Missing out on macaroons because of an egg allergy? With just 4 simple ingredients, these vegan orange coconut macaroons taste just like the real thing. Made without egg whites or any egg replacer, they are so easy to make at home with ingredients from the pantry. They also have no dairy, nuts or gluten. A hint of orange adds a lovely citrus flavour to these allergy-friendly treats.
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What are “macaroons”?
Coconut macaroons are a sweet, chewy treat made with shredded coconut. They are not the same as the popular French macarons (with one ‘o’), which are smooth textured and made with almond and egg white. Those are sweet meringue like treats that come dazzling array of colours and flavours, with two halves sandwiched together with flavoured creme filling.
Unlike macarons, coconut macaroons are made from shredded coconut and have a coarser texture. Macaroons are delicious plain or sometimes drizzled with chocolate. Flavoured macaroons are also popular, like in this orange coconut macaroon recipe.
Allergens in macaroons
Traditional coconut macaroons are also usually made with egg whites. This helps bind the coconut in the macaroons together.
There are also lots of variations on macaroon recipes that cater to different dietary requirements.
Many egg free macaroons are made with sweetened condensed milk to bind the coconut together and add sweetness without using sugar. Some vegan macaroon recipes use aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) as an egg white substitute to achieve a similar texture. Other vegan macaroon recipes will add almond flour to help bind the ingredients together.
Our allergy-friendly orange coconut macaroons are made with just 5 simple ingredients and don’t use any egg (or egg replacer), dairy or nuts. This makes them a really quick and easy treat to make with ingredients from the pantry. They are also wheat and gluten free and vegan.
Vegan orange coconut macaroon ingredients
You’ll only need 4 ingredients to make these allergy-friendly orange flavoured macaroons:
- 4 cups shredded coconut
- 1 cup dairy free sweetened condensed milk (eg coconut, oat or soy)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- finely grated zest of one orange
Shredded coconut
These candy spuds are made with moist shredded coconut, not to be confused with dry desiccated coconut which is finer. Also don’t use coconut flakes or chunks as these will be too large.
Dairy free condensed milk
Any non-dairy sweetened condensed milk is suitable for this recipe. Being a coconut flavoured treat, condensed coconut milk will work well, as will sweetened condensed oat milk. If you can tolerate soy, you could also use condensed soy milk.
If you can’t source a suitable plant based sweetened condensed milk in store, it’s easy to make your own with our easy dairy free condensed milk recipe.
Cooking method
Preheat oven to a 170C (about 330F). Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof baking paper/parchment.
Place 4 cups of shredded coconut in a large mixing bowl.
Add the dairy free condensed milk and vanilla. Using a fine grater, add orange zest and stir all ingredients well to combine.
Take heaped tablespoons of the coconut mixture and place in small mounds on the baking trays. Flatten very slightly with the back of the spoon.
Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the coconut starts to gently brown.
Remove trays from the oven. Leave macaroons to cool on the trays for a good 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
This recipe makes about 24 orange coconut macaroons.
Optional: For a fancier sweet treat, drizzle finished macaroons with dairy free and allergy-friendly dark chocolate.
Storage
Vegan orange coconut macaroons are crispiest if enjoyed the same day as baked. Store any left over macaroons in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
These macaroons can also be frozen for up to 3 months, but will be soft when defrosted.
More allergy-friendly sweet treats
If you enjoyed these coconut flavoured macaroons, you might also like some of our other coconut recipes made with dairy free condensed milk, including:
- vegan candy ‘spuds’;
- dairy free coconut ice;
- coconut and maple dairy free fudge;
- gluten, nut, egg and dairy free lemon slice;
- lemon balls; and
- dairy free ‘rum’ balls.
You’ll also find lots more sweet and savoury allergy-friendly recipes to try on our recipe page.
Vegan Orange Coconut Macaroons (Egg & Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 2 baking trays/cookie sheets lined with baking paper/parchment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 mixing spoon
- 1 citrus zester
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded coconut (not fine desiccated coconut or coconut flakes)
- 1 cup dairy free condensed milk (eg coconut, oat)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- finely grated zest of one orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to a 170C (about 330F). Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof baking paper/parchment.
- Place 4 cups of shredded coconut in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the dairy free condensed milk and vanilla. Using a fine grater, add orange zest and stir all ingredients well to combine.
- Take heaped tablespoons of the coconut mixture and place in small mounds on the baking trays. Flatten very slightly with the back of the spoon.
- Place in the oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the coconut starts to gently brown.
- Remove trays from the oven. Leave macaroons to cool on the trays for a good 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
