I’m not quite sure how I went so long without a macaroon fix, but I decided it was high time to create another variation to what just might be my favorite cookie recipe.
For this go-around I went with a carrot cake flavor profile, using grated carrots, chopped pecans, and a trifecta of warm spices: cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
As with the other macaroons, these cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with a crisp crust on the outside. In other words, they are the texture that all cookies should be! In my cookie-loving opinion, that is.
The orange hue from the carrots didn’t come through in the photos as much as I’d hoped, but the color is definitely apparent when they’re in front of you… as is the enticing aroma! The fragrance of the baking macaroons perfumed our apartment so sweetly that I’m surprised none of our neighbors stopped by for a sample.
Oh wait. The Indian restaurant that resides in the front of our building pretty much envelops you as you step into the hallway, negating any evidence of baking. Don’t get me wrong – I adore the aroma of curry and other exotic spices – but not when they mingle with what I’m cooking.
I digress.
These macaroons boast the kind of cookie deliciousness that makes it nearly impossible to eat just one. They may not be much to look at, what with their non-uniform shapes and bumpy surface, but boy-oh-boy are they tasty.
I would invite you over to enjoy a couple of cookies plateful of cookies with me, but I highly doubt there would be any left by the time you got here ;).
Carrot Cake Oat Macaroons
Printer-Friendly Recipe
yield: 30-32 macaroons, depending on size (my batch made 32)
Ingredients:
- 2 2/3 cup full fat shredded unsweetened coconut (one 8 oz package) OR 1 cup of coconut butter
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup very finely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup finely grated peeled carrot (I used a microplane grater)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- scant 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a food processor, process 2 2/3 cups full fat shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes, until a thick, smooth coconut butter forms, scraping down the sides as needed (this will yield about 1 cup of coconut butter).
- Combine the coconut butter and all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well-combined.
- Using a mini ice cream scoop or a small spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (no need to leave much room in between as they do not spread out).
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are lightly browned. The macaroons will be very soft at this point.
- Allow the macaroons to sit at room temperature on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes, or until they firm up and cool down.
Nutritional Information for TWO Cookies (if total yield is 32 cookies):
186.1 calories, 12 grams fat, 9.5 grams saturated fat, 3.5 grams fiber, 9.9 grams sugar, 2.1 gram protein
