Monster Eyeball Macaroons (vegan + gluten-free)

October 15, 2012 By Leanne Vogel December 17, 2018

Vegan and Gluten-free Monster Eyeball Macaroons

Are you ready to be spooked?

You better be because today marks the first of many Halloween recipes that I’ll be sharing with you as part of Health-oween! Get your caldron ready, set your eye of newt aside and prepare yourself for some ultra creepy treats, breakfasts, dinners and drinks.

Keto shopping lists, recipes, and more! Start keto with this FREE 5-step guide.

I'm ready!

*witch crackle*

You have no idea how excited I am about this.

First recipe – monster eyeballs! (shhh…they’re vegan blueberry macaroons with a marshmallow and chocolate topping).

After I made these I realized that I could have gone a step further and made them a healthier by using banana slices for the white section of the eyeballs. I’m kicking myself for not thinking of this option sooner! I can’t tell you how long I racked my brain trying to figure out how to make these eyeballs. Kevin and I stood in the grocery store for what seemed like forever running through the possibilities and not once did banana come up. Eh, there’s always next year!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Monster Eyeballs

Author: Leanne Vogel

Recipe type: Vegan (option), Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined sugar-free (option), Yeast-free, Corn-free, Grain-free, Nut-free

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Vegan blueberry macaroons topped with marshmallow and chocolate pieces. Dessert... or monster eyeballs?

Ingredients

2 teaspoon freshly ground chia seed
3 tablespoons water
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 tablespoon coconut nectar or honey
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
1½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 marshmallows, sliced with holes punched into the middle of each slice *see note
8 dark chocolate covered banana pieces *see note

Instructions

Combine chia and water in a small dish and set aside.
Preheat oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
Add blueberries, coconut nectar, and extracts to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Begin to stir constantly until liquid reduces to half and it fairy thick but not syrupy. Remove and place in a medium-sized bowl.
Add chia mixture.
Add coconut and mix with a spoon until it's completely coated.
Place tablespoon amounts in the palm of your hand and work into circles. Press down to make into a coin shape and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges.
Remove from the oven and place marshmallow and chocolate piece on top.
Return to the oven and cook for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully so that the marshmallow doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the cookie sheet and placing on a cooling rack.

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Notes

To keep recipe vegan, and make a bit healthier too, replace marshmallow slices with banana slices. Do not use the honey.

Feel free to use whatever chocolate you have on hand. Dairy-free chocolate chips, candy covered chocolates or dark chocolate covered raisins would work well!

Many of the ingredients I used in this recipe were sent to me from Fair Trade USA in celebration of Fair Trade month. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the dark chocolate covered bananas so I’m happy I put them to good use. Sure, I could have just eaten them (it was hard not too!) but they were screaming to be added to a recipe.

Begin by adding the ingredients to your frozen blueberries and making your chia egg.

You want to cook the blueberries down until they look like this…

And then add coconut and really mix-mash around until it’s all coated.

Press into little purple mounds and place in the oven.

While they’re cooking, prepare the marshmallows or banana slices. You want them to be no thicker than 1/4-inch. Punch a hole in them with the back of a nutcracker or pen, or straw… just so that the chocolate piece can be pressed inside without popping up!

Press the chocolate piece into the marshmallow or banana slice.

Once the macaroons are complete, place the completed eyes on top and return back to the oven. This stage is there just to melt everything together. Be sure to watch carefully so that nothing burns…. although a slightly charred marshmallow may look a bit more monster-like.