This was not the recipe I planned to share today, but when you have a (rare) baking experiment success, you change your plans immediately so other people can benefit. Plus, I’m in a celebratory mood because my little man turns one in a few days. Who doesn’t like to celebrate with cookies?
A recent Table Topics question revealed that both Tim and I have the same all-time favorite dessert… chocolate chip cookies! Not a huge surprise given the endless variations I’ve pinned on Pinterest and the fact that Tim has memorized the recipe for a single serving microwave cookie.
Our default cookie recipe is from my Auntie Lo. She concocted a recipe that makes a huge batch of soft, chewy cookies without fail. I introduced Tim to these dreamy cookies while we were dating and I now trust his AL Cookie making ability to let him make them himself (we’ve made them that often). But I digress from the cookie at hand.
We had a very savory dinner last night and wanted to cap off our night on the sweet side. Despite having just been to the grocery store, we didn’t have any Crisco (part of what makes AL Cookies so fluffy) so our default was out. I’ve been trying to eat as sugar-free as possible lately and have been waiting for an opportunity to try a less fatty mc fat fat cookie recipe.
I’m not anti butter but I remembered making coconut oil chocolate chip cookies last year and liking them, so I decided to start there. I love the precision required in baking. It’s part of the reason I prefer baking to cooking. If you follow the recipe, the product generally turns out perfectly. I’m not sure what happened last night, but I was making changes all over the place and *cue the angel chorus* the cookies turned out wonderfully!
These cookies aren’t sugar-free, but they’ve earned the title half-way healthy because they are made with whole wheat flour and a nutrient dense fat. The cookies are soft and beautifully domed with a lightly crisp exterior. Chocolate and the faint hint of coconut contrast perfectly with the warm brown sugar and nutty whole wheat flour.
A note about the ingredients/tools:
- Coconut oil – The benefit of having pantry storage that is the same temperature as the rest of our house is that my coconut oil stays in a soft, scoopable state. Make sure your coconut oil is room temperature ish, not melted.
- Whole wheat flour – I’ve been baking with 100% whole wheat flour for awhile. I love the hearty taste, but for whole wheat newbies, it may be jarring when you don’t bite into a white flour cookie. Try white whole wheat if you want a more traditional white flour taste.
- Milk – I used 2% since that’s what we drink. Any type of dairy (soy, almond, whole) will work.
- Cookie scoop – If you make cookies with any frequency, you NEED a cookie scoop. They insure consistent size and a nice domed top. I used a large cookie scoop for these cookies, 1.5″ in diameter.
- Silicone baking mat – I love my Silpat. Even, non-stick baking at its finest. Parchment is a good substitute.
- AirBake cookie sheet – Just in case you were wondering what kind of cookie sheet I use….
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened but not melted
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup (heaping) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. The dough will be a little crumbly.
- Add milk and chocolate chips. Mix until the chips are evenly dispersed.
- Scoop dough into balls using a large cookie scoop. Place dough balls on a plate. Put plate of dough balls in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Bake frozen cookie dough balls at 350 degrees F for 11 minutes, util the edges are just turning golden brown. The tops will appear a little undercooked.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes (You will be tempted to do otherwise, but don’t skip this!) then move to cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
Emily C Gardner 
I always try to “healthify” my baked goods but they rarely turn out looking this good! I’ll be trying it soon for sure.
Gonna try these… :) Thank you!