Salted Caramel MacaroonsNouveau Raw

Salted Caramel Macaroons

Salted Caramel Macaroons… mmm, don’t those just sound divine. I am sure you have already quickly glanced over this recipe and are trying to figure out where the caramel part comes into play. The secret ingredient that adds to the rich flavor of caramel is lucuma! Lucuma is considered a healthy alternative sweetener as it lends a sweet taste to recipes, but is very low in sugars. It has a distinctively sweet fragrance and full-bodied, maple-like taste. If you can’t find lucuma locally there are many different vendors online where you can order it. You may question whether or not you can substitute it with another ingredient or leave it out… my answer is… you could but you will lose that caramel note that we are after. If you must sub it out, try maple syrup (not raw), then add the agave in slowly, taste testing as you go. You may not need as much. One cup of agave may seem like a lot of sweetener but keep in mind that this recipe makes 40 cookies!

Recipe adapted from Cafe Gratitude

Ingredients: yields 40 cookies

1/4 cup lucuma powder
3 cups dried coconut flakes, unsweetened
1 cup raw agave nectar
1 1/4 cup raw pecans, (fine ground in blender or coffee grinder)
1 Tbsp vanilla, alcohol-free
1/3 cup raw coconut butter/manna (melted)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, using the “S” blade. Just mix long enough to blend together.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto dehydrator screen. I used my small cookie scoop.
Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 24 hours.
Store in air-tight containers. These will freeze well for those last minute engagements.

Equipment Needed: (my personal recommendations)

Food processor

Dehydrator