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What do you get when you marry chocolate and olive oil? Magic. These olive oil chocolate chip cookies are thick, with a soft, pillowy center and extra rich thanks to grated chocolate in the dough. Magic indeed.
Some days you just need a cookie. A cookie with a chewy edge, soft center and more than the legal limit of melty chocolate chips. A cookie secretly tucked into a lunchbox can bring a smile or dunked into a mug of coffee can masquerade as breakfast. (Who me?)
You can usually find a little something sweet on my counter. Often it’s a loaf of banana bread with a crunchy, sugary crust, or a simple plate of cookies. Between recipe testing and feeding hungry boys (that sport a pretty big sweet tooth like their mom), it seems the flour and sugar are never out of reach.
For special occasions or gift giving I’ve been known to whip out my trusty piping bag and use royal icing to create fun or unique designs. It’s as close as I’ll ever come to being an artist and I find the painstaking piping a little meditative. But you simply can’t rush royal icing, so this is not your go-to cookie for a quick sugar fix. When the cookie craving hits, our family favorite is a good old chocolate chip cookie.
Never one to leave good enough alone, I’m forever tweaking and experimenting with the classic. Today all of that experimenting has led us to these olive oil chocolate chip cookies. I did a one for one swap with olive oil in place of butter and upped the ante with a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate.
Let’s make Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gather your ingredients and blend your dry ingredients together.
- Beat sugar and olive oil together.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and blend well. Stir in the vanilla.
- Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Mix in the grated chocolate and chocolate chips/chunks.
- Portion out cookies, place on a lined sheet try, and chill before baking.
Tips for success
- You will taste the olive oil in these cookies, that’s kind of the point. So don’t skimp and use the cheap stuff, choose a decent quality olive oil that has a bright, fruity flavor.
- I love to use bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks when baking cookies so they’re not overly sweet. But to add a little extra chocolate oomph, I grate a chunk of semi-sweet chocolate right into the cookie dough. It also adds a pretty fleck to the finished cookie.
- An ice cream scooper makes for quick, and more importantly, uniform cookies that will bake evenly.
- Don’t skip the chilling before baking. This extra step yields a thicker cookie with less spread and a pillowy, soft center.
- I like to reserve a handful of chips to nudge into the cookies after I portion them out. It won’t change the flavor, but it sure looks pretty. And remember, the eyes eat first.
- Don’t over-bake these cookies. In fact, under-bake them slightly. You want to pull them out when the edges are set and just slightly golden and the centers still soft.
That’s it. A classic recipe with a few modern updates. And since we’re using olive oil, can we call these healthy cookies? Okay, okay…health-ier cookies. Happy baking my friends.
What do you get when you marry chocolate and olive oil? Magic. These olive oil chocolate chip cookies are thick, with a soft, pillowy center and extra rich thanks to grated chocolate in the dough. Magic indeed.
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely grated
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
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Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Beat the olive oil and sugar with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until well mixed.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
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Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.
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Mix in the grated chocolate and chocolate chips (save a handful) until just combined.
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Using an ice cream scooper or ¼ measuring cup, portion out each cookie and place on two parchment lined sheet trays. You will have 20 cookies. Take the reserved handful of chocolate chips and pop them on top of the cookies, nudging them into the dough slightly. Chill for at least 30 mins.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Bake for 13-14 mins or until the cookies are set, golden around the edges, and still pretty soft. They should be a little under-done, the cookies will continue to set as they cool.
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Serve warm or at room temperature. The cookies will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- You will taste the olive oil in these cookies, that's kind of the point. So don't skimp and use the cheap stuff, choose a decent quality olive oil that has a bright, fruity flavor.
- I love to use bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks when baking cookies so they're not overly sweet. But to add a little extra chocolate oomph, I grate a chunk of semi-sweet chocolate right into the cookie dough. It also adds a pretty fleck to the finished cookie.
- An ice cream scooper makes for quick, and more importantly, uniform cookies that will bake evenly.
- Don't skip the chilling before baking. This extra step yields a thicker cookie with less spread and a pillowy, soft center.
- I like to reserve a handful of chips to nudge into the cookies after I portion them out. It won't change the flavor, but it sure looks pretty. And remember, the eyes eat first.
- Don't over-bake these cookies. In fact, under-bake them slightly. You want to pull them out when the edges are set and just slightly golden and the centers still soft.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in June 2018 but was republished with tips and step by step photos in February 2019.
18
JansinGA says
Very good cookie! To me, they were even better the next day. My husband likes nuts in his chocolate chip cookies so I added pecan pieces. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Cathy says
Pecans would be delicious in these! And you’re so right on about the next day…the olive oil flavor becomes slightly more pronounced as they sit. Great tip!
Kim says
I just made these today but I did not use the eggs instead I substituted applesauce. Making them totally Vegan with all organic ingredients. AAll I can say is amazing !!
KKim says
I just made these today but I did not use the eggs I substituted organic applesauce in for the. all the rest of the ingredients were organic as well and I wish I could take a picture of these and show everyone they are amazing.
Kim says
I made these today and they were amazing I substituted applesauce for the eggs made him totally organic and totally vegan amazing we could cookies super thick super chewy unbelievable
Cathy says
So glad you enjoyed them and great suggestion to replace the eggs with applesauce for a vegan variation. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!
Luciana Pasticci says
Wow as a college girl I’ve googled tons of CC cookie recipes .This is my last “dorm batch” before graduation. Cookies never turn out right and the batches are too large . But These were amazing ! It was my first time using olive oil and also sifting the flour . I also cut the recipe in half . The chilling of the dough made happy thicker cookies that didnt droop . I have to tell you that these taste gourmet and look gourmet . maybe because my olive oil was made by my family in Italy and your great recipe of course . Thank you. You Rock !
Cathy Roma says
I’m so happy to hear that you loved these! Doesn’t the olive oil make these special? I wish I had some of your family’s olive oil, I’m so envious. Congratulations on your graduation and thanks for your great comments!
Brittany says
So happy to have finally found an incredible dairy free chocolate chip cookie recipe that has eggs and no coconut oil!! I made these for Christmas eve after a week of craving a mean chocolate chip cookie, and boy did they ever hit the spot! They were moist and delicious. Thank you so much!!
Cathy Roma says
I’m so happy you found this recipe! I love baking with olive oil for the texture and light, fruity taste. Thanks for commenting!