Salted Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cookies With Almonds

I’m always in search of a great cookie and especially a chocolate chip one. There are so many variations out there and I want to try them all. Everyone has very different tastes when it comes to what they like in there chocolate chip cookies, probably the reason for all the variations.

I love chocolate chunk anything and this goes for cookies as well. I’m a fan of cookies that are loaded as well, just like these. They not only have chunks of chocolate but they also have chopped almonds in them too which add more texture, crunch and flavour. Who doesn’t love the flavour of toasted almonds. The olive oil gives them a rich flavour and texture too. You would never know they had olive oil in them because you don’t taste the olive oil so much as you notice a hint of something different. You can definitely use coconut oil if you don’t like olive oil but I think that you will lose a little of the richness that olive oil gives things.

These are the best of both worlds when it comes to texture too. They are a thick cookie with a crispy exterior. Not a biscotti kind of crisp but a more gentler crisp with a tender slightly chewy interior. The mixture of flours along with the olive oil are what really affect the texture here and make it unique. When it comes to the flours you can also make a couple of changes. You can go all AP flour and that is fine. The texture won’t be altered too much, but going all whole wheat will change the texture of the cookie all together. The texture will be more bread-like.

What also affects the rise and spread of the cookies I have learned is using all room temperature ingredients including the butter. Making sure everything is room temperature and that the butter is softened and not melted is very important. Everything at room temperature will help these cookies stay thick with lots of yummy texture instead of spreading thin and flat. Not too say they wouldn’t still be delicious that way but if you want them on the thicker side - room temperature ingredients is key.

These cookie are super simple and quick to make and don’t require any kind of chilling making them even quicker to bake and get in my belly! I love to add a few extra chunks of chocolate on top of the cookie dough and a good sprinkle of sea last before they go into the oven to bake for extra goodness. The sea salt enhances all the sweet flavours in the cookies especially the chocolate. All these factors make these a great choice when you are baking for friends, baking with your kids, or making a batch for yourself. I need to hide these babies from plain sight when I bake them. Me and my husband love them and if they are in plain sight we will keep snacking on them and finish them off in one sitting. So addictive and sooo rich and delicious. Give them a try and see for yourself - you will add them to your favorite chocolate chip cookie list guaranteed!

Ingredients

Makes approx 20-24 medium sized cookies

• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (alternately use only all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened not melted
• ¼ cup olive oil, coconut oil alternatively
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
• ⅔ cup almonds, chopped
• 3.5oz of dark chocolate, chopped
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together both flours, baking soda, and salt to combine and set aside.
4. Cream together butter, olive oil, and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add in egg and the extracts until combined.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a dough forms.
7. Stir in chopped almonds and dark chocolate chunks with a large wooden spoon or spatula.
8. Scoop dough balls out with cookies scooper and place on prepared cookie sheets, leaving a few inches in between for them to spread out a bit while baking.
9. Sprinkle cookie dough with coarse sea salt if using and bake for 8-10 minutes for a softer chewier cookies. Bake for an extra few minutes for a crispier cookie like I usually prefer and as pictured.
10. Remove from oven once done and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to five days. Baked cookies can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to three months - just thaw at room temperature.

Adapted from Fit Mitten Kitchen