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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Sara Wenger
I've been baking these cookies for months and they are great.
Now I am having a vegan guest. Can I use an egg substitute such as flaxseed??
Thanks, Sara
valentina
Hi Sara. Thanks so much for writing in, and I'm so happy you like these cookies! 🙂 I haven't tested this particular recipe with vegan egg substitutes. However, there are a couple ways to try this that I think you might have good luck with. The first is to replace 1 large egg with: 2 tablespoons water + 2 teaspoons baking powder + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (in this case olive oil). Blend it together before adding it to the batter. The second is to replace 1 large egg with 1/4 cup carbonated water. As I said, I haven't tried these, so it's not a guarantee, but I hope one will work. I'd love to hear how if goes if you do try one. (I've tried the flax replacement with other recipes (1 tablespoon flax powder mixed with 3 T water) and in general, it hasn't worked well. Not saying it won't work, that's just been my experience. Hope this helps! Enjoy. ~Valentina
Steve Laughton
Hi just made your recipe for choc chip cookies and they turned out fantastic. The only change I made is I used self raising flour instead of all purpose ( did not have any !) omitting the baking powder and the salt and I changed the granulated sugar for vanilla sugar ( because I had just bought some vanilla sugar). Thanks again for this recipe and I will be trying some more of your recipes.
valentina
Thanks so much, Steve, for writing in. I love that you used vanilla sugar, sounds delicious and I must try that next time. Enjoy and thanks again. 🙂 ~Valentina
ER
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
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
Carli Thomas
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
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
Shari
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
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
Sommer
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
Wow! Thank you so much, Sommer! You made my day. 🙂 So happy you love them! ~Valentina
Wendy Cheng
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
Thank you so much, Wendy! I'm so happy you love them and that you landed on my site. Have a lovely week. 🙂 ~Valentina
celestial
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
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
Vanessa
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
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
Juniper
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
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