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 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 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.
Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the batter. 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. Now mix in the egg. Blend until it's completely smooth again. 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. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Shape. 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.Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the balls of batter, only about halfway. Then lightly sprinkle each one with Kosher salt.
- Bake and cool. 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.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Liz
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
Thanks so much, Liz! Hope you both love them! 🙂 ~Valentina
Charlotte
I did these for my cooking assessment Tasted amazing, friends loved them as well. I did use cooking salt instead of kosher salt
Valentina
Hi Charlotte. I'm so happy these cookies were a hit! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
..... just spotted these beauties on IG; 39 comments already? Oh boy..... must be good 🙂 Thank you dear and enjoy your weekend 🙂
valentina
Hope you have a great weekend, too! Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina
Sarah
Would these hold up well frozen if I doubled the recipe do you think?
valentina
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
Iantha
My husband loved the sweet and salty taste
valentina
Awesome! Thanks for the comment -- makes me happy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Ron
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
I hope you love them, Ron! Thanks so much. ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
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
Thank you, David! 😀 Yes, it's an easy one -- and delicious. In my humble opinion. 😉 Enjoy! ~Valentina
Marissa
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
I hope you love them, Marissa. (And I love olive oil with lemon, too!) Have a wonderful weekend. ~Valentina
Bintu
These won't last long in my house. I love the use of olive oil instead of butter.
valentina
Ha! Mine either. Thank you. 🙂
Alisha Rodrigues
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
Thanks so much. They are crispy cookies. Hope you try them. 🙂
Toni
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
Thanks, Toni. The cookies are delicious. 🙂