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Whole-wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yes, it’s a thing, and no, they do not sacrifice on flavor or texture. These chocolate chip cookies are incredibly chewy and perfectly sweet—no one will know they’re made 100% with whole-wheat flour, are naturally sweetened and made without butter.
These cookies have been tested time and time again and I can confidently say, these are dang good chocolate chip cookies. So if you’re looking to do more whole-wheat baking, pull up a seat. This is a great recipe to start with.
How These Differ From Regular Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s the deal, many of my chocolate chip cookie recipes are made with whole-wheat flour. Why? Because it adds toasty, nutty flavor and makes for a more structured and chewy cookie. This recipe swaps a few other standard ingredients to create a unique cookie that’s naturally sweetened and dairy-free.
And instead of granulated sugar and brown sugar, these cookies rely on coconut sugar. It adds deep, caramely flavor.
In place of the butter, this recipe uses a flavorful combination of unrefined coconut oil and creamy natural almond butter. This combination makes these cookies ultra-chewy.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe and why. For the full recipe, with measurements, jump down to the recipe card.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: (one of my favorite ingredients) creates a light, chewy crumb.
- Baking soda
- Unrefined coconut oil: unrefined is more flavorful than refined coconut oil. If you aren’t keen on coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil instead.
- Creamy almond butter: make sure the almond butter is just almond and salt, and that it’s loose and drippy.
- Coconut sugar: adds mild coconut flavor and deep caramel, molasses notes.
- Eggs: use eggs labeled as “large.” Out of shell, each egg should weigh 50 grams.
- Pure vanilla extract
- Kosher salt & flaky sea salt
- Bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks: I find bittersweet strikes the perfect balance between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. If you prefer dark chocolate, use that. And if you like things sweeter, use semi-sweet or milk chocolate.
An Easy Step-by-Step Process
One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that it doesn’t require a stand mixer, or even a hand mixer. All you need is a big bowl and a whisk.
Everything about this recipe is very straight forward, but the most important part is to pay attention to the mixing process and to do each round of mixing/resting (we’ll get there). And the chilling. The chilling of the dough—albeit annoying—is essential.
- Whisk together the whole-wheat flour and the baking soda; set aside.
- Whisk the coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt together until smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest for three minutes.
- Vigorously whisk the coconut sugar and oil mixture again for 30 seconds, then let it rest for three minutes. Repeat this whisking and resting process twice more.
- Add the almond butter to sugar mixture and vigorously whisk for about a minute to combine.
- Using a rubber spatula, add the flour to sugar mixture (reserve about ½ teaspoon flour mixture to toss with the chocolate chips) and mix to combine. Have patience, it WILL combine.
- Toss chocolate chips with reserved flour to coat; add to cookie dough and mix just to combine.
- Using three tablespoons (#20 scoop) of dough at a time, roll dough into balls and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill dough balls for at least 30 minutes.
- Arrange six dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet set two inches apart and bake 12–14 minutes (12 minutes will result in a gooey cookie, 14 will result in a chewy cookie).
Optional step: if you like the chocolate chips to look melty like mine do, use the handle of a piece of silverware to lightly swirl the chocolate immediately after the cookies have come out of the oven. However, this certainly isn’t necessary!
Chill the Dough!
It is SO important that you scoop and chill the dough soon after mixing up the dough. If you aren’t ready or don’t have time to form the dough into balls, pop the dough in the refrigerator to chill until you are.
Do not let the dough sit out at room temperature or the coconut oil could begin to separate from the dough.
A Note on Bake Time
I give a range of baking times with this recipe for a few reasons. One, all ovens are different. Yours might run a little hot or it may run a little cool. Start checking them at 12 minutes, and when their edges feel set, pull them.
The second reason I give a range is because this also depends on how you like your cookies. Less time in the oven results in a ooey gooey cookie. More time creates a chewier cookie—both variations are great it just depends on preference. Now, if you like your cookies more dough then cookie, then I would recommend pulling these out at 11 or even 10 minutes.
How to Measure Flour
How you measure flour matters. This is true for all baking, but especially whole-wheat baking. Measuring by weight is ideal. But in the case that you do not have a food scale remember this: fluff, spoon, level.
Fluff the flour by stirring the flour lightly with a large spoon. Using the large spoon, spoon the flour into your measuring cup. Then use a flat edge (back of a knife) to level it off.
Freezing Cookie Dough
This cookie dough freezes wonderfully. I recommend scooping and forming the dough into dough balls as directed in the recipe. Then freeze the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer the dough balls to a resealable bag, or Stasher bag. Frozen cookie dough will last up to three months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to bake, arrange the frozen dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet as directed in the recipe. (No need to thaw the dough prior to baking—they’ll actually do better if you don’t.) From frozen, bake cookies at 375ºF for 14–16 minutes.
More Whole-Wheat Bakes
Breakfast
Whole-Wheat Olive Oil Banana Bread
Healthy Baking
Healthy Whole-Wheat Muffins
Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Desserts
Trail Mix Cookies
Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Description
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Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups (146g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup packed coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup melted unrefined coconut oil*
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup creamy natural almond butter*
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks*
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside.
- Combine coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, egg, egg yolk, salt and vanilla, whisk until mixture is smooth and no lumps remain, 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk vigorously for 30 seconds and rest for 3 minutes. Repeat process of whisking and resting 2 more times, ending with resting, until mixture is thick, fluffy, smooth and shiny. Whisk in almond butter and beat until thick, 1 minute.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture (reserve ½ teaspoon flour to toss with chocolate chips) until nearly combined. Toss chocolate chips with reserved ½ teaspoon flour to coat; add chocolate chips to dough and mix just to combine.
- Working with 3 tablespoons (#20 scoop) dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
- Chill sheets with dough balls for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 375ºF with rack set in middle position.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are golden brown, puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 12–14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer sheet to a wire rack, sprinkle cookies with sea salt, and cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (best within 3 days).
I’ll be honest, I was a bit skeptical when I made the dough, but OH my gosh. These cookies are SO dang good. Super chewy, coconutty, and just the perfect amount of sweetness. the finish of salt is perfect too! Already making these again this weekend, thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Lynn! The dough does seem questionable at first 😉 So glad you enjoyed these!
THESE ARE SO GOOD! So chewy, omg. LOVE THESE!
ahh yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed these!
These are the bomb!! love this recipe!
Yay! I am so glad you enjoy them Carolyn!