These gluten-free coconut lemon amaretti have a burst of sunshine-y flavour that can brighten up the greyest winter day.  And while the holidays are filled with chocolate and spice (and don’t get me wrong, I love it), amongst all the ooey-gooey richness, we often forget that December is the start of citrus season.

Your gluten-free friends will thank you – and see below for how to make these vegan as well.

Coconut Lemon Amaretti Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour

1 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1 cup granulated white sugar

3 large egg whites

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, separated

2 tsp vanilla

Extra granulated or powdered sugar for coating

Method

Preheat oven to 300F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.

Mix sugar, almond flour, coconut and lemon zest together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks.

Mix the egg whites into your dry ingredients. Don’t worry about deflating too much—it’s not a concern here.

Add the lemon juice and vanilla.

Scoop out even-sized mounds of dough. With wet hands, roll each mound into a ball. Coat in granulated or powdered sugar before placing on the prepared baking sheet.

Lightly press the top of each cookie to give it the classic amaretti shape.

Bake for 30 minutes until bottoms are golden

Makes 12 large or 24 small amaretti.

Additional Notes:

Looking for something vegan? Substitute 4 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid in your can of chickpeas) for egg whites. When whipping it to stiff peaks, be aware that the foam of aquafaba is less stable than egg whites—you’ll want to work with it quickly.

If you find your batter is too wet to handle, add more almond flour until you can comfortably shape into balls. This may happen depending on how much juice is in your lemon and how large your eggs are.