Everyone who loves raw food has either made or bought some version of a macaroon. It must just be the easiest treat to translate into something raw, healthy and delicious. There are completely unheated/dehydrated versions, and any combination of taste sensations. And nowadays you can even buy the little packages at your local grocery store (at least if you’re in NYC).

But my favorite has always been the Pure Food and Wine version. They’re sweet and fluffy, not too dense and waxy, not too dry. They seem just like, well, a macaroon! I have Laura-ized them slightly of course. Very, very slightly. Although I have a wicked sweet tooth, I always found them a little sweeter than necessary. And, I reduced the oil a bit (honestly, I bet you could leave it out altogether though I’ve never tried). But although I didn’t “create” this from scratch, so many people have loved them and asked for the recipe, I couldn’t help but share.

My favorite flavor is the original: vanilla/maple with almond. Pure Food and Wine/One Lucky Duck has long since nixed the maple in favor of the more neutral flavor of agave and eradicated the almond flour in case people are allergic to nuts. You can do the same, subbing coconut flour for the almond flour. But I am a huge fan of nuts and see no reason to get rid of them unless you’re allergic. And I think pure maple syrup is better for you than agave, for the most part.

Below find the recipe for raw macaroons delectable style, and an alternate version for the chocolate lovers among us. Ok, Philly folks, you happy now????

Macaroons—Lightly adapted from Raw Food Real World
Makes about 36, unless you sneak too many tastes along the way.

Ingredients:
3 cups dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
1 ½ Cups almond meal/flour (you can buy this at the health food store or grind it yourself from raw almonds. Make sure it’s fresh)
¾ Cup Pure Maple Syrup (I like Grade B for extra flavor less sweetness)
¼ Cup Coconut Oil, in liquid form (you can soak the jar in hot water before measuring)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. You might want to bring the maple syrup up to room temp first, or it will make the coconut oil solidify rather than blend in. You can mix by hand or with the paddle attachment on a standing mixer.

Using a two tablespoon measure, a melon baller or your hands, form rounds of dough and place on dehydrator screens or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12-24 hours for truly raw macaroons. Personally, I don’t care about the raw-ness, I’m more interested in the ingredients and consistency so I put the dehydrator on more like 150 for about 8-12 hours.

No dehydrator? No problem! Turn your oven to the lowest temp and “cook” for several hours with the door cracked open a few inches. You can use a wooden spoon or something to hold it open. No, it’s not the most efficient use of energy, but you can turn your heat down while you do it. Make sure they seem pretty dry when done, not gooey, as they won’t firm up very much later. You’ll want to eat these more quickly than the dehydrated version, which will last days. And I don’t recommend this method on a high-humidity summer day.

Love chocolate? Sub raw cacao or regular cocoa powder for the almond flour.

And, you can always melt your favorite dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top of any version, or dip the bottoms in the chocolate and allow them to dry upside down. You can smash them flat and fill them with cashew or coconut ice cream like sandwiches. And, they’re totally kosher for Passover without any tweaking…no eggs or dairy means they go with any meal. How’s that for a malleable recipe?

Go forth and enjoy!