Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (2024)

These are absolutely the best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies that are soft, chewy, and loaded with dark chocolate chips. I have perfected my healthier cookie recipe and kids call it “Classic”!

For more healthy cookies with chocolate chips, try these oat flour chocolate chip cookies and almond flour chocolate chip cookies.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • How to Make Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Tips for Best Results
  • Variations
  • How to Store
  • FAQs
  • More Healthy Cookies Recipes to Try
  • Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I am extremely picky when it comes to healthy cookies. Cookies gotta be worth their calories!

When I think of healthy chocolate chip cookies, I envision a layer of soft buttery dough covering chocolate chips like a blanket, and when you bite in, the cookies are chewy.

And that’s this recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Tried and true recipe: This is a very old recipe of mine that I have changed and perfected over the years. The toughest critics, kids, approved!
  • Wholesome ingredients: We use organic cane or coconut sugar, whole wheat or spelt flour with bran and germ attached, and better for you dark chocolate chips.
  • No sacrificing the taste: Unlike many traditional recipes online, our recipe uses twice less sugar and butter, resulting in yet soft and chewy healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. Plus no banana, applesauce, flax seeds or avocado are involved.
  • Quick and easy: Cookie dough comes together in one bowl and we chill it only for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

You will need only 8 simple ingredients to make these healthy chocolate chip cookies.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (2)
  • Butter: I used organic salted butter and omitted salt. Unsalted butter works perfectly too.
  • Sugar: I used organic cane sugar. Coconut sugar works too. You can also use all or parts of organic brown sugar as it goes well in chocolate chip cookies. I do not recommend to use liquid sweetener as recipe will not work.
  • Whole wheat flour or spelt flour: This time I used whole grain spelt flour. Please don’t use all-purpose flour, recipe will need adjustment.
  • Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract, baking soda and salt, if using unsalted butter. No need for baking powder as we do not want cookies to have fluffy texture.
  • Chocolate chips: I use dark chocolate chips because sweetness in a cookie dough is enough already. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or Lily’s sugar free chocolate chips and more of, if you like.

How to Make Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a rundown with a few tips how to make healthy chocolate chip cookies. You can find full printable recipe card with ingredients amounts and instructions down below.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (3)
  • Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Then add egg and vanilla extract, and then dry ingredients – baking soda, salt and flour. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips and your cookie dough is formed.
  • Chill the dough: Place cookie dough in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. This is a must to prevent cookies from spreading.
  • Roll and bake: Scoop dough with a regular cookie scoop, roll into balls and place on prepared baking sheets 3 inches apart. Cookies spread, plan for 6 per sheet. Bake cookies for 10 minutes and remove while cookies appear underbaked, puffy and light in color. Dough will settle during cooling.
  • Add more chips: Strategically place remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips into cookies while they are still hot. Also you can skip this step and just add all chips into the dough.
  • Cool: Let cookies cool on a baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool more. As cookies cool, you will see delicious grooves covering chocolate chips like a blanket appearing.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my well-tested tips for the best healthy chocolate chip cookies results!

  • Use cold baking sheets: Make sure your baking sheets are cold. If you baked other cookies right before, cool them off. I stick mine in the fridge for 5 minutes.
  • Measure flour correctly: I can’t stress enough, how important it is! Spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a butter knife. Do not dip measuring cup into a bag with flour!
  • Use softened butter: Softened butter means a dent appears when you touch it with a finger. To soften butter, just leave it at room temperature for 3-4 hours. To speed up softening, cut up in cubes and let warm up.
  • Do not overmix the cookie dough: Overmixing will make the cookies more prone to falling apart.
  • Don’t skip chilling the dough: Because this cookie dough contains butter and sugar, it has to be firmed up before baking. If you don’t chill the dough, your cookies will spread like crazy!
  • Do not over bake cookies: With most cookies you want to remove them from the oven before they start browning and finish settling during cooling off period. It’s a golden cookie baking rule!
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (4)

Variations

  • A cookie sandwich: Kids will love when you turn these healthy chocolate chip cookies into dinky doozies! Just sandwich two cookies with healthy buttercream or healthy chocolate frosting.
  • Coconut oil: You may use coconut oil but it results in more crispy rather than chewy cookies, with less grooves and more cake like looking cookies.
  • Brown sugar: Some love a hint of molasses brown sugar provides. You can sub half the amount of white sugar.
  • Naturally sweetened: Add instead of chocolate chips add raisins or cacao nibs (but less).
  • Coconut flakes: Stir in a few tablespoons of fresh or toasted unsweetened coconut flakes into the cookie dough before chilling it.
  • Nuts: A few tablespoons of chopped peanuts, macadamia nuts, pecans or walnuts will add texture and flavor.
  • Fancy cookies: Chop up dark chocolate bar into chunks and add instead of chocolate chips. Once freshly baked, sprinkle cookie with flaky sea salt while still hot and after intentionally placing the extra chips in.

How to Store

Store: If you like chewy cookies, store in a cool dry place in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you like crispy cookies, store them in a ventilated container.

Freeze: Bake and cool cookies completely. Then place in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.

You can also freeze chocolate chip cookie dough itself or roll into balls, freeze on a baking sheet and and then transfer into the container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. If you decide to defrost them on a counter, you will have to place the balls to chill in the freezer for 20 minutes before baking.

Ship: A batch of chocolate chip cookies is perfect for shipping to family and friends. Bake and cool. Place 2 cookies back to back and wrap with plastic wrap. Then place in a plastic container with a lid, stuffed with tissue, inside the shipping box and voila.

FAQs

Can I use any other flour besides whole wheat flour?

Unfortunately not. Baking is a science and all flours act differently. Recipe has been tested only with whole wheat flour and spelt flour.

Can I use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar?

If you use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar, cookies will come out very cakey. I do not recommend. Sugar and butter melt during baking and create a real cookie experience.

Why my cookies haven’t spread during baking?

Most likely because you haven’t measured flour correctly, so cookies end up more dry as butter absorbs higher amount of flour. Be sure to scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and then level the top with a butter knife.

More Healthy Cookies Recipes to Try

  • Healthy oatmeal cookies
  • Healthy edible cookie dough
  • Sugar free oatmeal cookies
  • Healthy skillet cookie
  • Protein cookies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (5)

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are absolutely the best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies that are soft, chewy, and loaded with dark chocolate chips. I have perfected my healthier recipe and kids call it "classic"!

4.95 from 40 votes

Servings 12 cookies

Calories 166

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chilling and Cooling Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 57 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave RecipeRate Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add butter and sugar; beat with a mixer until creamy.

  • Add egg and vanilla extract, beat until combined. Add baking soda, salt and flour; beat until cookie dough is formed. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips and stir with spatula.

  • Place cookie dough in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. In the meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cookie sheets with unbleached parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

  • Scoop dough with a regular scoop, roll into balls and place on prepared baking sheets 3 inches apart. Cookies spread.

  • Bake for 10 minutes and remove while cookies appear underbaked, puffy and light in color. Strategically place remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips into cookies while they are still hot.

  • Let cookies cool on a baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool more. As cookies cool, you will see delicious grooves covering chocolate chips like a blanket appearing.

Video

Notes

  • Store: If you like chewy cookies, store in a cool dry place in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you like crispy cookies, store them in a ventilated container.
  • Freeze: Bake, cool cookies completely, place in a resealable plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
  • Softened butter:Softened butter means a dent appears when you touch it with a finger. To soften butter, just leave it at room temperature for 2-3 hours. To speed up softening, cut up in cubes.
  • Salted butter: If you use salted butter, omit salt.
  • Don’t skip dough chilling: Otherwise your cookies will spread.
  • Flour: Don’t use any other flour except the one instructed in this recipe. Measure flour correctly by scooping it with a spoon into a measuring cup and then leveling with a knife.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Author: Olena Osipov

Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Easy Recipe) - iFoodReal.com (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use butter or oil in chocolate chip cookies? ›

What is the best ingredient to use for homemade chocolate chip cookies: butter, oil, or margarine? It depends on what kind of cookie you want. For crisp cookies, use all butter. For soft cookies, use oil or solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco).

What is the secret to keeping chocolate chip cookies soft? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out.

Why chocolate chip cookies are healthy? ›

In Conclusion. Eating chocolate chip cookies is a delicious and enjoyable treat that can be beneficial for your health, your mind, and your relationships. When eaten in moderation, chocolate chip cookies are packed with nutrients like fiber, protein, calcium, and iron.

Can homemade cookies be healthy? ›

Homemade chocolate chip cookies are generally healthier than store-bought cookies because they don't contain added chemicals and preservatives. If you are making your own cookies at home, you also have control over the quality of the ingredients you're using.

Is there a healthy cookie to eat? ›

Simple Mills. While not entirely organic, Simple Mills makes some of the healthiest cookies we found. The ingredients here are very clean, in addition to being grain-free. The flour is a blend of nuts, the fat is coconut oil, and the sweetener is coconut sugar.

What will happen to my cookies if I use oil instead of butter? ›

Due to its liquid nature, using oil in cookies typically results in a denser texture. Also, because oil is 100% fat, it doesn't react with flour the way butter does (butter contains water). Because of that, your cookies won't be as fluffy. If you're a fan of flat cookies, then using oil is an excellent option.

What is the best oil for baking cookies? ›

Oils like soybean oil (often labeled as vegetable oil) and canola oil do an amazing job of keeping baked goods moist without imparting a lot of flavors. Unlike butter, these oils tend to make baked goods lighter in texture and moister, as well. (Butter has a beautiful flavor, though.)

What is the best oil to bake cookies with? ›

Canola oil is the most commonly used oil in baking because it has virtually no flavor and therefore doesn't affect the flavor of your product. Its smoke point is very high, making it ideal for hot ovens.

Why do my chocolate chip cookies get hard so fast? ›

Don't Overbake! This isn't a revolutionary tip and is probably quite obvious, but if you leave your cookies in the oven for even a few minutes longer than necessary, the mix will dry too quickly and lead to more rigid, dry cookies.

Why do my cookies get hard after they cool? ›

Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly.

Why do my chocolate chip cookies always get hard? ›

Hard cookies: you are over mixing, baking too long, baking at too high a temperature, or some combination of these. Cakey cookies: not enough brown sugar, too much or too little egg, too much flour, maybe you used baking powder instead of baking soda?

How unhealthy are homemade chocolate chip cookies? ›

On average, one large homemade chocolate chip cookie contains 223 calories, 13 grams (g) total fat, 5.4 g saturated fat, 27 g total carbohydrates and 18.5 g sugar per the estimates provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Store-bought versions can be even worse.

Can you eat a chocolate chip cookie everyday? ›

While one cookie a day isn't going to completely derail your diet goals, it's often easy to eat more than one at a time, and soon enough, downing quite a few cookies throughout the day could lead to unwanted pounds.

What does eating cookies do to your body? ›

Cookies tend to be high in refined sugar and saturated fats. They're generally considered unhealthy, and eating them often can be a risk factor for developing type II diabetes, obesity and Alzheimers. Currently, across the globe, more than 1.6 billion people over 15 years old are overweight or obese.

What is a healthy alternative for cookies? ›

Baked apple slices with cinnamon

The natural sweetness of apples and the warmth of cinnamon mimic the sweet, comforting taste of cookies. This option is high in fiber and nutrients while being low in calories.

Are sugar free cookies healthier than regular cookies? ›

A: Switching to sugar-free cakes and sweets is unlikely to lead to much, if any, weight loss. Sweeteners used in these products usually include a sugar alcohol, such as maltitol or sorbitol, which are not zero-calorie, but about half the calories of sugar.

Are Oreos healthy? ›

Oreos are a popular snack, but they are full of unhealthy ingredients. The first ingredient listed is sugar, followed by enriched flour, soybean oil, and high fructose corn syrup. All of these are high in calories and provide little to no nutritional value.

Is it OK to eat a cookie everyday? ›

While one cookie a day isn't going to completely derail your diet goals, it's often easy to eat more than one at a time, and soon enough, downing quite a few cookies throughout the day could lead to unwanted pounds.

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