Do Macaroons Have Gluten? (& How To Make Your Own)

Last Updated on April 21, 2022

Today, we’re going to be answering the question: do macaroons have gluten? And taking a look at how to make your own gluten free macaroons at home. We’ll even be looking at the best gluten-free macaroon brands to buy. But are macaroons traditionally gluten-free? Can you find them in your local grocery store? Let’s take a look.

What Are Macaroons?

If you’re not familiar with macaroons, they’re a bite-sized cake or biscuit-type cookie. They’re usually incredibly sweet and made using coconut, ground almonds, or other varieties of nuts. They’re usually a variety of different colors using food coloring and look super cute. They can have jam inside, or even a chocolate coating – it depends on the macaroons you’re buying. One thing’s for sure – they’re the ideal sweet treat.

Read more about: Chocolate Wafer Cookies Substitutes

Ingredients In Macaroons

Macaroon ingredients can differ depending on where you purchase them from. However, the typical ingredients are egg whites, almonds, coconut, icing sugar, and condensed milk. You really don’t need much to make macaroons at all.

Macaroons Nutritional Information

A standard sized macaroon has the following nutritional value:

• Calories: 97
• Fat: 3g
• Saturated Fat: 2.7g
• Sodium: 59.3mg
• Potassium: 37.4mg
• Carbohydrate: 17g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.4g
• Sugar: 17g
• Protein: 0.9g

Do Macaroons Have Gluten?

Guess what? If you like macaroons, we have some good news! Macaroons are a naturally gluten-free dessert. As they’re made using almond flour, rather than wheat flour – they are typically gluten-free. All you really need for macaroons is egg whites, sugar, and almond flour; which are all naturally gluten-free ingredients.

It’s more common for macaroons to be gluten-free, than not. However, it’s always best to check the ingredients label, just in case. And if you’re ordering macaroons from somewhere like a bakery, it’s definitely worth checking if the macaroons are made in a dedicated gluten-free area; otherwise, it may have been a victim of cross-contact, and contain traces of gluten from other foods prepared there.

What’s The Difference Between Macaroons and Macarons?

There aren’t many differences between macaroons and macarons. They are both made using egg whites and sugar. However, macaroons are typically made using flaked coconut or coconut flour, and macarons are usually made using ground almonds. They look almost identical, and apart from the slight difference in flavor – whether it’s gluten-free coconut macaroons or gluten-free almond macarons, they’re both equally delicious!

How To Make Gluten Free Macaroons

If you’re looking for the best gluten-free macaroons recipe to make at home, this recipe from Snixy Kitchen is my absolute favorite.

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:

• 1 1/2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 2 1/2oz of finely chopped chocolate

Recipe

Now all you need to do is:

Step 1: Prepare

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the coconut, almond flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine well and leave to one side. Using a small pan, heat the water, vanilla, and granulated sugar on low heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Now pour the sugar mixture over the coconut mixture and mix well. Now whip the egg whites until frothy. Now add the egg whites to the coconut mixture and combine.

Step 2: Bake

Leave the mixture for around one hour. Now scoop around one tablespoon of the mixture onto your baking sheet, leaving space between them to grow. Bake for around 18-20 minutes (you may need to cook them in batches). The macaroons should have a golden brown look.

Step 3: Enjoy!

Leave to cool on a wire rack once taken out of the oven. Now melt the chocolate and dip the bottom of the macaroons into the melted chocolate. Leave to set on the parchment paper, or place in the refrigerator if you simply can not wait (it’s understandable). Your macaroons are ready to enjoy!

Gluten Free Macaroon Brands

While most brands of macaroons are gluten-free, I thought I’d share my absolute favorite gluten-free macaroon brand with you. Mrs. Crimbles is a gloriously gluten-free brand, that makes a range of gluten-free baked goods – including macaroons. They also offer a few savory options too. Mrs. Crimbles is definitely worth checking out if you’re not familiar with the brand.

Mrs. Crimbles offer the following gluten-free macaroons:

• Vegan Coconut Macaroons (Pack of 6)
• Vegan Choc Macaroons (Pack of 6)
• Deeply Dippy Macaroons (Pack of 6)
• Big Coconut Macaroons (Pack of 6)
• Big Choc Macaroons (Pack of 6)

The coconut macaroons from Mrs. Crimbles contain the following ingredients:

• coconut
• sugar
• glucose syrup
• egg white
• potato starch
• dextrose
• rice flour

You can find their full range of gluten-free products, including their macaroons here.

It’s worth mentioning that most grocery stores will stock gluten-free macaroons or macarons, considering they’re naturally gluten-free. If you’re more comfortable making your own macaroons, it’s super easy to do so by following the recipe we’ve looked at today. However, I would highly recommend Mrs. Crimbles, as they do make the most incredible snacks!

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped to answer the question: do macaroons have gluten? And helped you to become more familiar with how to make your own gluten-free macaroons. Macaroons are usually my go-to dessert when I’m out and about, as I know (alongside ice cream) that they’re one of the safest options for me to enjoy.

What’s your favorite flavor of macaroons? Do you have your own gluten-free recipe you’d like to share with us? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!

FAQs

Zoe Collins

Hi, my name’s Zoë. I’m 28 years old and live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.