On one of our East Coast baseball trips, Dad and I started in Philadelphia to see the Phillies play the Diamondbacks on a Saturday evening. After my first authentic Philly cheesesteak experience for lunch and a trip to the Liberty Bell, we took the train to the stadium for the game, arriving two hours before the start time to watch batting practice and walk around the ballpark.
As the incredibly exciting game evolved, where the Phillies scored four runs in the bottom of the 8th to send it into extra innings, Dad and I kept glancing at the clock. The 10th turned into the 11th… Then the 12th… Then the 13th… And after the 14th, we decided to head back to the hotel. We needed to leave by 7:30 am the following morning to drive to Baltimore for their matinee game against the Athletics!
Thank goodness we left when we did… The game finally ended around 1 am after the 18th inning—the equivalent of two baseball games for the price of one!
Sunday morning, Dad and I woke up to our extra early alarms. He took the first shower, then while I hopped in the bathroom for mine, he headed down to the Starbucks in the hotel lobby for coffee. Once I finished packing, we both carried our bags down to the concierge to check out before walking back to the same Starbucks, still completely empty and quiet at that hour, so I could grab something for the road.
I ordered a nonfat latte and picked up a fruit salad for a quick and easy breakfast, and Dad asked for another black coffee—the only way he drinks his! The barista laughed, joking with him about how he was the best customer by coming back again so soon after his first mug. Dad always starts his day with multiple cups, always brewed at home (unless on travel), his favorite morning ritual since before I was born!
So for Father’s Day, I created this recipe for Healthy Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies just for him! They’re irresistibly chewy and full of rich coffee flavor, just perfect for Dad. Even better, they contain no eggs, refined flour or sugar and only 97 calories!
And even though Mom loves chocolate… She hates the taste of coffee, so Dad didn’t have to share a single one of his Father’s Day treats!
If you’re a coffee lover too, then you’ll start making these healthy cookies by measuring out white whole wheat flour. Yes, white whole wheat flour actually exists! It comes from a special type of soft white wheat, which has a lighter taste and texture compared to regular wheat but the same health benefits. It’s perfect for baking muffins, scones, cookies, brownies, cakes, and more!
For the coffee flavor, you’ll mix instant coffee crystals into a small amount of melted butter and warm milk. Don’t try to use regular coffee grounds or brewed coffee! The former doesn’t dissolve and gives your cookies a gritty texture, and the latter doesn’t have strong enough of a flavor. This is the instant coffee I use (or the decaf version!), and it’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages.
And yes, in case you were wondering… It has to be melted butter, or Earth Balance for a vegan version. Instant coffee doesn’t dissolve in coconut oil! I’ve done that experiment and learned that lesson for you so you don’t waste your time or ingredients like I did! ?
Instead of granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten your cookies with coconut sugar (like this!), an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts. It has a similar caramel-like flavor to brown sugar, and it doesn’t taste like coconuts! And of course, don’t forget my favorite part… The miniature chocolate chips! Their smaller size ensures every bite contains multiple morsels of chocolate, and these are one of my favorite kinds because they taste rich and turn perfectly gooey and melty while baking!
My dad loved these cookies so much that he insisted on sharing them with his friends… Because he knew they’d get hooked just like he did! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or Earth Balance, melted
- 2 tbsp (30mL) warm unsweetened cashew milk
- 2 tsp instant coffee crystals
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, and instant coffee. (It may take a little while, so be patient!) Stir in the vanilla until fully incorporated. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon and a spatula. Flatten the cookie dough 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 sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For a gluten-free flour substitute, I recommend the following: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.
The cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft and chewy.
This is the instant coffee that I use (or sometimes the decaf version!). Don’t substitute regular coffee granules because the cookies will turn out gritty. Don’t substitute brewed coffee because its flavor isn’t strong enough.
Do not substitute coconut oil! Instant coffee doesn’t dissolve in it.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.
Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
This recipe is easily doubled, and it freezes well too!
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Coffee Loaf Cake with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
♡ Coffee Energy Bites
♡ Fudgy Mocha Brownies with Coffee Drizzle
♡ Dark Chocolate Mocha Truffles
♡ Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Cookies
♡ Fudgy Raspberry Mocha Brownies
These look SOOO perfect!! I remember you telling me this baseball story, so crazy! How interesting that the instant coffee doesn’t dissolve into coconut oil… I bet you have some scientific reason for it! 😉
I miss coffee!! But my daily morning ritual of lipton black tea is pretty nice, too. 🙂
Aww I can’t believe you remember that story — you’re such an amazing friend, sweet pea! ♡ It’d be so hard to give up coffee… Do you remember that coffee-flavored (ish) herbal tea that you tried a few years ago? Would that be any better than black tea??
Hi Amy, at the end of your chocolate chip coffee cookie recipe in your notes section you said that white whole wheat flour could be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour. Did you use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat? Thanks so much I am so blessed by you and your wonderful and healthy recipes!
Oh goodness — thanks for catching that little typo! All fixed! 🙂 Both flours work equally well, but I use white whole wheat flour more because it’s readily available in the grocery stores near my house, whereas whole wheat pastry flour isn’t. 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies Doreen!
I can’t tell you how many times I have looked at the photo of these cookies on Pinterest but kept scrolling. I confess that I’ve tried too many “healthy” cookie recipes that were healthy but no one would eat them. Or, I never had the ingredients on hand and so I passed. I made these with the standard ingredients that you mentioned in your list of substitutions and I should have doubled the recipe! These cookies are a coffee lover’s dream and were devoured before they made it to the cookie jar. (It is so heart-warming to see how much you treasure your dad. I miss mine every single day.)
I’m so glad you loved these cookies, Lisa! It means the world to me that you’d try this recipe, especially after all of your past experiences with other healthy cookie recipes that nobody would eat. I’m truly honored that you’d say you should’ve doubled the recipe — that’s the best kind of compliment! 🙂 It’s so hard to lose loved ones… I hope you’re able to treasure the memories you still have of your dad!
Hi Amy! I was wondering if I could substitute the flour for Oat flour or Instant Oats or maybe a mix of ww f and oat flour? THANKS!!
Yes! You should be able to use oat flour in these cookies as well, Matías! Just like I mentioned with my white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, be extra careful when measuring it since oat flour tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flour. 🙂 It means so much to me that you’d want to try yet another one of my cookie recipes, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of these coffee chocolate chip cookies too!
Hello, these cookies looks delicious and I really want to try them but I don’t have coconut sugar. Are there any substitutes I can use instead?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sila! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
Thanks for sharing the great recipe
Can I use stevia instead of coconut sugar??
And applesauce instead of butter?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Saturn!
We don’t recommend applesauce instead of butter. It’ll make these cookies more bready and muffin-like, rather than chewy.
Can you let me know the precise brand and product name of the stevia you’d like to use? That can make a big difference on what will work for this recipe!
Thanks for responding
I live in Iran and I think you don’t know the Iranian’s brands.
But the ingredients of sweetener that I want to use are Steviol Glyciside, Isomalt, Inulin, Maltodextrin.
Most of the time I use this sweetener for my cookies and It worked well.
Thanks for responding
I live in Iran and I think you don’t know the Iranian’s brands.
But the ingredients of sweetener that I want to use are Steviol Glycoside, Isomalt, Inulin, Maltodextrin.
Most of the time I use this sweetener for my cookies and It worked well.
I will inform you of the result
Thanks anyway
Great! Thanks for that information, Saturn! Although we likely don’t use the same brands that you might have in Iran, we do have great resources that would help us find out more about them! If you’re willing to share the exact brand and product name or even a link to the one you use, we’re still happy to investigate further for you! 😉