Gluten-Free Baked Coconut Shrimp with Avocado-Lime Dip
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These gluten-free Baked Coconut Shrimp are cooked to a golden brown and served up with a tangy Avocado-Lime Dip that takes this dish to a different level! Whether you’re looking for a tasty seafood dinner idea or a delicious finger food option for a party, these coconut shrimp are a healthier alternative to the fried kind, and taste amazing!
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Baked Coconut Shrimp
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.
One of my favorite appetizers is coconut shrimp – it’s always a real treat for me when I have them!
But to make them a little healthier, we are baking the shrimp instead of deep-frying them. And they still taste delish!
Not only are they baked, but they are also gluten-free, so if this is a concern for you then you can happily enjoy this appetizer.
Instead of regular flour to dredge the shrimp, almond or coconut flour is used and seasoned with a variety of spices, and of course coconut.
To serve, a delicious avocado-lime dip is quickly blitzed up in a blender and pairs perfectly – it goes well with chips and crudité too!
These baked coconut shrimp are a great starter for a dinner party. You could even serve up a larger portion as an entrée with some salad and rice.
Or cook up a platter full and they are perfect finger foods for parties and celebrations!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
You may have some of the ingredients for this recipe in your kitchen already – the full list with measurements is found in the recipe card.
For your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon if available online.
This recipe uses American cups. They’re a handy piece of kitchen equipment to have along with a kitchen food scale. Having both in your kitchen means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog as I use both cups and weighted measures.
- Almond Flour – or you could use
- Coconut Flour
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Shredded Coconut – unsweetened if you are watching your sugar intake
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Shrimp – see my note below about shrimp vs prawns. The shrimp should be raw, peeled, and deveined, with the tails on. In the UK you want big prawns such as king prawns. In the US you will want 10/15 count gulf shrimp.
What is the Difference Between Shrimp and Prawns?
If you’re from the UK, you probably call shrimp, prawns; and if you’re from the US, you call them shrimp. I thought that was the difference – a UK v USA thing – but they’re actually different animals.
I think most people would use them interchangeably and not realise there was a difference – and to be honest, to save confusion, I will continue to do so, but I found it fascinating to learn that they were not one and the same!
Shrimp and prawns can both be found in salt and freshwater. However, shrimp are found mostly in saltwater, and prawns are mostly found in freshwater – especially the ones we cook and eat.
Shrimp are usually smaller than prawns but is not always an indicator of which is which. And they both taste the same – so essentially… it doesn’t matter!
Whether you call these sweet, succulent, seafood morsels shrimp or prawns – it doesn’t matter – cook ’em up and use them in this recipe! I’ll be referring to them as shrimp in this recipe to save any confusion!
More Recipes Using Shrimp
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is shrimp, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Lemony Prawn Risotto Recipe – A Delicious Summery Dish!
- Shrimp Slaw Sandwich with Garlic Lemon Aioli
- Cornflake + Coconut Shrimp
More Party Appetizer Recipes
Looking for more party appetizers to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Cheese-Stuffed Taco Meatballs Party Appetizer
- Black Bean Salsa Cups Appetizer
- Balsamic Mozzarella Stuffed Grape Tomatoes
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!
How Do I Make Baked Coconut Shrimp?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, instructions, and demonstration photos. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Baked Coconut Shrimp
These gluten-free Baked Coconut Shrimp are cooked to a golden brown and served up with a tangy Avocado-Lime Dip that takes this dish to a different level!
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond (or coconut) flour
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¾ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 lb / 450g raw shrimp/prawns*
For the Avocado Lime Dip
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, stems removed
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder in a shallow dish. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired, and set aside.
- In a second shallow dish, gently whisk the eggs and water until frothy. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired, and set aside.
- Add shredded coconut to a third bowl and set aside.
- Working one at a time, dredge each shrimp in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the egg mixture.
- Allow excess egg to drip off before transferring shrimp to the bowl of shredded coconut.
- Turn to coat shrimp thoroughly before transferring them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining shrimp and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
- Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and crispy, around 12-15 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- Meanwhile, add avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and cumin to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add a tablespoon or two of water, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Transfer to a small serving bowl and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Remove shrimp from oven and serve immediately with avocado-lime dip on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- The shrimp should be raw, peeled, and deveined, with the tails on.
- In the UK you want big prawns such as king prawns.
- In the US you will want 10/15 count gulf shrimp.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 237mgSodium: 845mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 7gSugar: 2gProtein: 21g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.