Description
Forget any notion you’ve ever had about whole wheat or “healthy cookies” and their lack of texture and flavor! This sweet buttery whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe will change your life! Or at the very least, it’ll have you eating less refined carbs while still enjoying everything you love about your favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe. And you don’t even have to break out your mixer to enjoy these chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour like King Arthur (or white whole wheat flour) (315g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (4g)*see notes if using a different salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2sticks) (227g)
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar (150g)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (150g) (sub dark brown sugar)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature (100g)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (9g)
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate bar chopped, or more to taste (100g) (sub semi-sweet chocolate chips)
*I use Molino Rossetto ‘Farina Integrale’ (whole wheat flour) with 11.2% protein when I’m in Italy and King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour when I’m in the States. But I’ve also used Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat White flour which will work great for these cookies too.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C and prepare the baking sheet. Line baking sheets with a nonstick Silpat or parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork, (or a handheld mixer) cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is cohesive (1-2 minutes).
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the creamed butter-sugar mixture and use a spatula to give it a few stirs.
- Add eggs and vanilla & finish the dough. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract to the flour mixture and gently stir it together using a rubber spatula, pressing and mashing the mixture as needed until no flour streaks remain and just until combined. Do not over-mix the dough. Add the chocolate chunks and stir to combine.
- Chill the dough. Add the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and roll it up twisting the ends closed. Place it in an airtight container and chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for 1 hour (or up to overnight).
- Bake the cookies. Slice off cookie dough about 1 to 2 inches thick (or to the size you prefer) and bake smaller cookies for 12 to 15 minutes (and larger cookies for 21-22 minutes) just until golden brown around the edges and soft and chewy-looking in the center. Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool directly on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling, Enjoy!
Notes
Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips
How do I get a pool of chocolate in the middle of my cookies? Add a chunk of chocolate right to the top of each cookie just before popping them into the oven.
Leave plenty of space for these cookies to spread, otherwise, they’ll run into each other. Make your first test cookie and then bake the rest to see how much they spread
Freeze chocolate chip cookie dough for 3 months (and even up to 12 months) if it’s stored properly. Wrap it well in sustainable cling film, wax paper, or parchment paper and place it into an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Alternatively, you may freeze scooped, portioned cookie dough balls which makes it really easy to grab and bake straight from the freezer. If you use this method, add portioned dough balls to a parchment-lined plate or tray and freeze them until they’re solid. Then pop them into a freezer bag and back into the freezer.
Why are my cookies crumbly? Crumbly or dry cookies mean you may have either over-mixed the cookie dough or added too much flour, not enough butter, or a combination of these things. You may be able to remedy this if you find your cookie dough is too dry by adding a little extra softened butter to the mix. Whatever you do, don’t throw away cookie dough or cookies that aren’t perfect. You can add them to a bowl of ice cream, or even use them to make a cookie crust for your next no-bake dessert or key lime pie!
Why are my cookies cakey? Usually, a cakey cookie means the flour-to-fat and sugar ratio is out of balance. Which means you may have added too much flour. It can also be if you’ve added more egg or a larger egg than is called for (a typical large egg should weigh about 50-55g once it’s cracked in a bowl). Do not use cake flour which can also give you cakey cookies.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies hard? If your chocolate chip cookies are hard, you may have overmixed the cookie dough, or you may have baked them too long. Baking cookies longer than required leads to vital moisture from butter and eggs evaporating leaving you with a harder cookie. Also, don’t leave them out uncovered for too long if you’re in a dry environment especially. This can also zap moisture from your cookies.
How do you store chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookies can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. They last up to two weeks in the fridge but keep them away from smelly foods. It’s best to either freeze baked cookies layered between wax or parchment paper in freezer bags and pull out cookies as you want. This way they maintain their peak freshness. Alternatively, you may freeze portioned and frozen pan-banging cookie dough balls in freezer bags. When you want a freshly baked cookie add a dough ball to a lined cookie sheet and let temper at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking.
Why are my cookies spreading out so much? As you know from above, too much flour in your cookie dough can make cookies crumbly and dry. Alternatively, too much butter and sugar can make cookies spread out and lose their shape when baked. Also, if you chill the dough beforehand, it will help keep them from spreading.
Can you overmix cookie dough? Yes, you can over-mix cookie dough. Doing so will leave you with flatter, crispier cookies because overmixing adds more air to your dough which causes them to rise higher and then fall flat. But this method is great if you want extra crispy cookies.
Can you freeze chocolate chip cookie dough? Yes, you can freeze chocolate chip cookie dough for 3 months and even up to 12 months if it’s stored properly. Wrap it well in sustainable cling film, wax paper, or parchment paper and place it into an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Alternatively, you may freeze scooped, portioned cookie dough balls which makes it easy to grab and bake straight from the freezer. If you use this method, add portioned dough balls to a parchment-lined plate or tray and freeze them until they’re solid. Then pop them into a freezer bag and back into the freezer.
- Prep Time: 13 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large cookie
