With the warmer months approaching, the last thing you want to do is fire up your oven to make a batch of cookies. With this easy no bake cookie recipe, you can whip up a delicious batch of chocolatey goodness without having to preheat your oven!

Cookies may be the last thing on your mind when thinking of a low-carb dessert, but these sugar-free, low carb coconut macaroons let you have a taste of sweetness while still sticking to your diet. This is such an easy, low-carb dessert recipe, you can whip them up whenever a dessert craving strikes and have them on your plate in less than 20 minutes!

Just a few notes here: you MUST make sure that your bowl and beaters are 100% dry and free from any speck or drop of oil. Just the tiniest amount of water or oil will cause your egg whites to fall flat.

Also, you may want to add a pinch of cream of tartar to your beaten egg whites to help them keep their form. I did not use any, but humidity can play a part in how well they hold up. If your egg whites collapse, the cream of tartar will help.

For a variation, try melting a handful of low carb chocolate chips with a little coconut oil in a double boiler and using it as a drizzle.

Now. On to the recipe.

This recipe makes 20 cookies, with a net carb count of 1.9 grams, depending on the brand of sweetener you use.

What you need:
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated low-carb sweetener ( I used Truvia)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded/desiccated coconut

How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and the sweetener together until stiff.

3. Add the vanilla and 2 cups of the coconut, and gently stir. Excessive stirring will cause the egg whites to collapse, so be gentle here.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop out a tablespoon of the coconut mixture. Form it into a ball and place it on the baking sheet. if the mixture won't hold a semi-ball shape, you may need to mix in a little more coconut. You want the mixture to just hold its shape long enough to bake.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on these, as they can burn pretty quickly.

These keep pretty well in the refrigerator if kept in a covered container. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

I may upset a few people here by not using Baked Alaska as the state dessert, but let me tell you: Baked Alaska was created in New York to resemble Mount McKinley by someone who had never even set foot in the state. I absolutely could not include that in my list, as I feel it is an insult to the native desserts that actually deserve to be mentioned.

If you're looking for a truly authentic Alaskan dessert, you could always try Akutaq, which is a Yup'ik (a native Alaskan language) word meaning mix them together. Although recipes for Akutaq can vary from family to family, it originally contained tallow, seal oil, cooked fish, and berries. Since I'm pretty sure most of you don't want to make what is basically 'fish ice cream', I decided to focus on a dish that would showcase one of Alaska's greatest assets: berries.

Alaska is home to roughly 50 different varieties of berry. Among these are blueberries, raspberries, crowberries, and lingonberries. Just imagine all of the delicious things you could make! I chose to make a cobbler featuring a mix of berries I already had on hand to represent this beautiful state. Pair it with some homemade vanilla ice cream for an extra special dessert that is especially delicious during the late summer months.

Let's get on with the recipe, shall we?

What you need:
2 1/2 cups mixed berries of your choice (if frozen, thaw and drain first)
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix the berries and the sugar together in a bowl, and let stand for 20 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, and spread in an ungreased 8x8 inch pan.

4. Spoon the berry mixture evenly over the batter.

5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the dough has risen and is golden brown.

6. Serve warm.