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These applesauce chocolate chip cookies are a game-changer! Made with lighter swaps like applesauce and has 25% of the fat found in a traditional Toll House cookie! These applesauce chocolate chip cookies of the softest cookies ever, and they’re actually kinda healthy!
If you’ve ever thought chocolate chip cookies couldn’t get any better, this applesauce cookie recipe might make you think again. They come out perfectly soft, with the applesauce adding a subtle, natural sweetness and helping reduce the overall fat. Simple to make, absolutely delicious, and a touch healthier — these cookies have it all! Swapping applesauce for fat like butter or coconut oil increases the fiber while decreasing the fat. These cookies are dairy-free and easily made vegan. And be sure to grab this recipe for making your own homemade applesauce.
Why you’ll love these Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthier Alternative: These are healthy applesauce cookies! Using applesauce reduces the amount of fat without sacrificing the rich, chewy texture we all love in a cookie.
- Simple Ingredients: No hard-to-pronounce ingredients here. You probably already have most of what you need for these applesauce chocolate cookies in your pantry.
- Natural Sweetness: The light brown sugar and applesauce bring a sweet but not-too-sweet taste. You get that classic cookie experience but with a hint of fruity goodness.
- Perfect for Sharing: These are bound to become a crowd-pleaser. Whether it’s family gatherings or just a treat for yourself, there’s enough to go around!
INGREDIENTS to make Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Flour: This applesauce cookie recipe uses all-purpose flour. We haven’t tried it, but we would expect them to turn out well using a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder: So that the cookies become light when they cook rather than dense and heavy.
- Salt and vanilla extract: For flavor and sweetness.
- Sugar: Use light brown sugar for these cookies. The molasses in them makes the cookies nice and chewy. You can also use cane sugar.
- Applesauce: You can use homemade applesauce or store bought. If using store bought, use one with no added sugar.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil contains healthy fats, but you can use canola or vegetable oil.
- Egg: To bind the ingredients together. You can use a flax egg to make these cookies vegan.
- Chocolate chips: This recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate chips, but white or milk would work well too.
HOW TO MAKE Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Beat together the sugar, applesauce and coconut oil.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop into balls an place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake until the edges have set.
tips for making the best chocolate chip cookies
- Make it vegan with flax egg. This recipe works perfectly by swapping one egg with one flax egg. Grab the details for how to make flax egg using just ground flaxseeds and water.
- Remove some of the moisture from the applesauce if it’s homemade or contains a lot of liquid. You can do so by spooning applesauce into a fine sieve over a bowl; let stand 15 minutes and then discard liquid.
- Don’t over mix the cookie batter. When you add in the flour, mix it on a low speed and stop mixing when there are no dry flour streaks left. If you over mix it the gluten will overdevelop and your cookies will be very dense.
- Use a stand or hand mixer to make these cookies. This will ensure that the ingredients are really well combined so that you have an even texture throughout. You can mix the dough by hand but it will take longer to make sure that everything is well mixed.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Add some nuts. If you’re a fan of nuts, toss in a handful of chopped walnuts or almonds. They add a nice crunch and a bit of extra flavor to the applesauce chocolate chip cookies.
- Use different chips. Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate, dark chocolate, or even butterscotch chips.
- Play with warm spices. Add a half teaspoon of cinnamon or a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg to the dough for a warming spice kick.
- Add in dried fruit. Instead of just chocolate chips, toss in some dried cranberries or raisins for a sweet-tart contrast.
How to store & reheat Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
Once your applesauce chocolate cookies have cooled down, place them in an airtight container. For extra freshness, you can layer them between sheets of parchment paper to avoid sticking. They will keep well at room temperature for around 4 days.
If you like your cookies warm, just place them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. They’ll come out like they’ve just left the oven!
How long will these Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies last in the fridge?
If you’re not going to eat them all right away, you can store the cookies in the fridge in an airtight container. They’ll last for up to 1 week. Just remember, the texture may change a bit when they’re cold.
Can i freeze these cookies with applesauce?
You can! Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet until they’re frozen solid, then transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag. They’ll stay good for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just let them thaw at room temperature or reheat them in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the cookies contain no butter, there is no need to chill them before scooping and baking them. You can make the cookie dough a day or two before and keep it covered in the fridge.
While the applesauce adds moisture and a slight natural sweetness, the apple flavor is pretty subtle. So, no, they won’t taste like apple cookies.
Absolutely! You can easily swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Just make sure it’s a 1-to-1 baking blend to keep the texture as close to the original as possible
These applesauce chocolate chip cookies are so quick and easy to make. The best part? They’re a tad healthier with the applesauce and coconut oil in the mix. It’s a simple twist on a classic treat, making it both delicious and a bit better for you. So, grab a glass of your favorite milk and get to baking because this might become your new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe!
More cookie recipes:
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe was originally published on March 15, 2017. The recipe has been slightly modified to make the steps easier and the post now includes updated step-by-step photos.
Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce no-sugar added
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar, applesauce and coconut oil on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined, 1 more minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, without over mixing. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a spring-loaded scoop. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookie edges have set but the center still looks soft. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
WOULD LOVE TO PRINT APPLESAUCE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE HOW DO I DO IT
Hi Connie, in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, there is an icon of a printer on top of the image in the right-hand corner. Click on it, and it should bring up a window that you can print from. You’ll have to let me know how the cookies turn out!
I followed the recipe exactly in these did not turn out very well. The batter was very runny and cake like. I had to add more flour for integrity. The cookies taste good but they are very cakey, not really like a cookie
I am sorry to hear that! The texture of these cookies is a bit soft and cakey, similar to the cookies on the outside of a whoopie pie. The moisture in the applesauce prevents it from being like a traditional cookie.
We still enjoyed them! Maybe I’ll try one of your suggested substitutions next time. thanks for the recipe.
I am so happy I came across this recipe! I was looking for a healthy cookie recipe and to be honest the applesauce ingredient caught my eye. I made these with my three year old and she LOVES applesauce and she LOVED these cookies, and surprisingly so did my husband!
Aww, I am so happy to hear that! That’s such a great bonding activity, and I’m glad you both enjoyed!
Just made these with my kids! So soft and fluffy, my son and daughter both appreciated such a light, but fun afternoon treat on a summer day!
That’s perfect! Love that you got the kids involved!
Gr8 recipes. Keep em coming and thanx!
Thank you so much! You got it!
Super tasty! But my cookies came out a bit cakey…what should I do differently next time?
Oh yes, that’s the texture for these cookies. You’ll want to use butter instead of applesauce and more sugar.
Such a light, airy cookie and not to sweet! A huge hit! 🙂
They were a great treat for my littles! I love that they are a healthy dessert option and we all loved the taste. Simple enough for my 11 year old to bake!
So glad you liked it. Thank you!!