These easy chocolate chip cookies are made with olive oil instead of butter, this will be a total game changer!

These cookies are so good, you’ll swear they are gourmet and I promise you won’t even miss the butter!

Chocolate chip cookies have always been and will always be a favorite.  I’m guessing I am not unique in that. 

I have vague memories of my sisters making Nestle Tollhouse Cookies when they were teenagers. We would eat a bunch of raw dough, then bake up whatever was left. 

When I became a teenager, I remember learning to bake the same chocolate chip cookies recipe as my baking “initiation”. I would eat a bunch of dough and bake what was left.  It was an easy chocolate chip cookies recipe that always yielded great results.

My kids have made their fair share of cookies, using the exact same recipe we all grew up with.  And I know the saying goes “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. This recipe I am sharing today isn’t aimed at fixing anything, just looking at chocolate cookies with a new perspective.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Butter?

I don’t think many of us think of using olive oil in place of butter or vegetable oil in baked goods like cookies.  But it works surprisingly well and only the most refined taste buds can tell the difference. 

So to answer the above question, yes you absolutely make cookies without butter.   Olive oil is certainly a healthier fat to use than vegetable oil or butter and it can give your baked goods a lighter texter.

What Is The Best Olive Oil to Use in Easy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies?

While a robust flavored extra virgin olive oil is delicious in savory foods, it can be too overpowering in baked foods, especially delicate baked goods.  

Remember, you are using olive oil in place of mild-tasting vegetable or canola oil and butter.  Try to use a mild or smooth flavored olive oil as they tend to have more buttery or fruity undertones.

How Do I Swap Out the Butter For Olive Oil In This Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe?

In a recipe that calls for vegetable oil, it is ok to change out the vegetable oil with olive oil in equal amounts.  

If a recipe calls for melted butter, use, 3 tablespoons of olive oil for each 1/4 cup of melted butter that the recipe calls for.   There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to swapping out the olive oil for softened butter. 

 Lots of cookie recipes call for 1 cup of butter, I would replace that with 3/4 cup of olive oil.  If a cookie recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter then use 1/2 cup of olive oil…so you are roughly reducing the butterfat by 1/4 cup.

How To Make These Easy Chocolate Cookies

These cookies have the best texture, they are crispy on the edges but soft and chewy in the middle.  

This recipe starts by combining olive oil and brown sugar together in a large bowl or stand mixer. I used a full 2/3 cup of olive oil for these cookies.  Vanilla is stirred in next.

Add the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Fold in dry ingredients along with chopped walnuts and chopped dark chocolate.

One thing you will notice is the dough will be crumbly, not creamy like traditional cookie dough. No need for alarm, shape your dough into cookie balls and you’ll be fine, I promise!  

Scoop or shape your dough with your fingers into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.  The cookies will take about 14 minutes to bake. Allow the cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Substitutions

• Replace the olive oil with room temperature unsalted butter (or omit the salt and use salted butter)
• Use white chocolate chips in addition to the dark chocolate or in place of the chocolate.  Peanut butter and toffee chips can also be used.
• I liked the walnuts for these cookies but almonds or even hazelnuts would be great.
• A sprinkling of sea salt on top would compliment the flavors wonderfully

I did not disclose the “secret ingredient” to my family, and I’ll be honest, no one could taste even a hint of olive oil. These cookies are worth trying and they may even become your go-to cookie!

Want more cookies? Try these Olive Oil and Lemon Zucchini Cookies, Browned Butter Salted Chocolate Cowboy Cookies. Triple Chip Banana Cookies and one of my favorites; Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cookies or these Chocolate Chip Brown Sugar Cookies!

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Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Total Time: 29 minutes

Chocolate chip walnut cookies made with olive oil instead of butter will be a total game changer!
These cookies are so good, you'll swear they are gourmet and I promise you won't even miss the butter!

Print

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup smooth olive oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 8oz chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the olive oil and the sugar until combined.
3. Slowly add in eggs in at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Carefully add dry ingredients to wet ingredient until combined. Add in walnuts and chopped chocolate.
5. Scoop dough by tablespoons and gently and loosely form into a ball.
6. Place cookies on a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for 14 minutes or until set.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

The batter will not look creamy like batter made with butter. It will be more crumbly and almost grainy. Don't worry, it will bake up perfectly!

Nutrition Information

Yield 30
Amount Per Serving Calories 190Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 13mgSodium 86mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 13gProtein 2g