Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (Ready in 30 Minutes!)
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Once I perfected my healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe, they were seriously all I could think about! It’s the ultimate treat to satisfy sweet cravings, made with almond flour, sweetener, and loads of dark chocolate.
But the secret lies in the gelatin powder, bringing a delightful balance of soft and chewy, with crisp edges. This unique twist on classic chocolate chip cookies delivers the same great, chocolatey taste as the regular ones, except they’re guilt-free!
My cookies are ready to serve in 30 minutes or less — no fancy ingredients and bakeware needed! They’re perfect for school, playdates, and family gatherings. I’ve brought a batch to many events and friends love them. They’re a real showstopper and nobody even suspects they’re gluten-free and low-carb (or filled with hidden healthy ingredients).
This is one of my favorite easy keto recipes that also makes a delightful edible gift for fellow keto enthusiasts. Everyone loves the joy of guilt-free treats!
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Everyone needs a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe in their arsenal and this one will surely leave an impression. But what exactly makes my cookies so special? Let me break it down for you:
- Family-friendly and kid-approved: Chocolate and cookies — what’s not to love?
- Simple ingredients: Made with easy-to-find, wholesome ingredients with zero oil and refined sugar.
- Short prep and cooking time: Whip these up in only 30 minutes.
- Amazing flavors: Crisp edges with soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth center oozing with rich, gooey chocolate in every bite.
- Basic kitchen equipment: No need for a mixer, just a couple of mixing bowls, a whisk and spatula, a baking sheet, and an oven.
- Easy-to-follow directions: Comes with clear, straightforward instructions — no complex baking techniques, just delicious cookies in no time!
How to Make Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are close enough to the real deal that you’ll need seconds or thirds (believe me, you do!).
You don’t have to spend long hours in the kitchen to make them, so they’re perfect for when you’re short on time but crave a sweet treat. With a bunch of pantry staples, these cookies are up for grabs in no time!
Making these healthy chocolate chip cookies couldn’t be simpler: Just whip up the dough, drop spoonfuls on a baking sheet, and bake into irresistibly chewy and chocolatey cookies. That’s it!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this sweet and healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Ingredients You Need
If you’re anything like me when you’re craving something sweet, nothing else will satisfy you better than this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe. Before anything else, let’s make sure you’ve got these ingredients on hand:
- Salt
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Zucchini: Shredded for texture and moisture.
- Butter: Unsalted and softened.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies their iconic tender and chewy consistency; also aids in browning.
- Baking powder: For a slightly puffier, cake-like texture.
- Almond flour: Grain-free, low-carb flour that gives the cookies a nutty flavor and light, chewy texture.
- Raw cacao paste: My first choice as it’s minimally processed and unsweetened. Can be subbed with 70% chocolate chips or Sugar-free chocolate chips.
- Coconut milk: Dairy-free liquid That keeps the cookies moist, creamy, and tender without crumbling or drying out.
- Gelatin powder: The secret to a satisfyingly chewy texture! Gelatin derived from grass-fed beef is best for this recipe.
- Sweetener: Opt for sugar, natural sweetener, or a sugar substitute like lakanto’s monkfruit sweetener with erythritol For a light sweetness without the carbs.
In the mood for more guilt-free treats? You should definitely check out my favorite holiday dessert recipes made with Lakanto! Protein cookies are another great option when you want something sweet with a healthier macro balance.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Soft, chewy, and irresistibly delicious, my healthy chocolate chip cookies are made with wholesome ingredients and are ready to serve in 30 minutes. Learn how to craft the perfect cookies the quick and easy way:
- Mix dry ingredients. While preheating the oven, mix the flour, powders, salt, and sweetener in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, combine softened butter with the egg, coconut milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Form cookie dough. Slowly pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and combine until a cookie dough forms. Gently fold in the chocolate and shredded zucchini.
- Bake the cookies and cool. Scoop out the dough with a spoon and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, maintaining a space between each portion. Pop in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are golden brown and the edges are crisp. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
Like most cookies, they’re best to eat once totally cooled. Otherwise, the texture may be crumblier than you like.
Watch the recipe video and experiment with your cookies at various stages: hot from the oven, slightly cooled, and completely cool. See the difference and decide how you like them best.
Variations
My healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe is highly versatile, so feel free to play around with a range of mix-ins and alternative ingredients to suit your taste or dietary preference. Below are some ideas:
- If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, use unsweetened almond milk instead.
- Brown sugar, coconut sugar, and maple sugar are all fantastic natural sweeteners if you’re not using a keto sweetener.
- For added texture, chop up a quarter cup of pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or raisins and add them to the batter with the chocolate bits.
- Add a small amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger to give your cookies a warm, spiced aroma.
- Make fancy cookies by swapping chocolate chips with dark chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate bars, then sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt while still hot.
- Olive oil chocolate chip cookies is another fun and healthy twist on the classic cookie!
Expert Tips
- Measure flour properly. Dipping your measuring cup into a bag of flour is a big no-no! Instead, lightly spoon your flour into the cup and level it off with a knife. Packing the flour too tightly will result in dry, crumbly cookies.
- Keep baking sheets cold. If you’re baking multiple batches, allow the sheets to cool completely. Ideally, stick them in the fridge for at least 5 minutes before reusing them. Cold baking sheets keep the dough from spreading too quickly while preventing pre-baking and premature browning on contact.
- Don’t overmix the dough. The more you mix, the harder and dryer your healthy chocolate chip cookies will be. Give it a good stir just until all the ingredients are combined.
- Rest and chill the dough. If you’re not in a rush, let your cookie dough rest for at least an hour before baking. This gives plenty of time for all the ingredients to settle and flavors to combine, resulting in tender and chewy cookies. Chilling the dough can also keep the cookies from spreading too much on the baking sheet.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Remove your cookies from the oven just before they start browning. Don’t worry if they still feel soft to touch; they will finish settling once cooled.
How to Store This Recipe
If you manage to resist devouring an entire batch of healthy chocolate chip cookies in one go (trust me, it’s not easy), store them in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
These cookies freeze beautifully, too. If you’re making a bigger batch or saving some for later, place them in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag, separating layers with parchment paper. The cookies will keep fresh for up to 3 to 6 months.
Once ready to enjoy, thaw the frozen cookies at room temperature still in the container (to prevent condensation). You can eat them cold, but you can also reheat them briefly in the oven or microwave to restore their warmth and soft texture.
What to Serve with Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
My healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe is fantastic on its own, but here are a few yummy ideas that go well with this sweet treat:
- Creamy raw milk yogurt or Greek yogurt topped with fruits or nuts
- A scoop of ice cream sandwiched between two cookies
- Fruit or protein smoothie
- Hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or cold brew
Try zucchini bread pancakes for another fun spin on hidden zucchini that everyone will love.
More Delicious Chocolate Treats to Try
- Flourless Brownies
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Avocado Chocolate Pudding
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups
If you make this healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and comment!
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies with Gelatin
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup Keto sugar substitute
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed beef gelatin
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil, softened
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup zucchini shredded
- ½ cup raw cacao paste chopped
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 °F (163°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, sugar-free sweetener, gelatin powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well to combine evenly.
- In a separate bowl, combine softened butter with the egg, coconut milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir until a cookie dough forms. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate.
- Use a spoon or cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
Video
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
Just made these chocolate chip cookies this morning and they are AMAZING! I had no idea you could use gelatin powder in cookies and it really made a difference. They are definitely chewy and don’t fall apart. Finally found my new go-to CCC recipe!
I’m so happy you like the recipe, Jacqui. Thank you for the warm feedback. Happy cooking!
These cookies have replaced all other CCC recipes in our house. They’re so easy to make and still offer the same qualities of a cookie we all love but in a much healthier way. I love how buttery the almond flour makes them – they basically melt in your mouth!
Wow 🙂 Thank you for the glowing review, Meg.
I love the fact that these cookies are sugar-free, yet do not compromise on taste. Everyone loved them and gave compliments on how good they are.
Recipes that get compliments and keep to diet needs are key, am I right?! Happy they worked for you, Kate.
This was one of the best keto cookies I have tried! Loved the chewy texture. A KEEPER!
Thank you for the five star review, Hanna.
I just started on my keto journey and this recipe helped curb my sweet cravings. The cookies were perfectly chewy and chocolatey, just how I like them. My kids loved them too!
We love hearing when one of our recipes satisfies those cravings. Thanks, Jessica.
This is satisfying low-carb sweetness. Almond flour, sugar-free sweetener, and dark chocolate create the perfect blend of chewy and chocolatey. Delish and guilt-free!
Any keto friendly substitution for the beef gelatin?
Beef gelatin IS keto! No need to substitute 🙂
If you left out the gelatin would it turn out more crisp?
No, these do not crisp even without the gelatin. The zucchini keeps them moist and soft.
Hi, forget The comment above I got tired of waiting and wanted to make some cookies so I opened a can of coconut milk. I do have a question about the cookie texture. I watched your video like five times before I made these and I noticed your cookies are crunchy. I followed the recipe to the letter and I cooked my cookies until they were dark around the edges like yours but they are all soft and not crunchy at all. I let them cool completely as you said to do and then we tried them both refrigerated and room temperature and still can’t get crunch. They are totally delicious and addictive so we love them but I was really craving a crunchy cookie. Can you tell me if this is happened to you or why you think it’s happening? I’m pretty experienced in baking and cooking this way. Thanks and I hope you answer this!
My cookies come out crispy on the very edges and soft inside. The recipe gets a chewy and soft texture from the zucchini, milk and gelatin.
Hi, have you done this with other plant based milk and had it work? I don’t want to open a can of coconut milk for 2 tablespoons. I do have other unsweetened plant-based milks here and I’m wondering if they will change the consistency or texture of the cookie because I know Coconut Milk is pretty heavy and dense. Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
You can use other “milks” or even omit the liquid completely if you want. This would give to a thicker cookie rather than a crispy flat one. Always feel free to do some experimentation yourself to learn the best way to use keto ingredients!
Thank you for this WONDERFUL recipe! I am so glad to finally find a ketogenic cookie that is not overly sweet with “sweeteners”. Anyone (like me) who does not live at high altitudes will want to add 1/2 tsp. of aluminum-free baking powder (or increase the soda and salt), and also add a couple of minutes to the bake time. At sea level, they spread totally flat as the recipe is. They definitely need some baking powder down here in the Deep South of Mississippi! 😀 But we were totally happy eating the flat ones until the next time of baking. No complaints because the flavor and texture is AMAZING! Thanks again. 🙂
This is a GREAT suggestion, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’m so glad you and your family are making these too!
the discount code is not working
Must be due to the big New Year’s sale. Our code is only valid for nonsale items. Still use our links though so we get the credit for referring you 🙂 Happy New Year!
Can I sub pumpkin for the zucchini?
I haven’t done that before. If you try it, let us know how the cookies come out!