Applesauce chocolate chip cookies are soft and delicious but with a third of the fat in classic chocolate chip cookie. A low calorie cookie that is light and chewy, can be made with gluten free flour, and is eggless using applesauce instead.
1cup (170g)mini chocolate chips(also ½ a chocolate bar chopped - optional)
Instructions
Prep
Preheat oven to 350 F (180°C) .
Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
Make sure the butter is at room temperature. You can microwave it for 10 seconds to help it along, but letting it sit out for 2 hours is more advisable.
Make Cookies
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars, stirring or mixing about 2-3 minutes with a spoon, hand mixer or stand mixer.
½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) cane sugar, ½ cup (113g) butter
Stir in applesauce and vanilla for another 1 minute or until incorporated.
¼ cup (62g) applesauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredient mixture. Be sure to measure the flour exactly - I used the spoon and level method. If you don't want to sift, simple stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then dump that on top of the wet ingredient mixture.
1 ½ cups (192g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt
Mix the batter until just combined either with a spoon and by hand, or with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Don't overmix or you'll create a rubbery batter.
1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips
Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks (or both) with a spatula.
Cover the batter with crinkle wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Scoop using a 1-tbsp size small scoop and space the dough balls 2 inches apart. This will make 20-24 small cookies.
Bake 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Do not over-bake these chocolate chip cookies! Look for golden brown edges, and pale centers that look just dry, and are beginning to show slight cracks.
Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store
Store these chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Video
Notes
Soften the butter. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature. This will help it cream more easily with the sugar and create a light, fluffy texture.Measure the flour accurately. Make sure to measure the flour accurately by using a kitchen scale or spooning the flour into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. Pack the brown sugar. The ½ cup of brown sugar should be packed when measuring it. Chill the dough. Chilling the dough for at least 20 minutes before baking will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven and will give them a better texture.Your cookie dough texture. After 20 minutes of chilling, the cookie dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and easy to scoop. If the dough is too wet, you can add more flour in ¼ cup increments, not going over ½ cup, and mixing well between each addition. If your dough is dry and crumbly, you can add milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, not exceeding ¼ cup, until you reach the texture you want. If you're unsure about the texture of the dough, you can always test it by baking two cookies to see how they turn out.Don't overbake the cookies. Keep a close eye on the cookies while they are baking and remove them from the oven as soon as the edges start to turn golden brown. Overbaking the cookies can make them dry and hard.Let the cookies cool before serving. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This will help them set and prevent them from falling apart.