Coconut Almond Bites

After attending the  Vida Vegan Con in Portland, Oregon I was introduced to some delightful macaroons from Hail Marry. I was only able to sample the chocolate ones, which were v. divine, but I was recommended to try the sea salt caramel flavor. I had a hard time finding them anywhere so I decided to make my own!

I haven’t tried the actual Hail Marry version so can’t really say if it’s a true copycat, but whatever because these are really good as their own thing anyway.

I am also a fan of how I can control the sugar content in these. As good as Hail Marry’s chocolate macaroons are, sometimes they can be a tad bit too sweet for me to eat all the time. You can of course customize the sweetness in my version as well as the salt content. Lower glycemic and reduced sodium options available at your fingertips.

This is a really easy and quick recipe too. Good as a simple treat or after dinner dessert. I tried a version with chocolate chips and super yummy. I recently tried a version using raw almonds instead of the flour since I didn’t have any almond meal/flour on hand. Turned out just as good and makes sense since the food processor processes the almonds to a fine texture ultimately.

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1/4 cup almond meal (or flour OR 1/2 cup raw almonds)

1.5 tbsp coconut palm sugar (add more in 1/2 tbsp increments to avoid being overly sweet)

1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt (I used Himalayan salt)

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:

-sea salt, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, dollop of honey, cinnamon

*Notes:

-I used 1/8 tsp salt and found the salt taste was not too noticeable, but still made a good macaroon. I ended up adding a bit more as the salt really enhances the flavors here and then sprinkled some salt on the finished macaroons.

-I do recommend using unsweetened shredded coconut, but if you use sweetened do start off with less sweetener and increase as needed.

-The sweeteners here can obviously be substituted, but the taste may alter a bit. I am sure it will still taste good though. Be careful with adding too much liquid sweetener as it may compromise the texture.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend (should be fairly quick) until all is mixed well. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Texture will become thick, slightly sticky and moldable.

2. Mold into whatever shapes you please and place on a tray or baking sheet or dish. Second option: you can also press the mixture down into an air-tight shallow container without shaping.

3. Add any toppings if you desire

4. Place in the fridge until texture sets and if option #2, cut into squares when becomes harder.

5. Share and eat and enjoy.

6. Store in fridge in an airtight container. The flavors get even better after being in the fridge for a day or two

I thought about dipping these in chocolate, or at least drizzling the tops with chocolate. I’ll have to come up with another recipe soon that incorporates this. Feel free to try it out if you want something more decadent <3