Decadent Vegan Chocolate Almond Macarons

Searching for more Healthy Passover Recipes? Explore innovative and delicious ways to enjoy Kosher for Passover dishes while maintaining a balanced diet. Our collection includes a wide array of Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for Passover that are both festive and nourishing.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, and sea salt. These are your wet ingredients that will form the binding base for your macaroons.

Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, stir the ingredients vigorously until they are thoroughly combined and smooth. Ensure there are no streaks of unmixed maple syrup or clumps of salt. This step creates a cohesive, flavorful foundation for the cookie dough.

Place your whole walnuts and almonds into the bowl of a food processor, ensuring it’s fitted with the “S” blade. This tool is essential for achieving the perfect coarse texture for your nuts.

Process the nuts for approximately 20 seconds, then continue to pulse them in short bursts. Your goal is a crumbly, coarse meal, resembling coarse flour. Be diligent not to overprocess, as nuts can quickly turn into butter, which will alter the macaroon’s texture significantly. Stop as soon as the desired consistency is reached.

Add the freshly ground nut meal to your bowl of wet ingredients. It’s important to combine these carefully to maintain the macaroon’s signature texture.

Continue mixing, using your spatula to pull the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl upwards, until everything is uniformly combined. The mixture should form a thick, cohesive cookie dough batter that holds its shape. Avoid overmixing, which can lead to a tougher cookie.

Using two teaspoons or a small cookie scoop, “drop” mounds of cookie dough onto your prepared baking pan. Aim for even spacing between each cookie to ensure they bake uniformly.

Repeat this process until all the cookie batter has been used. This recipe typically yields about 24 perfectly sized cookies, ideal for sharing or savoring over time.

Lightly dampen your hands, then gently roll each cookie mound into a smooth, round ball. Aim for a size similar to a golf ball. Damp hands prevent the dough from sticking and help create a uniform shape.

OPTIONAL: For an extra decorative and textural element, gently press one thin slice or sliver of almond into the center of each cookie dough ball. This adds a beautiful finishing touch before baking.

Bake the cookies in your preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for exactly 15 minutes. They should be lightly golden brown around the edges and set in the center. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender.

Once baked, immediately transfer the macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial, as they need to be fully cooled before any decorating or storage to ensure the chocolate sets properly and the texture remains perfect.

Once your macaroons are completely cooled, it’s time for the chocolate. Gently dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Ensure you get an even coating, but don’t submerge the entire cookie.

After dipping, gently tap the cookie to let any excess chocolate drip off. Then, carefully turn the cookie upside down and place it on a piece of parchment paper-lined tray or plate. This allows the chocolate to spread into a neat, flat base as it hardens.

Place the entire tray into the refrigerator for at least 15-20 minutes, or until the chocolate is completely set and firm to the touch. This quick chill ensures a beautiful, non-sticky finish.

Once the chocolate bases are hardened, flip the cookies right side up. If you have any remaining melted chocolate, use a spoon or a piping bag with a fine tip to drizzle a decorative pattern over the tops of the macaroons. Return them to the refrigerator for a final chill to set the drizzled chocolate. This step adds a professional and artistic touch.

Debra’s Pro Tips for Macaroon Perfection

Achieving outstanding results with these vegan almond macaroons is easy when you keep a few expert tips in mind. These small details can make a big difference in the flavor, texture, and overall success of your cookies.

• Smart Shopping for Nuts: To save money without compromising on quality or flavor, consider buying walnut pieces instead of whole walnuts. Since you’ll be pulverizing them in the food processor anyway, there’s no visual advantage to buying whole nuts, and the pieces are often significantly less expensive. This simple swap helps keep your healthy baking budget-friendly.
• Precision with Nut Processing: This is arguably the most crucial step for the perfect macaroon texture. There’s a delicate balance between a crumbly, coarse flour-like consistency and an overprocessed, gummy nut butter. Pulse the nuts in short bursts, checking frequently. You want a texture that resembles coarse sand or fine gravel, not a paste. Over-processing releases too much oil, which can make your macaroons greasy and dense instead of light and chewy.
• Salt, Sweet, and Flavor Enhancement: While I believe a small amount of fine-grain sea salt genuinely enhances the flavors of both the nuts and the chocolate, it is entirely optional. If you are strictly adhering to a low-sodium diet, feel free to omit it. The cookies will still be delicious, but the salt provides that extra pop that elevates the sweet and savory notes. Consider it a flavor amplifier!
• Consistency of Almond Butter: For best results, use a natural almond butter that has a “drippy” or pourable consistency. If your almond butter is very thick or stiff, it might make the dough harder to mix and result in a drier cookie. If it’s too thick, you can gently warm it slightly to make it more pliable, but avoid adding any extra liquids.
• Cooling is Key: Patience is a virtue when it comes to cooling. Ensure your macaroons are completely cooled on a wire rack before handling, dipping in chocolate, or storing. Warm cookies can crumble easily, and warm chocolate won’t set properly, leading to a messy outcome.

Storage Solutions for Freshness

Proper storage is essential to maintain the freshness, texture, and flavor of your vegan almond macaroons. Whether you plan to enjoy them within a few days or save them for later, these guidelines will help ensure they remain delicious.

• Complete Cooling: Always allow your cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to store them or dip them in chocolate. Storing warm cookies will create condensation, making them soggy and potentially shortening their shelf life.
• Hardening Chocolate: If you’ve dipped or drizzled your macaroons with chocolate, it’s crucial to ensure the chocolate has fully hardened before placing them in a container. You can achieve this by flash freezing them on a tray for 10-15 minutes or refrigerating them until the chocolate is firm. This prevents the chocolate from smudging or sticking to other cookies.
• Airtight Container is a Must: To prevent the macaroons from drying out or absorbing unwanted odors, always store them in an airtight container. This is particularly important if storing them in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Shelf Life:
  • Room Temperature: Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will remain fresh and delicious for up to 1 week.
  • Refrigerator: For extended freshness, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The cool temperature helps preserve their texture and prevents them from going stale.
  • Freezer: These macaroons freeze beautifully! Place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag, ensuring there’s minimal air inside. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.