These chewy, melt-in-your-mouth healthy chocolate chip cookies taste amazing, with some fun and colorful stuff for the kids + wholesome fiber-filled goodness tucked in there too. They’re kind of like a healthy monster cookie without peanut butter, and they are SO GOOD!

Chewy, chocolatey, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies every time - plus a little bonus nutritional boost (they won't notice)! Make ahead and freeze for easy baking whenever you want.

Basically, I took the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe and just started adding healthy ingredients + colorful ingredients until I found the perfect balance in these yummy loaded chocolate chip cookies.

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

Back in high school, I entered an essay contest with a piece about the meaning of home. I got third place, which felt like a big deal at the time! I don’t remember much about the essay, other than two things.

One, the sheer panic I felt when I had to read it to a massive crowd at a real estate convention. Eek!

And two, the fact that I wrote a detailed paragraph about the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies greeting me as I arrived home from school – and about how little things like that are what make a house feel like home.

Chewy, chocolatey, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies every time - plus a little bonus nutritional boost (they won't notice)! Make ahead and freeze for easy baking whenever you want.

It’s probably no surprise, then, that when my daughter started school last year, I baked chocolate chip cookies for her to arrive home to on her first day. I had to!

This particular cookie recipe was devised back when my kiddo was younger, even pickier, and in need of some heartier foodstuffs in her diet. So I added wheat germ, oats, and ground flaxseed to her favorite chocolate chip cookies, and bingo! Fiber Cookies were born. Or “Fiver Cookies” as her then-toddler self called them.

Now, they’ve evolved into “After-School Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies” with candy-coated chocolate and sprinkles for color and fun. They’ve got the sweet stuff that makes them a treat but some added good stuff that gives them a bit of hearty nutrition that helps me, as a mom, feel a little more satisfied when she eats them.

Chewy, chocolatey, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies every time - plus a little bonus nutritional boost (they won't notice)! Make ahead and freeze for easy baking whenever you want.

Healthy Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

  • Butter – I like to use unsalted to better control the salt content in these cookies.
  • Granulated sugar & brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • White whole wheat flour – I like how white whole wheat has a bit of added nutrition without tasting TOO whole-wheat-y. But you can sub whole wheat if you prefer, or all-purpose.
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Toasted wheat germ: For some added fiber and nutty flavor.
  • Flaxseed meal: For fiber, omega-3s, and protein.
  • Rolled oats: Wholesome oats add heft, fiber, and a bit of protein.
  • Chocolate chips or chunks – I like semi-sweet, but dark or milk chocolate will work too!
  • Candy-coated chocolates – Either the naturally dyed version or M&Ms work.
  • Candy sprinkles – Optional, but fun! I use the naturally dyed ones.

How to Make Them

These come together like your standard chocolate chip cookies, first mixing together the wet ingredients and the dry, then mixing them together and adding the chocolate and candies. Except you toast the wheat germ first.

I love to freeze the dough balls, then just bake a couple at a time right for a quick and easy snack. With the bonus aroma of freshly baked cookies!

Chewy, chocolatey, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies every time - plus a little bonus nutritional boost (they won't notice)! Make ahead and freeze for easy baking whenever you want.
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Healthy Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 30 cookies
Chewy, chocolatey, and loaded with both colorful goodies and some bonus good stuff. For fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies every time, just freeze the dough and bake off a few at a time. So easy!
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt or table salt
  • 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ*
  • 1/3 cup flaxseed meal (aka ground flaxseeds)
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (plus more for topping if desired)
  • 1 cup candy-coated chocolates (plus a few more for topping)
  • 1/4 cup candy sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, add the butter and sugars. Mix until well-incorporated, about one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, wheat germ, and flaxseed meal. Mix JUST until combined (do not overmix). Add the oatmeal, chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates, and sprinkles if using. Mix just until incorporated.

Option 1: Bake ’em all now

  • Scoop into 1.5-inch balls and top with two or three extra chocolate chips or candies if desired. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until slightly golden around edges, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Option 2: Freeze now, bake later

  • Scoop into 1.5-inch balls and line them up right next to one another on a cookie sheet. Top with two or three extra chocolate chips or candies if desired. Transfer to freezer. When frozen, break apart the cookie dough balls and place in a freezer bag. Put back in freezer until you’re ready to bake.
  • To bake, pull as many cookie dough balls as you want to bake out of the freezer. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until slightly golden around edges, 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1g, Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 87mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 220IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg

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