These cardamom cookies with chocolate chips are easy to make with just a handful of pantry staples. Warm, fragrant cardamom powder and rich dark chocolate come together in a crunchy vegan cookie that's perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
If you love baking with cardamom, try my my chewy almond flour or my light and fluffy cardamom cake, too!
While cardamom powder is a familiar ingredient in Arabic coffee and some savory dishes such as my eggplant mahshi, it's less commonly used in traditional Palestinian sweets.
My inspiration for using cardamom in sweets came from Indian desserts and a piece of cardamom-flavored dark chocolate made in Latin America that I once tried.
I loved the combination of rich chocolate and fragrant cardamom so much that I wanted to bring those flavors together in my baking. The result was these cardamom cookies with chocolate chips, a delicious twist on a classic favorite.
After making these cookies and loving how they turned out, I was inspired to create a gluten-free version: chewy almond flour cardamom cookies.
For more homemade delicious cookies recipes try my rock cookies recipe and for vegan options try anise cookies or zaatar cookies. And for traditional try ghraybeh or maamoul cookies.
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Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Easy to make: A handful of simple ingredients and a few straightforward steps are all you need.
- Deliciously crunchy: These cookies have a satisfying crunch that makes them perfect alongside coffee or tea.
- A flavorful twist: Fragrant cardamom and rich chocolate chips make a delicious pairing.
- Naturally vegan: Made with olive oil and no eggs or dairy, just be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- No cookie cutters needed: Simply roll the dough into balls and flatten them with your palms.
Equipment
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- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl - if not using an electric mixer.
- Baking sheets - 2 for this recipe
- Parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – The base of the dough, giving the cookies structure and balance.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cookies, you can substitute with maple syrup or monk fruit.
- Baking Powder – Gives the cookies a gentle lift.
- Cardamom Powder - Is a warm, aromatic spice and the star of these cookies.
- Olive Oil - Provides richness and moisture to the cookies. I like to use extra virgin olive oil, though you can also substitute with half olive oil and half any other neutral oil.
- Lukewarm Water - Used to bring the mixture together and help form a dough. Warm water is important because the heat speeds up how quickly the flour absorbs the liquid, resulting in a smoother, more cohesive dough with less kneading or resting time needed.
- Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use regular size, or any type of dark chocolate used for baking.
Instructions
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 | Place all the cookie ingredients except the water in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2 | Using your hands or a mixer, mix until the ingredients are well combined.
Step 3 | Gradually add the lukewarm water, continuing to mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
Step 4 | Aim for a dough that is easy to handle and shape.
Step 6 | Take a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball between your hands.
Step 7 | Gently flatten it with your palms to form a circle about 2 inches in diameter.
Step 8 | Place the shaped cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. There’s no need to grease the sheet, as the dough contains olive oil.
Step 9 | Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. For a crunchy texture, bake for an additional 3–5 minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chopped dark chocolate instead of mini semisweet chocolate chips.
- Use regular sized chocolate chips if you can't find mini semisweet, keep them large or roughly chop them into smaller pieces before adding them to the dough.
- Include nuts: finely chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds for extra crunch.
- Add a hint of cinnamon: A small pinch of cinnamon can bring another layer of warm spice while keep cardamom as the main flavor.
- You can use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar.
Storage
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them.
- You can keep them in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to three months.
Pro Tips
- If you like the cookies to be a bit crunchy bake them for an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Gradually add water to the mixture and knead. Start with ¾ of a cup, and if the dough is dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water at a time until it becomes soft and non-sticky.
- There's no need to grease the baking sheet, as the dough already contains oil.
- I prefer using mini semisweet chocolate chips because they distribute more evenly throughout the dough than regular-sized chips. If you can’t find mini chips, roughly chop regular-sized ones into smaller pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions?
Yes. You can check my cardamom spice recipe for step by step instructions.
Using any other spices won't reproduce the cardamom's distinctive flavor. However, you can try a mix of cinnamon a pinch of nutmeg or cloves.
Yes, you can use almond flour, try my chewy almond flour cardamom cookies.
Yes! I prefer mini semisweet chocolate chips because they distribute more evenly throughout the dough. If you only have regular-sized chips, you can add them as is or roughly chop them into smaller pieces before adding them.
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More Delicious Cookies
Cardamom Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 34-36
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Palestinian/American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These cardamom cookies with chocolate chips are easy to make with just a handful of pantry staples. Warm, fragrant cardamom powder and rich dark chocolate come together in a crunchy vegan cookie that's perfect for enjoying with coffee or tea.
If you love baking with cardamom, try my light and fluffy cardamom cake, too!
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup olive oil or (½ neutral oil and ½ extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- ¾-1 cup lukewarm water (add gradually while kneading)
- 3 teaspoons cardamom powder
- ½ cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place all the cookie ingredients except the water in a large mixing bowl.
- Using your hands or a mixer, mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Gradually add the lukewarm water, continuing to mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- The dough should be easy to handle and shape.
- Take a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball between your hands.
- Gently flatten it with your palms to form a circle about 2 inches in diameter.
- Place the shaped cookies on an ungreased baking sheet (there’s no need to grease the sheet, as the dough contains olive oil).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- For extra crunch, bake for an additional 3–5 minutes.
Notes
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. You can keep them in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to three months.
- If you like the cookies to be a bit crunchy, bake them for an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Gradually add water to the mixture and knead. If the dough is too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water until it becomes soft and non-sticky.
- There's no need to grease the baking sheet, as the dough already contains oil.
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