Look no further for perhaps the healthiest cookies you’ve ever enjoyed that actually taste good! These healthy and delicious chocolate chunk coconut cookies are full of melty chocolate chunks and coconut flakes.
These healthy cookies are made with a mix of almond flour and oat flour, plus naturally sweetened with maple syrup, making them gluten free and refined sugar free! They can also be made vegan and enjoyed as edible cookie dough balls!
It’s January and it’s the month of New Year’s resolutions and fresh starts. If you’re looking for something to curb your sweet tooth that you don’t want to feel guilty about consuming, try these healthy cookies! They check all the boxes – gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free, and vegan optional!
These dark chocolate chunk coconut cookies are great because they can be baked or enjoyed as healthy no bake cookie dough balls!
When I created these dark chocolate pecan cookies with almond flour, I immediately wanted to use almond flour more in my recipes. Not only is it naturally gluten free, but it is really delicious and provides a wonderful texture in cookies especially! Check out my Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies as well if you love almond flour like I do!
Jump to:
- Ingredients for Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
- How to Make These Healthy Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites
- Equipment for Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
- How to Store Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites
- Top Tip
- Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites (gluten, dairy, & refined sugar free)
Ingredients for Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.
- Almond Flour: Blanched almond flour is naturally gluten free and adds a delicious texture. Almond flour is nutrient dense providing protein and fiber.
- Oat Flour: Oat flour is a good source of fiber and naturally gluten free, but make sure you get one that is certified gluten free if needed.
- Baking Soda: Helps our cookies rise and stay thicker.
- Egg or Flax Egg: Use a flax egg if you are vegan or want to make the cookie dough bites instead of baked cookies. Do not consume raw egg!
- How to Make a Flax Egg: Simply mix together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water. Once mixed well, set aside and let it thicken up for 5 minutes before using. Generally 1 flax egg is an equal substitute for 1 chicken egg. Bonus points: Flaxseed is a great source of fiber and super high in potassium!
- Real Maple Syrup: Please only use the REAL maple syrup here. Maple syrup comes from Maple trees and is not considered refined. Therefore, we can use it as a healthier sweetener option that also provides a detailed nutrient dense mineral profile.
- Dark Chocolate Bar: The Hu brand chocolate bars are the most healthy chocolate bar I could find that didn’t include any unnecessary additives. They’re dairy free, refined sugar free, gluten free, etc.,.
- Feel free to use any dark chocolate bar you’d like. Just be mindful to the added ingredients in most chocolate bars as it could compromise being dairy free, gluten free, and refined sugar free if you are following one of those dietary restrictions.
- Unsweetened Coconut Chips: I love using coconut chips instead of flakes, because the chips are significantly larger, more flavorful, and more impressive in my opinion. Coconut flakes would also work, but they won’t give as much texture or impact as the chips in my opinion! Be sure to use unsweetened.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor, always.
- Ground Ceylon Cinnamon: For a touch of warmth! Ceylon Cinnamon is full of antioxidants and manganese.
- Kosher Sea Salt: Used in the cookie dough to balance the flavors.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Optional for topping the fresh baked cookies warm out of the oven if desired.
How to Make These Healthy Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites
My favorite part about these healthy cookies is that they can be eaten baked into cookies or enjoyed unbaked as cookie dough bites (as long as you use the flax egg option). I personally have always loved cookie dough, but I don’t love the unhealthy effects of it. I was so surprised when I tried these as healthy cookie dough bites for the first time and I was immediately in love. I think I like them better in cookie dough form than baked! But, again I’m a cookie dough girl at heart, whereas my husband would never eat anything cookie dough.
Here’s how to make both delicious and nutritious options below!
How to Make Baked Dark Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
Make the cookie dough by whisking together the cold maple syrup and melted coconut oil. As you whisk, the mixture will thicken due to the coconut oil solidifying. This creates a nice thick base mixture. Add in your egg or flax egg and vanilla, then whisk to combine well. Next add in all of the dry ingredients in a separate small bowl and mix – oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, kosher sea salt (NOT the flaky salt, that is reserved for the end!).
Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the coconut chips and half of the chopped dark chocolate.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough balls and dunk them in the remaining chopped chocolate chunks. This helps create the melty pools of chocolate on top of the cookie!
IMPORTANT: Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for at least two hours before baking. This helps stop them from overspreading and is an essential step. I know it is hard to wait, but it is worth it and completely necessary in order for these cookies to bake up to perfection!
Place chilled cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 3 inches apart. These cookies will spread.
Place into oven at 350 Fahrenheit and bake for about 10 minutes. Start checking at 8 minutes. Shape cookies per below with a cookie cutter and top with flaky sea salt as desired!
Tip: Cookies will spread, so I highly recommend having a large 3-4 inch circle cookie cutter to use to shape your cookies. While the cookies are still hot (and fragile), you can gently move the cookies edges inwards with the inner edge of the cookie cutter, then give it a very gentle swirl, and then you have a perfectly circle (and thicker) cookie! Keep in mind after you shape the cookies, the baked cookies need to cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying! Otherwise, they will still be too soft and fragile. The extra cooling time allows them to firm up!
How to Make Healthy Edible Dark Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookie Dough Bites
Healthy edible chocolate chunk coconut cookie dough bites are so easy to make and require the same steps as above all up until the point of baking! While you make the cookie dough, you’ll also swap in a flaxseed egg instead of a chicken egg. Flax eggs can be consumed raw as they are only ground flaxseed and water! This also adds some extra fiber and potassium – bonus! You also should omit the baking soda because it is not a necessary ingredient unless you are baking the cookies.
I still enjoy topping the cookie dough bites with the extra chocolate, but you can opt to just mix all the chocolate chunks into the cookie dough instead if you don’t want it on top! Once cookie dough bites are formed, simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
Because almond flour and oat flour do not need to be heat treated to consume, they are the perfect flours to use when wanting to create edible cookie dough bites! They also provide a ton of health benefits due to their nutrient density which includes protein, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. They’re also very satisfying flours meaning you don’t need to consume a lot of it to feel fulfilled.
I love keeping some of these healthy cookie dough bites made up in the fridge on occasion to help curb any sweet cravings and I don’t have to feel guilty about these at all because they are so nutrient dense!
Equipment for Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
You only need a few simple pieces of equipment to make these cookies like measuring cups and spoons. You’ll need cookie baking sheets lined with parchment paper, large circle cookie cutter to shape cookies, cookie scoop or spoon, cutting board and knife to chop chocolate, a whisk, 2 mixing bowls, and a spatula or wooden spoon to mix the cookie dough!
Additionally, you will need a stove/oven and either a small pot for the stove or small bowl for the microwave to melt the coconut oil in. Also, an airtight container to store the cookies or cookie dough bites in! That is it! Simple equipment you likely have already if you cook or bake. You don’t even need an electric mixer!
How to Store Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you make these into cookie dough balls instead of baked cookies, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. Because these cookie dough bites are made without dairy or eggs, I’ve found the quality stays good for longer.
Be sure to check out our other healthier alternative recipes which includes a mix of gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free, vegan, and more! Our Easy Healthy Banana Bread is one of my most loved healthier recipes!
Top Tip
- You must chill this cookie dough well before baking. If you bake straight away, they will spread too much and be super thin. Trust me, I tested it! I tested one batch that I baked right away, a second batch that I chilled for 30 minutes, and a third batch that I chilled for 2 hours. The 30 minute chilled dough turned out good but still spread too much for my liking. The longer I chilled the dough, the less the cookies spread.
- Due to the nature of coconut oil, these cookies will still spread and that is why I recommend having a large circle cookie cutter (at least 3 inches) to do the cookie scoot method! You can use the inner edge of the cookie cutter to help scoot the cookie edges inwards. This creates a thicker more rounded cookie! I explain more on that in the instructions below also!
If you made this recipe, BE SURE TO tag me on Instagram @bakingguilty AND please leave a comment OR star rating below! We so greatly appreciate it and hope you love this recipe!
Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies or Cookie Dough Bites (gluten, dairy, & refined sugar free)
Equipment
- whisk and spatula or wooden spoon
- cookie scoop or large spoon
- mixing bowl
- oven
- baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup real maple syrup (chilled)
- ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1 large egg (or flax seed egg* for vegan, or especially if you are making these into cookie dough bites then you must use the flax egg option.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1¼ cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (omit if making cookie dough bites)
- ½ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips/flakes (I prefer using the large coconut chips versus thinner coconut flakes but either will do.)
- 3 ounces dark chocolate bar, chopped (use refined sugar free and dairy free chocolate if needed for dietary restrictions. the Hu brand chocolate bars are free from extra additives and they're gluten free, vegan, and refined sugar free.*)
- sea salt flakes (for topping the baked cookies if desired)
Instructions
For Baked Dark Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
- If your maple syrup is not refrigerated, be sure to refrigerate it a couple hours prior to making these cookies.Melt coconut oil in a small sauce pot on low heat on the stove or in the microwave. Immediately remove from the heat once melted.Chop a dark chocolate bar into small pieces and chunks, measure out half of it to use in the cookie dough and place the other half onto a plate to coat the cookie dough balls in.
- In a bowl, whisk together chilled maple syrup and melted coconut oil until it becomes uniform. Let it sit for 20 seconds or so and it will thicken up due to the cold temperature of the maple syrup, which will solidify the coconut oil.
- Whisk in the egg (or flax egg*) and vanilla extract really well until fully combined.
- Add in almond flour, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until cookie dough forms. Add in unsweetened coconut flakes and only half of the chopped chocolate.
- Scoop 1½ tablespoon sized cookie dough balls and press the tops into the remaining half of the chopped chocolate. Place in an airtight container and in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Once dough is fully chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place chilled prescooped cookie dough balls on to the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Cookies will spread, but don't worry! This step is key! Use a large 3-4 inch circle cookie cutter and gently shape the cookies by using the inner edge of the cookie cutter and scooting the outer edges inward until the cookie fits in the center of the cookie cutter. You must do this immediately out of the oven while they are still soft and hot. Then you can scoot the cookies around in a circle gently in the middle of the cookie cutter to create perfectly round cookies! See below video for a visual on how to do this. Alternatively, you can use the inside rounded part of a spoon to push the edges of the cookies inwards. This will help your cookie be thicker and more circular in shape!
- If desired, while cookies are still warm sprinkle each one with flaky sea salt and coconut chips/flakes.
- Let the cookies cool completely while on the cookie tray, about an hour. These cookies are soft and more pliable and are not crispy, so they need the full cooling time to firm up. If you try to remove them while they are too hot, they will be fragile and fall apart. Once they are cooled they can be easily picked up, stacked, and packed!I know the wait is hard, but it's worth it! It's also why I recommend having two baking sheets so that you don't have to wait the hour for the cookies to cool before transferring them off of the baking sheet for the next round of cookies.
- Once cookies are completely cool, enjoy them! Place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For No Bake Cookie Dough Bites
- Follow steps 1-4 above. Except, in step 2 use a flax egg* in place of a regular egg. Raw eggs should not be consumed raw. Flax eggs are simply ground flax seed and water, so they can be consumed in an edible cookie dough and they also add some extra fiber and nutrition to these delicious cookie dough bites!Keep cookies dough bites stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.
Video
Notes
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