Maple Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
My perfect whole wheat chocolate chip cookie is crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a satisfying crunch.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
I have been on the hunt for the perfect whole wheat cookies for over a year now. A girl can only eat so many cookies, though, so it has been a long and slow process that paused during a crazy hot summer. In my attempt to narrow down the possibilities, I searched around for the highest authorities on chocolate chip cookies and sampled the most promising cookie recipes I could find.
First, I tried baking a whole wheat version of The New York Timesโ chocolate chip cookies during a snow storm last year. I baked a few cookies with the fresh dough and then let the dough rest overnight as directed. From that, I learned that cookies really are better if you let the dough age for 12 to 72 hoursโthe dry dough ingredients soak up the rest of the ingredients over time, which ultimately produces a better cookie. Iโve tried it and itโs true.
The New York Times cookies, though? Everyone agreed they were really good, but they werenโt what I was looking for (blasphemy to some of you, Iโm sure!). They didnโt have enough of that gooey, brown sugary goodness on the inside. They were a little too crisp, too ready to snap.
Then Molly Wizenberg waxed poetic about Kim Boyceโs whole grain chocolate chip cookies in her cookbook, Good to the Grain. Molly knows her stuff, but the cookies werenโt toothsome enough for me.
On the upside, I took one of my favorite pictures of Cookie the day I made those cookies:
So a couple of months ago, I signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. Basically, it entailed baking three dozen cookies and sending a dozen to three bloggers, while receiving three dozen from three other bloggers. Itโs a logistical nightmare that I wouldnโt want to organize but I thought it would be fun to participate!
True to form, I waited until the day before the deadline to decide what to bake. I cracked open Heidi Swansonโs Super Natural Cooking and came across her recipe for mesquite chocolate chip cookies. I decided to continue my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and gave her recipe a shot.
I based the recipe below off of Heidiโs recipe, but made several notable substitutions and ended up with three dozen of my ideal chocolate chip cookiesโgolden on top, crisp around the edges, with a soft, moist interior oozing with dark chocolate chips. To get there, I traded easier-to-find whole spelt flour for expensive mesquite flour (they both have a slightly malty flavor and low gluten content, but feel free to use more whole wheat pastry flour instead). I swapped 1/3 cup maple syrup for a 1/2 cup of raw sugar, which is the recommended substitution ratio in the Green Market Baking Book. Next time, Iโll try reducing the raw sugar by another half cup in favor of an additional 1/3 cup of maple syrup.
I didnโt want oatmeal cookies, and my arm was giving up after mixing in even a half cup of oats, so I stopped at one cup. These are not chewy oatmeal cookies, mind you. The oats add a bit of extra fluffiness. Theyโre magical. Lastly, I mixed a hint of cinnamon into the dough, let the dough rest overnight and sprinkled the warm cookies with Maldon sea salt, which is a bit of a splurge but worth its weight in gold. However, my idea of a perfect recipe is one that is accessible, so itโs optional.
By the time I was ready to put the third dozen in the oven, I realized that eleven minutes is too long. Ten minutes is just right. I was apprehensive that the cookies might dry out during shipping but carried on.
I was so relieved when I received this sweet facebook comment from one of the recipients, Andrea: So, I heard my son in the kitchen checking out the cookies we got and heard in this appalled voice, โYou got to be kidding, whole wheat?โ. The next thing I see is, him sitting down with about 5 cookies and a glass a milk trying to tell me, with a mouth crambed full of cookies, how good they are and how much he loves them. Thanks and great job, the were delicious.
Apologies to the two recipients who didnโt receive their cookies in a pretty box, but in recycled book boxes instead. The white box was actually recycled from one of the dozens of cookies I received. Call me lazy and cheapโฆ or eco-friendly and hip. ;)
Maple Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are my ideal whole wheat chocolate chip cookieโcrisp on the outside, and as fluffy as their all-purpose counterparts on the inside. Maple syrup, cinnamon and a slight sprinkling of Maldon salt make them extra special.
Ingredients
- 2 ยฝ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup whole spelt flour (or an additional cup of whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon fine salt
- ยพ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ยฝ cups raw (turbinado) sugar
- โ cup real maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (60% or higher)
- Maldon salt (optional), for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract and maple syrup.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. Once youโre done mixing in the last of the dry ingredients, you should have a moist, uniformly brown dough.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and oats by hand until they are evenly distributed. Put some muscle into it!
- Drop about two tablespoon of dough per cookie onto the baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space around each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the tops are just golden. Err on the side of underbaking.
- Allow the cookies to set on the baking sheet for about a minute and transfer them to a cooling rack. If desired, sprinkle with a pinch of Maldon salt. Serve with a glass of milk, of course!
Notes
Based on Heidi Swansonโs recipe for mesquite chocolate chip cookies in Super Natural Cooking.
Yields 3 dozen big cookies (about 3 ยฝ to 4 inches in diameter)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I love your natural recipes, and these cookies look divine. Baking with whole grains can sometimes produce undesirable results, but it seems like youโve found the perfect formula for great cookiesโฆ Iโll have to try them!
Thanks, Sarah! Iโm pretty obsessed with finding/devoping the best baked whole grain recipes. White flour makes me feel lousy; Iโm so happy I finally found the chocolate chip cookie I was hunting for!
They look perfecto! And so does your cute packaging. I like wheat flour in my chocolate chip cookies too. And I like to grind up the oats. They save your shoulder when mixing :)
Looks like the cookie swap was fun! Your picture of cookie the pup is fantastic- youโve gotta frame it!
These look wonderful! Love using whole grains for cookiesโฆyum! :)
Dang, if these are that good, Iโm bookmarking them to make and take to my grandmaโs house for Christmas. Thanks for sharing!
Do it! I bet they wonโt know theyโre made with whole wheat flour until you tell them. Thatโd be a fun experiment. :)
These were SO good! If you hadnโt said they were whole wheat, I would have never known. And I didnโt even know there was spelt flour in it until I saw it here. Oats, spelt, whole wheatโit makes me feel better about eating two of these for breakfast this morning! :) Thanks so much for these!
Iโm so happy that you enjoyed the cookies, Danae! Iโm all for cookies for breakfast. :)
I like my chocolate chip cookies just as youโve described these! Iโm going to make a batch for our trip down to San Francisco this weekend, thanks! And it must have been nice to know you converted a teenager to whole grain cookies too : )
Oh please let us know how those cookies turn out, Jacqui! I love converting people to whole grains. First my younger brothers, now Andreaโs son! Iโm on a mission. :)
that is such a cute photo of cookie!!
These look great! I do love Kim Boyceโs whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, but Iโm excited to try another great recipe! I have a maple walnut oatmeal raisin cookie recipe using spelt flour which turned out brilliantly the first time I made it and every time since has been a horrific dry crumbly mess. Iโve clearly made a mistake somewhere in my notes and I have to figure out where! Maybe letting the dough cure overnight will do the trick.
Hmm, Iโm sorry to hear about your spelt cookie mishaps! Hereโs a link to some cookie recipe tips I referenced: http://www.asweetroad.com/2011/07/what-makes-chocolate-chip-cookie.html. Maybe that will help?
aaahโฆ and the pictures.. โฅ
These cookies sound lovely!
These look wonderful :D I love Heidiโs cookie recipes โ Iโve never had one turn out badly. Iโm always watching for more whole wheat cookie recipes, I canโt wait to give these a try โ I canโt believe I havenโt tried a whole wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe yet!
Yum! I wish I could have been on the receiving end of these cookies- how delicious!
Love these cookies, will have to try it with the maple syrupโฆThese look just about very similar to one of my own favorite chocolate chip cookies. check it outโฆ.they are awesome http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/2011/05/ultimate-healthier-oatmeal-and.html
I am so going to try this! I generally never bake with eggs but your recipe tempts me :)
Those look delicious!!! Definitely will have to try these out asap :)
Your cookies look wonderful and well worth all the experimentation to get there! I donโt like too much oatmeal in my cookies, so think this recipe would be perfect for me. Gorgeous photos and I love the one with your doggy in it! :-)
The cookies look good and the pic of Cookie is priceless!
I had to come and visit and thank you for this awesome recipe! I just put my second batch in the oven and just finished my third (shhh!) cookie! These are really, really good!!! The dough has an extremely slight cinnamon-y after-taste (YUM!) and a very light and fluffy texture. These cookies do not give you that โBLAHโ feeling afterwards that I so often get from eating store-bought or non-whole wheat cookies. This recipe is definitely going the favorites box!
I feel good eating food with health benefits, so these cookies were even better knowing that they were made with whole wheat and dark chocolate. Thank you again for this recipe!
Hi Cassandra, Iโm sorry I didnโt respond to your comment sooner, but I just wanted to make sure you know how much I appreciate it! I love hearing from readers who try my recipes and Iโm delighted that you enjoyed these chocolate chip cookies!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I have bookmarked the recipe to try soon :)
These look great! I too have been on the quest for the perfect yet good for you chocolate chip cookie, as they are they only cookie my husband ever requests :) Thanks for posting!
I have yet to try this version but I have heard so many wonderful things about it that it wonโt be long now before I do!
Ooo, so happy to have found your website, canโt wait to give a few of these recipes a try!
Iโm going to bake these up over Christmas break for sure! Why must every single thing you make look so tantalizing?! xx
Oh man, your cookies look divine. I actually obsess over those Kim Boyce cookies myself, but I see your point. Plus, Heidiโs dessert recipes rarely fail for me. I love the addition of the maple syrup. Sounds like I need another chocolate chip cookie in my life. :)
We like our cookies the same way โ so I definitely want to try these out!!
I think that photo of your dog is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen! Also: these cookies look to die for. If a kid can get excited about whole wheat, you know youโre doing something right! ;)
Love that you have a โspecial helperโ. My dog likes to help too! :)
I love this recipe! Only, here in the Netherlands maple syrup is quite hard to find and the stuff you can find is from poor quality and very expensive. Do you have a suggestion for substituting the maple syrup?
Hi Anne, I was not aware that maple syrup is so expensive outside of North America, but that makes a lot of sense. The original recipe called for two cups sugar and no maple syrup, so I would suggest perhaps using one cup of raw sugar and one cup of brown sugar instead of the sugar/maple syrup amounts listed above. Or you may like to try honey instead of maple syrup. You should be able to swap them one for one. Please let us know how it goes if you try it!
I gave them a try yesterdayโฆ and then I made them again today!
I only made one third of the recipe, as a try out, but I wished I made the whole recipe, since these cookies are a dream. They donโt taste at all like they are healthy, the whole wheat flour gives them extra flavour, so they are extra tasty, and it also fills you up. Where โnormalโ cookies leave me unsatisfied, these cookies are very satisfying. And it makes me feel like I am indulging in a healthy way, because all the whole wheat and oats in there, and because they are not to sweet. This is as healthy as cookies get without tasting healthy. This will definitely a recipe that I will make more often! Especially since they donโt make my tummy bloat like a gigantic balloon like store bought cookies do!
I used only whole wheat flour, and substituted the maple syrup with brown sugar as suggested, which worked out perfectly. I didnโt let the batter rest for long, but I am sure that will improve them even more. And making sure that they are ever so slightly underbaked is indeed very important.
Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
I tried the recipe yesterday, with raw and brown sugar, and fully whole grain flour(didnโt have spelt flour on hand). Since I was inpatient, I didnโt rest the dough, I just baked them immediately. And they are really lovely! They donโt taste like healthfreak cookies, they taste like very good normal cookies. And they are much more satisfying than ordinary cookies, since they fill you up nicely, you canโt keep eating them. I do pity that I only made 1 dosen, because they seem to keep very wellโฆ This will be my new all time cookie recipe!
I tried the recipe yesterday, with raw and brown sugar, and fully whole grain flour(didnโt have spelt flour on hand). Since I was inpatient, I didnโt rest the dough, I just baked them immediately. And they are really lovely! They donโt taste like healthfreak cookies, they taste like very good normal cookies. And they are much more satisfying than ordinary cookies, since they fill you up nicely, you canโt keep eating them. I do pity that I only made 1 dosen, because they seem to keep very wellโฆ This will be my new all time cookie recipe!
I finally found my personal favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! I came across your site as I was searching for a whole wheat choco chip cookie recipe. I was a little worried because of the amount the recipe would make, but as soon as I tried the first batch I put in, before I knew it, I had eaten, well, one too many. oops :) Now I have all these amazing โless unhealthyโ cookies that i have to find friends to give them away to! I made a few changes, using more brown sugar in place of the regular sugar and half the oatmeal (I grew lazy to stir)โฆ. still amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Iโm excited to try your other ones!
Hi Nicole, thanks for the comment! I was sad when I ran out of those cookies. I think itโs time to make another big batch! I think Iโll try substituting brown sugar for some of the raw sugar next time, too.
:) So I just wanted to share with you the remarks I got from those who tried this recipeโฆ They absolutely loved it! Especially my boyfriend, who ate pretty much a batch and a half by himself. and his friends too. and no one believed me when I told them that it was much healthier than the average chocolate chip cookie. Now everyone canโt wait for the next time I bake, as I am a culinary freak. Thank you so much for sharing this. I will try experimenting with maybe other candies and fruits! I now often go back to your site for recipe ideas
:) So I just wanted to share with you the remarks I got from those who tried this recipeโฆ They absolutely loved it! Especially my boyfriend, who ate pretty much a batch and a half by himself. and his friends too. and no one believed me when I told them that it was much healthier than the average chocolate chip cookie. Now everyone canโt wait for the next time I bake, as I am a culinary freak. Thank you so much for sharing this. I will try experimenting with maybe other candies and fruits! I now often go back to your site for recipe ideas
Excellent cookies Kate! So nice to find a recipe that uses whole wheat flour and oats (and youโd never know!)
I chopped up some 70% dark chocolate rather than using choc chips as I love large chunks of chocolatey goodness in my cookies :) And I used just 1tbs dough rather than 2 and they baked perfectly in 5 mins.
Next time I might cut back on the sugar by 1/2 cup as 1.5 cups plus the maple syrup seems a lot (and I donโt think I would miss the 1/2 cup).
Delicious, this has gone into my โmake againโ pile of recipes! Thank you so much :)
Thanks for commenting, Holly! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your substitutions sound great. Let me know if you try reducing the sugar; the recipe does call for more sugar than I usually like to use, but it does make a lot of cookies.
Hi,
Where do i purchase Whole wheat pastry flour? I have white wheat flour in my pantry, would it work for this recipe?
:)
Hi Nancy. great question. Whole wheat pastry flour is pretty readily available in health food stores these days. It is milled more finely than regular whole wheat flour, so I generally find that it works well in recipes that call for all-purpose flour. However, I bet your white whole wheat flour would be fine to use instead!
Thank you very much for the reply! Love your recipe Blog
Would buckwheat flour work in place of the spelt flour?
Hi Sue, it might work, but your cookies will probably be a little less fluffy. If you want to be on the safe side, maybe replace the 1 cup spelt flour with 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 buckwheat.
How can I make this dairy & egg free?
Iโm sorry, I havenโt tried so Iโm not sure. You could try using coconut oil in place of butter and flax eggs in place of the real eggs.
Delicious. Love the not-overly-sweetness. Still havenโt found whole wheat pastry flour, but theyโre great with regular ww. Also amazing with a dab of peanut butter on top!
I love this blog, and itโs now my go-to source for low- or no-sugar-added and whole wheat recipes. I typically try to avoid regular sugar, even raw sugar, so I tried this recipe with all maple syrup, about 1 cup total. They turned out so good! I did half of them with regular chocolate chips for my kids, and the other half with stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, and they are delicious! Very moist, great flavor :) Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Jess. Iโm looking forward to trying that.
Have to ask- can homemade biscuits be frozen and at what point? (Dough or cooked) we keep making them and then have to throw some away as there are only so many a twelve month old and a mum can eat when dads on a diet :) please help! (Love your site โ thank goodness for all its yumminess )
Hey Avril, Iโve frozen these cookies (in cooked form) with success! I suppose you could probably also freeze cookie-sized dough balls and bake them when the craving strikes, too.
Just revived this recipe with a holiday twist. I used regular whole wheat flour (and no spelt) and replaced the chocolate chips with mini holiday colored M&Ms. They came out light and airy and my family loved them! Even with the candy bits they feel like a healthier, heartier holiday cookie.
perfect not too sweet cookies! thank you! Iโm really enjoying cooking/baking from your cooking blog. I have made several things from it and each time the dishes come out delicious. Glad I found your blog :-)
This is my familyโs favorite healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, Shelby!
I got serious love after I baked these cookies in my household. I make โbetter cookies than grandmaโ apparently!!!
Thank you all the way from Hong Kong. Xx
btw: storing the dough in the fridge overnight works great!
Hello from afar! Thanks for sharing, Barbara. I appreciate the review.
These are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies! They are delicious โ love the texture from the oats and the extra zing! from the sea salt on top.
Thank you, Taija!
These look so good! Can regular whole wheat flour be used?
Yes, I believe so!
I want to try them, but could I substitute the sugar for maple syrup? I donโt eat raw sugar in menus.
Hey Toni, I never could figure out how to make these with only maple syrup (no granulated sugar). Iโve never been able to reach a standard cookie consistency using all liquid sweeteners. Do you eat coconut sugar? Itโs minimally refined and you can use all coconut sugar in my โamazingโ chocolate chip cookies recipe.
the Maple Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe looks yummy but is not sugar free? I thought this was a gluten free, dairy free and sugar free blog??
Hi Emma, this isnโt a sugar free blog, but a vegetarian blog. I try to provide healthy and allergy alternatives when I can. Sorry for any confusion!
Hi. These sound great. I canโt use sugar at all but can use maple syrup, agave, molasses or honey. What amount of any of these would you use to substitute for sugar?
Hi Barbara, I would have to try them as it would change the recipe. Sorry!