Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with chocolate chunks, brown sugar, and floral rosemary for a sweet take on a coffee shop favorite. Rosemary cookies are great any time of the year and are ready in under 30 minutes. Serve these own their own or with coffee, espresso, or hot chocolate.
If you’re looking for delicious and unique chocolate chip cookies, you’ll love this recipe for Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies!
This recipe is based off one of my favorite seasonal lattes (the Kaldi’s Brown Sugar Rosemary latte). These cookies play off of the notes of rosemary and sweet brown sugar, but they feature rich dark chocolate, too. Yum!
Rosemary and chocolate is an unexpected pairing but it works because they are both strong flavors that enhance one another.
Next time you have a little leftover fresh rosemary, whip up these tasty and addicting Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients:
Brown sugar – using all brown sugar in these cookies makes them sweet and chewy, and it keeps them from spreading too much in the oven. Both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar work in this recipe.
Fresh rosemary – use 1 to 3 sprigs for desired flavor. Three sprigs of fresh rosemary is approximately 1 Tablespoon, minced.
All purpose flour
Baking soda
Fine salt
Olive oil
A large egg
Vanilla extract
Chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips – dark or semi-sweet, whichever is preferred
Granulated sugar – for rolling the cookie dough. Sugar on the outside adds texture and sweetness.
Flake salt – for adding contrast to the chocolate. This is optional, but recommended.
How to Make this Rosemary Cookie Recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside a parchment lined baking sheet or nonstick sheet pan.
Sift together dry ingredients into a medium bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later.
In a large bowl, rub together the brown sugar with the rosemary. This is best done by hand to release the natural oils in the rosemary. Photos 1 and 2 above.
Add the olive oil, beaten egg, and vanilla into the brown sugar. Stir together until combined and thickened. Photos 3 and 4.
Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed. Photos 6, 7, and 8.
Fold in the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips). Photos 9 and 10 (below).
Scoop the dough into balls (we use a 1.5 Tablespoon #40 scoop). Roll cookie dough in granulated sugar and set 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Photo 10.
Gently press cookies down with a glass or small bowl/plate. Photos 11 and 12.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just set. Do not overbake. These cookies do not ‘brown’ and will continue to firm up once removed from the oven. Let cool 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why use olive oil instead of butter in cookies?
Baking cookies with olive oil instead of butter gives them a floral and slightly nutty flavor. Olive oil brings out the richness in other flavors like chocolate, and it adds moisture to keep the cookies chewy.
Using olive oil instead of butter also requires less overall (3/4 ratio of oil to butter) so the end nutritional value is slightly better.
Can dried rosemary be substituted for fresh rosemary in baking?
Fresh rosemary gives the best result for floral notes instead of savory ones. Use rosemary that is fragrant, and avoid using any part of the stem.
If you want less overall rosemary flavor, use just one sprig (about 1 teaspoon, chopped).
Can these be made vegan?
Yes! Since this recipe is already dairy free, you only need to substitute the one beaten egg. I like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer but a flax egg would work, too. Avoid applesauce or banana which would add too much moisture.
We love these cookies for their unique flavor, but if you’re looking for something sweeter for an upcoming holiday, try my Big Chewy Candy Bar Cookies instead!
Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed light or dark
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped = 2 to 3 teaspoons chopped rosemary
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate = 3 ounces ; substitute chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling
- flaky salt optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit and set aside a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar with the chopped rosemary. Rub together until sugar is fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- To the bowl with brown sugar, stir in the olive oil, beaten egg, and vanilla until well incorporated. Mixture should be thick like a gel.
- Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined into a thick dough.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate, stirring gently to spread throughout.
- Using a 1 Tablespoon or 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or small plate.
- Bake on 375° for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set. Remove from oven and top with flaky salt, if desired.
- Let stand on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Storage:
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.
Notes
- Only fresh rosemary is recommended for this recipe (not dried). Use the flavor to taste.
- This recipe makes 12 cookies using a 1.5 tbsp scoop or 18 cookies using a 1 Tbsp scoop
- Olive oil cookies do not brown like traditional butter cookies, so use caution not to overbake them.
I made these for a work potluck, and I wanted to make sure my gluten free vegan coworker could eat them. I used 1 to 1 GF flour, and 4 tablespoons of blended silken tofu as an egg substitute. They turned out great, and everyone loved them!
Thanks so much for the feedback and letting me know how you made them GF/vegan 😊 You sound like an awesome coworker to bring cookies in!
Wow! These are amazing and so easy to make. Taking to a Super Bowl Game party. The rosemary is a subtle extra flavor to the choc chip cookie. I would suggest using only 1/3 cup if using mini choc chips.
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Linda! I’ll have to try them with mini choc chips next time. Enjoy your game day party tomorrow!