There’s nothing better around the holidays than a gooey, chocolate cookie. For an easy introduction to whole wheat baking with a holiday twist, try Whole Wheat Chocolate Cookies.
Why I Love This Recipe
Whole Wheat Chocolate Cookies are gooey and decadent, which makes them a great treat during the holidays. I like to decorate them with candy cane pieces and white chocolate for an extra delicious flair.
Beyond how good they taste, they make an excellent introduction to whole wheat baking. Many people are afraid to try baking with whole wheat pastry flour, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds and has many health benefits. I’ll explain a little bit later about how to bake with whole wheat flour.
Ingredients
- Flours - all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flours
- Unsweetened Cocoa- I love to use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Sugars - granulated and brown
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Chocolate Chips - choose your favorite, I like to use a mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate
- Candy Canes - optional for the topping
How To Make
Start by preheating your oven and prepping your baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine your dry ingredients and set them aside. Add your sugars and butter to a mixing bowl and beat until nice and fluffy.
Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, until just combined. Be sure not to overmix.
Next, add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients until just combined. It’s crucial that you don’t overmix at this stage.
Add your chocolate chips and gently mix in until they are distributed evenly.
Using a scoop, evenly distribute your cookies on a baking sheet. I usually get about 10 to 12 cookies per sheet. Leave space in between the cookies.
Cook for about 10 minutes for a softer cookie, or 13-15 for a crispier cookie.
Prepare the white chocolate topping by microwaving white chocolate chips in slow increments until just melted.
Sprinkle candy cane topping on the cookies and drizzle white chocolate over the cookies as shown in the photos.
Chrsitmas-Style Chocolate Cookies
If you are wanting to make these cookies a little more festive, how about a drizzle of white chocolate?
Start by melting your white chocolate with a little coconut oil. I add coconut oil to make it easier to drizzle. If you don't have it, don't worry about it.
Crush some candy canes in a bag. Then drizzle the cookies and while the chocolate is still soft, sprinkle with the crushed candy canes.
Let the chocolate harden and serve or package. They are beautiful and delicious!
How To Bake With Whole Wheat Flour
Working with whole wheat flour can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. There are some basic rules that I live by when I use whole wheat flour.
- I use whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour has a lower amount of protein which keeps the cookies tender and soft.
- Be sure not to overmix the flour. This can make the cookies hard. Nobody wants a hard cookie.
- Don’t overbake! The cookies will keep baking as you pull them out, so you want to pull them a little early to prevent them from overbaking. Like with overmixing, overbaking can make your cookies hard and dry.
Notes
- My favorite unsweetened cocoa is Hershey’s Special Dark. You can use your favorite cocoa brand.
- I like to use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips in the cookies. This is one of the ways you can tailor make your cookies for your family. If you prefer all one type of chocolate chip, then you can use them.
- If you don’t like white chocolate or don’t have the time for the extra step, you don’t have to do the topping. The cookies will still taste fabulous.
FAQ
The whole wheat flour is nutritious and has a slightly nutty flavor. Make sure and use the whole wheat pastry flour and use the tips above and no one will even notice these are healthier cookies.
Yes, you can. This recipe goes well both ways.
Generally, yes. But in this recipe, adding more liquid won’t help the cookies. It’s far more important to make sure you don’t overbake your cookies. The more overbaked the cookie, the drier it becomes.
More Cookie Recipes
Decadent Whole Wheat Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa Hershey's special dark is my favorite
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar I love using dark brown sugar here.
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups chocolate chips I like to use a mix of semi sweet and white chocolate and everyone loved that as well.
- 1-2 candy canes this is for the crushed candy canes on top, which are optional.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In small bowl, combine flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.In a stand mixer, or bowl ready with hand mixer (these can also be done by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula, you will just need good muscles to do it). Attach paddles to stand mixer if using. Place softened butter and sugars into mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until they are light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix again, this time only to combine. After the eggs are added it is easy to overmix, so be mindful of this. Scrape bowl as needed.Next add in flour mixture. Mix only to combine. Scrape down and mix again if needed. Add chocolate chips and mix for just a few seconds. Scrape down bowl and remove beaters.Scoop cookies to baking sheet. Leave a few inches of spacing, these do spread a little. I placed about 10-12 per baking sheet, if that gives you a better idea. With the size of cookie I made, check the scoop link in the post, my cookies took right about 10 minutes. Let me say too though, I like a very soft and tender cookie. If you like a crispier cookie, you will want to bake another 3-5 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the pan, then with a spatula transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Continue to allow to cool.If you are topping with the crushed candy canes, prep them now. I unwrap and place them in a plastic bag. The bag then goes on my wooden cutting board and is smashed with a rolling pin. It won't take much to break them up to the size you want for the cookies. Next, place about ¼ cup white chocolate chips in microwaveable bowl. Place in microwave on HIGH for about 15 seconds. Continue to microwave for 10 second increments, until you can see little areas of melted chocolate. Once you see small areas, start mixing. Mix it for about 20 seconds before returning to microwave if needed. Once it is smooth, drizzle over cookies. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. How much chocolate and candy canes you use is a personal preference. Some like a lot , some just a hint. We are generally a mid range family, as shown in photos. Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!