Easy, chewy salted dark chocolate olive oil cookies get a unique flavor from quality olive oil, dark chocolate, and flakey sea salt – no butter!
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I made you some cookies!
These salted dark chocolate olive oil cookies (oof, say that five times fast) are a fun (but not TOO fun, because I have the most boring, un-adventurous palate when it comes to desserts) twist on classic chocolate chip or chocolate chunk cookies.
Here’s what we’re working with:
- No butter! These easy salted chocolate chunk cookies use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. It lends a nice, subtle flavor and helps these cookies develop a crispy exterior (while keeping the insides nice and soft and chewy!)
- Dark chocolate chunks! I love using roughly chopped dark chocolate Ghirardelli bars in this recipe.
- SEA SALT. A quick pinch of flakey sea salt (I love Maldon or Jacobsen salt!) takes these olive oil cookies over the top. A little extra? Sure. But also, if there’s a time to be a little extra, that time is dessert, yes?
A few tips to help these olive oil chocolate chunk cookies turn out just right:
- Measure your flour by loosening the flour with a spoon, scooping it into a measuring cup, and leveling it off (here’s a video with instructions!). Too much flour will stop the cookies from spreading out as they bake. (See the recipe notes for some flour adjustments if you like your cookies thinner or thicker!)
- If you like the taste of olive oil (*raises own hand*) use a nice, potent, high-quality extra virgin olive oil for this cookie recipe. A bitter olive oil will produce a bitter cookie, so make sure you like the olive oil you’re using (dip a piece of bread into it and give it a taste if you aren’t sure!) The olive oil flavor is pretty mellow, but it’s definitely detectable. If you’re not a fan of the olive oil taste, use a lighter olive oil or even a canola or vegetable oil. You can also try my favorite coconut oil chocolate chip cookies for a fun butterless recipe!
- Use great, flakey sea salt here for maximum punch – I love Maldon salt or Jacobsen Sea Salt.
- Store baked dark chocolate cookies in an airtight container on the counter. They hold up well on the counter for three or four days before they start to lose their texture – but (fun fact!) if your cookies are drying out too much, you can throw a piece of fresh bread into the container with them. The cookies will absorb some of the moisture from the bread, keeping them softer longer.
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes – absolutely! These chocolate chip cookies can also be frozen for a few months once they’re baked- just bring them back to room temperature on the counter or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them back up. (You can also freeze the scooped dough if you prefer!)
Happy baking, friends!
HOW TO MAKE SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL COOKIES (VIDEO):
Salted Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Makes 18–20 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and chewy olive oil cookies with dark chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 ½ cups flour (measured correctly by scooping and leveling)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 ounces dark or bittersweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped (see recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoons flakey sea salt (We love Maldon Salt)
Instructions
MAKE THE DOUGH:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine olive oil, vanilla, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda to bowl and mix until ingredients are incorporated and you have a smooth dough.
- Fold chopped chocolate into the dough with a spoon or spatula.
FORM & SALT THE COOKIES:
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.
- Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie scoop (I like this one) to scoop dough into balls. Place dough scoops 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Top each dough ball with a pinch of flakey sea salt. Use your fingers to gently press the salt onto the surface of the dough if it doesn’t want to stick on its own!
BAKE THE COOKIES:
- Bake cookies at 375 degrees F for 9-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to let cool.
SERVE & STORE THE COOKIES:
- Serve cookies immediately or let them cool completely and store in an airtight container on the counter for up to five days. These cookies also freeze well – freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough in an airtight container and defrost and bake as needed.
Notes
EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS:
Silpat Nonstick Baking Mat
3-Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Bar
ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE: We used two 60% Ghiradelli Bars in these photos. Use 1 heaping cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips in place of chopped dark chocolate if you prefer. We recommend using chocolate labeled no higher than 70% cacao for these cookies – ultra-dark chocolate (labeled at 70% and above) can make them taste more bitter than sweet when combined with the olive oil. We love Ghiradelli or Lindt Chocolate bars or chips for this recipe!
STORING AND FREEZING THESE COOKIES: These cookies freeze well once baked – just place them in an airtight container in the freezer and bring them back to room temperature or pop them in the microwave whenever you have a cookie craving. The raw dough will freeze as well, but be sure to bring it all the way back to room temperature before baking or the cookies won’t spread as easily when baked (I prefer to freeze the already-baked cookies with this recipe – just a little easier).
If you have the time, bring your eggs to room temperature (or at least take them out of the fridge a few minutes early) before mixing this cookie dough. Cold eggs can make the olive oil seize up a little bit, which can discourage the cookies from spreading as evenly.
We like denser, chewier chocolate chip cookies. For thinner or crispier cookies, reduce the amount of flour to 2 and ⅓ cup. Be sure to measure the flour correctly by scooping and leveling – you can see what a difference it makes here.
Nutrition
- Calories: 274
Keywords: Christmas, holiday, easy
This is the perfect recipe! I used this when I didn’t feel like getting butter from the store and they’re delicious. I still use this recipe when I do have butter and I also add toasted walnuts. I’m picky about cookies so I’m glad I don’t have to keep searching for a good recipe!
YIPPEE! We love to hear that you’ve found your favorite cookie recipe!
These were amazing. I used coconut sugar (happened to be what I had available), and 2/3 the amount chocolate (which was still plenty). Although the dough seemed dense when mixed. Once baked the cookies were light, fluffy and bit chewy with a nice hit of chocolate and salt. I live these use olive oil and not butter. Thanks for posting!
★★★★★
YIPPEE! We’re so happy that you loved these cookies!
I made these twice and love them, but have noticed that the bake time seems a little short. I’ve baked them in two different ovens, and it’s possible that both ovens run a little low. I found that I had to bake them for more like 15-17 minutes to get them to get golden brown – 12 minutes left them pale, even though the texture was good. Is this just because they don’t have butter in them?
We’re so happy you love them! It is possible that your oven temperature runs a bit low, but you’re also correct that the traditional golden-brown of chocolate chip cookies is partly due to the butter content. Olive oil needs to get to a higher temperature than butter before it will turn brown, so these cookies will be only lightly browned when they’re fully cooked!
could i use canola oil instead of olive oil??
Yes! Canola oil works great for this recipe! You can also try our favorite coconut oil chocolate chip cookies for another fun butterless recipe.
I was looking specifically for an olive oil recipe because I had infused olive oil. I made the cookies twice, both times with 1oz. infused oil and the remainder of the 3/4 cup a light tasting, light colored olive oil (the same brand and type as the infused). The second time the eggs were colder and they came out less uniform and pretty. While they are okay, I think next time I’ll infuse butter. It really tastes better and this is coming from a passionate olive oil lover.
★★★★
We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies! The flavor of the olive oil is detectable, so you’ll want to use olive oil (or other fat like vegetable oil or butter) that you enjoy the taste of!
How many cookies does the recipe make? I can’t seem to find that information.
Hi Star! This recipe makes 18–20 large cookies!
So delicious!!! Simple and easy at make. Made them twice, taste absolutely wonderful with warm milk.
★★★★★
P.S. I omitted the salt flakes on top though. Will try them the next time.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Meghana! We love the combination with milk!
I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old chocolate chip cookie recipe. These are incredible! Since they don’t have butter in them, I don’t feel as bad eating three in one sitting. Haha!
★★★★★
Best compliment ever! We’re so happy you liked them!
My cookies are puffy and white
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OH MY GOOOOOD these are the best cookies I’ve ever made! Thank you!!
★★★★★
I followed the instructions exactly as you listed them and these turned out quick, easy, and delicious! The olive oil perfectly balanced out the sweetness of the sugar and made the end result not too sweet and perfect! I had absolutely no trouble and found that 11 minutes was the perfect time in which the cookies were cooked to perfection. The only thing I did not do was put the optional sea salt topping on top because I did not have any, and I just added the tiniest extra pinch of salt (in addition to the 1/4 teaspoon) into the batter before I baked.
★★★★★
What type of flour do you use?
Holy moly these are yummy! I just made these and ate one warm from the oven. I did make a couple of changes to fit my family needs (mixed wheat and oat flour; subbed flax egg). So my cookies may not be absolutely true to your original but thank you for a quick and lovely cookie recipe!
★★★★★
Really lovely cookie recipe, thank you! I did make some modifications which I thought I would share… I used spelt flour as that was all I had around. I reduced the sugar down to 1 cup and found it was sweet enough for my taste (although I’m more partial to “less sweet” desserts). I also whisked the olive oil with the sugars to pump some air into the oil as I enjoy a “fluffy” oil-based cookie (results in an almost cakey texture). And finally, I threw in a handful of cacao nibs and chocolate chips in addition to the chopped chocolate, for additional texture and flavour. Turned out great! Thanks again 🙂
★★★★
Just wanted to thank you, Jessie. I made these with King Arthur gluten-free flour (the 2 1/3 cup measurement, since GF flours can be weirdly crumbly) and Kalamata brand EVOO, and they came out great!
Notes for any fellow GF bakers: Keep them on the cookie sheet till they cool a bit or the spatula handling will crumble them. And I’d try eat any similar GF-flour version within a few days (or if not, freeze them, maybe? Dunno how GF flour responds to that) if you don’t want to dunk them in milk/alterna-milk/coffee/tea, since the GF flour doesn’t seem to hold up as well over time and doesn’t reheat real well either. Eating most of ’em fast was no problem for us, though, thanks to the great recipe. Admittedly, I might have eaten half the cookies in dough form…. [Blush.] Lucky for me, the GF ones spread a lot, so nobody noticed!
★★★★★
Thank you DJ!
Looks yummy delicious
★★★★★
Thanks, Delia!
Hello, Jessie! Excellent recipe!! Not a crumb left! I LOVE oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Have you ever tried this recipe with oatmeal, and if so, do you have specific measurements you can share with me? Would love to try it! Thanks so much! Jeanene
★★★★
Hi Jeanene – I’m so happy you liked the cookies (wahoo!) I haven’t had a chance to try these with oatmeal yet, but I’ll definitely put it on our to-do list!
★★★★★
Amazing Recipe!! I usually don’t use butter in my baked so this is a great healthy recipe for me. The cookies smelled and tasted amazing. They spread enough and was chewy!
These cookies are right up my street, I don´t like to use butter on anything, EVOO is my absolute favorite fat to work with, plus these cookies seem easy enough to make, love that touch of sea salt