These healthy chocolate chip applesauce cookies are gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly. They make for a great low sugar dessert or healthy breakfast cookie, as they are only sweetened with applesauce (no sugar added).
If you have a jar of applesauce laying around, or are simply looking for a healthy cookie recipe, then these chocolate chip applesauce cookies are for you!
Not only do I love these cookies, but my kids adore them too. They're great for breakfast, snacking or a low sugar dessert.
These sugar free applesauce cookies are made with almond butter, coconut flour, ground flax and an egg and are only sweetened with applesauce. That's right - no sugar added!
Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cookies
Here's what you need to know about these healthy applesauce cookies:
- paleo friendly - a healthy paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe
- gluten free and grain free - made with almond butter, coconut flour and ground flax
- dairy free - applesauce cookies without butter
- made without sugar - only sweetened with applesauce
- soft and fluffy
- kid approved
Everyone is sure to love this recipe for applesauce cookies, whether they follow a special diet or not. Plus, they're a great breakfast alternative that is easy to make and takes little to no prep time.
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make these gluten free applesauce cookies:
- unsweetened applesauce
- egg
- almond butter (made with just almonds)
- vanilla extract
- coconut flour
- ground flax
- cinnamon (optional)
- baking soda
- salt
- dark chocolate chips
Although I used almond butter for this recipe, it may be swapped with any nut or seed butter. Cashew butter or tahini would be great alternatives.
To make these cookies paleo friendly and gluten free, I used a combination of coconut flour and ground flax. Not only are these two ingredients nutritious, but they are also necessary to get the proper cookie texture.
Cinnamon is optional, but great for adding a pop of flavor, especially since these cookies don't have any added sugar.
How to Make Applesauce Cookies
These soft applesauce cookies are easy to make and the dough doesn't require any chilling.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, in a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the wet ingredients. This includes the applesauce, egg, almond butter and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Next, add in the coconut flour, ground flax, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix with a spatula until the batter is smooth.
Lastly, fold the chocolate chips into the batter. You can either keep them whole or chop them (like I did).
Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken, then use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the lined baking pan. Each cookie is about two tablespoons in size, making 11 cookies.
Place the cookies in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Do not over-bake the cookies, or they will be dry.
Remove the applesauce cookies from the oven, cool them for a few minutes on the baking pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Storage
Store any leftover cookies in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge or freezer. They are best eaten within a week if stored in the fridge, or a month in the freezer.
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Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cookies (No Sugar)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 11 cookies 1x
Description
These healthy chocolate chip applesauce cookies are great for a low sugar dessert or easy breakfast side. They're paleo, gluten free, dairy free and only sweetened with applesauce.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup unsweetened almond butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp coconut flour (22g)
- 2 Tbsp ground flax*
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine applesauce, almond butter, egg and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Add in coconut flour, ground flax, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Combine until well mixed.
- Fold chocolate chips into the batter.
- Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the lined baking sheet. Each cookie should be about 2 tablespoons in size, making 11 cookies.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-11 minutes.
- Remove from oven, cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
*I grind whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder to make my own ground flax
Katie
My family and I love these chocolate chip applesauce cookies. Enjoy!
Ann Opinion
Came together quickly. Lightly sweetened. Lovely light texture and taste. Added a bit unsweetened coconut and a box of raisins.
Will definitely add to my recipe collection. Thanks for a great recipe.
Katie
Coconut and raisins sound like great additions! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Lola
What can I sub the flax and coconut flour with? Neither are available where I live
Katie
Unfortunately, both are needed for this recipe. So sorry!
Jamie foltz
Hi! I love it! What can I add instead of almond butter that is not any kind of nut butter?
Katie
The only substitute that I know would work is to use a seed butter, like sunflower seed butter.
Katherine
Has anyone figured out the nutrition, calories, macro on these. These may work for my dietetic dad and neighbor. Just getting burnt out on plugging 8n numbers.
Carla
Can I sub a different flour instead of the coconut flour?
Katie
No, coconut flour is needed for this recipe.
Jeannette Piper
Can I make it without flaxseed?
Lily
Can I use mashed banana instead of the applesauce?
Katie
Yes, it should work.
Patricia
I am allergy to egg. What is the bests substitute for the egg in this recipe?
Katie
I haven't tested this recipe egg free, but it's possible a flax or chia egg might work.
Charlene
Could you provide the nutritional information for the cookies?
Michele
I made these for my mom, who is diabetic, and I love them, too!
Katie
So glad you guys liked them 🙂
Christine
Can I remove the nut butter?
Katie
No, it's a key ingredient in these cookies. You can sub the almond butter for any other nut or seed butter though.
Abi
I made these for my kiddos and they loved them. Doubled the recipe and followed it as written! Thank you!
Katie
Wonderful! I'm so happy you all liked them 🙂