Olive oil sugar cookies

These cookies have a subtle olive oil flavor and a perfect sugar coating, with a crisp outer edge and a soft and chewy center. The flavor is inspired by one of my favorite desserts, olive oil cake, and the texture is similar to my chewy vanilla sugar cookie recipe so you get the best of both worlds all in one cookie.

If you've never had an olive oil based dessert, it might sound a bit odd, but if you're a fan of olive oil you will love these cookies. There is a mixture of olive oil and butter in the dough, and the olive oil adds a slight savory flavor that mixes so well with the sweetness of the cookie. I also chose to use exclusively light brown sugar in the dough which tastes incredible with the olive oil flavor.

The dough is also rolled in granulated sugar which gives it an extra sweetness and crunch on the outside. If you want, you can skip the outer layer of sugar but I love the added texture and taste it brings. If you want a bit of extra crunch, I recommend using cane sugar on the exterior of your cookies!

This dough truly does need the full chill time prior to baking, but only an hour or two. You'll use a combination of melted butter and olive oil, and both take some time to solidify in the fridge. Chilling the dough properly will allow your cookies to spread just the right amount when baking without spreading too thin, and will give you the best soft and chewy center. If you want to make the dough ahead of time you can also make the dough and chill (covered) overnight before scooping, rolling in sugar, and baking or you can follow the chill, scoop and roll instructions and then freeze the dough to bake any time - I share instructions for both in the full recipe!

This recipe doesn't require any special equipment and comes together in one bowl plus a small dish to roll your dough in sugar. It's a great recipe too to make in a pinch with pantry staples assuming you have olive oil on hand! This recipe makes 8 cookies in total, though of course you can easily double the recipe.

For scooping your cookie dough, your cookies should be about 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons in size. I love these scoops from Cook'n Feel (I use the medium scoop usually for cookies) or this large scoop from Oxo.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 57g

• 1/4 cup your favorite olive oil 50g

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar 96g

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 48g

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon milk (any kind)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 150g

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 36g

Total time: About 4 hours

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 12-14 minutes

Chill time: 2-3 hours

Servings: 8 cookies

Equipment:

• Cookie sheets

• Spatula and whisk

• Large and small bowls

• Parchment paper

• Scooper (2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons) or large spoon

Cooking instructions:

In a large bowl, melt your butter. Then, add in your olive oil, light brown and granulated sugar and use a whisk to mix together.

Next, add in your egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and continue to whisk until your mixture is thickened and fully combined with no streaks, about a minute or two being sure to reach to the bottom and all sides of your bowl.

Add in your all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Being sure not to over mix, fold in your dry ingredients with a spatula or large spoon until your dough forms.

Once your dough has fully formed, place into the fridge to chill for about 2 hours. Note: if you want to do this step ahead of time, your un-scooped dough can remain in the fridge up 24 hours as long as it is well protected in an airtight container (I recommend wrapping in plastic wrap and then placing into a container or plastic bag if chilling for more than a few hours).

After your two hour chill period, remove your dough from the fridge and it should feel significantly more firm to the touch.

Onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, use a cookie scoop or large spoon to portion out your dough - it should make about 8 cookies, 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons per cookie (~53g each).

In a small bowl, add in your three tablespoons of granulated sugar. Roll each cookie dough in the palms of your hands and then roll twice in sugar to ensure they're well coated on all sides. Place your cookie scoops back onto your lined cookie sheet and back into the fridge to chill for at least one more hour - you want them to be firm to the touch before baking.

When you're ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If you plan to bake all of your cookies at one time, line a second cookie sheet to ensure your cookies are spread out enough. Place your cookies into the oven to bake for 12 to 14 minutes. They should poof in the oven and crinkle across the top. I recommend gently shaping your cookies partway through baking using a round cookie cutter or even a knife to nudge the edges of your cookies in to form a perfectly round cookie. Allow your cookies to cool for at least 15 to 30 minutes on the cookie sheet once removed from the oven, and enjoy!

Your baked cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or in the fridge, but they will taste best fresh baked and enjoyed the same day you made them. You can also freeze some or all of your dough to bake later. To do this, place your scooped and sugar rolled cookie dough onto a baking sheet and into the freezer for 12-24 hours. Then, transfer your frozen dough to a plastic bag or airtight container and store in the freezer. To bake from frozen, set your oven to 325 and bake for about 14-16 minutes.

Carb and serving info:

Servings: 8 cookies

Carbs per serving: 38

Carbs for full recipe: 304

Carbs from sugar coating: 38

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.