Peppermint-Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Happy Holidays, everyone. Last weekend I had the pleasure of hosting the 2nd annual Holiday Dessert Bash & Gift Exchange for some of my closest Vegan Ladies Cooking Club friends & whipped up a batch of these cookies.

These macaroons turned out so well that I made another batch to gift to my co-workers, & decided that it was a recipe worth sharing here. But to give credit where credit is due, I did modify these ever so slightly from Clean Start, one of my favorite cookbooks ever! I’ve made the Chewy Chocolate Macaroons time & again & absolutely love them. They are simple to prepare, contain only 6 ingredients, & are delicious. While brainstorming what cookies to make for the party, I decided that a simple addition of peppermint extract to this foolproof recipe would create a festive holiday cookie!

PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE COCONUT MACAROONS

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan (Adapted from Terry Walters) Recipe Type: Cookies, Dessert Cuisine: Vegan

Yields: 18 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups unsweetened organic shredded coconut

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• ¼ cup full-fat organic coconut milk

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 1 tsp organic peppermint extract

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I always look for dairy-free & fair trade)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded coconut with salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut milk, maple syrup, & peppermint extract. Add to coconut & stir until evenly moist.

3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a small pot over very low heat & pour over the coconut mixture. Fold until evenly combined.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, scoop batter by the tablespoonful (a mini ice cream scoop is perfect for this) & place on a cookie sheet in equal-sized mounds. Gently press to make each mound of mixture stick together.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops appear dry. Remove from heat & place on a rack to cool.

These macaroons are such a treat. The peppermint flavor is subtle but certainly gives the cookie a fun holiday vibe. I considered crushing up candy canes to sprinkle on top for a bit of candy-striped fun, but as these cookies are free of refined sugar & processed ingredients, I decided to keep them simple & “clean.” The holidays are almost over, but I hope you will flag these for next year, as they would make a wonderful addition to your holiday vegan cookie plate, or for a cookie exchange. These freeze well, so you can get a head start on your holiday baking & make large batches of these ahead of time, but don’t forget to set aside a few for yourself!