Protein-Packed Vanilla Coconut Macaroons


Mmmm macaroons! Not to be confused with “macarons”, which are equally as delicious, but I’m not sure you can actually make those little delights healthy… I’ll look into that one!

Who knew you could pack some extra protein into a delicious little coconut macaroon?!

Yes, it’s possible, and my, oh my, it’s yummy!

This little macaroons are made with 5 simple ingredients! Instead of refined caster sugar you’d find in the traditional coconut macaroon, these use stevia and raw honey! If you aren’t a stevia fan you can always use another unrefined sugar like coconut palm sugar or cane sugar. 

Unsweetened shredded coconut makes up the bulk of the recipe and gives these macaroons that intense coconut taste. Coconut is a great source of dietary fibre, zinc, iron, and healthy fatswe all know and love coconut oil! 🙂 

Then, the kicker… protein powder!

Yup, why not add a little pop of protein to these yummy treats?!

I used North Coast Naturals vanilla whey isolate, and for those who need dairy free, a vegan protein powder will do just fine too! Using the protein powder gives these macaroons a perfectly balanced ratio of fats proteins and carbohydrates – 5g each per macaroon! 

Not into using protein powder? Just sub in some almond flour instead! (although, if you do this, you’ll want to double the sweetener!) 

Not only are these macaroons nicely balanced, they are only 72 calories each!

That’s my kinda treat!

Are you a macaroon fan?

What other twists have you seen made to these classic treats? 

4.5 from 2 reviews
GF Protein-Packed Vanilla Coconut Macaroons (dairy free option!)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 4 packets granulated stevia (like krisda brand), or 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar, or 10 drops liquid stevia
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey (creamed, not runny)
  • ½ cup vanilla protein powder (whey isolate or vegan protein powder - gluten free if needed!)
  • 1⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300F.
  2. Place egg whites, stevia, and honey into a bowl and beat until frothy.
  3. Add protein powder and shredded coconut and stir until completely coated.
  4. Set mixture aside for 5 minutes so that the liquid is well absorbed into the coconut.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Using a spoon place mounds spaced apart on baking sheet to make 15 macaroons.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Notes
*Nutritional values using stevia packets.
Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1 macaroon Calories: 72 kcal Fat: 5g Carbohydrates: 5g Sugar: 3g Fiber: 1g Protein: 5g

*recipe adapted from the lovely DAMY Health 

 

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Author: Christal Sczebel

Christal is the creator of Nutrition in the Kitch. She's a Certified Nutritional Consultant, twice published author, gluten and dairy free recipe developer, food photographer, speaker, wife, and mama. Christal loves good food, all things wellness, and loves to travel. Her wellness philosophy is centred around balance and sustainable health, life's way too short for boring diets and restriction!

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  • Nice one…I would only add that honey becomes toxic above 40 degrees celsius (104 f)…So I would avoid putting it in the oven…

  • Hi,

    Which brand of coconut flakes did you use for this recipe? Also which brand of coconut flour do you use for all the recipes… Thanks

    • Hi Shilpa, the shredded coconut is Sunblest or Bob’s Red Mill, and Coconut Flour is Let’s Do Organic 🙂

  • Thanks! They were still VERY good & will be an awesome substitute for a treat when I need one! Another recipe you should try (or create your own similar version) is this:
    – 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
    – 1 cup peanut butter
    – 1/2 cup honey
    Mix them up to form balls, flatten with fork slightly, bake 350 degrees, on parchment paper cookie sheet for about 8-10 minutes.
    The gym I teach at had these posted & they are super awesome.
    Thanks again for the tips, love your blog!

  • These lookgreat, however, when I baked them it seemed like all the juice left the coconut mounds :S if that makes any sense. So it looked like I had a pan of honey/egg whites & then random piles of coconut ?

    tips?

    • You may need a little more time to let the coconut soak up the liquid while it’s still in the bowl. I had that happen with the last few macaroons I made! You could also try adding more coconut if it seems you have too much liquid. I think it’s a bit hard with this recipe because shredded coconut is always so different dependant on brand I’ve noticed!