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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian » Not Your Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Not Your Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Updated: Jul 21, 2023 by Veronica Noone · This post may contain affiliate links · 50 Comments

    chocolate chip cookies pin

    Ohh but they are tasty! And you'll never guess what's in them. Or better yet, what's NOT in them. 🙂

    I love the challenge of making baked goods out of "healthy" things. My intention isn't to necessarily duplicate traditional baked goods but to make tasty treats that are yummy and add SOME nutritional value to our diets.

    I find it fun to experiment but I'm ecstatic when the results of those experiments are tasty, especially to a 5 year old!

    He could NOT get enough of these things. Here he is stealing one during my photo shoot.

    Out of the oven these were warm and actually gooey-like. As they cooled they remained soft and slightly cake-y but still very cookie-like. The husband didn't like them but said, "I can see how others would [like them.]" At least I got him to take a bite. He rarely touches my baking experiments. They are too "out there" for him. That's ok, more for me and Little Man!

    Here's what I did. Bear with the pictures. I went a little nutty. 🙂 Speaking of... next time these are totally getting a handful of walnuts. The crunch would be a great addition!

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup rolled oats (80g)
    • 1 cup white whole wheat flour (120g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 15oz can of butter beans drained, liquid reserved
    • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (61g)
    • ¼ cup honey (84g) (this amount worked for us -- double for a sweeter cookie as others are saying they are a bit bland)
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¼ cup MINI-chocolate chips (56g) + 3 (more on that later)

    Instructions

    Here's all the ingredients. Oh! and my idea was inspired by this and this. Forgot to tell you that in the intro. 🙂

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    Put the rolled oats and whole wheat flour in the food processor.

    Blend until powdery. It should only take about a minute.

    Dump the flour/oat mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg.

    Put the beans (without the liquid) in the food processor with the applesauce, honey and vanilla.

    Blend until smooth.

    Pour the bean mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix together adding about 4 tablespoons of the bean liquid--enough to get a dough consistency out of the batter.

    Add the chips and mix in.

    Side note: At this moment the Little Guy came home from school. He added an additional 3 chips to the batter and was CONVINCED that's what made them SO good. It was hysterical.

    Drop the batter by the tablespoon on a greased (non-stick spray) or parchment lined cookie sheet flattening a bit. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies brown and the bottoms are golden.

    I made exactly 30 cookies with a few batter taste tests. 🙂

    The kid ate SIX while we played after school. I finally had to cut him off but it made me feel good that he liked them so much.

    Update: I made them again and got 40 cookies! Just as yummy as the first time!

    📖 Recipe

    chocolate chip cookies featured

    Not Your Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Chocolate chip cookies are a classic crowd-pleaser that everyone loves. Make them at home with our simple recipe and enjoy a warm, fresh-baked treat.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 11 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 26 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 40 cookies
    Calories 44 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup rolled oats 80g
    • 1 cup white whole wheat flour 120g
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 15 oz can of butter beans drained liquid reserved
    • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce 61g
    • ¼ cup honey 84g (this amount worked for us -- double for a sweeter cookie as others are saying they are a bit bland)
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¼ cup MINI-chocolate chips 56g + 3 (more on that later)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Put the rolled oats and whole wheat flour in the food processor.
      1 cup rolled oats
    • Blend until powdery. It should only take about a minute.
    • Dump the flour/oat mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg.
      1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • Put the beans (without the liquid) in the food processor with the applesauce, honey and vanilla.
      1 15 oz can of butter beans drained, ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup honey, 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Pour the bean mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix together adding about 4 tablespoons of the bean liquid--enough to get a dough consistency out of the batter.
    • Add the chips and mix in.
      ¼ cup MINI-chocolate chips
    • Drop the batter by the tablespoon on a greased (non-stick spray) or parchment lined cookie sheet flattening a bit. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies brown and the bottoms are golden.

    Notes

    • At this moment the Little Guy came home from school. He added an additional 3 chips to the batter and was CONVINCED that's what made them SO good. It was hysterical.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 0.5gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 0.2mgSodium: 39mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword chips, Chocolate, Cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Kimberly

      May 19, 2014 at 3:26 pm

      Inspired by your brownie recipe I added some coco powder to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies and doubled the honey. Pretty cool! I had gastric bypass so the beans make me kind of "musical", but worth it to be healthy!

      Reply
    2. LouAnn Mallon

      March 02, 2014 at 5:12 pm

      Do you have any CRUNCHY cookie recipes?
      Or CRUNCHY granola bar recipes??
      No oil preferably ~
      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • roni

        March 03, 2014 at 10:45 am

        I think these are the crunchiest I have..

        https://greenlitebites.com/2009/03/02/chocolate-cookie-crisps/

        Crunchy is hard when you are trying to avoid too much butter.

        Reply
    3. Robbie-Lynn

      September 13, 2011 at 11:11 am

      These were amazing. I used white kidney beans because that's what I had and subbed agave nectar for the honey. My kids loved them. I will be making these again for sure.

      Reply
    4. Katharina

      July 17, 2011 at 6:16 am

      I just got my second attempt of these put of the oven and they are really quite good. I made a few tweaks, reduced the beans to 150 gr because the first batch tasty quite 'beany'. But that might be, because here in Germany we don't have Butter Beans and I had to use regular big white beans.

      And I also exchanged the honey for 20 gr of sugar and some stevia.

      And finally, since I didn't read properly in the beginning and had tossed the bean liquid, I added vanilla soy milk instead.

      But, those will definitely be made again.

      Reply
    5. roni

      June 16, 2011 at 7:49 pm

      Quick instead of rolled? It should be fine.

      Reply
    6. Melissa L.

      June 15, 2011 at 11:52 am

      I'd like to make these for the Father's day potluck at our church. I have tons of quick oats, do you think that would work in this recipe?

      Reply
    7. Sam

      April 13, 2011 at 7:46 pm

      Ok so this was my second attempt with a few tweaks! I doubled the honey and used 2 tablespoons of vanilla. I used a teaspoon of cinamon instead of nutmeg and they are YUMMY!!! I made 22 cookies and they worked out to be just over 1 1/2 old ww points each. Thanks for inspiring me to get creative in the kitchen Roni :0)

      Reply
    8. roni

      April 11, 2011 at 10:01 pm

      oh and she commented.

      Reply
    9. roni

      April 11, 2011 at 10:00 pm

      I linked to both recipes that influenced me above. In case you missed them...

      http://thecrunchysoup.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/sneaky-chocolate-chip-cookies-with-chickpeas/

      http://happyherbivore.com/2010/04/butter-bean-cookies/

      Reply
    10. Charisse

      April 11, 2011 at 9:56 pm

      Shouldn't you give credit to the original recipe on happy herbivore? it's pretty much the same...

      Reply
    11. deke

      April 11, 2011 at 5:14 pm

      how to make the cake

      Reply
    12. Liz W

      April 08, 2011 at 4:40 pm

      i just finished making the chocolate chip batch. accidentally added 2 tablespoons of vanilla instead of teaspoons. and they were REALLY good with white chocolate chips!

      Reply
    13. Liz W

      April 08, 2011 at 1:05 am

      i'm making these tomorrow! i have bigger chips, so i'll just smash! i'm gonna try some with white chocolate chips, too. i'm also doing a honey carrot cake.

      Reply
    14. Tanya

      March 25, 2011 at 6:05 pm

      Just made these!Thought we might want them a tad bit sweeter so I used 1/3 c honey and 1 tsp splenda. Also used 1/8 tsp Allspice since I didn't have any nutmeg. These are fantastic!! I have two boys 12 & 14. The 12 yr old has eaten 6 and my 14 yr just said,"Dang these are good. Keep making them!" AND they both know that they have beans in them!!! Thanks Roni, you're the best!

      Reply
    15. kathy cromwell

      March 19, 2011 at 7:22 pm

      Yumo! Cannot wait to try this recipe. Please look into Fair Trade chocolate as children are used and abused for the coaco beans used in making chocolate. Go to " Green America" web site to get the details of how important this is.

      Reply
    16. Carolyn @ lovinlosing

      March 15, 2011 at 7:44 pm

      So I just made these and unfortunately they weren't a hit in my household. A bit dry and bland. 🙁 I used agave instead of honey 'cause that's all I had.

      Reply
    17. Sam

      March 15, 2011 at 2:40 pm

      Ok, so i missed the part about the "mini" choc chips lol. I was so excited to make these super healthy cookies but was disappointed in the taste. Will make again with the minis and maybe add a little more honey or cinnamon. Thanks Roni for all the great ideas...keep them coming :0) PS my 4 1/2 year old LOVED making these with me!

      Reply
    18. Ambra

      March 13, 2011 at 10:34 pm

      Love your blog! I have lost 70lbs too!! I have been doing WW and am always on the look out for great and healthy recipes!

      Reply
    19. Sarah

      March 05, 2011 at 11:16 pm

      I just made them (with agave instead of honey) and they are good, but not quite sweet enough for my tastes. The hubs says they are no good and too bland.

      I'd make them again though with maybe molasses like another reader suggested since it has a stronger flavor than agave. You can't really taste the beans and they have a really nice texture.

      Reply
    20. roni

      March 05, 2011 at 7:32 am

      YES! I agree and should have stressed that in the recipes. The minis do allow the choc to stretch more within the cookies allowing you to have a bit in every bite. The dough itself is not that sweet (I think it's perfect) so the bit of choc helps tons!

      Reply
    21. Kiley

      March 05, 2011 at 12:30 am

      I just made these and I have to say that you NEED mini chocolate chips! I think little bits of chocolate better compliment the recipe (/your waist line!) versus regular size chips. Next time, I would certainly try that because my roommates aren't quite appreciating the brilliance of this as much as I am b/c of the low sugar

      Reply
    22. Brandy Jo

      March 04, 2011 at 7:57 pm

      I just made these are they are soooo good! Thank you for another healthy dessert:) I did change it up just a little as I used what I had. I only had banana walnut instant oatmeal and steel cut oats, so I went with the banana nut! And I don't have mini chocolate chips so I used bitter sweet chips. These are wonderful!! I will make these alot I think!

      Reply
    23. Kristina

      March 02, 2011 at 12:17 pm

      Thanks for the link up! Glad to have inspired you! Great site 🙂 (I would love to learn more about blog design 🙂 LOVE your lay out!

      Reply
    24. roni

      March 02, 2011 at 7:34 am

      Thanks for the inspiration. I generally try to avoid sugar... just for fun. 🙂

      Reply
    25. Happy Herbivore

      March 02, 2011 at 6:46 am

      Thx for making happy herbivore's butter bean cookies! I like the idea of using honey (or for me, agave) in them!

      Reply
    26. roni

      March 01, 2011 at 8:29 pm

      They are just large lima beans.. look for them in the canned bean section of the store. Any white beans should work.

      Reply
    27. Ana Myre

      March 01, 2011 at 8:24 pm

      What Are butter beans, what do you think I cuold use instead, Or do they go by another name too?

      Reply
    28. roni

      March 01, 2011 at 5:06 pm

      LOVE the idea of flax! SO doing that next time. Ours weren't traditional cookie like either... but the taste is dead on.

      We just finished the batch. 🙂

      Reply
    29. Amanda

      March 01, 2011 at 4:22 pm

      Ok, just tried mine. I'd have to say stick with the white wheat flour- mine didn't come out very cookie-like. The flavor is great, but I think regular wheat flour is just a bit too heavy. Thanks again for the idea!

      Reply
    30. Amanda

      March 01, 2011 at 4:15 pm

      I'm trying this right now with some substitutions based on what I had on hand:

      - regular wheat flour
      - added 2 Tbl ground flaxseed (yay Omega-3s!)
      - used blackstrap molasses instead of honey
      - great northern beans in place of butter beans

      Haven't tried a cookie yet, but the dough was pleasantly nutty and not overly sweet. 🙂 Thanks for the idea!

      In the idea of substituting things, have you tried "raw" brownies? I made some the other day and they're tasty! Not a full substitute, but worked with the chocolate cravings! I use an almond/date base and add cinnamon. 🙂

      Reply
    31. Carolyn @ Lovin' Losing

      March 01, 2011 at 1:54 pm

      I can't wait to try these. My husband loves butter beans AND chocolate chip cookies!

      Reply
    32. Barbara

      March 01, 2011 at 1:47 pm

      thanks they really sound good. I heard of puttingblack beans in brownie mix, but I can't wrap my head around that one. Will try these.
      and I get three for 4
      thats great

      Reply
    33. Megan Lawson

      March 01, 2011 at 12:47 pm

      Roni, I noticed the Happy Herbivore website helped to inspire this recipe for you. I love Happy Herbivore and it has inspired a few different recipes for me as well. You definitely need to try the Black Bean Brownies from that site. I tweaked it a bit, but the brownies came out just great. I even had my picky cohost at my college's radio station test them and she approved.

      Reply
    34. roni

      March 01, 2011 at 10:29 am

      I think any white bean would work but I haven't tried. If you do let us know!

      Reply
    35. Mara

      March 01, 2011 at 10:26 am

      Hey Roni - do you think I could use Great Northern beans instead? Don't have butter beans on hand right now ... now if I can only make a batch of these when no one is looking ... they're becoming wise to my tricks these days!
      Thanks for posting a great idea, Mara

      Reply
    36. Julie

      March 01, 2011 at 9:10 am

      WOW, who knew you could add them to cookies 🙂
      thank you
      I'm going to try this 🙂

      Reply
    37. Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

      March 01, 2011 at 8:51 am

      I JUST saw a recipe the other day that used chickpeas that I printed off. I can't WAIT to make either those or these! Awesome! Thanks!

      Funny, beans are my favorite and I've been adding them to everything. Won't the family be surprised when they get them in cookies! 🙂

      Reply
    38. roni

      March 01, 2011 at 8:37 am

      They are just large lima beans. You'll see them in the canned bean department as "Butter Beans". You can see them in the picture of the ingredients under the vanilla.

      Reply
    39. Julie

      March 01, 2011 at 8:35 am

      What are butter beans?

      Reply
    40. SuccessAlongtheWeigh

      March 01, 2011 at 8:29 am

      Ooh, I've been looking for a recipe to use the random bag of white whole wheat flour I picked up at Trader Joe's! I can't wait to try these!

      Reply
    41. Jan

      March 01, 2011 at 8:28 am

      Thanks Roni. I will let you know. 🙂

      Reply
    42. roni

      March 01, 2011 at 8:26 am

      I do and actually I was planning on using it but crabbed the wrong bag.Let us know how they turn out!

      Reply
    43. Jan

      March 01, 2011 at 8:23 am

      I can't find the white wheat flour at home. Do you think these would work with regular whole wheat flour?

      Reply
    44. Laura

      March 01, 2011 at 9:17 am

      Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite food, and I've been wondering about a good recipe for healthy ones for months! I am absolutely going to make these this weekend. I'll Twitter pictures. Thanks for doing the research on this for us, Roni!

      Reply
    45. Gwen

      February 28, 2011 at 11:56 pm

      Awesome! I made some CCCs last night using date butter...nice brown sugary flavor! 🙂

      Reply
    46. RunEatRepeat

      February 28, 2011 at 11:35 pm

      I love black bean brownies, so I bet I would love this! Great job 🙂

      Reply
    47. roni

      February 28, 2011 at 11:34 pm

      I'd rather the gas then the extra fat and sugar. 😉

      Reply
    48. Krista S.

      February 28, 2011 at 11:32 pm

      Verrrrry interesting! I wonder if they could potentially be gas causing due to the beans?

      Reply
    49. Eileen

      February 28, 2011 at 11:30 pm

      awesome! I think i'll make these to send to my friend in college. I want to send her yummy presents, but not ones that will contribute to the freshman 15!

      Reply

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