Looking for a unique chocolate chip cookie recipe? Try these olive oil chocolate chip cookies! While still decadent, these cookies are a bit more nutrient-dense thanks to the use of whole wheat flour and olive oil. A great option when you want a dairy-free chocolate chip cookie but don’t have any dairy-free butter on hand!
They have a bit of a fruitier, earthier flavor compared to traditional butter-based cookies – but it’s a flavor we really enjoy. If you’re a fan of the flavor complexity of a high-quality olive oil, you’ll love these cookies. They’ve been a favorite of mine during the holidays!
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, along with selected ingredient notes:
- Olive oil – Olive oil is an excellent choice for baked goods, offering a unique slightly fruity flavor. It’s also packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, as well as a variety of polyphenols which may have health-promoting effects.
- Sugar – You’ll use both brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe. If you’d prefer making a sugar-free version of these cookies, you can try using a 1:1 substitute.
- Chocolate chips – If you’re making this fully dairy-free, you’ll want to look specifically for dairy-free chocolate chips. My favorite option is Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels (note: amazon affiliate link; I earn a commission on purchases). I’ve also been recently enjoying Wegmans chocolate chips, which happen to be dairy free.
Instructions
This recipe is quite simple to make! You’ll find a helpful overview with photos here, but the complete recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Start by mixing together the olive oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. I prefer using a stand mixer for this, but you could also use a hand mixer instead (or you could whisk by hand). You want everything to be well-combined, like this:
Next, place your flour (spooned and leveled), baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir them together to evenly distribute the salt and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Fold in the dairy-free chocolate chips. Your dough should look like this – not too wet, not too dry, and easily scoopable.
Portion out the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet by a heaping tablespoon. If the dough is a little crumbly, you may find it easier to form balls of dough by hand rather than using the heaping tablespoon.
Once all the dough is portioned out on the baking sheet, press down on each slightly to flatten it about halfway down. Sprinkle each with sea salt. This is optional, but highly recommended!
Now bake ‘em for about 10-12 minutes, and let cool on the pan. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you prepare this recipe:
What should I do if the olive oil cookie dough is too dry?
Olive oil doughs are very sensitive to flour measurements. If the flour was packed into the cup instead of spooned and leveled, the dough can get dry and crumbly. If it’s slightly crumbly, you can likely still form the dough into balls by hand and bake according to recipe directions. However, if it is very crumbly, try adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil to increase the moisture content.
What should I do if the olive oil cookie dough is too wet?
This can happen if the olive oil was slightly mis-measured, or if your eggs happen to be slightly larger than normal. If this occurs, simply add an extra tablespoon of flour.
Do olive oil cookies taste the same as those made with dairy-free butter?
Not exactly. Olive oil cookies have hints of flavor from the oil itself. This can vary considerably depending on the type and quality of oil. A high-quality oil should provide a slightly fruity, earthy undertone. This pairs very nicely with the rich dark chocolate and sea salt. If you’re looking for a more traditional recipe that’s dairy-free, try this dairy-free chocolate chip cookie recipe.
More Dairy Free Cookie Recipes
Looking for more tasty treats? Try one of these other dairy free cookies:
- Dairy free maple white chocolate chip cookies
- Dairy free butternut squash cookies
- Double chocolate olive oil cookies
- Lemon rosemary cookies
- Dairy free peanut butter stuffed chocolate cookies
I hope you enjoy these olive oil chocolate chip cookies as much as my family does! If you get a chance to try them, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅛ cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled – see notes)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup dairy free dark chocolate chips or chunks
- Coarse sea salt for topping
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat well using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or using a hand mixer.
-
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute the dry ingredients, then pour them into the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
-
Fold in the chocolate chips (or chunks). Use a heaping tablespoon to scoop the dough and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down slightly on each ball, flattening it about halfway down. Sprinkle each with a pinch of sea salt.
-
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool on the pan. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *This recipe is sensitive to the flour measurement. If the flour is packed into the cup instead of spooned and leveled, the dough can become dry and crumbly. If that occurs, try adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
On the flip side, if the cookie dough looks too wet, add an additional tablespoon of flour. Sometimes this can occur if the oil measurement was slightly off. - If the dough does scoop via a heaping tablespoon, form balls of dough in your hand instead. The dough may want to crumble a bit but you’ll find that if you press it firmly in your hand, you’ll form a solid ball.
Nutrition analysis (per cookie): 125 calories, 6.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 105 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 1.5 g protein, Vitamin D: 0%, Calcium: 1%, Iron: 5%, Potassium: 1%
Please pin this post to save for later!
