If you’re looking for delicious Mediterranean Diet desserts, these Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies are for you. Perfect for dessert after dinner, or an afternoon pick-me-up snack with coffee, they have a perfect crunch, just the right amount of chocolate and a hint of vanilla.
Disclaimer: Other than a gluten-free diet, which I know quite well because my son has Celiac Diesase, I do not claim to be an expert on nutrition or other special diets. I’m calling these Mediterranean Diet cookies because I use Extra Virgin olive oil instead of butter, because it is much lower in saturated fat, and is a big part of the Mediterranean diet.
Healthy, or shall I say healthier eating shouldn’t have to preclude delicious desserts.
I’m not going all healthy on you. 🙂
I am however, a fan of the Mediterranean diet and generally love the recipes that fall within that category. It’s more or less how I naturally eat, which makes it easy.
Desserts with Olive Oil
I’ve been discovering that I can create rich and wonderful Mediterranean diet desserts without the usual high amounts of saturated fat that I would have normally used.
And the oil creates super delicious, moist baked goods.
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
-The Mediterranean diet is a low-fat way of eating that is characterized by a high consumption of vegetables and moderate consumption of protein.
-Fat is actually encouraged in this diet — though only healthy varieties, like monounsaturated fat from olive oil and polyunsaturated fat, like omega-3 fatty acids, from certain fish and shellfish.
-It’s generally a healthy way of eating, and olive oil is the main source of fat.
There are many more elements to this diet, and you can get more information about it here.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Be aware that this dough will not behave like a typical cookie dough.
The oil changes things. Therefore, when you’re shaping the dough into balls, you have to use your hands and squeeze them together gently. Otherwise the chocolate chips easily slip out.
I use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but feel free to use any type you like.
Can you freeze Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Yes you can.
Just as you would any other cookie — wrapped very well so no air can get in. Defrost them at room temperature a few hours before you want to eat them.
What’s in Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies?
- extra virgin olive oil
- vanilla
- granulated sugar
- golden brown sugar
- kosher salt
- eggs
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- semisweet chocolate chips
There’s just something magical about a good chocolate chip cookie, and I don’t think that the magic is lost here without the butter.
Enjoy every last crumb of these delectable Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies!
More recipes that I think can squeeze their way into the Mediterranean Diet:
- Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Spiced Olive Oil Banana Bread
- Olive Oil Meyer Lemon Cake
- Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
All of these desserts made with olive oil are fantastic!
And a couple more of my favorite chocolate chip cookies:
These are all unique and fun recipes!
- Ruby Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pecan Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten-Free Recipe}
- Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten-Free Recipe}
- Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten-Free Recipe}
Enjoy every last crumb of the Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Perfect for dessert after dinner, or an afternoon pick-me-up snack with coffee, they have a perfect crunch, just the right amount of chocolate and a hint of vanilla.
*Makes 2 dozen
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup golden brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon, plus extra for garnish, Kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
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Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Add the olive oil, vanilla, both sugars and the 1 teaspoon of salt, to a large mixing bowl. Mix until you have a smooth consistency.
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Now mix in the egg. Blend until it's completely smooth again.
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Add the flour and baking soda to the bowl and mix just until it's fully incorporated and you don't see any dry spots of flour.
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Fold in the chocolate chips.
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Use your hands to shape the batter into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. (Your hands will be greasy from the oil, but I find for this recipe, hands are best.) Add the shaped balls of dough to the parchment-lined baking sheets as you go. They should have at least 2-inches between them, about a dozen per sheet.
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Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the balls of batter, only about halfway.
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Then lightly sprinkle each one with Kosher salt.
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Place the baking sheets in the preheated 350°F oven until the cookies are golden brown along the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack to come to room temperature.
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Kalyan says
Just mouthwatering…looks delicious!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Kaylan! 🙂
Germaine says
Made them with whole flour and they are delicious as well 😋
valentina says
So happy to hear you liked them. 🙂 Thank you!
Deb says
Chocolate Chip Cookies are THE favorite sweet at my house! I am looking forward to trying the olive oil recipe on my resident chocolate lover! He is always interested in new scrumptious recipes!
valentina says
I love that you have a resident chocolate lover. I think I’m that person in my house. 😉
Colette says
V, I’m “shopping” around for a recipe to make for your contest and these caught my eye.
We’re trying to watch our cholesterol, too. I was using Crisco instead of butter, but didn’t really like the idea all that much. So now that I’ve seen your olive oil recipe, I HAVE to see about the taste. You know, for scientific reasons. 😉 oxo
valentina says
Colette, I hope you and your family likes these! I seriously love them as much as those with butter — and I’m not a “substitute” girl. 🙂
olive oil in recipes says
Looks Delicious! Thanks for this recipe, I am the only a person in my house who cooks — I will make this recipe this weekend.
valentina says
Hope you found them as delicious as I did! 🙂 Thank you!
Jennifer says
They sound so yummy! I love cooking with olive oil, especially baking. And I love your olive jar. Soooo cool!
valentina says
Thanks, Jennifer! XO
Stephanie says
I made these and my whole family loved them! But they were very hard the next day (stored in plastic containers). Any tips to keep them soft?
valentina says
Hi Stephanie, So happy your family enjoyed the cookies! 😀 Sorry to hear they were hard the next day. They are definitely a crispy-ish cookie, but if you want a less crispy result, try pulling them out of the oven a bit sooner than the time says, when they seem not quite ready. They should firm up enough, and will hopefully be softer the next day. Keeping them in a cool dark place helps too, in a tightly sealed container (which I think you already did). I hope this helps for next time. Thanks for trying the recipe. 🙂
Stephanie says
Thank you!
Susan says
These are so delicious! My hubby and I are trying to eat healthier, but sometimes you just gotta have a chocolate chip cookie. They hit the spot!
valentina says
Hi Susan,
Somehow this slipped through the cracks when it came it. Thank you for sharing! I’m so happy you and your husband liked these cookies. And I totally agree, sometimes you just gotta have a chocolate chip cookie. For sure! 🙂 ~Valentina
Lisa says
I really want to make these, but would like to eat them over a longer period of time. Can the dough be stored in the fridge for a few days, or frozen? Thanks!
valentina says
Hi Lisa, Thanks for writing in. Yes, you can absolutely store the dough in the refrigerator — for up to 5 days, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. And in the freezer, up to a month or so — also wrapped tightly. (Obviously it’ll last longer than a month in the freezer, but I think best to use it after a month.) To shape the cookies let the dough thaw to room temp. Hope you love them. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
j says
Great cookies!
valentina says
Thanks!
Pauline says
I’ve been.searching for a cookie recipe with olive oil and definitely will give this a try!
I wonder if the recipe would work out if I add cocoa powder and replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips?
valentina says
Hi Pauline, you can absolutely use white chocolate chips. You can also add cocoa powder — but, not too much, otherwise the cookies will be too dry. I would try adding 1/4 cup and removing 2 tablespoons of the flour. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Danielle says
I love chocolate chip cookies – this version sounds perfect! Healthy with the olive oil and tasty with the chocolate chips 🙂
valentina says
Love your comment, Danielle. Thank you. 🙂
Natalie says
I love chocolate chip cookies and these look so delicious. I love the use of olive oil.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Natalie.
Toni says
This is such a unique recipe and the cookies look delicious. I’ve made olive oil cake and love olive oil in this cookie recipe.
valentina says
Thanks, Toni. The cookies are delicious. 🙂
Alisha Rodrigues says
I’m always looking out for good cookie recipes, Will give this a try. The texture looks good. I’ve never used olive oil to make chocolate chip cookies before, so this seems exciting
valentina says
Thanks so much. They are crispy cookies. Hope you try them. 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These sound and look great and wouldn’t last long in my house. I love the use of olive oil instead of butter.
valentina says
Ha! Mine either. Thank you. 🙂
Marissa says
One of my favorite cakes is made with lemon and olive oil, but I’ve never had an olive oil chocolate chip cookie before. Sounds wonderful! Will be trying this the next time I’m in the mood to whip up a batch of cookies!
valentina says
I hope you love them, Marissa. (And I love olive oil with lemon, too!) Have a wonderful weekend. ~Valentina
David Scott Allen says
Love the video – I only got a black screen on the iPad until I hit “full screen” and then it played perfectly! I don’t remember seeing this recipe before (didn’t I know you in 2013???) but it looks super easy and very tasty. I like how you hand-form the cookies.
valentina says
Thank you, David! 😀 Yes, it’s an easy one — and delicious. In my humble opinion. 😉 Enjoy! ~Valentina
Ron says
I’ve had Italian olive oil cookies that had a citrus taste, but never chocolate chip. Great idea and one I must try. I’ll pin this to my “Cookies I Like to Make” board because I know I’ll be liking to make these soon.
valentina says
I hope you love them, Ron! Thanks so much. ~Valentina
Iantha says
My husband loved the sweet and salty taste
valentina says
Awesome! Thanks for the comment — makes me happy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sarah says
Would these hold up well frozen if I doubled the recipe do you think?
valentina says
Yes! Absolutely! I often freeze these cookies. Just make sure they’re wrapped very well so no air gets in while they’re in the freezer, and then thaw them at room temp. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook says
….. just spotted these beauties on IG; 39 comments already? Oh boy….. must be good 🙂 Thank you dear and enjoy your weekend 🙂
valentina says
Hope you have a great weekend, too! Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina
Liz says
Perfect puffy, chewy cookies! Chocolate chip cookies are my hubby’s favorite so I’ll have to treat him to a batch of these gems!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Liz! Hope you both love them! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef says
This is wonderful! I’ve never made a chocolat chip cookie with anything but butter. These look like my favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie. I like them when they’re thick and don’t spread too much. I’m so curious about the flavor. Very interesting.
valentina says
Thanks! I hope you give them a try, Jeff. They’ve become one of my favorite cookies. If only I didn’t eat a thousand each time I make them. 😉 ~Valentina
Eha says
Valentina – you have missed out the most important part of a true Mediterranean Diet wine, preferably red 🙂 ! Laughs aside, I do not bake or eat baked goods but your olive-oil biscuits (as we say here !) do look appetizing and wonderfully non-commercial . . . just the main culprit in anything baked for dessert or the coffee table is not fat but sugar . . . just about every illness our generation suffers from comes from that one source . . . . *smile* yes, moderation does work . . .
valentina says
Good Morning, Eha. Ah, yes, sugar. I can’t seem to live without it. At least for more than a week or so. 😉 Yes, we try for moderation. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
Interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever had olive oil cookies, but I love the concept. I’ve made olive oil cakes before, and those are fun…so now I need to try my hand at these cookies. They look amazing, Valentina! Like the perfectest of perfect chocolate chip cookies.
valentina says
Thanks. I hope you try them, David. I love olive oil cakes, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Susan Loeb says
I made them last night and they are delicious! Going into my permanent recipe file!
valentina says
Thanks for writing in, Susan! Made my day! So happy you loved these. Cheers! 🙂 ~Valentina
Johnny says
Hi there,
Amazing recipe. I’m on a keto diet, looking for a recipe that substitutes olive oil for butter.
Do you have any recommendations for using almond or coconut flour instead of wheat?
valentina says
Hi Johnny, Thanks for writing in. 🙂
For the best results to make these gluten-free, I’d use the Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour. Use the same measurement as you would the regular AP flour (2 cups).
If you really want to add almond or coconut flour, you can, but I wouldn’t suggest using them alone.
To add almond flour, use 1/2 cup almond flour combined with 1 1/2 cups of the Cup 4 Cup GF flour.
To add coconut flour, use 1/4 cup coconut flour combined with 1 1/2 cups of the Cup 4 Cup GF flour. (Coconut flour absorbs more liquid than other flours.)
FYI, I haven’t tested the recipe with either almond or coconut flour, but I’m pretty confident the above measurements will work, and for sure the Cup 4 Cup alone will work. I hope this helps. Thanks for checking out Cooking On The Weekends, enjoy and Happy New Year. ~Valentina
Trim says
Made these last night and they were amazing!
valentina says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing and I’m so happy you loved them. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kristin Ebersold says
I followed your directions to the letter & they were delicious! Thank you!
valentina says
Hi Kristin, thanks so much for writing in. You made my day! So happy you love them. 🙂 ~Valentina
Santana says
Ever since I gave up dairy, these have been my go-to. These cookies are so delicious and comforting, everyone in my family enjoys them. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
valentina says
Thank you so much for this note, Santana. So happy these are your go-to cookies, and that the whole family partakes. Yay! Enjoy and stay well. 🙂 ~Valentina
Courtney says
My 4 yr old woke up from her nap begging for chocolate chip cookies. I happened to have everything except butter and well, due to the quarantine, I am not about to go out for butter… I didn’t want to disappoint her so I found your recipe and just made them. oh. my. word. Best cookies I’ve made. They’re fluffy and light tasting. What a treat! Thanks so much! Xox
valentina says
Hi Courtney, this makes me so happy! Love that you and your daughter loved these cookies. Thanks so much for sharing. Stay well! 🙂 ~ Valentina
Jordan says
I made these but I used Stevia the sugar free sugar and the sugar free brown sugar. The batter was a little crumbly but they came out awesome!
valentina says
Hi Jordan, Thanks so much for writing — it’s great that other readers can see this, in case they want to try the same. I’m so happy you liked the cookies. This is definitely one of my favorite (and most popular) recipes. 🙂 And baking seems to be my favorite quarantine activity. Thanks again and stay well! ~Valentina
Juniper says
They were delicious, but they didn’t flatten well and were really hard the next day. Still delicious in flavor lol but crunchy things hurt my teeth so I was hoping they’d be a bit thinner and chewier. Overall I’d recommend this to anyone wanting to try a healthier recipe!
valentina says
Thanks, Juniper. Thanks for writing in. These are a crispier cookie — for a softer cookie, take the out of the oven a full minute or so before you think they’re done. Might help. I’m happy they were delicious. Enjoy and stay well! 🙂 ~Valentina
Vanessa says
These are great. I did half the batter with chocolate chips and the other half with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. These were so good! I love the salt with the sweet !
valentina says
Hi Vanessa, Thanks so much for writing in. I love how you added the butterscotch chips — what a tasty mix of sweet flavors! I think I’ll try that next time. 🙂 ~Valentina
celestial says
My partner with a big sweet tooth recently learned he was lactose intolerant and slowly coming to terms with it. This cookie recipe helped him realize that dairy-free cookies are a delicious choice and he doesn’t have to cut baked goods out of his diet (due to butter content). We loved all the savory notes in these cookies because of the olive oil. I will be returning to olive oil as a staple butter alternative for baking sweets in the future. I will make this again and again. Thank you for this recipe!
valentina says
Hi there! Thanks so much for writing in. I’m so happy these cookies were a hit! Olive oil is surprisingly delicious in so many baked goods. I have a handful of similar recipes the site — just let me know if you want me to send them to you. Enjoy and thanks again. 🙂 Warmly, Valentina
Wendy Cheng says
Wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing. My kids,and my whole family loves Olive oil chocolate cookies.Soft with a crunchy touch. God bless you! From Miraflores-Peru
valentina says
Thank you so much, Wendy! I’m so happy you love them and that you landed on my site. Have a lovely week. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sommer says
I have eaten and baked LOTS of chocolate chip cookies in my life and I promise these are the best I have ever eaten. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
valentina says
Wow! Thank you so much, Sommer! You made my day. 🙂 So happy you love them! ~Valentina
Shari says
Oh my word—these are delicious! My husband and I made them last night. We were craving cookies, but we were out of butter. I found your recipe, and I am so glad I did.
I love how they’re crisp on the outside and a tiny bit chewy on inside, and they have the best flavor. I had one this morning, and it was still amazing.
Thank you for sharing!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Shari! So happy you and your husband enjoyed them. And I especially love that you had one this morning. I LOVE cookies for breakfast with my coffee. 🙂 ~Valentina
Chrissy says
Tried this with gluten free self raising flour and it was an epic fail unfortunately
valentina says
Hi Chrissy, I’ve tested this recipe with Cup4Cup GF flour and it works well. That’s what I would suggest if you need them to be GF. Hope this helps. ~Valentina
Carli Thomas says
Thanks for sharing your recipe! I just finished making these. I learned that I have to bake it at just 10 min or else it looks burned and becomes hard. My second batch was much better. I like olive oil but not too much on my cookie so I’ll put more vanilla next time. Maybe that will lessen the olive oil taste. BTW I used 100% whole wheat flour and just a little less than a cup of EVOO. I also used 1 cup of chocolate chip cookies and 1 cup of chopped walnuts coz we like nuts. All in all, it’s a very good cookie recipe. Thanks again!
valentina says
Hi Carli, thanks for writing in. The changes you made (the nuts and wheat flour) sound delicious, and I’m happy you liked the cookies. If you want to lessen the olive oil flavor, use regular olive and NOT extra virgin — it’s more mild. And if you’re just not into olive oil, you might try them with grapseed oil. The texture should be similar and this oil will not add flavor at all. (And it’s also a healthier oil than most.) Wishing you a very happy new year! 🙂 ~Valentina
ER says
Hi, This recipe looks great. Have you tried these as bars in a pan? I don’t always have time to make cookies. If so, what size pan do you recommend. Thanks.
valentina says
Hi there! I haven’t made them as bars (great idea!), but I think a 9 x 13 inch baking pan should work. The baking time will depend on how thick it is. Temp should stay the same and once it looks pretty solid and not “wet” in the center, and edges are a bit golden, it should be done. Sorry I can’t be more specific. I will try it this way soon and confirm. And please let me know how it goes. Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina