Low Calorie Cookies

Who has said that you can’t eat cookies on a diet? Clocking at 98 calories, these Low Calorie Cookies will satisfy your cravings without guilt. So chewy and delicious that you’ll never guess they are also healthy.

Why homemade low calorie cookies are better?

If you’ve ever walked through the healthy food aisles of a grocery store, chances are that you came across diet snacks. From protein bars to low calorie biscuits, nowadays there is a light version of nearly everything.

At first it may seem a good thing… If it were not for: the unaffordable price, the lack of nutrients, hidden sugars and nasty chemicals into our snacks. Tired of getting poor and bloated each time more, I turned to the kitchen and made my own low calorie chocolate chip cookies. The result surprised me so much that I will never buy diet snacks anymore. And you should too, because making your own cookies:

• Is healthier and more nutritious: Instead of refined flours, artificial ingredients and hydrogenated oils, you can choose healthier alternatives such as whole grains, natural sweeteners, and healthier fats. Oh, and you can say finally goodbye to hidden sugars!
• Is more cost-effective: Homemade low-calorie cookies are much cheaper than the ones you buy, which can easily make your grocery bill go through the roof.
• Is quick and simple: This is a one-bowl recipe that comes together in minutes, so easy that anyone can make their own diet cookies at home.
• Gives you better cookies: Forget tasteless, dry zero desserts. These low calorie chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy and addictively delicious!
• Leaves room for creativity: Making cookies at home allows you to experiment with different flavors, ingredients, and variations. You can tailor the recipe to your preferences and get creative with ingredient substitutions or additions. Stir in some nuts, replace chocolate chips or add fresh berries…The sky’s the limit!

Secrets for low calorie baking

For many people, healthy baking may seem pretty intimidating at first. I was there too, struggling to get a good taste while keeping the calories down. But finally I can say it’s over, I mastered the art of making low calorie desserts that taste good.

Today I’m excited to share with you some tips and tricks on how to bake delicious treats with better nutritional values.

• Reduce the fat: Replace a portion or all of the butter or oil with lower-calorie alternatives such as unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or Greek yogurt. For this recipe I used mashed banana.
• Use healthier and unrefined flours: Substitute a portion or all of the white flour with wholesome alternatives such as almond flour or oat flour, I opted for the second. These flours have more nutrients and fibers, helping you stay full for longer.
• Choose natural calorie-free sweeteners: Instead of using refined white sugar, opt for natural sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit. They provide sweetness with fewer to no calories. But keep in mind that some natural sweeteners may have a slightly different taste or texture, so you might need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
• Add more protein: Include protein-rich ingredients such as protein powder, peanut butter, or Greek yogurt in your low calorie cookie recipe. Protein can increase satiety and help balance blood sugar levels.
• Reduce the chocolate chips: Despite being delicious, chocolate can easily inflate the caloric content of your desserts. Be mindful about quantities. 
• Make smaller cookies: Shape smaller-sized cookies to control your portions and reduce the overall calorie content per serving.

The ingredients

Here is all you need to make low calorie cookies at home:

• Banana: In this recipe, the banana has two main functions. First, it adds natural sweetness and second it partly replaces the use of fats such as oil or butter. For the best result, choose a large ripe banana, the riper, the better.
• Egg: Use a large fresh egg.
• Oat flour: Both store-bought and homemade oat flours work, gluten-free if it is necessary.
• Granular sweetener: For fewer calories and sugars, this recipe recommends calorie-free sweetener such as erythritol or monk fruit. Any other alternative works, provided that the sweetener of choice comes in granular form.
• Vegetable oil: Although it is just a little, the oil adds moisture and improves the texture of your cookies. For the best taste, use a vegetable oil with neutral flavor such as canola oil, avocado oil, a mild olive oil or deodorized coconut oil. Also melted butter works.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Besides working as leavening agents, these ingredients improve the texture of the chocolate chip cookies, making them soft.
• Flavors: Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to enhance the taste profile.
• Chocolate chips: This recipe uses extra dark chocolate chips without added sugars. Feel free to substitute with other options, such as extra dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Substitutions

• If you don’t like the taste of banana, replace with 120 grams (1/2 cup) of applesauce, pear sauce or mashed pumpkin.
• For vegan diet cookies, substitute the egg with plant based alternatives such as flaxseed egg or chia egg.
• If you don’t have oat flour, replace with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, spelt flour or almond flour.
• For high protein diet cookies, use oat flour in combination with protein powder. My recommendation is to use 150 grams (or 1 1/2 cup) of oat flour plus 50 grams (1/2 cup) of protein powder.
• Feel free to omit baking soda and replace with more baking powder.
• Instead of dark chocolate chips, opt for sugar-free white chocolate chips.

Recipe variations

• Oatmeal raisin cookies: Replace banana with applesauce, chocolate chips with a mix of nuts and seeds, and stir in some raisins.
• Almond flour chocolate chip cookies: Substitute half of the oat flour with almond flour.
• Low calorie chocolate cookies: Make your cookies with 170 grams (1 3/4 cup) of oat flour and 30 grams (1/4 cup) of cocoa powder.
• Peanut butter cookies: Stir a couple tablespoons of peanut butter into the dough.
• Lemon poppyseed cookies: Add to the dough about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and some poppyseeds.

High protein diet cookies

To make low calorie protein cookies, replace part of the oat flour with protein powder. For the best result, substitute no more than 50 grams (or 1/2 cup) of the flour with a protein powder of your choice, vanilla flavored or unflavored. My recommendation is to choose vegan protein or casein, as they do not dry out like whey.

How to make low calorie cookies

Uno, dos, tres. Three easy steps are all it takes to make low cal cookies at home. In a bowl, in a couple of minutes. Here’s how!

Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl beat the egg with the mashed banana, the vegetable oil, the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Using a whisk or fork, stir for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add the granulated sweetener into the egg mixture, then continue stirring until well combined.

Step 2: Make the cookie dough. Once the wet mixture is smooth and lump free, mix in the oat flour (and optionally the protein powder), the baking powder and the baking soda. Mix to combine into a cookie dough, then fold in the chocolate chips. For the best result, make sure you refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 15 minutes.

Step 3: Bake the cookies. Scoop out some dough and shape the cookies. Transfer to a parchment paper covered baking sheet, spacing them apart. Finally, bake in hot oven for 8 to 12 minutes and let cool at room temperature over a baking rack before serving.

Storage information

After baking, let the chocolate chip diet cookies cool at room temperature. Once cool, seal in an airtight food container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make sure you wrap them well, or the biscuits will get dry if they are exposed to air and humidity.

For a longer storage, freeze your cookies in an airtight food container or in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Before serving, take out from the freezer and pop in hot oven to reheat for a couple of minutes. Or microwave for about 30 seconds.

Serving ideas

Here are some great ways how you can enjoy these homemade low calorie chocolate chip cookies:

• On their own: Enjoy as a standalone treat. Serve them on a plate or in a cookie jar for easy grabbing whenever you’re in the mood for a guilt-free sweet treat.
• For parties: Arrange the cookies on a platter with a selection of fruit; this is great for gatherings, parties, or even a casual get-together with friends.
• In ice cream sandwiches: Build healthy ice cream sandwiches by placing a scoop of low-fat ice cream between two cookies. Such an innovative idea!
• For yogurt parfait: Crumble your low cal cookies and layer them in a glass or bowl with Greek yogurt and fresh berries. This creates a delicious and balanced dessert or snack.
• As cookie crumbs topping: Crush your low-calorie cookies into fine crumbs and use as a topping for other desserts like fruit salads, yogurt bowls, or even a light mousse. This adds texture, flavor, and visual appeal.
• With tea or coffee: Serve alongside a cup of coffee or tea, dipped or on the side.

More low calorie desserts

• Low calorie banana bread
• Low calorie protein brownies
• Greek yogurt cheesecake
• Low calorie brownie skillet
• Cottage cheese chocolate ice cream
• 71 calorie protein cake

Watch the video recipe