One of my favorite gluten-free recipes, and go-to sweet treat has long been healthy no-bake cookies. But (ugh) since Gabriel has become highly allergic to some of the ingredients (mainly nut butter, and possibly oatmeal), I’ve been playing around with making different kinds of healthy cookies.
The winner? Behold, the no-bake Coconut cookie!
I love it! It’s so simple – just two ingredients! Three if you want to add some coconut flavoring, vanilla, or cocoa power. These cookies are perfectly good without any extras, but let’s be honest, shredded coconut has been pressed, and dried, and sapped of most of it’s delicious flavor, so if you want a really coconut flavor “pop”, you pretty much have to add some coconut extract.
And yes, they’re healthy ingredients. Incredibly sweet, but healthy. 🙂
These are definitely in the “treat” category, and not something we’ll make very often, partly because of the volume of maple syrup used (oh, dear maple deliciousness, why must you be so expensive?), but it’s so nice to have a no-bake cookie once again that I can make in five minutes to satisfy my dear husband’s sweet tooth.
And I think it makes him feel a little less like the deprived allergy ridden guy, ya know?
No-Bake Coconut cookies
PrintNo-Bake Coconut Cookies
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring, or vanilla (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)
Instructions
- Pour maple syrup into a pan, and clip a candy thermometer to the side.
- Bring to a boil, and continue boiling until the mixture reaches soft ball stage (234-236º)
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for five minutes.
- Begin to beat with a fork (or you can use beaters or a stick blender if you want to), until it just begins to crystalize.
- Add cocoa powder or flavoring if desired.
- Add in shredded coconut and stir together.
- Drop by teaspoon or tablespoon onto parchment or waxed paper
- Allow to cool.
- Enjoy!
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How many cookies does this recipe yield?
8 for me – it depends on how big you make them though.
Yum Yum!! Those look fantastic Elise!!! Going to have to make them soon!
? So I do think maple syrup is really sweet and I do prefer Agave much better do you think it could work the same as a replacement?
I really have no idea since I’ve never use agave. Sorry!
I’m sure you could. This recipe is like one my mother grew up making in Jamaica, only she used cane sugar and shredded the coconut by hand. A delicious treat!
My Dad is from Barbados and we call them “Sugar Cakes”. My Granny used to get coconut from the west indian market in Montreal and would make up a big batch.
Do you think I could use agave instead of maple syrup?
I’m not sure, I’ve never used agave. It depends on wether heating it causes the agave to crystalize.
Hi! I love this recipe because i’m extremely allergic too and it seems delicious! However, i would like to know approximately how much maple syrup you use, and how much shredded coconut. Thank you!
I’m not sure what you mean? I usually use one cup of each, as you can see in the recipe.
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try these out on my kiddos. Love healthy treats – Thank you!
How about using corn syrup as I’m not fond of maple syrup?
I’m not sure. Corn syrup is an invert sugar, which means that it doesn’t crystalize, so your cookies will probably set up differently. It’s certainly worth a try!
how long do you beat the syrup or to what consistency?
I beat it until it begins to for crystals.
Hi Elise,
That would be a helpful tip to add to the instructions for this recipe. I just made them and they’re a bit runny and I highly suspect it’s in part because I didn’t know how long to do this for or to watch for crystallizing so I probably rushed adding the other ingredients. Still taste yummy though!
How nice to see this pop up on my Pinterest. It made me think of growing up and the coconut treat my parents would make. Their “coconut drops” were made with fresh shredded coconut and cane sugar, the way they made them in Jamaica. The flavor of the fresh coconut is amazing. Now I want some of these!
we used to call them ‘sugar cakes’. My dad’s family is from Barbados
Can you think of any way these could be made sugar free? A sugar substitute maybe? I’m Diabetic, but would love to try these. Thanks! 🙂
I don’t know… They’re pretty dependent on the boiled syrup. If there’s some sort of sugar-free equivalent to maple syrup, or corn syrup, that would react the same way to heat (get thicker, crystalize) then maybe. Sugar-free pancake syrup perhaps? sorry, I’m not much help!
i just made this using organic maple syrup and they were very good. I added a handful of sliced raw almonds I had on hand and after spooning them onto the wax paper, sprinkled on some mini chocolate chips. Heaven!
Yummmmmm! Thank you very much for the greatest creation,of what I’m sure is AweSOME! Can’t wait to get ingreds! You didn’t use the cocoa in your cookie photos did you? Yum. A Coconut No-bake. Awesome
Thanks! And no, no cocoa in the cookies pictured
Do you know how many calories this is?
Thank you
Roughly 940 per batch.
Hey, can i sub honey?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m thinking probably. You’ll have to experiment with the correct temperature.
I tried making these with my mom today. Not sure what we did wrong but they were not anything like the picture. They would not form into a cookie I think maybe too dry or something they were like a crumble mixture.
My Mom & I tried these twice today!!! First time I think I stirred too much and it became a crumble mixture!! Second time… They look almost like your pic!!! Love them!!! Thank you for posting such a tasty & easy recipe!!
Yay! So glad you liked them!
What if you don’t have a candy thermometer. Not sure when it will crystallize
Can you do the cold water test? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lchea5BHbgs