Two weeks ago while perfecting my skinny vanilla mug cake recipe, I started craving the chocolate version that I posted last fall. While I enjoy a classic vanilla cupcake now and then, I’m a chocoholic at heart (that’s why I wrote a chocolate cookbook!) and need my fix on a multiple-times-a-day basis.
A tiny square of dark chocolate after breakfast, another little nibble as a mid-morning snack, a slightly bigger piece after lunch (or, even better, a small brownie or cookie!), one more morsel partway through the afternoon, and a chocolate-filled baked treat as dessert after dinner. Or at least a big chunk of my favorite dark chocolate bar.
I’m obsessed!
The day after I finished filming the vanilla mug cake video, I finally whipped up the chocolate recipe that had been on my mind for so long, but since I had waited so long to bake it, I decided to make a double serving as an extra decadent dessert. I slowly savored every bite of that warm chocolate cake as my bedtime treat… The less you let it cool, the more it tastes like a lava cake crossed with a fudgy brownie. Pure dark chocolaty bliss!
Shortly after falling asleep, I woke up feeling rather hot, which is basically unheard of for me! I have really poor circulation and constantly feel like a popsicle during the winter, even here in California while bundled up in multiple pairs of socks and scarves or buried underneath three layers of blankets in bed. But I figured it was stress or over-thinking recipe photo shoots for the blog, and I eventually nodded off again.
Because I enjoyed that double serving of my chocolate mug cake so much, I ended up making it again the following evening. (Did you see both of them on my @AmyBakesHealthy Snapchat?) It tasted just as decadent as the first, and I even ran my finger around the mug and licked it clean!
Yet I woke up feeling extremely hot in the middle of the night again, and after what felt like half an hour of lying there, I finally rolled over and pulled up the web on my iPhone. After a quick search, I quietly giggled…
It turns out that a double serving of my chocolate mug cake contained as much caffeine from the 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder as a regular cup of tea.
Whoops!
So the following day, I baked a batch of these Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies to get my dark chocolate fix instead! They taste just as rich and decadent as my mug cake, but they contain a lot less caffeine per serving… And those melty chips are positively irresistible!
This super easy recipe begins with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour comes from a special variety of finely ground white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour is made from red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, closer to that of all-purpose flour, but it still retains the same health benefits of whole wheat flour.
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour is a great substitute, if you prefer!
Next comes the cocoa powder. You just need the regular unsweetened kind! Because of the 2:1 ratio of flour to cocoa powder, these cookies already taste really dark, similar to 70% dark chocolate, without using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder.
However, it’s extremely important to measure the cocoa powder correctly! Too much cocoa powder will quickly dry out the dough and make the cookies crumbly. You can use the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale, but I highly recommend the latter. This is the inexpensive one that I own, and I use it for every recipe that I make for this blog because it ensures that your baked treats turn out with the perfect taste and texture every time. It’s my favorite kitchen gadget!
To keep these cookies clean eating friendly, you’ll sweeten them with coconut sugar instead of refined sugar. Coconut sugar does not actually taste like coconut! It has a very light caramel-like flavor, just like brown sugar, but it pours like granulated. You can find it on the baking aisle of most grocery stores near the other sugars, as well as online.
And now for my favorite part… The chocolate chips! You’ll use both dark chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. These are my favorite dark chocolate chips because they’re the same size as typical semisweet chocolate chips, whereas many other brands make their dark chocolate chips much larger in size. These are my favorite mini chips because they melt really well—and their tiny size ensures that every bite contains a morsel of melty chocolate!
All we need now is a cold glass of milk!
| Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies | | Print |
- 1 ⅓ cups (160g) white whole wheat flour (measured like this)
- ⅔ cup (53g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (192g) coconut sugar
- 4 tbsp (56g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips.
- Using a spoon and spatula, drop the cookie dough into 24 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheets, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
Semisweet chocolate chips may be substituted for the dark chocolate chips.
{clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
My 10-year old daughter and I made these cookies today in preparation for Valentine’s Day. We followed your recipe exactly except for using whole spelt flour (same measurement) instead of whole wheat. I always measure my flours now the way you suggest by sprinkling from a spoon (or fork). We put the dough balls on the cookie and then flattened them with a spatula, then we made a small cut in on end and shaped them into hearts. They turned out beautifully and I was so pleased that the whole family loved them. We made another small silicone tray of mini heart shaped cookies with the batter which turned out a little chewier because I didn’t leave them in as long, and they were all delicious! I really didn’t expect that the cookies were going to rise, but they did and looked lovely. I was going to include a photo, but I guess it’s not possible here.
Anyway, it is wonderful to have this site to go to, so I can make yummy treats for my kids and not worry about all the copious amounts of processed sugar that seem so unavoidable everywhere else. Thank you so much Amy for all your efforts and dedication to provide people with sweets that are yummy and healthy. I’ve always been a sweet freak, but I just can’t consume processed white sugar anymore. Happy Valentine’s Day to you from Canada!!! 😍💓💗💖
Oh my goodness! I’m thrilled that you loved these cookies, Joanna!! It means so much that you and your daughter made them for Valentine’s Day – and that you’d want to send me a picture too. You just made my entire day!! ♡
You’re welcome to email me a picture, if you’d like! Or else you can share it with me on Facebook here or via Instagram. I’d absolutely love to see how your cookies turned out; they sound so cute and fun with your heart-shaped idea!
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Valentine’s Day!! Sending you lots of love! ♡
Hi Amy! I love your recipes so much, you’re my go-to website to find a healthy version of a sweet! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and ideas.
I was wondering, if I wanted to add hemp seeds (like Hemp Hearts), to these cookies, how much can I add without it affecting the cookie? Should I reduce some of the flour? Thank you!
You’re such a sweetheart, Angela! Your kind words about my recipes and website mean so much. You just made my entire week!! ♡
I haven’t tried baking with hemp seeds before, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If they behave like common nuts and seeds often used in baking recipes (ie almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and those sorts of things!), where they aren’t absorbent like chia seeds or noticeably alter the consistency of batters and doughs (aka they mainly add crunch!), then it may be possible to add in a couple tablespoons without changing any of the other ingredients or instructions — but since I don’t have experience with them, that’s just a guess!
If you do end up making these cookies, whether as written or experimenting with adding hemp seeds, I’d absolutely love to hear how they turn out and what you think of them! 🙂