Healthy Chocolate Cookies

Healthy chocolate chip cookies stacked with a bite out of one of them.

5 from 16 votes

Healthy Chocolate Cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with wholesome ingredients—no butter, granulated sugar, oil, or flour needed!

Prep Time20

Cook Time7

Total Time27

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy chocolate cookies

Servings: cookies

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $4.02

Equipment

Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
Hand mixer

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder see note 1
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips plus extra for topping
Flaky sea salt optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract. Don’t heat the peanut butter at all, even if it’s a little stiff and hard to work with. Beat together with a hand mixer until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine Dutch-process cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to measure exact amounts of dough. Roll the tablespoon of dough into a ball and flatten slightly with your hands. Press 3–4 chocolate chips into the tops of the cookie dough balls.
Bake for 6–8 minutes. Watch them carefully because they go from perfectly baked to burned very quickly (because of the coconut sugar). If desired, add a few more chocolate chips on top, let melt slightly from residual heat, and add a sprinkle of sea salt.
These cookies are crumbly while hot. Let them cool completely to firm up and harden (or enjoy some deliciously hot but crumbly cookies right out of the oven).

Notes

Note 1: Make sure to get Dutch-process cocoa powder instead of natural or plain. The Dutch process offers a more robust and intense chocolate flavor. Regular cocoa powder will make these cookies overly dry and less flavorful. Here’s the exact cocoa powder I use (and highly recommend).

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies are best eaten within 2–3 days.

Nutrition