During my last trip, while waiting in line to board the flight at the airport gate, the flight attendant in charge of scanning tickets made an announcement over the loudspeaker. As he explained that there was a small issue with our plane that the crew wanted to fix before takeoff, those of us in line glance around at each other… That did not sound reassuring!
We continued to stand in the gate’s lounge, anxiously wondering whether the flight would be cancelled, but the flight attendant shared an update twenty minutes later. The crew was ready for us to board!
Completely relieved, we hustled to get on the plane, and with an A-section boarding pass, I easily snagged a window seat on the Southwest flight. I stared out the window as the plane sped down the runway and took off into the sky, and I smiled as I watched the sun slowly dip below the clouds, turning the horizon a rosy pink. The sunset view was a nice perk of the delayed flight!
Eventually, I pulled out the latest Food Network Magazine and slowly flipped through the issue. I got really excited as I read the middle featured pages—they had devoted an entire section to different flavor twists on classic chocolate chip cookies!
Back at home, I felt inspired to put my own little spin on my ultimate healthy chocolate chip cookies… Which resulted in these Healthy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies! They’re supremely soft with plenty of chocolate chips, yet unlike many of the calorie-laden recipes in my magazine, these contain no refined flour or sugar and only 86 calories!
That’s definitely my kind of cookie!
Let’s go over how to make these healthy chocolate chip cookies! I’ve learned a lot about the science of chocolate chip cookies over the years, so I’m going to share that information with you to ensure your cookies turn out with the perfect taste and texture, too!
Nerd Alert #1: Flour
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour (like this!). Yes, such a thing actually exists—and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, which lets the soft texture of these cookies truly shine!
Hint: The difference between white whole wheat flour and regular whole wheat flour is similar to the difference between red and green grapes. Same health benefits, just a different color and slightly different taste!
Nerd Alert #2: Cornstarch
That might sound like a strange ingredient for cookies… It’s generally used to thicken sauces and soups! However, cornstarch (like this!) is also a great addition to your cookies. This is because it absorbs moisture (just like in sauces!), which keeps your cookies nice and soft. It also prevents the formation of really long gluten strands. Long gluten strands create a really tough texture… So adding the cornstarch helps keep these cookies chewy instead!
Nerd Alert #3: Butter
We’re only using a small amount of melted butter in these cookies! You can’t completely omit the butter… That leads to bready textures, rather than soft and chewy. And if you used softened butter and tried to beat it with the honey, that would incorporate more air into the cookie dough. More air leads to a crispier texture. By using melted butter, that adds to the perfect soft and chewy texture!
Nerd Alert #4: Sweeteners
Based on this recipe’s name, I’m sure you can guess the first one… It’s honey (like this)! However, because of honey’s liquid consistency, using pure honey would add way too much liquid to the cookie dough, which would make your healthy chocolate chip cookies turn out cakey or bready.
To combat that issue, you’ll use half honey and half liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!), and it’s also highly concentrated. You just need ½ teaspoon—and that definitely prevents us from adding too much liquid to this cookie dough!
This is the liquid stevia that I use because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Nerd Alert #5: Chocolate Chips
Yes, I actually learned some nerdy things about chocolate chips that I want to share with you! I actually use a combination of dark chocolate chips (I love these!) and miniature chocolate chips (I’m obsessed with these!) in these healthy chocolate chip cookies. The dark chocolate chips provide a big burst of chocolate, while the mini chocolate chips ensure that every bite contains at least one morsel of chocolate.
And the reason I love both of those particular chips? (Click on those pink links above to see which ones!) They melt much better than other brands, which makes these healthy honey chocolate chip cookies taste even better when they’re fresh from the oven!
But I’m getting ahead of myself…
Nerd Alert #6: Baking
These cookies don’t actually spread while in the oven, so you must flatten the cookie dough before baking. I use this small spatula to do so. Isn’t it cute?? By flattening the cookie dough ahead of time, it ensures your cookies turn out in the classic round cookie shape, instead of looking like spherical balls!
So all that’s left is to pop your baking sheet in the oven…
And enjoy your healthy honey chocolate chip cookies! 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 healthy chocolate chip cookies!
| Healthy Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg white
- 1 ½ tsp nonfat milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (45mL) honey
- ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 2 tbsp (28g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (14g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, egg white, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the honey and liquid stevia. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and ½ tablespoon of miniature chocolate chips.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon and a spatula. Flatten using a spatula. (The cookies don’t spread much, if at all!) Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
For the gluten-free option, 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 (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
The cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft and chewy. (See my blog post above for more information!)
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine!), and I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found.
If you really prefer not to use the liquid stevia, then substitute ½ cup (96g) of coconut sugar or brown sugar for both the honey AND the liquid stevia. (You won't use any honey if you're using coconut sugar or brown sugar!) You cannot use pure honey because that would add too much liquid to the cookie dough, so your cookies would turn out with a bready or muffin-like texture.
These are my favorite dark chocolate chips, and these are my favorite miniature chocolate chips. Both of those turn melty in the oven, which I love!
If your cookie dough is too dry and you can’t incorporate all of the flour, add more milk ½ teaspoon at a time until you can incorporate all of the flour.
This recipe is easily doubled!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Practically Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
♡ Healthy Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthy Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hi! I currently don’t have access to any vanilla stevia here 🙁 Can I opt to leave it out of the recipe? Would that make a huge difference?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Angel! Unfortunately, yes — simply omitting the stevia will make a BIG difference in this recipe. It’s the sweetness equivalent of over ¼ cup of honey, so your cookies will taste like muffins or plain sandwich bread without it. I’ve actually covered why you need both sweeteners in Nerd Alert #4 in my blog post above the recipe, and I’ve covered what to do if you don’t have access to stevia in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss both of these! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
Loved these cookies!! Trying to eat healthier but I have a sweet tooth. I didn’t have stevia, but I think they turned out sweet enough 🥰 probably the extra chocolate chips I added 🤦♀️ Thank you!!
I’m so glad you loved these cookies, Britt! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂 And I can never turn down extra chocolate chips… I’m such a big chocoholic too! 😉
Hi, if i dun have stevia, do add 51g of brown sugar and continue adding 45ml of honey?
It means a lot that you’d like to try my recipe, Shelene! I’ve actually covered how to substitute brown sugar in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss that section! If you’re using brown sugar, you don’t use the honey because it adds too much liquid volume to the cookie dough. (Because it dissolves in liquids, brown sugar actually counts towards the liquid volume of recipes!) I just updated the Notes section to make that more obvious too! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making these cookies!
This is a pretty good cookie. I didn’t follow it totally, I use what I have on hand. I thought that the amount of chocolate chips was absolutely not enough when I read the recipe but when I did it there was enough. I was just not used to a small recipe. I think I will make it again but bigger! We always have had liquid stevia in our house, but it was always used for tea. We have cinnamon honey that we got from a neighbor and it wasn’t bad it the cookie.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Kathryn! That really means a lot to me, especially that you thought there was a decent amount of chocolate after all AND that you’d want to make them again. The latter is the best kind of compliment there is, so thank you for taking the time to let me know! 😉 I love the sound of your cinnamon honey too. I wish I could find some of that near me — I’d love to give it a try!
Hi! I’m inspired to try this recipe! I’m trying to eat healthier but I couldn’t give up choc chip cookies. Can I use almond flour for this recipe? And I don’t have liquid stevia, can I use the powder ones that come in sachets?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Aby! Almond flour should work in this particular recipe. What’s the exact stevia (brand + product name!) that you’d like to substitute? Since many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, the amount you’ll need (and any other recipe modifications you might need to make!) can vary depending on the exact stevia that you’d like to use. 🙂
Hi! I have the Stevia in the Raw and Truvia ones. The Truvia brand includes erythritol, aside from stevia leaf extract..
Thanks for sharing, Aby! If you use Stevia In The Raw packets (not the tablets or “Bakers Bag”), you’ll need 6 packets to replace the liquid stevia. You shouldn’t have to make any modifications to the recipe (ingredients or instructions) if using these! I don’t have enough experience with Truvia’s packets to be able to confidently predict how those will perform, but my best guess would be that you’d need 6 packets as well. I’m just not sure about whether you’d need to change the amount of milk to compensate for the added volume from the erythritol. (It both absorbs and dissolves much differently in liquids compared to dextrose, which is the second ingredient in Stevia In The Raw!)
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you make them!
Hi, could we use another oil so that it could be dairy free? Coconut oil?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Pri! Coconut oil is already listed as an option in the Ingredients list, so that will definitely work. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these chocolate chip cookies if you try making them!