Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies

The traditional cookie recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter, which yields a flatter cookie. I found my kids and husband prefer a lower fat version, made with 1 stick butter. The other healthy-ish change I made was to cut the quantity of sugar to 1 cup total (1/2 brown, 1/2 granulated) from 1 1/2 cups. The cinnamon adds some warmth and the optional sea salt sprinkling is a wonderful contrast to the sweet morsels. If you have any doubt about it, top a few cookies with sea salt and see how you like them.

Makes 2 dz large / 1.5 oz scoop cookies

Ingredients (butter and eggs should be room temperature):

  • 2 1/2 c cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 stick butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

    • to quickly bring eggs to room temp, put them in very warm water

  • 1 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I use the dark chocolate if available)

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts - nuts are optional, but if you use them, go the extra mile and roast them

    • roast nuts for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, then cool before chopping

  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt - optional for topping off the cookies. If you don’t have flaky sea salt, skip it, but don’t use table salt.

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This dough is thick and will not grow very much due to the low butter content. I usually bake 12 per baking sheet and press just slightly on the mounds after scooping onto sheet pan.

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

  • Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon (if using) and salt in small bowl, mixing with a fork to blend dry ingredients

  • With a mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy

  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

  • Gradually beat in flour mixture

  • Stir in morsels and nuts with a spoon

  • Drop a rounded tablespoon, or a 1.5 oz. scoop onto un-greased baking sheets

  • Press down slightly onto top of cookie, the more you press, the flatter they will be

  • Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on top of each cookie

  • Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown

  • Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely

  • E N J O Y !

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