Despite returning to 50+° weather in Boston, (which is actually quite mild for this time of year in New England), I could not stop dreaming about the island flavors of Barbados.
I brainstormed dozens of Caribbean-inspired recipes during the 2-legged, twice-delayed flight back home, but I kept coming back to an idea for Piña Colada Macaroons that taste like the classic tropical blended beverage.
I started with my basic Coconut-Oat Macaroon recipe (which utilizes both reduced fat shredded coconut & rolled oats to create a lower fat macaroon) and added in crushed pineapple and coconut extract to replicate the flavors of a Piña Colada.
I just love the texture of these cookies: a slightly crisp exterior gives way to a perfectly moist, soft, and chewy interior.
Let’s zoom in for a close-up of this delicious little morsel:
These macaroons definitely capture the essence of a Piña Colada. Every bite is packed with rich coconut flavor and little bits of succulent juicy pineapple.
I’ve calculated the nutritional information to reflect the content of two cookies because – let’s be honest – who eats just one cookie at a time? Two macaroons have less than 200 calories and less than 15 grams of sugar.
Not bad for a satisfying dessert!
These tropical macaroons will undoubtedly lead you to want to “eat-off” – which means “to consume a lot of food” in Bajan (Barbadian Creole – the dialect spoken by some locals on the island of Barbados).
Eat-off!
Piña Colada Macaroons
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: bake dessert vegan coconut cookies
Ingredients (30 macaroons)
- 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
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice, very well drained
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup honey (I bet agave nectar would also work well here)
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
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 20-25 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 Per Serving (2 cookies):
194.3 calories, 12 grams fat, 7.5 grams saturated fat, 1.8 grams fiber, 14. 3 grams sugars, 3.1 grams protein
