The Best Healthy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This post, along with the recipe and photographs, was updated January 11, 2022.

You know those weird national food holidays that really don’t mean anything but you celebrate them anyway?

Well, I’ve come to realize they’re actually quite useful as a food blogger because it gives me a break from brainstorming new recipe ideas and plans out my content for me. I’ll admit, however, that I only remember to check my list about three or four times a year…

Anyway, tomorrow is one of the holidays I actually remembered to mark on my calendar and I’ve been testing this recipe to make sure it is perfect for you guys! Today’s new blog post is celebrating National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day with the best recipe for healthy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

These chocolate chip cookies are made with a few healthier swaps that don't sacrifice flavor in any way. Keep reading to see my secret ingredients that make these homemade chocolate chip cookies healthy!

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Ingredients for healthy chocolate chip cookies

Now, before you get all upset about the word "healthy" next to "chocolate chip cookies," let me promise there are no alternative flours, no nut butters, no flax eggs, and certainly no bananas. There are times and places for those ingredients, but this recipe for healthy chocolate chip cookies is not one of them.

Here's what you WILL find in your healthy chocolate chip cookies:

• Traditional dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. And yes, you will need both baking powder and baking soda. Using a combination for no chill recipes helps prevent over-spreading in the oven.
• Brown sugar: for an extra dose of "chewy." The amount of brown sugar I use it about half as much as every other recipe and it's the only true sugar in these cookies!

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• Eggs: for stability and a dose of protein. Please please please make sure your eggs are room temperature before mixing them! It really does make a difference.
• Stevia: this is one of my secret ingredients! Stevia is a natural, plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener that replaces granulated sugar. Using Stevia cuts out about 30 calories and 12 grams of sugar per cookie. So basically you get the classic flavor and texture of your favorite cookie without the extra carbs. You're welcome!
• Olive oil butter: I'm not naturally dairy-free, but when I discovered this olive oil butter I made the switch and never looked back. It acts and tastes like butter, but it's made with heart healthy fats from olive oil instead of the harmful fats from traditional butter. It's a win-win, especially when you make a double batch of cookies!
• Sugar-free chocolate chips: again, you can't taste the difference but this swap makes a difference! It also saves calories and extra sugar in each cookie, which basically means you get to eat more cookies. My favorite brands are this brand and this brand.

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Expert tips for the best cookies

Alright, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Now we dive into the science behind the best cookies. I’ve tested this recipe many many times (and even updated it) to make sure it’s absolutely perfect, so stick to these simple tips and you’ll be golden:

1. Make sure your wet ingredients are at room temperature: this helps keep the cookie dough more stable and bake more evenly. If the butter and eggs are straight out of the fridge, they won't mix completely and your cookies will spread funny! Similarly, if you use frozen butter that's been partially thawed or melted in the microwave, there will be too many air bubbles and they will collapse during baking, leading to a greasy and heavy cookie.
2. Beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy: incorporating air into the beginning stages of your cookie dough helps lighten the cookie and creaming the butter and sugars together helps ensure all the cookie dough will bake evenly.‍
3. Whisk the dry ingredients separately: we want to make sure the leavening agents are spread throughout the flour so all the cookies rise the same. Besides, no one likes a secret pocket of baking soda!‍
4. Remove the cookies slightly underbaked: this way they finish baking on the pan out of the oven without direct heat and they end up absolutely perfect. This is also a trick to getting those beautiful cracks in your cookies! If you pull them out when they're completely baked and they cool on the pan, they'll overbake and crisp up.

Pro tip: for all my best cookie tips and tricks, watch this 20 second video!

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Why you'll love these chewy chocolate chip cookies

• No chill time: that's right! You can bake these chewy chocolate chip cookies right away and have fresh cookies 10 minutes later. You're welcome! (However, if you want an extra amazing chewy cookie, you can chill them for at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats!)
• They're secretly healthy: everyone that's tasted my cookies had NO clue they were dairy-free and sweetened with Stevia. Now that you know, you can feel even better about craving a homemade chocolate chip cookie because you have a recipe with clean eating ingredients!
• They're super chewy: like, melt-in-your-mouth chewy. And they're still chewy five days later after sitting on the counter! Just make sure to store them in an airtight container so they stay fresh.
• They're finished with sea salt: this wasn't a part of the original recipe, but when I updated these cookies (Jan 2022) I added fresh sea salt on top and OH MY GOODNESS it's life changing. Once you try it, you'll never go back!
• They're allergen-friendly: my healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe is easily gluten-free and easily dairy-free. Just use a high quality gluten-free all purpose flour and these chocolate chips.

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More healthy cookie recipes

The BEST Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Pizookie

Healthy Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Healthy Chewy Snowman Molasses Cookies

The Best White Chocolate Funfetti Cookies

The Most Perfect Healthy Chewy Monster Cookies

The Cutest Mini Banana Cream Pie Cookie Cups

Indulgent Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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There you have it! The best homemade Healthy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies at your fingertips! These cookies are easy to make, easy to eat, and easy on your tummy. No need to feel like you’re sacrificing your health goals to enjoy a delicious dessert!

I know you’ll absolutely love this recipe, so be sure to leave a star rating and review below so others readers know how you liked it! You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen!