These healthy chocolate cookies are soft, chewy and of course- chocolatey. They are dairy-free, made without butter or oil and lower in sugar which makes them a great healthier alternative to more traditional chocolate cookies.
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For more easy cookie recipes try 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies, Low Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanutbutter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
- They come together in no time since all the ingredients can be mixed together in one bowl.
- They make the perfect healthier dessert or afternoon pick-me-up snack!
- They are gluten-free, dairy-free, eggless and made without butter or oil.
What makes these chocolate cookies a healthier choice?
While I wouldn't categorize these cookies as a health food per se (they are still cookies), they come pretty close to what I would describe as "healthy cookies":
- They are lower in fat (especially saturated fat) because of the complete absence of butter or oil.
- They are cholesterol-free because there's no egg included.
- They are dairy-free and suitable for a vegan diet.
- They are flourless and therefore gluten-free and perfect for people with celiac disease.
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Hazelnut Flour/ Meal: These cookies are made with hazelnut flour (also referred to as hazelnut meal) instead of regular all-purpose flour. Hazelnut flour is made from finely ground hazelnuts. You could use almond meal instead.
- Cacao Powder: I used unsweetened cacao powder for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Instead of brown sugar you could use coconut sugar or any other granulated sweetener of choice.
- Maple Syrup: Acts as a sweetener and helps create a sticky dough.
- Milk of Choice: I prefer using a dairy-free milk alternative such as almond milk, soy milk or oat milk but any milk will work here.
- Chocolate Chips: Choose whichever chocolate chips you prefer such as vegan, semi-sweet or regular. Instead, you could chop some dark chocolate into small pieces yourself.
- Blanched Roasted Hazelnuts: An optional but highly recommended add-in!
Step-by-step photo instructions
These simple chocolate cookies are incredibly quick and easy to make. There's no special equipment needed other than a large mixing bowl.
STEP 1: Dry ingredients. Add all of the dry ingredients (hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar) to a large bowl.
Stir until well combined. I like using a whisk to avoid clumps!
STEP 2: Wet ingredients. Add in your wet ingredients (maple syrup and plant milk).
And mix thoroughly. I like using my hands because the dough is pretty sticky.
STEP 3: Add hazelnuts & chocolate chips. Fold in chopped chocolate chunks and blanched roasted hazelnuts.
STEP 4: Bake. Scoop out about 1-2 tablespoon of the mix (I used a cookie scoop) and shape the dough into round cookies using your hands. Put them onto a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Top Tips
- Use your hands to make the dough. Once you've added the wet ingredients, the dough becomes super sticky. The easiest way to combine wet and dry ingredients is by using your hands.
- Don't overbake: The cookies will still be very soft straight out of the oven. Leave them on the baking sheet for another 2-3 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. They will then become firmer once cool.
Variations
- No Hazelnuts: Even though my favorite nuts to use in these healthy chocolate cookies are hazelnuts, you could also use walnuts or pecans instead.
- Low Sugar: Opt for cocoa nibs instead of regular chocolate chips or leave them out completely.
- White Chocolate Chips: Instead of regular chocolate chips you could use white chocolate chips.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for some extra vanilla flavors.
Serving Suggestions
- Healthy Snack: Our favorite way of enjoying these cookies is alongside some homemade Healthy Chocolate Milk or Oat Milk Hot Chocolate.
- Breakfast Cookies: Feel free to enjoy them as a breakfast treat
Storage
- To store: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or at the counter for up to 3 days.
FAQs
Because there's no butter or oil included, they are considerably lower in fat (especially saturated fat) than more traditional cookie recipes. These cookies are also cholesterol-free because there's no egg included as well as dairy-free and vegan.
Of course, by choosing a plant-based milk and vegan chocolate chips.
More cookie recipes
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Cookies (no butter)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (230 g) hazelnut flour = hazelnut meal
- 5 tbsp (80 g) brown sugar
- 1 big tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon (2.4oz) (70 ml) milk of choice *oat milk, almond milk...
- ¼ cup (30 g) blanched roasted hazelnuts *chopped
- handful of dark (vegan) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well using a whisk.
- Add in all the wet ingredients and stir until the dough is well combined. The dough will be very sticky, the easiest way is using your hands.
- Fold in chocolate chips & hazelnut pieces.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mix (I used a cookie scoop) and use your hands to shape them into cookies (see step-by-step photos or video). Repeat until the dough is finished.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) top and bottom heat for about 12-15 minutes then turn off the oven.
- In case your cookies are still quite soft at the bottom, turn the cookies up side down and let them sit in the (turned-off) oven for another 5 minutes.
- Let cool completely as the cookies will become firmer as they cool.
Video
Notes
- Low Sugar: Opt for cocoa nibs instead of regular chocolate chips or leave them out completely.
- To store: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or at the counter for up to 3 days.
Clara says
Awesome cookies that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was just a little too sweet for me. Otherwise, it is really easy and tasty. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Katie says
That's good to know, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a feedback 🙂
Hazel says
Hi! Approximately what weight of hazelnuts would I use if I was grinding whole nuts?
Katie says
Hi Hazel, the same amount actually, so 8oz (230g) of hazelnuts.
Tabatha James says
Omg these are AMAZING!
I used coconut sugar and halved it as I like less sweet. Also replaced some of the ground hazelnuts for oat flour and worked well!
Katie says
Very happy to hear that you liked the recipe and that you could modify it so easily and it still worked out! 🙂