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These low calorie cookies are soft, chewy, and full of chocolate chips, you won’t believe they have less than 100 calories in them! No butter and no sugar needed, they take less than 10 minutes to make!
Low Calorie Cookies
When it comes to low calorie desserts, my favorite recipes to make are Greek yogurt brownies, low calorie banana bread, 100 calorie mug cakes, and these low calorie cookies.
Healthy desserts are one of my favorite things to make. As someone with a raging sweet tooth, I always have to have something sweet each day. Like clockwork, every afternoon, my body screams for something sweet. Instead of reaching for one of my calorie heavy desserts, I’ve started making smarter choices.
Recently, I shared a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe and while it is full of wholesome ingredients, it isn’t exactly low calorie. Luckily, I’ve been working on a newer version that has considerably fewer calories and less fat, WITHOUT sacrificing any of the flavor or texture.
I’ve been meaning to share a low calorie cookie recipe for quite some time. These are what I call the ‘game changer’ cookies as no one believes me when I tell them they are healthy. No eggs, no sugar, and no butter are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is crisp edges with soft and pillowy middles. They are sweet, buttery, and loaded with chocolate chips, without any butter whatsoever!
I went to visit my sister the other day and brought her a batch of these cookies and she could NOT believe they were under 100 calories- She thought they had to be loaded with sugar and butter!
How do you make low calorie cookies?
The Ingredients
- Flour– I used white whole wheat flour, that has added fiber while maintaining the same texture as traditional white flour. You can use a mix of white and wholewheat flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda– A combination of the two leavening agents helps keep the cookies thick and rise.
- Cornstarch– Holds the cookies together, without needing any eggs!
- Salt– Just a pinch to bring out the overall sweetness of the cookies.
- Unsweetened applesauce– Lowers the fat and calories of the cookies.
- Granulated sweetener of choice– Any zero calorie granulated sweetener can be used. I prefer using swerve brown sugar, which is a sugar free take on brown sugar.
- Coconut oil– Just a small amount of coconut oil is needed to ensure the cookies don’t come out gummy.
- Vanilla extract– A must for any good cookie!
- Chocolate chips– I used sugar free chocolate chips, but any chocolate chips can b used.
The Instructions
Start by mixing together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt, and set aside. In a mixing bowl, add your unsweetened applesauce, sweetener, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk together until smooth. Next, gently stir through the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold through the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
Now, using your hands, form 12 small balls with the dough and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges have just begun to go golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips to make the best low fat chocolate chip cookies
- Do not overbake the cookies, as they continue to bake and firm up as they are cooling down.
- You CAN omit the oil and use all applesauce, however, the cookies will be quite soft and potentially gummy.
- Reserve some extra chocolate chips to top the cookies with.
Storing and freezing low sugar chocolate chip cookies
- To store: Cookies will keep at room temperature, covered, for up to 5 days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator and they will keep well for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze: Place leftover cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More healthy dessert recipes to try
Low Calorie Cookies (Under 100 calories!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice * See notes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce ** See notes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetener, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, until combined. Gently stir through the dry ingredients until combined. Fold through the chocolate chips. If your cookie dough is too crumbly, add a few tablespoons of liquid to thin out.
- Form 16 balls of dough and place them onto the lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just go slightly golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
made these for my family and they loved them :3 thank you!
Thanks, Amber!
Can i use spelt flour instead?
I haven’t tried but you can experiment and see 🙂
Can i use greek yogurt instead of oil?
These are exceptional, and I’ve tried a lot of ‘healthed up’ cookie recipes. I only had a half cup of wheat flour so I subbed for the rest with 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup spelt flour, and 1/2 cup almond flour. I also didn’t have any cornstarch so I put in a teaspoon of cassava flour (I read somewhere that tapioca subs for cornstarch and cassava flour and tapioca are both from cassava root sooo…). They turned out fluffy and super tasty!
Arman, I just cannot emphasize enough how savage every single one of your recipes are!! They are absolutely terrific, in all aspects of simplicity and taste, and of course, nutrition! You are the best I have ever seen and I always keep up to date with your newest recipes! You are truly an amazing and talented person. Please do continue to doing what you’re slaying at!
Aw thank you, Esther!
Hey, I just want to ask is there any alternative for the coconut oil? Because tomorrow I am having a food & nutrition assessment & I’m using this recipe, so can anyone answer me quickly please.
Butter works.
Thank you, the practical went well & my teacher was proud!
Yummmmmm! So soft – I used plain flour and worked just as well!!
Thanks for letting me know, Jasmine!
Tried this and really liked the results.
I have been trying healthier versions of favorite foods, and my family isn’t always receptive of the results. However, all 4 of my kids like them. The really impressive part is even my picky chef husband, who is always the most leary of the healthy recipes I try liked them.
Tried this. Really like the results. All 4 of my kids like them, and even my picky chef husband.
Wow! These were tasty. Super good with a slight crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. I don’t like to change anything when I try a new recipe but found myself out of chocolate chips, so substituted 1/2 cup (total) of dried cranberries, golden raisins and dried cherries. This recipe is a keeper.
My 10yo is usually disappointed when I try to make healthy cookies. But she liked these so much she threw a fit when my husband tried to take one from her plate!
hahaha I love that!
I can understand why the rating is a 5 star. These are now my favorite cookie. Not only are they delicious but they are filling too.
What if you add swerve(zero calorie brown sugar its a sugar replacement) instead of sugar will it lower the calories?
You can try!
awesome recipe, I’ve tried it with brown butter since I don’t have coconut oil, and they turned out delicious, thank you for sharing.
These cookies are so great! I just substituted olive oil for coconut oil because I don’t like the taste of coconut oil and it worked great. I’ve been super sick, and I’ve been craving chocolate chip cookies all day. I decided to finally make them since I’ve felt better. I did cut the recipe down to make only 2 cookies so it was the perfect midnight snack. They did take 20 minutes to bake which I thought was odd. I had the right oven temperature too. Overall these were delicious.
How would adding an egg (or two) impact the other ingredients?
Not sure- Haven’t tried.
How do you keep the applesauce from clumping up the coconut oil?
Whisk it well into the coconut oil
Woww… will definetely try this recipe
Wow, just wow! Thanks for this less-guilt, more-wholesome, and just-as-yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe!