Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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5 from 2179 votes
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These healthy chocolate chip cookies are the recipe that would convert ALL non-healthy eaters! They are soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite. No chill time needed.

healthy chocolate chip cookies.

I consider myself an expert on chocolate chip cookies. I’ve shared a fair few on here too, including specialty ones like vegan chocolate chip cookies and keto chocolate chip cookies. However, when we want to eat cookies ALL the time and not feel guilty about it, these healthy chocolate chip cookies are your answer.

These cookies are so easy to make, perfectly soft, chewy, and crisp with edges. I’ve brought them to many events, and people always question whether I’ve secretly bought them from a bakery or dessert shop- they are THAT good and don’t taste healthy!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make healthy chocolate chip cookies
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. More healthy desserts
  7. Best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe Card)
  8. Frequently asked questions

Why I love this recipe

  • Quick and easy. No chill time is needed, so these cookies only need 15 minutes in the oven.
  • Wholesome ingredients. These healthy cookies need no white flour, eggs, sugar, or grains.
  • Perfect texture and flavor. Sweet, buttery, and with mouthfuls of chocolate in every bite. The soft and chewy texture which we ALL love in any good cookie.

If you enjoy healthier cookie recipes, try my flourless cookies, healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and healthy oatmeal raisin cookies next.

★★★★★ REVIEW 

“These are amazing! We’ve made them multiple times, both with honey and maple syrup, and they always turn out great. Our boys prefer them without chocolate, so we usually make both. Definitely recommend.” – Tina

Ingredients needed

  • Almond flour. Blanched almond flour gives the chocolate chip cookies a light texture. Avoid using almond meal, as it will make the cookies denser. 
  • Arrowroot starch. Works with the almond flour to keep the cookies soft and chewy without falling apart or needing eggs. You can also use cornstarch if you’d like.
  • Baking powder. Gives the cookies some rise and width.
  • Coconut oil. It replaces any need for butter while keeping the cookies buttery and soft.
  • Maple syrup. Adds sweetness to the cookies without being overpowering. You can replace this with agave nectar or honey (although honey can be slightly overpowering).
  • Vanilla extract. A MUST for any good cookie recipe. 
  • Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk of choice will work. 
  • Chocolate Chips. Use a mix of mini chocolate chips and standard chocolate chips to ensure there are mouthfuls in every bite.

How to make healthy chocolate chip cookies

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

almond flour and arrowroot powder in a bowl.

Step 1– Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

healthy cookie dough in a bowl.

Step 2- Heat the maple syrup and coconut oil together. Add the coconut oil and syrup mixture to the dry ingredients, vanilla extract, and milk. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

shaping balls of cookie dough on a baking sheet.

Step 3- Form balls of dough and place on a lined baking tray, pressing down on each one to form a cookie shape.

baked healthy cookies on a baking sheet.

Step 4- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly brown.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Shape cookies any way you like. Since these cookies don’t spread much, you can be flexible with how thick or thin you want them to be. I generally prefer them on the thicker side. 
  • DO NOT overbake the cookies! Again, these cookies are eggless, so if they are undercooked, it’s no issue. 
  • If your coconut oil and syrup mixture is still warm, let the cookie dough sit briefly before folding through the chocolate chips- we don’t want the chocolate chips to melt!
  • Avoid overmixing the batter– overmixing will make the cookies more prone to falling apart.
  • If the dough is crumbly, add a little more milk.

Storage instructions

To store: Cookies should be stored in a sealable container for up to 1 week. They can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag or freezer-friendly container. Cookies will keep fresh for up to 6 months. 

healthy choc chip cookies.

More healthy desserts

If you tried this Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe. 

healthy chocolate chip cookies recipe

Best Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 2179 votes
These healthy chocolate chip cookies are the BEST healthy cookie recipe ever! These are thick, soft, and chewy. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 16 servings
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot starch * See notes
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup ** See notes
  • 2 stablespoon coconut oil or butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a large tray with parchment paper or prepare a cookie sheet. Set aside. 
  • Combine the almond flour, arrowroot starch, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and mix well. 
  • Combine the coconut oil and syrup in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan over the stove, and heat until melted. Whisk together until combined. 
  • Add the syrup/coconut oil mixture to the dry mixture, along with the vanilla extract and coconut milk, and mix very well. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
  • Form 16 small balls of cookie dough. Place each ball on the lined tray and press each one lightly into a cookie shape. 
  • Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. 

Notes

* Can substitute this for cornstarch or tapioca flour.
** You can replace this with agave nectar or honey. 
If your cookie dough batter is too crumbly, slowly add a little extra milk of choice.
TO STORE. Cookies should be stored in a sealable container for up to 1 week. You can also store in the refrigerator to keep them longer, for up to 2 weeks.
TO FREEZE. Place cookies in a ziplock bag or freezer-friendly container. Cookies will keep fresh for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSodium: 32mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 15g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Frequently asked questions

Can I use another flour?

I tested these cookies with white flour and whole wheat flour, and the texture wasn’t the best. If you can’t tolerate almond flour, you are better off making one of my non-almond flour recipes.

Why didn’t my cookies spread?

Because there aren’t any eggs or granulated sugar in the dough, these cookies won’t spread. This is why I recommend shaping them into a cookie shape before placing them in the oven.

Originally published July 2020, updated and republished May 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were so good! The texture was slightly grainy, but the flavor was so good it didn’t matter. Thanks for another awesome recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    These are amazing! We’ve made them multiple times, both with honey and maple syrup, and always turn out great. Our boys prefer them without chocolate, so usually make both. Definitely recommend.

    1. 5 stars
      I have made 9 batches of these cookies so far! The recipe is perfect as-is, but it’s also very easily augmented.
      I have made them with unsweetened almond milk, I have swapped out the starch with chickpea flour, I have added tasted almonds and a half top of almond extract.
      I have swapped out the starch with powdered peanut butter (pb2)
      Every time, these are delicious, perfect and absolutely addictive.
      I can’t keep them around long and I have to make them every single week.

      Thank you!! You’ve seriously improved my quality of life because I am unable to eat cane sugar or wheat flour. I’ve missed real cookies for years… I don’t have to miss them anymore.

      Btw, I use Hu chocolate baking chips.

    2. 5 stars
      I have made 9 batches of these cookies so far! The recipe is perfect as-is, but it’s also very easily augmented.
      I have made them with unsweetened almond milk, I have swapped out the starch with chickpea flour, I have added toasted almonds and a half tsp
      of almond extract.
      I have swapped out the starch with powdered peanut butter (pb2)
      Every time, these are delicious, perfect and absolutely addictive.
      I can’t keep them around long and I have to make them every single week.

      Thank you!! You’ve seriously improved my quality of life because I am unable to eat cane sugar or wheat flour. I’ve missed real cookies for years… I don’t have to miss them anymore.

      Btw, I use Hu chocolate baking chips.

      1. 5 stars
        Wow, these cookies are amazing!! Totally satisfied my chocolate chip cookie craving, without all the guilt…
        I added about 1/4 tsp of salt.

  3. 5 stars
    Coconut oil is incredibly high in saturated fat, so I would suggest replacing it with vegetable oil, which is higher in unsaturated fat.

  4. 5 stars
    According to Blue Diamond, not all blanched almond flours will put the word “blanched” on their packaging so don’t assume the almond flour was not made with blanched almonds until you have checked with the company:))

  5. 5 stars
    Very nice recipe. I had no maple syrup so I’ve added an egg and used sugar substitute. I didn’t have enough arrow root so added a bit of coconut flour to make it sticky. Worked like a spell

  6. 5 stars
    I will make these but will use avocado oil instead of coconut oil. way lower in saturated fat than butter or coconut oil and it’s healthy. can even use olive oil. if anyone is watching sat fat coconut oil is not best choice. texture should be fine as I have used it before.

  7. 5 stars
    They are soooooooooooooooo good.
    I love the idea. substituted cornstarch, olive, almond milk, half honey & syrup.

  8. 5 stars
    Made these with less oil and maple syrup, added in monk fruit + more coconut milk and lily’s dark chocolate baking chips to decrease calorie count. Whole family loves them.

  9. 5 stars
    Just made these! Mmmmmm! I usually 1/2 recipes to taste test, this one I will definitely make again and may even double to share!

  10. 5 stars
    t
    These are sooo good! wowzer!! I did add chunks of broken almonds and dried cherries in addition to the chocolate chips….best gf cookies ever!! one would never know they were gf….=) definitely a top winner.

  11. 5 stars
    Surprisingly!! Delicious! I have tried so many healthy, chocolate chip cookies, and they’ve all tasted like powder. These were moist and delicious. I just have to get used to almond flour versus flour on the healthy train.

  12. Hi!
    I am loving your recipes!
    I am allergic to coconut, and cannot use coconut milk or oil.
    So I am asking you what I can use for a substitute, especially in the chocolate chip cookies or muffin recipes. I often use bananas and apple sauce for sweeteners and softeners too.
    I am dairy free and gluten free as well.
    Thank you so much.
    -Karen

  13. 5 stars
    I ran across this recipe about a year ago and LOVE these cookies! I will say it is the first time I have ever seen a cookie recipe without salt. I automatically added a 1/2 tsp.

    I gave the recipe to a friend but forgot to tell her to add salt. She said they were not good. I have given the recipe to many people and I always make sure to tell them to add salt.

    Thanks for my go-to cookie recipe!!

  14. 5 stars
    I was dx with gluten intolerance a few years ago , but never really cut back completely. My family has been wanting to bake CC cookies for a while so i thought of trying a healthier version and was expecting a dry, hard, bland tasting cookie. Boy was I wrong! These CC cookies are by far the best! They are moist, chewy and delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

  15. 5 stars
    First time was ok, my own fault in adding to much almond flour. Second time I made a double batch and wowser what a difference in a great way!

  16. Hi! These sound delicious! Can I use all purpose gluten free flour instead of almond flour and arrowroot? Thanks!!❤️

  17. Can I add real cherries into the recipe in addition to the chocolate chips and if so, how does this modify the recipe?

  18. 5 stars
    The batter seemed a bit loose so I added a touch more almond flour. That was a mistake. They didn’t spread at all. (Don’t do what I did, stick with the masters instructions.) Still, the flavour was great. Added flaked sea salt to the top once out of the oven. Thanks for the recipe Arman. Next; cheesecake.

  19. 5 stars
    These cookies are so soft and delicious, my boyfriend literally asks me to make them every week. Today I tried making them with date syrup instead of maple syrup. Good news is they are still crazy soft and tasty-bad news is they arent as sweet as the original. Next time I will try 3 TBSP of date syrup (homemade) and 3 of maple to hopefully make then even healthier and just as tasty. Big thanks for the origial recipe!

    Please delete my earlier comment with my full name.

  20. These cookies are so soft and delicious, my boyfriend literally asks me to make them every week. Today I tried making them with date syrup instead of maple syrup. Good news is they are still crazy soft and tasty-bad news is they arent as sweet as the original. Next time I will try 3 TBSP of date syrup (homemade) and 3 of maple to hopefully make then even healthier and just as tasty. Big thanks for the origial recipe!

  21. Can I add peanut butter to the recipe? Also, can I use honey instead to sweeten them> How much should I use? Or monk fruit, can I use that and how much should I use?

  22. 5 stars
    Yes, coconut oil and maple syrup are the secret ingredients in my chocolate chip cookie recipe which family and friends can never get enough of, but I’ve never tried it using almond flour – it was always whole wheat flour. Perhaps I will give it a whirl one day. Thanks so much! 🇨🇦

  23. 5 stars
    Wonderful!!! I made these and my daughter the critic loved them . She even took the recipe home with her. Think I will add coconut or nuts to the next batch.

  24. 5 stars
    You mentioned Coconut Flour in your recipe. How do these turn out when you sub Coconut rather than the almond flour?

  25. Made 1/2 batch using whole wheat white flour and cornstarch. I think they turned out nice. The texture isn’t bad at all and they are the perfect sweetness for my palate. Just wondering if I did the right thing on these two substitutes.

  26. 5 stars
    just wanted to say that your recipe is awesome and my cookies came out tasting divine!
    have a great day y’all!

  27. Potentially silly question: when you said “Cookies can be kept refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks…” do you mean the baked cookies, or the cookie dough?

  28. 5 stars
    I’m so happy I found this recipe because these cookies turned out great considering how much healthier the ingredients are and the overall ease of the recipe. I substituted the arrowroot powder for ground flaxseed, used 5 tbs of maple syrup instead of 6, and added a pinch of flaky salt and wow they were delicious! Definitely satisfied my craving for a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie. Very moist with a great texture and flavor.

  29. These were tasty especially with some pecans for texture. I couldn’t really roll them more like a PLOP onto the pan and some shaping after the fact. They did need some salt. They were not overly sweet, however I used pieces of a 70% dark chocolate bar since I had no vegan chocolate chips and that may have made the difference. I also had to cook them about 10 mins longer to even get them to slightly brown.

    I cant really get enough of these! One after breakfast, lunch, and two after dinner and no regrets since they’re full of protein and natural sugars!!!

  30. Can something be substituted for the coconut oil? Maybe Earth Balance vegan butter? I have a sensitivity to coconut.

  31. These cookies are perfect! I used unsweetened almond milk and bittersweet chocolate chunks. I also added some salt and only used 5tbsp of sweetener (would recommend if you like a less sweet cookie). They are super soft and the whole family enjoyed!

  32. can i leave the dough in the fridge for about 30 min before baking to make them not spread as much?

  33. These…Cookies….are…Phenomenal!!! I am NOT Vegan. If anything, I’m a carnivore that also LOVES sweets….Cookies being the main type (Every year my friends give me a new Cookie Monster Shirt….this $h*! is serious). My Fiancee, however, is Vegan and in her attempts to prolong my life and keep me healthy (as well as reach my health goals), she lovingly attempts to make vegan versions of cookies I like to help me keep the food I love while staying healthy. Most of the times I have to smile and say they taste okay and other times they actually taste kinda good, but still too healthy and not the dessert I’d wanna end my meal on after a long day. These cookies are the CLOSEST THING TO REAL chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. I dare say they taste like unhealthy (aka heavenly) Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I don’t think my brain will let me say it….but they’re D@MN Close if not just as good. I will be effing these cookies up on a VERY regular basis! God Bless you for this!

  34. Since I can’t use almond flour vanilla or almond extract, what can I do? Also has to be gluten free! Any help?

  35. Holy moly this batter is do delicious! I could eat this without bothering to bake it haha. These turned out really sticky for me though, I couldn’t roll them and mixture stuck to the spoon. I did sub to cornflour. Any tips on what to do to stop this or what I may of done wrong?

  36. Hi Arman 🙂 Your recipe sounds perfect, but I do not have arrowroot powder or cornstarch. If i don’t have problems with eggs, can I sub an egg for the arrowroot?

  37. Thank you Arman – I LOVE how you write in the above “substitutions” and tips/tricks for making these recipes!! I’ve spent time searching the internet for substitutions when I don’t have the exact ingredients on hand so it’s SO HELPFUL you’ve really thought out these answers and tips for us “average” cooks that still want to try out your recipes! So glad I stumbled upon your site! 🙂

  38. well the only difference i did was use coconut flour instead of almond and the dough is CRUMBLES. i rolled some into balls which did stay but i cooked it for 15 mins and they never formed or cooked thru. >:(

  39. Tried these with unsweetened almond milk! They smelled and tasted so amazing even though I had run out of vanilla extract and didn’t end up using any 🙁 I also found that hand-rolling them into balls challenging because my batter was so sticky and kept sticking onto my hands. Thankful I found this recipe though, thank you Arman!

  40. These cookie are so yummy! First cookies I’ve made with almond flour that aren’t dry. Love, love, love them! Making another batch today. Totally impressed, great recipe and super easy 🙂

  41. I don’t know how you came up with these, but they’re SO good. I was skeptical, then I tried them. I couldn’t believe they made a cookie, let alone a chewy, soft, fluffy cookie. Only change I made was adding salt. Thanks for this recipe!

  42. Texture-wise, these were fine. They came out soft and chewy, which is how I like my chocolate chip cookies. However, they were lacking in the taste department. I think some sea salt would have made all the difference. They tasted almost watered down. I used unsweetened almond milk in place of the coconut milk, and carob chips in place of the chocolate ones, but I don’t think using the original ingredients would have made such a huge difference.

    1. Hmmm that’s odd, most people find them too sweet- I can’t vouch for carob as I find it tasteless, but feel free to add salt!

  43. Hi Arman

    I made the cookies but noticed a bit of a bitter aftertaste. I’m assuming it’s because I used a monk fruit liquid sweetener. Is it possible to use a granulated sweetener for this recipe? If so, how much would be needed to replace the 6 Tbsp of liquid sweetener?

  44. Just made these. They were pretty good but I wonder if I should have processed the almond flour. I use store bought but they seeming a bit grainy after cooking. Still yummy and edible though!!!

  45. Made these cookies last night and just used 5 Tbs honey. The dough tasted a bit too sweet but the cookies turned out perfect and are not too sweet at all! Love em! My sister got her hands on them and I’m hoping she’s leaving some for me! Greetings from Germany, love your recipes!

  46. @Arman,

    Typo in the instructions. You have 175F/350C… That should be 175C/350F right? Currently have a batch in the oven as we speak at 175F at 15 mins and they don’t look anywhere near baked. lol.

  47. What a wonderful cookie recipe! I never knew those ingredients would work together and bind into a perfect cookie dough and baked cookie batch. Yes, I mentioned cookie dough because I would taste the raw dough before heating it up into cookies!