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While we were in Ohio last week, my husband Tim got to talking about some chocolate chip cookies his mom used to make. They were crisp around the edges, and soft on the inside.
It turned out his sister, Gina, had his mom’s original recipe book on hand. It’s one of those spiral-bound church club versions where Myrtle shares her meatloaf-making tips and Veera provides her famous recipe for banana cream pie.
That’s how I found out the cookies from Tim’s memory came from the kitchen of one Marcia Maki, and were marked with a handwritten “very good” in his mom’s red pen.
I love when people write in their cookbooks, almost as much as I love the way that food lets us remember people who cooked for us after they’re gone. Those handwritten notations in the margins make a cookbook more personal, transforming over the years into a family heirloom that’s more your own.
These books can serve as great references for posterity, or at least twenty or thirty years down the line, when the kids want to know if Mom liked the cherry pie and they’re able to flip through a few pages and find a big “NO” written at the top.
In keeping with our healthy eating habits, we’ve swapped in some einkorn flour, coconut sugar, and coconut oil in our version today, to replace the more processed and refined versions of these ingredients. If you’re in the mood to move your baking more toward the nutrient-dense end of things as this year comes to a close and we embark on a new one, here you go.
This recipe is for you, from our family to yours.
We’ve been using einkorn flour in our baking and other sweets for years now, from pita bread to pancakes, and even compiled a cookbook using only this grain.
What’s einkorn? It’s the type of wheat that existed when humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to agriculture-based societies. The thing is, it’s been found to be easier to digest for some people who have wheat sensitivities.
Although those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy can’t consume it, some experts believe those with minor sensitivities likely can, as it’s less complex than modern varieties of wheat, and lacks the D-genome that is often linked to gluten sensitivity.
Einkorn can be bought already ground into various flour consistencies, or you can even buy your own berries and grind them at home.
You can read more about this ancient grain here.
Ingredient substitutions often lead to changes in texture and taste, especially with baked goods. You’ll see a noticeable difference when baking with any type of alternative flour, from einkorn to buckwheat flour. Try our buckwheat flour chocolate chip cookies for another variation on the traditional dessert.
We won’t deny that this is the case with this einkorn flour recipe. Tim says these remind him of his mom’s, but they’re simultaneously another thing entirely.
And that thing is delicious.
We played around with the baking time and discovered that letting them go for too long in the oven moves the soft and gooey center more towards something akin to a hard hockey puck. Definitely err on the side of underbaking if you can. And if you’re not sure if your oven runs hot or where hotspots might be, read our guide to understanding your oven to get more closely acquainted with this key kitchen appliance!
These are on the softer side (if you bake them for the correct amount of time!), so while we kept ours in an airtight container on the counter, they’d also be good candidates for chilling in the freezer if you’re of the mind to do that sort of thing.
In terms of results, they are not like any other chocolate chip cookie I’ve had – they both cakey and not, both firm and soft – and most notably, they are ridiculously easy to whip together, which is something that I look for in any good cookie recipe.
We got to talking in the kitchen about how many different ways there are to make a chocolate chip cookie – large and firm, thin and crisp, with oatmeal or nuts, and the ones that you have to whack with a spatula when they come out fluffy from the oven.
These are definitely a new version we’re adding to our collection, partly because they are classic and chocolatey, and partly because of the place from which they came, inspired by tradition, and modernized to use the ingredients that make us happy.
Print
Chewy, Classic Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: About 2 dozen 1x
Description
These classic einkorn chocolate chip cookies are the chewiest and most decadent baked goods. Be sure to have a glass of milk handy when you make them.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, coconut oil, and coconut sugar on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill for 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone pan liners, or bake in batches.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. You should have about 8 cookies per baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through but not browned. It’s better to underbake these.
- Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Keywords: einkorn flour, chocolate, cookie
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Chop Dark Chocolate and Measure Ingredients
Chop enough dark chocolate until you have 1 cup total, or measure out your chocolate chips.
Measure out all remaining ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.
Step 2 – Make Batter and Chill
Add butter, coconut oil, and coconut sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together on medium speed until well combined.
Beat in both eggs and vanilla until combined. Crack your eggs first into a separate bowl, to avoid adding any shell fragments to the mix!
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and beat until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chunks or chips.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
Step 3 – Bake
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
It’s best to place only two pans max in the oven at once, and I know many people only have one or two baking sheets. It’s fine to bake these in batches! Just keep the batter in the fridge until you’re ready to use it, if you don’t want to portion the dough all at once.
Portion the dough out on the prepared baking sheets in tablespoon-sized scoops. Space them about 1 inch apart, to allow room for spreading during baking. You should have about 8 dough balls arranged per sheet pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, until cooked through but not browned on the edges. The key is to not overcook these cookies, so it’s best to slightly underbake.
Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
Why Do I Have to Chill the Dough Before Baking?
Chilling the dough before baking helps to solidify the fat. Since this recipe uses coconut oil, this is of the utmost importance in order to avoid producing overly crisp cookies that have spread out too much.
When the fat is chilled, it takes longer to melt and that means less spread. Taking the time to chill the dough helps to produce a finished product that is nice and chewy, soft and moist.
Want to make even more cookies with einkorn flour? Try the following recipes from Foodal:
Cookies not your thing? Try our recipe for Einkorn Cannoli Cupcakes or Einkorn Cream Puffs if you want some more tasty updates to classic recipes!
Do you normally chill your cookie dough before baking? Share your tips in the comments below, and be sure to give the recipe a rating after you’ve tried it.
Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on January 1, 2019. Last updated: November 16, 2021 at 17:57 pm. With additional writing and editing by Meghan Yager and Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
I really love this thought…opening my hands without expectation. Something I think I’ve needed to ponder.
Those look fantastic! I’ve never heard of einkorn but it sounds very interesting. I would certainly eat these cookies 🙂
We made cookies yesterday! So no worries on this end. I’m dying for these!
It is always the right time for cookies. I’m not making new year’s resolutions either, but instead I’ve been meditating and praying 1 Corinthians 2:9: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can know what the Lord has planned for those who love him. So my hands are open to surprise. It’s gonna be a good one!
I’ve never baked with einkorn flour before- really interested to try! These cookies look deeeelish. Happy new year!
These look so delicious! I would probably end up gobbling the whole pan haha!
Shanna,
I just bought my first bag of einkorn flour and your cookbook is on its way to my house. I couldn’t be more excited. Chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite, so these might be my maiden voyage with einkorn flour.
I can’t think of a better way to welcome in the new year than with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Perfect.
Shanna, I found einkorn several years ago over in Bulgaria. For the first time, I’m sprouting the seeds, and I wonder if you have used einkorn sprouts before? For something other than just sprouting flour
Hi Dikranovich,
No, we haven’t–but that sounds great! We have only started the germination process by soaking and then used the berries in salads, etc. Let us know how it goes! – Tim
Hey Tim,
I got some nice einkorn sprouts in my sprouting jar about inch and a half to two inches. It’s not summer here in Virginia, but I thought a nice cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, with the sprouts on top and some cilantro. Tasty!!! I’m growing the einkorn as an ornamental also, very easy to grow. Use an empty salid container fill it half way with a nice soil and add the sprouts. Cover and let air get in, and you have your own little greenhouse. Thanks for all the great recipes you guys are putting out.
That sounds great–I always like a little summer food in my winters to brighten things up. Thanks for the tips on the einkorn sprouts!
This is a very good article. Thank you for a great information.
Hi! I just received my first box of Einkorn Flour from Young Living and have been so excited to use it ever since learning about the flour in Wheat Belly a few years ago. I had a ton of trouble with this recipe though! Do you think the flour can really vary that much? I found that with that much oil I eventually added around one cup more of flour. The cookies just kept spreading out like pancakes! Just got your cookbook from the library and hoping that your other yummy recipes work better for me. Thanks!
Hi Erika, My best advice would be to translate the recipe gram to gram instead of cup to cup any time you’re swapping in a different einkorn flour — I’m guessing Young Living’s is whole-grain? And if so that will work as long as you translate gram to gram. Hope that helps a bit!
Just made these and they are delicious!! I have a gluten sensitive son with whom we have been adding small amounts of Einkorn flour products lately with much success! I did put the cookie dough in the fridge overnight which I think helped tremendously to limit spreading. They were fantastic! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Oh, so glad to hear it! Hooray!
These were fantastic! You never disappoint – thanks for a another great recipe!
You never disappoint! Thanks for always being so kind. You encourage me.
I make these all the time now. They are my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Oh, we’re so glad to hear it, Julia! Thanks for coming back to say so!
Can I add oatmeal like my mom did in chocolate chip cookies?
Hi there, Barb! If you’re looking for a good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, we recommend this one: https://foodal.com/recipes/cookies/oatmeal-chocolate-chip/
I am really terrible at baking cookies, but I think this recipe will help. I can make cakes and bread all day, but I somehow mess up cookies! Thank you for the recipe!
Chocolate Chip Cookies are my Achilles Heel. These are the one thing that I just can’t seem to get quite right.
Those look fantastic!
I’m interested in making these for Christmas. Do you think I can substitute the butter for lard?
Thanks!
Good question, Kristina! You can use lard as a substitute for butter in baking, but it’s typically used in things like flaky pastry and pie crust. Lard is 100% fat, whereas butter also contains water. It has less saturated fat than butter paired with a higher melting point, and it does not contain the milk sugars and proteins that promote browning in baked goods made with butter, so the finished product will have a slightly different texture and color with a somewhat waxy, fattier mouthfeel. Since coconut oil is also used in this recipe, the difference probably won’t be as noticeable as it would be if you tried to make cookies with 100% lard though.
We haven’t tested lard in place of butter in this recipe, but you might find something like dairy-free baking sticks/vegan butter formulated for baking to be a better substitute that provides the results you’re looking for. Otherwise, you will need to use less- replace 1/2 cup butter with 3/8 cup of lard, and increase the amount of vanilla extract by 1/4 teaspoon.
What if you don’t have coconut oil? Can you use additional butter in place of the coconut oil?
Evelyn, using 1 cup total unsalted butter – rather than 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil – should yield successful results.
Make sure you properly cream the butter and coconut sugar until light and fluffy before proceeding with the other ingredients.
And follow our instructions to chill the dough for at least 2 hours, since the butter needs to re-harden so that the dough mounds do not spread drastically while baking.
These were good but even after chilling them for 2 hours they completely spread out and didn’t keep their shape!