No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons (Honey-Sweetened, GF/DF)

A healthy cookie that tastes like pure decadence? One that doesn’t even require baking? Oh, and made with all nourishing and healthy ingredients. Well, hallelujah and glory be – it’s a good day.

These small mounds of chocolatey goodness may not look like much, but they are totally amazing.

They have lots of cocoa and honey. Really, how can you go wrong with that combo? I’ve heard some people call them chocolate frogs, but I grew up with my mom making a different version of these and she called them macaroons. Chocolate coconut macaroons are a staple at my house. If I need to satisfy a sweet craving ASAP I’ll make a few of these stuffed dessert dates.  Otherwise, if I have just a few extra minutes, I’ll make a batch of these no-bake chocolate cookies. (Tripling it, as always, for my favorite freezer cooking method.)

Benefits of No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

• quick & easy
• totally grain-free
• dairy-free
• refined sugar-free
• no-bake
• contain healthy fats from coconut oil- which is an excellent addition to your regular diet.
• contain fiber, protein, & carbohydrates- all essential in a nourishing sweet treat.
• totally amazing, the only drawback is that you might have to share them with your kids.

They are one of our favorite cookies and a perfect treat when you want something sweet but good for you too! If for some reason your local store doesn’t have all of these ingredients you can find all of these recipe ingredients online from places like Amazon. 

Since hubby and I are currently avoiding refined sugar altogether, I made up a batch of these macaroon cookies this afternoon to satisfy my sweet craving. I only had to eat one and my craving was finished. They are great for satisfying any chocolate craving too. I’ve taken them to potlucks several times and no one has any clue they’re actually healthy. They’re that yummy.

How to Make Chocolate Macaroons

If you have been looking for the perfect coconut macaroons that don’t require baking like traditional macaroon recipes, look no further than this tasty treat. 

They are packed with wholesome ingredients, so you won’t find sweetened condensed milk, sweetened dried coconut, or other refined sugars. They are even dairy-free! There is not much liquid in this coconut macaroon recipe, the raw honey and coconut oil are all you need. You don’t even have to swap coconut milk for the condensed milk.

These aren’t super chewy coconut macaroons since they aren’t baked or loaded with sugar from the condensed milk and white sugar, but they are still pure decadence, and just the right density in your mouth. I might be biased, but I’m pretty sure that they may be the best macaroons out there. 

Ingredient Checklist

• Raw honey
• Unsweetened coconut flakes
• Almond Meal (can sub extra coconut flakes instead)
• Coconut oil
• Cocoa powder
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract

Basic instructions for making these delicious coconut cookies.

I love how simple they are! The full recipe for the chocolate coconut macaroons is at the end bottom of this post. 

1. Melt honey on low heat in a medium sauce pot, no double boiler required. Add coconut oil, salt, and vanilla, and melt all together. (If the room temperature of your house is below 75 F, then your oil will be solid.)
2. Add the flaked coconut and cocoa powder, and stir to combine. Add the almond meal and stir to combine. (I do all of this in the same pot I used to melt the honey and oil. You could use a large bowl but why dirty extra dishes?)

When all of the ingredients are nice and cozy, then drop it by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet (love my stoneware!). I lined mine with parchment paper ( because I didn’t want to have to get out my chisel again in order to get them off the pan.

Place them in your freezer for at least 20 minutes, or until they are firm. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed container.

Fun variations for this recipe?

I love these chocolate coconut macaroons exactly how they are, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t change things up a bit. You can use the recipe as a base and add all sorts of mix-ins! A bit of recipe testing will help you figure out your favorite way to make them. It is such an easy macaroon recipe, even with fun additions. 

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

• Chocolate chips. All the kinds- semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or milk chocolate.
• Chopped Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Chopped Dried Fruit. Cherries, blueberry, or apricots would be great.
• Dipped in melted chocolate. Dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate of course. This a sure way to let the chocolate flavor shine through.

Homemade Chocolate Coconut Macaroons: Expert Tips & Tricks

Can I freeze chocolate macaroons?

For sure! Beyond the initial brief stint in the freezer to get these to the right firmness/texture, these gluten-free coconut macaroons can be stored longer-term in the freezer if desired. I’ve only ever had them last a month or two before they get eaten, so I haven’t tested them longer than that, but I’m guessing they’d be great up to 3-4 months.

How do I store these macaroons? 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for up to 4 months, if you can manage to not eat them all before then.

Can I substitute…?

There are always those times when you start making a recipe only to realize you are missing an ingredient. Bummer right? Or maybe you need to avoid (or don’t like) an ingredient. Here some swaps to help you out.

Please note that these are personally untried. If you try one or come up with one of your own please let me know in the comments! 

• Almond meal– You can substitute more coconut flakes. This would be an awesome swap for a coconut lover! Some readers have substituted whole oats or oat flour.
• Vanilla Extract– For extra almond flavor you could try almond extract.
• Coconut Oil– You could try peanut butter, another nut butter, or coconut butter. You may need to add a bit more since it is not a liquid.
• Honey– It’s not suggested to substitute the honey for another sweetener like maple syrup. This recipe depends on the stickiness from the honey as a key ingredient to bind the coconut macaroons together. For best results stick to honey. You can mix of the type of honey you use. I’ve made this with creamed honey and raw honey. In a pinch, regular heated honey would work as well. There are so many varieties out there- there is the standard clover honey, orange blossom, wildflower, and so many more!
• Flaked Coconut– Shredded coconut. There is little difference between the two. 

Are these chocolate coconut macaroons healthy? 

Raw honey is still a form of natural sugar but it is much better for you than refined white sugar. These refined sugar-free macaroons should still be consumed in moderation, guilt-free of course! I love that delicious dessert can actually be good for you. 

These no bake chocolate cookies are sneaky little things, so no one is probably going to pick up on the fact that you are giving them a superfood. So bring them to your next potluck, super bowl party, or play date and take delight in the fact that you are getting people to eat something healthy.

Good times are to be had when people gather around a table with a love of community and love of food, and that’s an important part of healthy eating too.

If you really wanted, you could probably swap a bit of the coconut for some other super healthy add-ins, like chia seeds, hemp hearts, or ground flax, but I don’t. Not everything in life has to be healthified to within an inch of its life, right? You do your thing – just make sure you actually enjoy the end result.

One extra super ingredient that I would fully endorse adding is collagen powder, which adds protein and will be undetectable in these chocolate macaroons thanks to dissolving easily and being practically tasteless. Here’s my favorite source for high-quality, glyphosate-free, grass-fed collagen.

Super Star Ingredients in these No-bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

• Raw Honey. Research from the Mayo Clinic, shows that raw honey contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial properties.
• Coconut Oil. It can improve blood lipid levels compared to unhealthy fat choices. It is high in lauric acid, an essential fatty acid that naturally has anti-microbial properties to fight off illness. 
• Flaked Coconut. Rich in fiber and MCTs, it has the benefits of coconut oil with the added bonus of protein. 
• Unrefined Salt. Unlike table salt unrefined salts like Real Salt and Himalayan, are actually good for you! It is full of minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. 

Thanks to the coconut oil and chewy coconut flakes the coconut flavor really gets a chance to shine through in these delicious treats. 

What’s the Difference Between a Macaroon and a Macaron?

The macaron is a French creation that involves two beautifully round wafer-like cookies sandwiched around a layer of jam or creme filling. The round cookies are light and airy, made with egg whites and sugar.

On the other hand, the macaroon is more of an American creation. It’s a drop cookie that usually involves coconut, and is much denser in texture. This no-bake chocolate cookie recipe is a macaroon, not a macaron.

Both are delightful in their own right, but macaroons (especially this recipe) are generally way faster and easier to make, and this one doesn’t even need to be baked! I’d love to experiment with macarons someday (especially since they are typically gluten-free by nature, using almond meal and egg whites) but for now – quick and easy chocolate coconut macaroons are my jam!

If you want a few more delicious desserts, I’ve got you covered:

More no-bake desserts:

• Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Strawberry Coconut Chia Popsicles
• Chocolate Covered Ice Cream Bon Bons

Other cookie recipes you may enjoy:

• Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies (grain-free)
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (flourless)

Useful Equipment:

• Parchment Paper – highly recommended! (And I normally love my silicone baking mats to cut down my usage of parchment paper… but this recipe does tend to stick to the silicone during the freezer stage, so I use parchment.)

• Cookie Scoop – I love having different sized scoops, like in the set I linked here. I use the smaller scoop to make treats like this so that I can magnanimously allow my children to have seconds and thirds – without consuming any more than they would have if the cookies were “regular sized”. File that under Mom Life Hacks.

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