These Low-Calorie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies might be the epitome of having your cake and eating it too. They’re a very thin cookie, that’s crispy and chocolatey, and might be too good to be true!
Jump to RecipeI don’t need to tell you why chocolate chip cookies are amazing. You already know this. They’re too easy to pop one after the other, can take on multiple flavors and textures (chewy or cakey?), they can be flat and crispy or high and dense, and they pair pretty well with milk. It always amazes me that chocolate chip cookies were first created as an accident!
What also astonishes me is that one small chocolate chip cookie can weigh in anywhere from 80-120 calories. For a small cookie…that’s kind of crazy! And though the flavor is so worth it, if I want to have a few of these, it quickly adds up to the quantity of a meal. This doesn’t leave much flexibility in a meal plan or macros that are tight.
LOW-CALORIE CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
So, I wanted to revamp this. I didn’t just try to make a light version of chocolate chip cookies though. Instead, I wanted to also add in protein so that each cookie you ate could add up to be that of a granola or protein bar. Talk about some real flexibility now! Cookies for breakfast, thank you.
These turned into very thin cookies – which if you can let them cool off and harden, they get nice and crispy! These cookies are completely flourless too. This makes the texture a bit different, but the flavor really is outstanding.
The cookie itself is made up of just oatmeal and whey protein powder! So, this is definitely why they end up being thin. The oats get ground a bit so they’re not chunky either, but they do make a difference in the texture.
Aside from what’s holding it together, the sweetness and fat are just as interesting when you start to play with them. Normally, this recipe would call for about 2 sticks of butter. That’s 1600 calories for the total recipe or 45 calories per cookie just for butter!
Instead, I used 6 tbsp of butter and replaced the rest with about ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, which acts as a great substitute for fats in baking! When I taste-tested the recipe, the batch that fully replaced butter was just not as good! I mean, it's butter – of course, the recipe tastes better with a bit in it!
NATURAL SWEETENERS
As for the sugar, I replaced all of it with stevia! This really didn’t change any flavor in the cookie I think. What I did notice was that it made a difference when creaming it with the butter. The butter did not get as fluffy as usual, which also helps cookies rise a bit – another possible reason why these cookies are so thin.
The brown sugar in this recipe also helps to add a caramelization that otherwise would be really missed. Brown sugar helps chocolate chip cookies taste a bit more complex.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this experiment in creating something sweet and enjoyable that you can eat in higher quantities. The end result is a cookie that is (not small) and 60 calories + 2 grams of protein.
A FEW INGREDIENT TIPS
Some miscellaneous tips to help your cookies turn out well:
- They spread a lot, so make sure you give them room. I put only 6 per baking sheet. I also used a Silpat mat.
- When they first come out, they might be a little *flexible* if you will. This is definitely due to the whey protein powder in the recipe that does weird things when you bake, but the longer you let them cool, the crispier they become.
- Whey protein – speaking of the whey protein, make sure you weigh this correctly and don’t use more than you should or they will come out dry and crumbly. You can use unflavored or vanilla powder here. If you would not like to use protein powder, substitute with regular flour so that your batter is half flour, half oats.
STORING
These cookies keep for about 5 days sealed. Although they might stay crispier unsealed. You can also freeze the dough to make later on. That would be nice to have the dough on hand.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU MAKE THIS – PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!
Low-Calorie Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup whey protein powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup stevia
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup nonfat milk
- 6 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Ground oats in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground.
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In a large bowl, whisk together oats, protein powder, salt, and baking powder.
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In a stand mixer, cream together butter, stevia, and brown sugar on a medium setting.
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When its fluffy, add in the egg and mix on low until combined – followed by the milk, yogurt, and vanilla extract. Once the wet ingredients are all incorporated, lower the speed to the lowest setting.
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Add in dry ingredient mix a ½ cup at a time. Mix it all together until everything is well combined.
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Dump in the chocolate chips and stir together. Drop 1 tbsp of dough onto a baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you make this recipe or any others on Bite your Cravings, please leave a comment and a rating below! I’d also love to see and feature your delicious creations on my Instagram page, so post your recipes on social media and tag them with #biteyourcravings!
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