I’m really, really happy I made these. A little while ago, I watched this charming little video and knew that I needed some macaroons in my life relatively soon. Inspired and excited, I hit the kitchen in a huge way. A huge, raw and dehydrated kind of way (I’ve included instructions for making them in the oven too). I worked from a favourite recipe of mine, incorporated some chia seeds and almond meal just to boost up the satiety factor and some spices that are typical to masala chai to warm up and compliment the flavour.. They’re perfectly crisp on the outside and almost fudgy on the inside
I love them with tea or when I want a bit of something chocolatey but! Aside from the maple syrup, none of these ingredients are exactly local. I do love raw desserts. I think they’re amazing little feats of deliciousness, but I get this little guilt thing happening when I start to enjoy them more often. The really good ones depend heavily on exotic, imported ingredients. I guess most locally-focused coffee enthusiasts have to contemplate this issue sooner or later. I’ve gotten so used to their constant availability that to think about life without chocolate, vanilla beans or coffee is well… heavy. Other than discussing the virtues of moderation, I’m not sure what else I can say about this topic… Food for thought I guess. Fudgy, sweet, spicy and chewy food at that.
Vegan Chocolate Macaroons with Masala Chai Spices
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup cacao powder
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅙ teaspoon ground cloves
- couple twists of black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup extra virgin coconut oil, lightly warmed to liquify
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Notes
- Adapted from Raw Food Real World
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the coconut, chia seeds, cocoa powder, almond meal, sea salt, spices and water. Stir to combine thoroughly. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract and stir again until fully combined and no dry cocoa powder/almond meal remains.
- Cover and place dough/mixture into the fridge for about 15 minutes. The chia seeds do their thing and really bind the mix, making it much easier and less messy to scoop.
- Drop heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture onto a parchment lined sheet. No need to space them out too much. Place them in the oven and bake for about 2 hours or until firm and dry on the outside.
I’ve recently discovered this recipe and don’t know where this has been my whole life?! It’s a perfect chocolate macaroon and I have made it multiples times over the last few weeks. I’ve omitted the chai spice to make it more summer forward and they’re amazing, but I’m excited to try the full recipe once the weather starts to turn! Holds up well for snacks throughout the week and satisfies a chocolate craving. :)
Thanks for this wonderful recipe Laura!!
Hi Laura!
First off, I have to say I love your blog! I grew up close to St. Catharine’s (now living in Toronto) and it’s so nice to have a food blogger to follow who lives so close by!
I love these cookies and have made them several times already. I’ve somewhat recently made the switch to a plant based diet and I’m trying to cut out sugar (which has been really hard for me!) so it’s nice to have something easy to make and snack on. But just one question. Do you think I could substitute the maple syrup for rice malt syrup? I know someone asked about yacon but I’m not sure if this would be the same?
Again, thank you so much for the lovely recipes and blog. I can’t get enough of it!
Heather
Hi Heather! Thanks for your kind words and for connecting with this fellow Ontario-ite. Love it when some somewhat local peeps reach out. And in answer to your question, I’m not even sure! I’ve never used rice malt syrup before. Assuming it’s as sweet and relatively the same consistency as maple, I’d say go for it :)
-L
I’m trying eat healthier sweets, and was wondering if yacon syrup could be substituted for maple syrup?
Hi Joanne,
I haven’t worked with yacon too much, but I gather it’s the same level of sweetness as maple syrup. I think a 1:1 substitution would work out fine. Might have more of a molasses kind of taste, but that could be quite delicious too :)
-L
Looks delicious!
One question: I don’t have a dehydrator so I’ll try to do it with my oven….on what temperature should I dry them?
Thanks,
a.
200 degrees Farenheit! They will be more cookie-ish if I remember right.
I’m so intrigued by your macaroons! Cardamom, chia seeds, black pepper… I never would have thought to combine the three!
The first batch was waaay too spicy! Went a little crazy with the chai thing and everyone was kind of… wincing when they tried them. Oops. These are a perfectly restrained and balanced version promise!
These look great! Just wondering if you would be able to substitute a different kind of oil for the coconut oil, or do you need to have an oil that is solid at room temperature?
In terms of structure and everything, I think any oil would work really. But the extra virgin coconut imparts a lot of rich, coconut-y flavour. Perhaps another nut oil? Or are you allergic to nuts? Extra virgin olive might be neat. I’ve always loved it paired with chocolate…
The spices in these macaroons sound delish! I’m sensing these in my future!
These look wonderful! I will have to try these out.
Wow, these look amazing and so easy to make. Can’t wait to make them. When r u writing a cookbook?!
I love that you warmed them up by adding cinnamon and ginger. I love ginger and chocolate but have never thought to add the two in my macaroons
My favourite cookie of all time is a gingery chocolate crinkle rolled in cinnamon sugar. Such a perfect combination, especially in the cooler months.
I love how the coconut taste stays in your mouth, and the chia seeds are a bonus too! Lovely dessert!
I love, love, love homemade macaroons…at home, we’re making these a lot! It’s something we all can eat (some of have allergies, or try to avoid sugar, wheat) so it’s perfect!!!
I like the chai twist to it!
It’s definitely the allergen/sensitivity friendly dessert of choice around here… except for people who don’t like coconut. But those people are crazy anyway ;)
Holy. Yum. These look delicious – and I just so happen to have everything in my kitchen to make them.