Raw Coconut Macaroons
Ok, confession time… this girl's got a sweet tooth! I'm a far cry from where I used to be when I would reach for the jelly beans (organic of course!) but I confess, I still like to enjoy a treat. Actually, my body and taste buds have completely recalibrated and sweets I used to grab for are now unpalatable. It's really amazing how quickly the body adjusts. I'm not saying it's easy at first but it certainly gets easier (to the point where I don't really think about it) and there are so many wonderful options readily available these days. It's also really nice to have some go-to recipes for a sweet treat. This is one of my favorites.
These macaroons are delicious, simple and so easy to make. They are full of lauric acid, a heart-healthy fat abundant in coconut. They can easily be made GAPS™ friendly by substituting raw honey for the maple syrup and omitting the raw cacao. This is also a great recipe to make with kids.
Ingredients
¾ cup nut flour (cashew, walnut, or almond)
1 ½ cup raw shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup grade b pure maple syrup or raw honey (the milder the better) for GAPS™
¼ cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
pinch of unrefined sea salt
Variations:
Chocolate: add 2 - 3 tsp raw cacao
Lemon: add the zest from 1 - 2 lemons
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well mixed (it will start to form a ball).
Using a tablespoon or small/mini ice cream scoop, form balls and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
You can either bake them in the oven at 170 degrees (or your oven's lowest setting) for about 2 hours or in a dehydrator at 125 degrees for about 3 hours. T
hey should be slightly dried on the outside, chewy and moist on the inside. Let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes about 20.
