Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, these coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies are refined sugar free but no less amazing than the traditional! With maple syrup to add a little extra oomph, we find that we actually prefer this version.
They can also made with gluten-free flour, with or without egg, and with real or dairy-free butter, making them easily vegan. We tested every option in our own kitchen and this incredible recipe knocked it out of the park every time!
Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect year-round recipe! With a short baking time, they won't heat up your house in summer and they are oh-so-cozy in winter.
If you love gluten-free cookies, you'll also want to check our our Gluten-Free Monster Cookies, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Soft Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Cozy Spiced Paleo Molasses Cookies.
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Ingredients
You need only common pantry staple ingredients to make these amazing refined-sugar free cookies!
- flour - All purpose flour works perfect for this recipe. If using gluten-free flour, a rice flour blend (typically labeled as a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour) makes cookies that are most similar to the traditional. We like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for these cookies.
- starch - Potato or corn starch can be used in this recipe. They make the outside of the cookie crisp and act as an egg replacer for the vegan and egg-free version. To make with egg, see the substitution section below.
- water - Warm water is a somewhat nontraditional ingredient in chocolate chip cookies. It is the other part of the egg replacement after starch. There is also some additional water needed if using coconut oil instead of butter. See the substitutions section if using coconut oil.
- baking powder - make sure to use a gluten-free baking powder variety if needed. Rumford and Clabber Girl are popular gluten-free brands in the USA.
- chocolate chips - We like Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips because they are gluten-free and free of the top 9 common allergens.
See the recipe card for complete ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
We tested these healthy chocolate chip cookies with egg, regular butter, and coconut oil! Here's what you need to know:
- With Egg - Eliminate the 6 tablespoons of water and add two eggs to the wet ingredients instead. Make sure the melted butter is not hot when you combine them or they will prematurely cook the egg. Instead of 2 tablespoons of starch, add 2 teaspoons when mixing the dry ingredients.
- With Butter - Regular butter works great substituted 1-for-1 for the vegan butter (1 cup for the 1x recipe).
- With Coconut Oil - Substitute 1 cup of butter with ¾ cup of coconut oil plus ¼ cup of warm water. Coconut oil is 100% fat, whereas butter and vegan butter are 80% fat and 20% water. If you substitute 1-for-1, the result is extra crispy and delicious, but we prefer the original texture which is perfectly preserved with the modified substitution.
Instructions
Only 5 simple steps and 30 minutes to great chocolate chip cookies!
Step 1. Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, add the warm melted butter and coconut sugar. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for at least two minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules begin to dissolve. Add warm water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and continue to mix/whisk until you have a smooth sugar syrup.
Step 2. Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well-mixed.
Step 3. Finish the dough and chill: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswrap, or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Step 4. Prep for baking: When ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Roll the dough into large round balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough in each. This will make large, but not jumbo-sized, chocolate chip cookies. Leave about 3 inches between the cookies to allow for spread. I bake 6-8 cookies per large baking sheet.
Step 5. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently using a spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let cool and enjoy!
Hint: If baking with a silicone baking liner instead of parchment paper, expect the cookies to bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Expert Tips
With these tips, you'll get perfect coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies on the first try!
- Don't overbake! Bake just until the edges have set and the center looks solid. This will take a little bit longer if using a silicone liner like silpat.
- Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients. This will make sure they are well-mixed and there are no clumps of starch or baking powder.
- Dissolve the sugar into the wet ingredients. We recommend warm water to help the coconut sugar dissolve. Dissolved sugar gives cookies and other baked goods a smooth texture and crisp outside. While it may not dissolve fully, we recommend whisking together for a full 2 minutes or more to get a smooth sugar syrup.
Recipe FAQs
After cooling to room temperature, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Coconut sugar can change the taste of cookies by adding notes of roasted caramel to the final cookie flavor. It has a stronger flavor than cane sugar and is best used in cookies with other strong flavors (like chocolate, maple, cinnamon, or espresso) rather than milder flavored cookies like sugar cookies.
Coconut sugar can be used in any baked good in equal amount to regular sugar. Cookies, cakes, muffins, and doughnuts all taste excellent with coconut sugar.
Other Related Healthy Cookie Recipes to consider...
If you love healthier ingredients in cookies, then you will also love these cookie recipes:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
PrintCoconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, these coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies are refined sugar free and amazing!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
- Yield: 25 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter or vegan buttery sticks, melted (see notes if substituting coconut oil)
- 2 cups coconut sugar (315 grams)
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour (405 grams) - we used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1
- 2 tablespoons potato or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, add the warm melted butter and coconut sugar. Whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for at least two minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar granules begin to dissolve. Add warm water, vanilla extract, and maple syrup and continue to mix/whisk until you have a smooth sugar syrup.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until well-mixed.
- Finish the dough and chill: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswrap, or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
- Prep for baking: When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Roll the dough into large round balls with about 3 tablespoons of dough in each. This will make large, but not jumbo-sized, chocolate chip cookies. Leave about 3 inches between the cookies to allow for spread. I bake 6-8 cookies per large baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before gently using a spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
Storage: After cooling to room temperature, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Substitutions:
We made these into a vegan gluten-free cookie as written, but we also tested them with egg, regular butter, and coconut oil! Here's what you need to know:
- With Egg - Eliminate the 6 tablespoons of water and add two eggs to the wet ingredients instead. Make sure the melted butter is not hot when you combine them or they will prematurely cook the egg. Instead of 2 tablespoons of starch, add 2 teaspoons when mixing the dry ingredients.
- With Butter - Regular butter works great substituted 1-for-1 for the vegan butter (1 cup for the 1x recipe).
- With Coconut Oil - Substitute 1 cup of butter with ¾ cup of coconut oil plus ¼ cup of warm water. Coconut oil is 100% fat, whereas butter and vegan butter are 80% fat and 20% water. If you substitute 1-for-1, they result is extra crispy and delicious, but we prefer the original texture which is perfectly preserved with the modified substitution.
Keywords: coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies, refined sugar free cookies, healthy chocolate chip cookies
Jenna
New favorite cookie recipe! I love the combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Tamara
I subbed regular all purpose flour and these cookies turned out great! My family liked them better than regular chocolate chip cookies so it will be our new go to recipe. Big win that it’s also a healthier recipe!
★★★★★
Taylor
These are BETTER than regular chocolate chip cookies and better for you! I’m not sure how you managed, but this is my family’s new favorite recipe. We made it egg-free as listed and were totally blown away by how you couldn’t tell these were ‘anything’ free. My new go-to cookie recipe!
★★★★★