Passover starts this Friday, and for some, it can be challenging to give up all the foods that are made with grains for a full week. It seems like a lot when you think about it – no bread, cereal, pasta, oats, typical baked goods, etc, but if you just figure out some simple swaps, it’s really pretty easy! I actually eat pretty Passover-friendly the majority of the time as it is. I’m always trading flour of almond flour, bread for Siete Foods tortillas, cereal for Paleo grain-free granola, pizza for cauliflower-crust or portobello pizzas, pasta for zoodles or spaghetti squash, you get the idea. There’s literally a substitution for everything, and it doesn’t have to mean eating boxes of matzah!
Ok so what about dessert? You know I’d never leave your sweet tooth hanging! Luckily tons of my recipes happen to be Paleo, so we’re already following the grain-free Passover rules without even trying! So if you’re on dessert duty, you could do a whole buffet of goodies like these Coconut Macaroons, my all-time favorite Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mini Strawberry Tarts, and Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies. These macaroons will definitely be making an appearance at our Passover spread, and I highly recommend adding them to yours, too! They’re made with just a couple ingredients, just one bowl (yay for quick clean up!), and they’re also totally healthy and guilt-free!
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp salt plus extra for sprinkling
2 tbsp 100% maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp natural almond butter
2 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/3 cup chocolate chips*
Makes 12 macaroons.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir together all ingredients except chocolate chips in a medium bowl until combined.
- Using a 2-tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough and press it firmly into the scoop before placing each macaroon onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- While the cookies begin to cool, melt the chocolate either on the stove or in a glass bowl in the microwave. Drizzle each macaroon with the melted chocolate. (I like to put the melted chocolate in a plastic ziplock, zip the top, push all of the chocolate into a corner of the bag, snip a tiny piece of the corner with scissors, and drizzle from there – it’s a total makeshift pastry bag and it makes drizzling much easier!). Sprinkle sea salt over the top of each macaroon.
- Place in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate has hardened. Then they’re ready to enjoy!!
- Store any extras in the fridge.
*Two options with the chocolate chips – you can either follow the instructions for a pretty drizzle OR you can just mix the chocolate chips into the cookie dough and make chocolate chip macaroons if you’d prefer not to take the extra step of drizzling. If you’d rather do that, just skip step 5 and 6 and mix the chippers in at step 2.
Whether you’re celebrating Passover or not, I know you’ll absolutely love these healthy coconut macaroons. They’re the perfect cure for your sweet cravings, and you gotta love that the healthy fats will also keep you full and satisfied! Enjoy!
