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We wholeheartedly agree that junk food is okay in moderation, but as I’ve said before I think junk food can be broken down into two very different categories… This recipe for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies will show you how traditional junk food still has a place in the meal plan!
Delicious Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Junkfood the way they used to make it, without all of the additives and artificial ingredients! This recipe for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies is a cut above the processed boxed cookies you’ll find at the store. It uses common but super nutritious ingredients and a little sugar to sweeten things up!
Traditional Junk Food vs. Artificial Factory-Made Junk Food
Now if you are a real food junkie like me, and you get a hankering for something sweet, I would much rather you eat something like these homemade cookies as opposed to a bag of Chips Ahoy. Not only would this homemade version taste a great deal better, but they would also be better for you due to the following reasons:
- They are made with mostly whole-wheat flour.
- They don’t contain high-fructose corn syrup or artificial additives.
- They can be made with organic ingredients.
Whole Food Cookies for Your Real Food Journey
Another reason I am posting this recipe is because some who just recently switched to “real food” may not have a good recipe in their files for homemade cookies and cakes. Before our family’s drastic transformation to real food I used to solely rely on Betty Crocker boxed cake mixes for birthday celebrations. When it came time to celebrate the first birthday after our “100 Days of Real Food” pledge I was at a loss for making a homemade cake from scratch.
So this cookie recipe will be the first of a (very small!) series for those of us that want to occasionally indulge in something extra special without having to rely on mass produced food.
So just to be clear this is one of the few recipes on this blog that would not be “approved” during the “10 Days of Real Food” pledge, but this could also be the perfect reward after working hard to successfully complete your pledge. For a healthier option, make these Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies (with sugar!)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour ((or can use all whole-wheat instead))
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter (slightly colder than room temperature)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a hand-held whisk including the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large, separate bowl use an electric mixer to cream the butter. The butter is the KEY ingredient in this recipe and for best results it must be “slightly” colder than room temperature. I usually take my stick of butter out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a half hour or so before making the cookies. If your butter gets too soft/warm you can alternatively chill the cookie batter after mixing everything together.
- Add the egg, both sugars, and vanilla to butter until well mixed. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary.
- With the electric mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in batches) to the butter mixture.
- With a large spatula stir in the chocolate chips.
- If you have time, and for the very best results, it is recommended that you chill the batter for 10 – 15 minutes before putting the cookies in the oven (even if your butter was the perfect temperature!).
- Put spoonfuls of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7 – 9 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Rosemary says
I love that these cookies are not too sweet. I did make a slight change: 1 cup white whole wheat flour (no white flour) and added 1/2 cups oats. Excellent! Thank you!
Jacque says
My family and I have been moving towards more whole foods all the time and on a whim today I decided to make chocolate chip cookies with my 2 boys, 4 and 18 mths. I used my mom's recipe but made some adjustments. Her recipe was similar to yours but included crisco so I used half the amount called for and used homemade crockpot applesauce for the other half. I figured if I can substitute apple sauce for oil why not use it in place of crisco...? I also substituted half the flour for whole wheat. Do you think they will turn out with the apple sauce in them? Thank you so much.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jacque. I have not tried that substitution before so I'm not really sure. Hope they turned out ok for you. Jill
Nicole says
I usual make these per tge recipe and they are very good. For the holudays, I made these with 1/2 cup whole wheat and 2/3 cup whole grain spelt and they were absolutely irresistible. Everyone kept asking how I made them!
Lucy P says
I also used only whole wheat flour (Trader Joe's White Whole Wheat), and my children loved them. I confess that I "cheated" by using milk and white chocolate chips (all-natural kind, but not dark!).
Tonya says
I love putting ground flaxseed in my cho chip cookies. Gives them a great nutty taste along with fiber and omega 3's.
Lucy P says
Tonya, I wish I had read your suggestion about the flaxseed before I baked these!
Maliha says
Absolutely Devine!
Melissa says
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! I used wheat flour only and absolutely love them :=)
Anna says
Hi Not sure if this is posted somewhere but what are your recommendations on a good chocolate chip? Needless to say store brand dark chips don't cut it :) (Natural Flavor doesn't seem right LOL)
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Anna. I buy ones without the soy lechitin - they are at Earthfare and the brand is escaping me and I don't have a bag here. I think it is Sunrise or something like that. Enjoy Life has also been recommended to me as a good option. Jill
Heather says
Love these, and love that they are a small batch. Firm believer in moderation for kids and that a little treat now and again prevents things like binging and teaches portion control. Thanks for the recipe, cooked it twice as is and both time yummo!
MintBug2 says
Any recommendations on good chocolate chips? I have been kown to just get good chocolate and chop it up, but that's more work...
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi MintBug2. I buy ones at Earthfare and/or Whole Foods that contain no soy lechitin. I just used up my last bag and I can't recall the brand - I think it is Sunrise. They are >70% cacao too. I have also heard of another brand, Enjoy Life, that are supposed to be good. I would check out Whole Foods for some better options. Jill
Ire says
These look yummy. You can substitute the white sugar (never any need for that !) with unrefined cane sugar-it's slightly better for you.
hy says
If I want to sub butter with oil (lactose intolerant), what is the ratio of oil I should use ? (coconut oil)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
I'm not sure of the substitution ratio. I'm also not sure oil will work for the butter since you need to cream the butter with the sugar. You can probably search online for more info on trying to sub oil for the butter. Jill
tom says
So where is the picture of the children eating the cookies???
Pattie Walker says
I love your website and refer to it often. I eat real foods 90% of the time. However, this summer was crazy busy and I was not sticking to real foods as much as I like. I was out of state for a month to help my daughter with our first grandchild (her husband is in Afghanistan)and also had to travel for work. Between going out to eat and my daughter having a lot of company, I couldn't always control what I was eating. When I decided to make cookies last night, I did not want to add the white sugar and brown sugar, as I was eating way too much highly processed foods and I'm afraid I'll go back to being a sugar junkie. So I took your recipe and substituted honey and maple syrup for the sugars. I also used white whole wheat flour. The cookies turned out yummy. They tasted a little different, but I could avoid the highly processed sugars. Next time I'll use less honey & Syrup as they were a little more sweet. Thank you for all you do!
Katie says
This is my "go to" recipe when we haven't had sweets in a while! My daughter LOVES to help and they're SO easy! My husband says these are his absolute favorite!! (mr. picky saying that!) Thanks for a healthier alternative and a little splurge that doesn't make us feel guilty about all of the junk :)
jennifer says
My daughter made a solar oven for science and she wanted to put cookies in it, this was the perfect amount. Thanks.
Amy says
I have made these "as-is' before and they came out great. However, I decided to try 1/4 butter and 1/4 organic applesauce to see how they would come out. This latest version also worked great too, the cookies are a little more "cake" like.
Ali says
hhmmm... I don't know what I did wrong. I used all wheat flour and coconut palm sugar but these didn't spread at all. I baked them for 9 minutes and they are still the same shaped balls as before I cooked them. Haven't tried them yet since they are still how but I hope they are ok. I can't figure out what I did!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ali. It may have been the sugar substitution that caused them to be different. Maybe follow the recipe with no substitutions next time to see how they turn out. Jill
Christine Cutuli says
I haven't had a chance to try your recipe yet, but am curious to compare it with this recipe that I found on eating well.com. This recipe calls for oil, but can substitute more butter, coconut oil and/or applesauce I would think. They are made with rolled oats and whole wheat flour, and they are really good!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/bevs_chocolate_chip_cookies.html
Natalie says
I just cooked these but instead of all chocolate chips I used have chocolate chips and half peanut butter pieces, turned out great!
Rebecca says
I have had great success substituting coconut sugar 1 for 1 in baking. I order mine on Amazon. I made chocolate chip cookies tonight for a party with 100% soft white wheat (white wheat pastry flour) and they were gobbled right up alongside the Gatorade and Doritos that other people brought. No one knew they were anything different. And I love being able to offer my kids a real food treat in that situation! Thanks for the recipe!
Angie says
I made these sub coconut oil for butter, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 c coconut flour, 1/4 flaxseed. Took them to work and everyone loved them.
Alicia Chafin says
I made these last night and the comment I got from my 7yo son was "Mama, your chocolate chip cookies are the bestest in the whole world!" So thank you. I used all White WW flour.
Mrs. B says
Just used this recipe tonight. My husband isn't a dessert fan, so when he asks I have to look for small recipes. This was perfect. I made them using my smallest scoop, a tablespoon maybe, and made just over two dozen.
I used all white wheat flour and brown sugar only. Plus walnuts. They were good. Thank you.
Jenny says
These are by far my favorite choc chip cookies ever. I actually had a similar recipe that also called for oil so I substituted 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead. Otherwise, same ingredients. My kids LOVE them too.
Monica says
Just made these but substituted 2tbs Stevia for white sugar and 1/4 cup brown rice syrup for the brown sugar... they tasted great! THANKS!!
Carolyn H says
Just finished a single batch using WW pastry flour and sugar cane extract(? It was in the bulk sections). The cookies are to die for. : D
To let you know I did a variation a week ago with WW flour and turbinato sugar. I thought they were great when they were hot, but after they cooled it just didn't taste quite right. Both the flour and sugar were too course, but I am glad I gave it a good college try.
Thanks Lisa!
Ashley T says
My husband had me making these every nig ht fora wholeweek! He kept taking them to work to share and came home with an empty plate. Lets just say they were definately a hit!
Candice G says
Holy Moly these are absolutely delicious! Made them for my nephews who tend to be on the picky side but they each at ate 3...they snuck an extra 2 off the cooling rack when i wasnt looking :)
Jennifer says
Made these the other day and I love them. They taste so much better than other choc. chip cookies I have had. I used all white whole wheat flour and next time I'm going to try coconut oil instead of butter. Thanks for the great recipe.
S says
FYI... This past Saturday I tripled this recipe, and pressed it into a large cookie sheet with a lip on it lined with Reynolds Non Stick Foil for a homemade cookie cake. It was my daughter's 8th birthday party. It came out perfect. I slid it onto a piece of cardboard I covered with gift wrap to dress it up. I decorated it 99% from scratch. I made the icing and colored the purple with blackberry puree, but the blue was dye. It tasted very nice.
I also added a taco bar to the party with ground beef with homemade taco seasoning, homemade pinto beans, sour cream, tomato, lettuce, and grated cheese. Thank you as always for the inspiration!
100 Days of Real Food says
Wow...love your ideas! I've actually been playing around with making this recipe into a cookie cake, and I especially love your gift wrapped cardboard idea. You are one good mommy for doing all of that for your daughter! :)
Caroline says
Have you tried substituting date sugar for brown sugar in these? We just finished your 14 week challenge and now I want to make a treat for the weekend, but I don't have any sugar (afraid once I break down and buy some I will go overboard). I did pick up some BRM date sugar last weeke though I'm thinking that and maple syrup + extra baking soda? Or should I just use date sugar? I know it is all sugar and not good for me. I just want to use what I have!
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not tried them with date sugar, but give it a shot!
Emma says
where did you find date sugar?!! Want to try!
L says
I forgot to mention that I love your blog! Just discovered it last week from pinterest. We're making the refried beans and whole wheat tortillas tonight - can't wait to try them!
L says
My favorite cookies ever are the whole wheat chocolate chip cookies from Kim Boyce's cookbook Good to the Grain:
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-am-sold.html
The recipe looks similar to yours, but calls for all whole wheat flour and chopped bittersweet chocolate. I usually sub dark chocolate, and sprinkle with sea salt and add walnuts to the tops about halfway through the baking (after they've flattened out a little bit). I also follow Molly's recommendation of chilling the dough, and then I only bake what we're going to eat right away, keeping the rest of the dough in the fridge for another day. We've kept if in the fridge for up to a week, and each cookie turned out wonderfully.
Heidi Swanson does a skillet version here:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-skillet-cookies-recipe.html
S says
Hi! My daughter wants a pizza-sized chocolate chip cookie for her 8th birthday this month. Do you think this recipe would work for that? Maybe double it? Any suggestions on how to frost it? Thank you so much for your website.
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, I do think it would work! I have tried a very similar cookie recipe in a large rectangular baking dish (the end shape/texture was similar to brownies so I am sure it can be made round). I would recommend putting parchment on the bottom of the pan (trace and cut out a round piece) so you can easily get it out and put it on an attractive tray for the party. Also, I love to use whipped cream for frosting because it's "real" and easy. Or you could look up a homemade buttercream recipe as well. Good luck!
Lindsay says
What's your take on coconut sugar and/or muscovado sugar? Sometimes you have a recipe where you just have to have granulated sugar, like this one. Are these sugars "better"? Or at least, better enough to justify the exorbitant price (about 5-8 times the cost of regular refined sugar.) While we are trying our hardest to transition off sugars, I sheepishly admit that sweet iced tea is one of my life-long guilty pleasures. (Hey, I'm from the South! Don't judge!) I have cut back considerably, down to about 1/2 cup per gallon, but I'm still weaning myself. My grandma and mom always made it with 2 cups/gal!
Also, where did your search box go? It's disappeared.
100 Days of Real Food says
The bottom line is that sugar is sugar so no matter what type you choose (white sugar, coconut sugar, honey, corn syrup, etc.) it should always be used in moderation.
marie says
We do whole wheat choc chip cookies with oat flour and whole wheat flour. Oat flour is just oatmeal in the blender for a second . Also, we use coconut oil instead of butter and they are the best youve ever had! Google Bevs chocolate chip cookies. Rave reviews.
Melissa S says
These are amazing! I came across this recipe from pinterest and I feel in love with your blog. It was hard to stop myself from pinning all your recipes :)
I made these cookies exactly as your recipe states, I even chilled the dough for 10 minutes after it was combined. This will now be the only chocolate chip recipe I make!
Jennifer says
These are fantastic! I used a mix of white whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour. next time I might try to add some applesauce just to see if they come out slightly more moist, but I am going to bake these again. My children loved them.
Stephanie says
These were my first foray into using whole wheat flour for baking. They were delicious! And they have so much LESS sugar than traditional recipes. Thanks for helping me satisfy my sweet tooth without too much guilt!