These low calorie cookies are chewy and delicious, and just 34 calories and 1.5g of sugar. You can lower the sugar more by swapping out the chocolate chips for sugar free chocolate chips. But I had semi sweet on hand, so that is what I used. Special Tip: I really recommend adding the course salt, it adds so much to these yummy cookies. But if you need lower sodium feel free to skip this step.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the apple sauce, vanilla extract and water. Whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined.
Add 1/2 of the chocolate chips and fold into the batter.
Scoop out 16 cookie balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Wet your hands a little and then press the cookies down a bit to form cookie rounds.
Top with remaining chocolate chips and course salt.
Bake for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet (they will continue to cook on the sheet while they cool.)
Notes
Low Calorie Cookie Ingredient Swaps:
Lower the Sugar - if you swap out the semi sweet chocolate chips for sugar free chocolate chips (I like monk fruit sweetened- they are all natural) you can lower the sugar down to just 0.4g per cookie!
Gluten-Free - use gluten free 1:1 flour (I like Bob's Red Mill) in place of the flour.
Apple Sauce Swap - you can use pear baby food, pumpkin puree, or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil plus 1 egg in place of the apple sauce should you desire.