I mean that in the sense that cookies aren’t a necessary part of a nutritious diet. But I certainly believe they are a necessary part of a happy life!
I was recently inspired to take a stab at making a cookie recipe that tasted wonderful, but was more of an everyday treat. Something you could enjoy without too much worry.
What I came up with contains no dairy and has less sugar than my typical cookie recipe while using a possibly “healthier” sugar (that’s basically an oxymoron). I also use white whole wheat flour for the best taste and texture with a little bump in nutrition.
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! I’ve also been working on a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s not quite there yet, but if I can get it where I want it I’ll be sure to share that one too. Don’t worry, this isn’t becoming a healthy food blog any time soon. I just get so many requests for lighter recipes that I thought this would be fun!
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Tips
White Whole Wheat Flour
I opted for white whole wheat flour for this recipe because it amps up the nutritional value without significantly altering the taste or texture. Regular whole wheat flour zaps moisture and can create dense baked goods with an overpowering wheat flavor. That’s definitely not what we want here, so sourcing white whole wheat flour is definitely worth the extra trip to the store! I find it’s available at many grocery stores these days, or you can order online.
How to Bake with Coconut Oil
I call for virgin coconut oil in this recipe. I find the aroma of the coconut is stronger than the actual taste, but if you hate coconut you may want to find another recipe. Or you can try using a dairy free butter alternative, if desired.
Using coconut oil in a baking recipe is actually really simple. The trick is to measure and use it when it’s solid, not melted. That way it acts more like butter! I find the absolute easiest way to measure coconut oil is with a kitchen scale, that way you don’t end up with a greasy mess everywhere.
Baking with Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is made by processing the sap produced by blossoms of coconut trees. It actually contains a fiber known as inulin which may help slow glucose absorption. I’m not a nutritionist, and the data on the health benefits of coconut sugar is limited. At the end of the day sugar is still sugar, but this may be a better alternative for those who want to avoid granulated sugar.
I’ve found coconut sugar routinely at Target and other major grocery stores. It tastes and looks very similar to brown sugar! If you can’t find it or don’t want to use it, you can use light brown sugar instead.
Extra Egg Yolk = Chewy
The additional protein and fat inside the extra egg yolk in this recipe helps to lend that delightful chewy texture. Don’t skip this step!
If you can’t have eggs, I’m sorry to say I haven’t found a great substitute that lends the same taste and texture. I am working on a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. If I nail that, I’ll be sure to publish it.
Chocolate Chips
I used the Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips in this recipe because I love how big and round they are! You can get away with using slightly less because they pack a powerful chocolate punch. If you need to use dairy-free chocolate chips, there are more and more options available these days.
Storing Cookies & Freezing Cookie Dough
These cookies stay soft for days! Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’d like, you can refresh them in a 325°F oven or toaster oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
This cookie dough also freezes well! Get all of my tips for freezing cookie dough here.
What can i use in place of white whole wheat flour? I cannot get this in Australia yes I can order online but with the price of shipping makes it very very expensive. Can I do a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and white all purpose flours?
Sure!
I really like these cookies but my family did not. And it was because the whole wheat flavor came through and was very pronounced at first. However, after they had sat around for 3 days they completely lost that flavor and tasted like a regular chocolate chip cookie! By that time my family refuse to eat them. That’s fine, more for me! It’s a good cookie dough recipe. They puff up nice and look beautiful when they’re done. I didn’t chill the dough either, which I usually do. I ended up cooking mine for about 14 minutes. Next time I make them I’ll do it a couple days before I need them. I don’t think people will be able to tell the difference.
My entire family, myself included, absolutely loved these! I didn’t have coconut sugar so I used organic raw cane sugar instead, and they turned out amazing! Highly recommend giving this a try!