions. Once the coconut is mixed with the aquafaba mixture it becomes far less prone to burn. One option is to bake for less time or at a lower temperature if you’re concerned. Also, you can skip the toasting step first next time for even less toasty macaroons. Hope that helps!

  27. Tyler says

    This recipe caused me a litany of problems — for one thing, the aquafaba mixture tastes awful. Far too much salt overpowering the rather bland aquafaba. Then, even when I added enough extra “raw” coconut to get it to congeal as a quasi-dough, it didn’t hold together. Not when I dropped it, and certainly not when they came out. Maybe putting parchment down or greasing the sheet would change that, but the macaroons still wouldn’t stay together once I tried. I couldn’t keep them in one piece on the rack, least of all dip them in chocolate.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Tyler, so sorry you had issues with this one. I found that once sweetened, the aquafaba taste is undetectable. But I will definitely look at the salt content once more. Also, this recipe is on my list to retest in order to address a few questions people are having, so stay tuned for updates.

  28. Lyd says

    I’m dying to make these but I cant find Shredded coconut anywhere! Could you make these with Desiccated coconut? and if so would I need to adapt anything else in the recipe?! TIA :)

  29. Kelsey says

    Taste very yummy- just like your grandmas macaroons. But I just couldn’t get them to hold. They started to burn by 20 mins I’m so I took them out and they just haven’t held together

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kelsey! We’re sorry you had some trouble with this recipe! Did your mixture seem too dry or too wet to hold together? As for burning, I would reduce oven temperature even more next time!

  30. Jill says

    I was a little worried based on the comments of them being too dry. I’d say mine were quite wet but they came out great. I’ve used aquafaba before so I knew what to look for. I highly recommend a stand mixer to whip them. Also don’t leave out the cream of tartar, it helps a lot. I wish I had a scoop. Instead, I pressed them into a round measuring tablespoon and shaped them with my hands, kind of messy. As others experienced, they started to get dark around the tips at about 15 minutes so I lowered to 300 for 5 minutes and then did 350 for 5 minutes. Parchment paper I think helped them from getting too dark in the bottom.

  31. Linde says

    I made two batches of these. The first batch crumbled a lot. SO what I did: I baked the second batch less long -> every couple of minutes, I checked. And when they were quite firm, but still a bit (not too much) soft inside, I took them out of the oven. Once cooled, they were firm enough AND not crumbly!

  32. Alisha says

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am severely allergic to chickpeas, peas and some other lentils. I was wondering if you know of any suitable substitutes for aquafaba that I can use to make macarons. They were a favorite of mine before I went vegan and I have yet to find a vegan macaron recipe that doesn’t use aquafaba. Thank you!

  33. Anita says

    Hi! I love your recipes! But i made this one wrong and they are to crumbly! :( please please help me! Can i crumble they all and make something else from them, some kind of power balls or something? I will be grateful for your advice! <3

  34. Amanda says

    I don’t have enough time to bake them all right now. Will the extra batter stay nicely in the fridge so I can make the rest later on today?

  35. Birgit says

    Yay. I made it. The macaroons are delicious. Left out the salt and did not miss it. Kind of German style the no salt baking. The aquafaba is super easy to use. I am grateful for your inspiration.

  36. Roya says

    Hi Dana.
    I made this last night and followed precise directions and measurements but only had 2 different variables. The cookies tasted really delicious but were unfortunately on the crumbly side. I’m just addressing this in order to help others who may have experienced the same result, or to put these into consideration.

    1- I used aquafaba from a can and it whipped amazingly well just by hand with a whisk in a stainless steel bowl, even with all the additional ingredients. it took about 3 minutes and was super frothy and retained a lot of air, almost twice the volume than perhaps a handheld beater… I’m thinking that could have been the 1st issue with the crumbliness of the coconut. I did end up having to add more coconut as the ratio was too wet.

    2- Just like some others mentioning that the bottoms cook much faster than the top… I’ve learned that from other recipe trials that you have to use a light color aluminum cookie sheet, even ones that are the heavier gauge that allow air circulation as they work best for delicate cookies or meringues. I did two batches on 2 different sheet pans and the darker one was causing the macaroon bottoms to borderline over cook before the tops did. The lighter sheet yielded even browning top and bottom.

    I want to make this again but feel like I need a stronger binder. I was wondering if you’ve tried an alternative binder like an egg replacer? (usually starch based like bob’s red mill), or a combo of the aquafaba and something else to help stabilise the batter better?

    Thanks in advance!

  37. Theresa says

    I am just finishing up making these and I found that liquid (melted?) out of the coconut stacks when they were in the oven. It almost looked like the aquafaba went back to its liquid state after being whipped and folded into the mixture. On top of that some of the stacks stayed together after baking, while others just fell apart. Any hints as to why that liquid would leech out would be appreciated! For the stacks falling apart, I am trying to bake them longer to see if that might do the trick.

  38. mary says

    I was very excited to try this recipe since my children are allergic to dairy, eggs, etc… I followed the recipe but sadly the macaroons did not hold, they just fell apart :( i might try them again with more maple syrup. Any other suggestions?

  39. carelle says

    They taste great but i found that the ration of the aquafaba was too much for the coconut. even after adding all of the coconut mixture it still wasnt enough. i had to add an entire bag of coconut shreds to make it thick enough to bake.

  40. Kate says

    I followed the recipe and burnt them. They were very dry, when I bit in one, dry coconut poured out. I will try another batch and reduce baking time. I am anxious to make it work and bring for family thanksgiving!

  41. Sam says

    My oh my, I didn’t take the time to read everything well and ended up using desiccated coconut instead of shredded coconut. The desiccated coconut I had was really dry too, so I ended up with a really crumbly mixture, then decided to add more of the aquafaba (like someone suggested in the comments) and give it a try again but unfortunately they fell apart completely. It still tasted great though, so I added the crumbly mixture to a food processor with some other ingredients and made coconut-oatmeal cookies (dipped in chocolate of course)! Will definitely give this a try again with shredded coconut! Assuming this will work with the shredded coconut, I’d def give this recipe 5 stars :)

  42. Lena says

    Today not only did I whip up some aquafaba for my first time, I also made my first macaroons. They turned out amazing! Thank you!

  43. Viktoriya says

    Hi! I just made these and ran across some of the similar problems that others did in the comments, but the end result was way better than I expected! And they look so cute. They remind me of little hedgehogs. But taste like crispy, airy coconut clouds.
    I also thought my aquafaba mixture got deflated after adding the melted coconut oil, but it was just more liquidy and still airy. I was paranoid about getting the right balance of moisture before scooping them out. First I thought they had too much moisture, then after adding more coconut ( I used almost all of it), I thought they were too dry. But I just had to press them into my scoop to get them to stick well. And lastly, the first half of my batch did get burned on the bottom, following the directions. So for the second half, I just kept them in the oven at 325F for 25 minutes and they turned out perfect. Ovens vary, so just gotta remember to keep an eye on them.
    Anyway, while I was making them, I thought I was doing so many things wrong, so I was telling myself I’d never make these again. But after they worked out in the end, I changed my mind! Thank you for the recipe! Good reminder for me to not give up so easy when I’m trying something completely new!

  44. Mariana says

    I made these last weekend. I think I was a bit coconut happy and unfortunately they were crumbly after a bite however that’s something I need to keep an eye out for the next time. Taste wise these were amazing, my boyfriend and I scoffed these within two days…very delicious.
    This is just one of many recipes I have tried already …thank you for the fantastic blog x

  45. Priya says

    I made this recipe and it turned out awesome! I only had desiccated coconut on hand (true be told, I had one pack of shredded coconut and I burnt it while tying to toast it, but it was my fault because I didn’t pay attention to the time…..so desiccated coconut it was!). I was worried about them not sticking together but it actually turned out perfect! It was my first time working with Aquafaba as well, I am now a fan! :)

  46. Hannah Abaffy says

    Dang, they tasted delicious but mine crumbled apart completely. I’m going to try freezing them and just dipping the whole things in chocolate to keep them together. It’s either that or coconut granola!

  47. Laura says

    The Aquafaba whipped up beautifully, but when I carefully folded it into the toasted coconut, it fell and got runny, so I added more coconut (too much), and it got too dry; so I made more Aquafaba.. It was a delicate procedure but some the macaroons held together during the baking. I did not have cream of tartar so subbed baking powder. Perhaps this is why Aquafaba fell, not sure. The taste is amazing and we ate every crumb.

  48. Ej says

    I made these tonight. I used agave nectar instead of maple syrup or stevia. The taste was spot on. I also accidently forgot to add coconut oil to the aquafaba before folding in the toasted shredded coconut so I just put the coconut oil straight into the final batter then mixed it. The cooking temperature was too high or the time was too long for me. 20 minutes at 325 had my macaroons dark. Not burnt, just dark. Which means the insides were not fluffy and they were a bit on the crumbly side. My macaroons puffed up all nice and pretty though. I’m going to try to make these again with a few adjustments to the cooking time and temperature.

  49. Elizabeth says

    I just made these. I have to say I was a little doubtful, but they are soooo delicious! They are better than any non-vegan macaroon that I’ve made. I made a 1/2 batch (with the chocolate), and they came out perfect. Side note: I saw your video at Google, and congrats. Your recipes (and pictures and videos) are genius, and congrats on your success with this site!

  50. Teresa White says

    Hi! I made this tonight, but had to give up the ghost when my assembled coconut “dough” wasn’t sticky enough to hold together. It was mushy and let go of a ton of liquid when squeezed. I’m not sure what I did wrong — could it be I used the wrong type of shredded coconut (mine was Great Value brand)? did I put in too much coconut oil? I measured it out after melting instead of before. Or should I have used the cream of tartar in the whipped aquafaba (I didn’t)?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Teresa! I would have added the cream of tartar to the whipped aquafaba to help it thicken! Additionally, was your coconut desiccated? Others have found it to be tricky and had the same issue as you with desiccated coconut. The finer the coconut, the better!

  51. Vicki says

    I love coconut, easy and desserts, so this is one recipe I can’t wait to try. Thank you for always being on the foodie frontier of exploration!

    Speaking of desserts, and I LOVE all your recipes, but, there’s no way to post a question or request for a recipe. So, here goes: I have to make a dish for an Ecstatic Dance event in Laguna Beach in July (yes, we’ll even be dancing on the beach) and I plan to make chocolate cupcakes from the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World recipe, but I need and want a tasty vegan cream cheese icing recipe. He vegan frostings I’ve made are lacking in flavor and consistency. That’s my favorite combination to have chocolate cake with vanilla icing). Do you have a posted vegan icing already on your site that tastes good or can you put something together for me before July 22? I’d love a link or recipe! Thank you!

  52. Cassie Autumn Tran says

    Next thing you know, people will be putting aquafaba in their smoothies. Unless if there are smoothie recipes with aquafaba RIGHT NOW, then oh GOLLY AQUAFABA CAN DO EVERYTHING! Jokes aside, this is a total no-brainer success, I’m sure of it! I really want to try using this with Stevia–do you recommend using liquid Stevia or solid crystal Stevia?

  53. Anuja Khemka says

    Hi Dana,

    You call for 1/2cup or 180ml aquafaba. 1/2cup is more like 120ml so I was a little bit confused :)

    Can you please tell me if its 120ml or 180ml?

    Thanks,
    Anuja

  54. Jaime Siple says

    So crispy on the outside, so perfectly fluffy on the inside… (YUM!!!)

    I’m testing all of your recipes to see if there is any exception to the Minimalist Baker five-star rule.

    30 recipes in, and no luck ;)

  55. Christine says

    Made these tonight and unfortunately they fell apart. Maybe I didn’t pack them enough or the temp was off. Regardless they tasted delicious and the crumbles are going in pancakes and on top of oatmeal tomorrow morning. They’re so simple I’d try them again for certain.

    • Christine says

      Ps. I used stevia packets instead of maple syrup and the sweetness was spot on (2 in the coconut and one in the aquafaba).

  56. Rhonda says

    I just made these and they turned out perfectly! I read through all the comments first and the only change I made was adding the coconut oil to the toasted coconut/maple syrup instead of directly to the aquafaba mixture. I used my Vitamix/small container to whip the aquafaba and it was super fluffy so I used all 4 cups of coconut and it made 28 cookies. I also firmly packed my (similar to Dana’s) 1tbsp scoop to form them. First batch I baked on my trusty stoneware but I prefer the second batch baked on a real cookie sheet with parchment. They are toasty, coconutty perfection!

  57. Claire says

    I was wary of the comments that said these crumbled/fell apart — an ongoing problem I’ve experienced in my experimental vegan baking. When I got to the point of making balls from the dough, I could tell they wouldn’t hold together. I am personally not vegan (just veg/dairy-free) so I went rogue and added one egg and a hefty sprinkle of chickpea flour. Just pulled them out of the oven and they are PERFECT. I’ve never made macaroons that were so fluffy before!

  58. Alison says

    Sad to say this is one of the first recipes of yours that was a total dude. Tried to follow the special instructions about too much or not enough liquid however for me they completely crumbled apart. The flavour is great although I cannot pick them up. Maybe just sprinkle the crumbs in my granola for breakfast. Too exacting a recipe

  59. Beta says

    The recipe did not work on the first try. My Aquafaba mix went completely flat when the melted coconut was added. On the second go I drizzled the coconut with the oil and didn’t put any in the whipped aquafaba and it worked. Also used just 3/4 of the coconut and they held up nicely when scooped and didn’t crimble once baked. Great recipe with that minor adjustment!

  60. Sarah says

    I made these and they turned out beautifully! Thank you!

    I think there may be an issue with the cup/grams conversion in the recipe — my package of coconut was 200g and when I poured it into my measuring cup it was equal to two cups — I wonder if this is why people had issues with the dough? 400g of coconut would probably work better!

  61. Sheila says

    Hi I just made these and burnt the first batch, reduced the time to 12 mins at 325 then 8 mins st 350, bottoms burnt black…third batch reduced the time even more to 10mins at 325 and 4 mins at 350…better but bottoms still very dark ? The batter was delicious raw! Did anyone else have an issue with burnt bottoms?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      So strange! Perhaps our ovens are different and yours is more sensitive? I would reduce oven temperature even more next time!

      • Regina says

        Yes, you can definitely replace it!!!! This is essentially a very common German Christmas cookie. They are called Makronen here and everyone seems to make a batch for Christmas here and you can replace with almonds or hazelnuts. You might need to add a little flour of your choice to make them stable but we definitely have all sorts of Makronen here,even with almonds and chocolate chips, however traditionally you need egg white, so not sure how it goes with aquafaba.. Try and experiment.

        • Regina says

          Sorty, my above comment ended up in the wrong place.
          What I wanted to say here is that in Germany we put the dough on little round things that are essentially edible paper. Not sure what they are called in English, we call them Oblaten. You can buy them here gluten free. They prevent the burnt bottoms and keep the middle moist.

    • sotis says

      Me! Dude, I am so frustrated. My bottoms keep burning.

      My in-oven thermometer says that my temp is accurate.

      Ugh!

  62. Jackie says

    Thank you….I LOVE these! I’m counting my daily macros and these have given my sweet tooth a relief and keeping me on track. I followed the recipe (without adding stevia) and definitely had to push the dough together to get it to stick pre-baking but they baked up beautifully!

  63. Victoria says

    I just made them and they didn’t stick together AT ALL. I followed everything without any change, and only used 3/4 of coconut mixture as said in the methods :( I’m eating the mixture as a topping to fruit/bowls, delicious but not what I wanted!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Shucks! What kind of coconut did you use? Perhaps if you used dessicated that as the issue? I’ve tested these 4 times now with success!

  64. MeKayla Woodward says

    Love the idea of this recipe, but I came upon a problem. As soon as I added the melted coconut oil to the aquafaba it went straight to liquid. This was after melting the oil and then letting it cool a little bit. Now my mixture is ruined and I’ll need to run back to the store to continue the recipe.

    I made the aquafaba before toasting the coconut oil because I thought it might take more time. Is this something that I need to make and use right away? It only sat for maybe 10 min max

    Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      I would proceed with the recipe! The aquafaba + oil and maple syrup SHOULD retain some fluffiness, but it definitely gets more liquid.

  65. Melissa says

    These look amazing! I love working with aquafaba! I make a mean mayonnaise with it! Can’t wait to try this.

  66. Shea says

    So lovely! I’m fresh out of maple syrup, would honey work? I may go for it and let you know how it whips up!

    -Shea

  67. Lauren G says

    Help! I made these tonight and while they taste delicious, the dough did not stick together at all like I expected them too. They were so watery even after the 4 cups of coconut so I had to add a lot of extra untoasted coconut. I did my best to scoop them onto the baking sheet but they started to fall apart and by the end of the cooking time, they had crumbled apart. I desperately want a good vegan macaroon recipe which I suspect this is. It was probably just user error. Oh, and I thought maybe the aquafaba was the problem but it was whipped into soft peaks and looked like it did in your photos. Thank you in advance!

      • Sharon says

        I made this batter and after adding 3/4 of the coconut mixture it was so crumbly it fell apart, even after I packed it into the scoop. Now I don’t know what to do. Should I make more of the aquafaba mixture?

  68. Iosune says

    Hi Dana! Which web or app do you use to calculate the nutritional information? Thanks a lot and have a nice day!

  69. lalita says

    can aquafaba be created at home? we cook chickpeas all the time.. but fresh.. not caned.. in fact we do not get or eat canned stuff here in india.. i am completely vegetarian and there are los of people like me her.
    this will help all of us if we know how to create aquafaba from scratch
    thank you

    • Sarah in Indiana says

      You can definitely create aquafaba at home! If you google homemade aquafaba, you’ll find directions.

  70. loh says

    Wow. Not only did you once again introduce me to a great recipe, this time you also bring some great music! It’s pretty much a heatwave around here currently so I’m hiding from ovens and every other kitchen appliance but my fridge, but will be making these as soon as the sun decides to behave again.

  71. Lisa Feldstein says

    I don’t buy canned chick peas; I cook my own in large batches and freeze them. Would I use the soaking liquid or the cooking liquid for aquafaba? And if the liquid is salted should I reduce the salt in the recipe, or do your canned chickpeas contain salt as well? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      The cooking liquid! If you’re adding salt while cooking, don’t add salt to the macaroons. Good luck!

  72. Diane says

    I’ve tried aquafaba before in a dessert but could taste the flavor of garbanzo beans. Does this have the bean flavor?

  73. Emma says

    Could this work with desiccated coconut? I have a ton of it and I have a harder time finding shredded coconut in stores. Thanks!

    • Tristan Mckenzie-Leung says

      I tried these with dessicated coconut and they fall apart really easily. Not enough “length” in the coconut to bind I believe. So – ended up chooping it all up again and made granola! ?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yeah, dessicated is really tough and it doesn’t want to stick together. Finely, soft shredded is best here.

  74. Chris says

    These look awesome, however I don’t like the taste of coconut. What can I substitute coconut with?

    Thanks!

    • katie says

      I don’t think this is a recipe you substitute coconut with, just look for another cookie recipe on her page. As the point of this cookie is the coconut (its a coconut based cookie)!

    • Regina says

      Yes, you can definitely replace it!!!! This is essentially a very common German Christmas cookie. They are called Makronen here and everyone seems to make a batch for Christmas here and you can replace with almonds or hazelnuts. You might need to add a little flour of your choice to make them stable but we definitely have all sorts of Makronen here,even with almonds and chocolate chips, however traditionally you need egg white, so not sure how it goes with aquafaba.. Try and experiment.

  75. Yana says

    Hi! This recipe looks amazing! I was just wondering, I recently found vegan condensed milk (made from coconut!) and was hoping to use it to make vegan macaroons. Do you think I could incorporate this into the recipe somehow? And if so, how?

    Thanks,

    Yana

    • Brackett Laura says

      There is a macaroon recipe in Silver Palate Cookbook that uses condensed milk. I stopped making them when we gave up dairy. The coconut condensed milk should be reflect. Everything else is vegan- flour, coconut, salt, etc.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh yeah! I’m sure. I would probably cut back on the aquafaba by half and add 1/4 cup or so? Let me know how it goes!

  76. Teresa says

    Dana these look delicious… Can’t wait to make them. Question… can I make them with Xylitol instead of stevia? If so, how much Xylitol as it’s a 1:1 to sugar.

    Thanks!

  77. Sil says

    Stoooop!! Need. These. NOW!

    Dana, if I don’t want to use the maple syrup, you suggested 2-3 stevia packets. My question is, would I use 2-3 packets in the coconut mix and than another 2-3 with the aquafaba?

    Also its going to be my first time doing aquafba, for 1/2 a cup, how many cheakpeas cans you would need?

    Thanks tons!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! That’s probably way too much. I would go by taste. Maybe 1 in the mix, and 1 in the coconut?

  78. Pinky says

    I was always taught to rinse canned beans well because the brine can cause, how do I say this delicately, an ‘upset tummy’ (gas.)
    Is this true for aquafaba?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      It doesn’t seem to bother me, but of course, you’re also eating such a small quantity that it shouldn’t matter much. Hope that helps!

  79. Anne says

    Hi Dana!

    These are so lovely. Would you be able to post a recipe (french and Italian method) for the macaron with a filling?

    I’ve been trying to make them with aquafaba but just can’t get them right!

    Xxx

  80. Lilidebergerac says

    Those look very tasty! Though I have to say as a french girl, these aren’t macaroons at all. But that’s ok they still seem great. It’s just always funny (in a good way!) to see what happens to french cuisine all around the world. :D

    • Thomas says

      I think there is a difference between macaroons and macarons, French macarons with one “o” are based on a meringue and a filling, macaroons are coconut cookies. Both are delicious :)

  81. Thomas says

    Wow! These coconut macarons look sooo soft and fluffy ? Aquafaba really is magical, definitely trying these soon!

  82. Paige says

    I remember my grandma making these all the time when I was younger, definitely going to have to make these soon!

    Paige