These carob cookies are sweet with crispy edges and chewy centers. There's no fancy ingredients involved (except for the carob powder of course) and no chilling time required!
New to the carob game? Let's break it down. Carob powder comes from the pods of the carob tree, a sturdy Mediterranean plant. These pods, when ground into a powder, offer a unique flavor profile.
Unlike cocoa, carob brings a milder sweetness and a hint of caramel. Picture it as cocoa's caffeine-free and chocolate-free cousin.
Just like my Carob Brownies carob chip cookie recipe uses less than 10 simple ingredients. They are made with oil instead of butter and come together in 20 minutes!
For more easy, straight forward cookies recipes check out my Low-Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe or these 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies.
Ingredients & substitution notes
- Flour: White, all-purpose flour is what you'll need. If you want to make these cookies gluten-free I recommend using a gluten-free flour blend (don't simply swap the flour for coconut flour or oat flour). I haven't tested using whole wheat flour.
- Carob: Usually available in health food stores. Could be replaced by cocoa powder.
- Eggs: I highly recommend choosing high-quality eggs. I used free range, organic ones. If you want to make these vegan, you can sub the eggs with flax eggs. Check out my FAQs section for more details.
- Oil: You can use any neutral tasting vegetable oil of choice. I opted for a mix of extra virgin olive oil and castor oil. Coconut oil would also work if you don't mind subtle coconut flavors.
- Sugar: Go for soft brown sugar. I haven't tried using a different type of granulated sugar such as coconut sugar or regular white sugar but I guess it might work as well. You can't substitute the granulated sweetener for a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup in this recipe because the liquid-flour ratio wouldn't work anymore.
- Baking powder + soda: used as leavening agents.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-step: How to make carob cookies
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, carob, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until creamy using an electric mixer. Add the oil and beat again.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Step 4: Stir until well combined using a spatula. Then fold in chocolate-chips (if using).
Step 5: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop small portions of the cookie dough onto the sheet, leaving enough room between them.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the tray for another 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack.
Katie's expert tips
- Thoroughly measure the flour. Using a spoon, lightly scoop the flour into the dry measuring cup. Once you've filled the measuring cup, use the back of a knife or a flat edge to level off the excess flour. This ensures an accurate measurement without compacting the flour. Alternatively, you could use a kitchen scale.
- High quality ingredients. As mentioned above I highly recommend using high-quality eggs and oil. It really does make a difference when it comes to taste.
- Watch baking time. To prevent overbaked cookies, stick to the recommended baking time. Remember, the residual heat continues to work its magic even after they're out. Every oven is slightly different but I recommend sticking to 9 minutes at 355°F. The goal is to achieve slightly crispy edges with a soft, chewy center.
Storage
- To store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: These cookies freeze well. Use a freezer-friendly container and freeze up to 3 months. Let thaw on the counter overnight.
FAQs
Yes actually, however, the method will be slightly different and you won't need an electric mixer. Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Replace the egg with a flax egg (see instructions below) and add it to the dry ingredients together with the oil. Once the dough is slightly sticky (it won't be as sticky as the egg dough), shape cookies by hand and bake for 9-10 minutes.
Stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (also known as flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoon of water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until thick and gel-like. Then use it just like an egg in the recipe. No ground flax on hand? Just blitz whole flaxseeds in a blender and you're good to go.
More cookie recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Carob Cookies
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet with parchment paper
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 electric mixer
Ingredients
- ½ cup (65 g) flour *white all-purpose
- ⅓ cup (30 g) carob
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup (130 g) soft brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (65 g) oil *I used half light olive, half rapeseed
- ¼ cup (45 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 355°F/ 180°C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except for the sugar.½ cup flour , ⅓ cup carob, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until creamy (see step-by-step photos or video) using an electric mixer.1 egg, ¾ cup soft brown sugar
- Add the oil and beat again until well incorporated.⅓ cup oil
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones (or the other way round) and mix either with an electric mixer or a spatula.
- Fold in chocolate chips.¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips
- Use a small cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) and scoop small balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking tray.
Video
Notes
- Thoroughly measure the flour. Using a spoon, lightly scoop the flour into the dry measuring cup. Once you've filled the measuring cup, use the back of a knife or a flat edge to level off the excess flour. This ensures an accurate measurement without compacting the flour. Alternatively, you could use a kitchen scale.
- Type of oil: Choose a neutral-tasting oil like rapeseed or avocado oil for the best flavor. If using olive oil, go for a light variety so the taste isn't overpowering- unless you don't mind the flavor!
- High quality ingredients. As mentioned above I highly recommend using high-quality eggs and oil. It really does make a difference when it comes to taste.
- Watch baking time. To prevent overbaked cookies, stick to the recommended baking time. Remember, the residual heat continues to work its magic even after they're out. Every oven is slightly different but I recommend sticking to 9 minutes at 355°F. The goal is to achieve slightly crispy edges with a soft, chewy center.
Kim Kim says
These dough is very sticky but the cookies turned out nice and shiny. I added some walnuts and used the semi sweet chocolate chips. I also used coconut sugar instead of brown. Nice thin crispy and chewy cookie. Strong carob flavor.
Katie says
Hi- Thanks so much for your feedback! Very happy you liked them 🙂
June says
The recipe was very thorough! The cookies turned out just like the photos! The dough was delish! Waiting for the cookies to cool so I can eat one😋😋
Katie says
Hi June! Thanks so much, so happy to hear that!
Michelle says
I made these and I put some coconut and pecans in them. Big hit with my 12 year old daughter who is picky as anyone can be. She says it taste like a brownie ..I agree ,super fudge like inside ...dark chocolate like ...and best part is no caffeine. Still not a diet food! Lol
Katie says
I love this 😂 “tastes like a brownie” is honestly one of the best compliments these could get- especially coming from a picky 12-year-old! The coconut and pecans sound like such a good addition too.
Marie says
Made some changes:
1. Reduce brown sugar to 70g, and it was good. Not to sweet and just right!
2. Swap egg for flax egg as suggested. BUT I had to find flax egg directions from the web as nowhere (as far as I could find) on this website is this explained. So I don't know if there are additional adjustments to be made because of flax egg. Might I suggest the flax egg replacement is instructed and not just suggested?
3. Sprinkled some salt flakes on top. Just because I had them and it seemed like a good compliment. And it was, a nice pop of salt to the sweet!
4. Because the dough was different, at the 9 min mark the cookies still looked too soft so I added 3 min to baking time. In hindsight this was not necessary as they cooled down and were quite crunchy (but still good). With flax egg they DO NOT look like on the picture, the colour is dark and no different than what they looked like as dough. In future I will trust the process more.
But I will make more of them and I probably will try to make some changes, like add spices or nuts, etc. Overall I'm happy as this recipe is easy and fast and results in some tasty cookies!
Katie says
Hi Marie, I truly appreciate you taking the time to share such a detailed, thoughtful comment. I’ve already added the flax egg instructions to the recipe, because you’re absolutely right: suggesting a swap without explaining it isn’t very helpful and no one should have to go off Googling mid-bake. 😉 I’m really glad you pointed that out.
Evelyn says
Really good! Def going to be one of my favorites 🥰
Katie says
Thanks a lot 🙂
Claud says
Really disappointing. Followed recipe exactly and they didn’t turnout. The dough looked more like a batter and the edges were burnt with centre not cooked enough. Also you shouldn’t recommend olive oil because of the one cookie I did try it was one of the main flavours
Katie says
Ah I’m really sorry to hear that- I’ve tested and made these cookies quite a few times and they’ve always worked well for me, so I’m not entirely sure what went wrong here- sometimes it can come down to oven temperature, how wet the dough is, or even the type of baking tray used. And you’re absolutely right about the olive oil- it really depends on the kind you use. I usually use light olive oil which has a much milder flavour compared to extra virgin, which can taste quite strong in baking. I’ll make a note in the recipe to clarify that so there’s no confusion next time. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Aubrey W says
This recipe was fantastic! The cookies were addicting, I had to stop myself from eating more than two at a time! I'll be making this on repeat. However, the recipe is missing a pretty critical step of mixing the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients together after step 4. For experienced bakers, this would go without saying, but may not for those who don't know. Otherwise, great recipe!
Katie says
Hi Aubrey, thanks so much for pointing that out! It seems like I only included them in the step-by-step photos and not the recipe card, I’ve already updated the recipe to include that step- really appreciate you catching it. And I’m so happy you loved the cookies! Thanks again for taking the time to leave such a kind and helpful comment! 💛
Anonymous says
Great recipe! I swapped out the regular flour for cassava flour, and for the sugar, I used coconut sugar and only 1/4 cup. Carob is naturally sweet. You don’t need to use that much sugar. This ratio is absolutely perfect. It tastes incredible! I keep playing around with the sugar ratios. I think next time I’ll try even less, but this is a great recipe to go off of. It’s also great for just a weeknight snack, put the raw dough in a ramekin. Put it in the microwave for like 30 seconds and you have a molten lava cake. Highly recommend
Alicia says
Didn't come together, crumbly and you could taste the oil
Katie Roux says
Sorry to hear that!
Milann Daugherty says
Thank you. I'm craving recipes woth Carob powder. Could you add some chopped walnuts? Thanks
Katie Roux says
If you chop them into smaller pieces, I'm sure they'll add some great taste to the cookies!
CindyKay says
These cookies turned out great! I made them GF with a gf flour blend from store. I used coconut sugar and avocado oil. They were crispy on the edges, soft and chewy in the middle. Great with milk!
Kira says
Is it possible to beat the eggs and sugar without an electric mixer?
Katie says
Yes you could give it a try but beating with an electric mixer will incorporate some air into the mixture making the cookies a bit fluffier.
CindyKay says
Hi Kira,
I also did NOT mix the eggs and sugar with a mixer. I used a wisk. At first it seemed that it would not mix up easy, but I kept at it and soon it was nice and creamy. I then added the oil and SLOWLY blended it into the sugar/egg mixture until it was fully incorporated.
Skylar says
I love the looks of this recipe. It's well done, beautiful and looks super easy to follow. I plan on trying them today. The only thing I couldn't find was how many cookies it makes. These will be a gift to someone struggling with gut issues and carob powder is known to be beneficial for that. I'll comment on how they turn out once baked. Thanks!
Katie says
Hi Skylar- right under "prep time" and "cook time" there it says "servings: 18 cookies"- but you can change the amount of cookies you'll like to make. I hope that helps. 🙂 Happy to hear how they turn out.