Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

Don't have any brown sugar in the pantry, this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar will save the day! The cookies are sweet, buttery, and slightly crispy yet still chewy. Easy to mix up and you don't even need to chill the cookie dough.

Jump to:

• Why I Love It:
• Ingredients
• How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
• What does Brown Sugar do to cookies?
• How to make Brown Sugar?
• Other Cookie Mix-Ins
• Equipment
• Leftovers, Storage, and Make Ahead
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Other Chocolate Chip Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why I Love It:

• Simple Ingredients - Just 8 pantry ingredients that are baking staples!
• No Chilling Required - No need to chill this dough! Just mix up and bake.
• Buttery, Soft, and Slightly Crisp - The texture on these cookies is perfect!

Ingredients

• Butter - Softened to room temperature. I prefer to bake with unsalted butter for better salt control.
• White Granulated Sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Kosher Salt
• Baking Soda
• Chocolate Chips - Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the classic choice, but you can use milk or dark as well. Or even chocolate chunks! Another favorite chocolate chip recipe (that DOES use brown sugar) is this Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

1. Prep - Start by preheating the oven and lining baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar - Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat until the mixture becomes creamy.
3. Add Egg and Vanilla - Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined and incorporated.
4. Add Dry Ingredients - Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the dough. Stir together slightly with a rubber spatula then use the mixture to slowly mix in until just combined (don't over mix).
5. Chocolate Chips - Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed in the cookie dough.
6. Cookie Dough Balls - Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough and arrange the dough balls a couple inches apart on the lined baking sheets. I like to stick a few chocolate chips on the top of each dough balls for a prettier presentation
7. Bake - Bake the cookies until the sides are lightly browned but the centers still look pale and a little soft. Don't over bake!
8. Enjoy - Allow to cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

What does Brown Sugar do to cookies?

Brown sugar is often added to cookies as it contributes to both the flavor and texture.

• Flavor: Brown sugar gives cookies a richer and slightly caramel flavor.
• Texture: It also gives the them a chewier texture and helps thicken them slightly. Cookies made with just white sugar have more of a crisp texture.

How to make Brown Sugar?

If you do want to make a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe with brown sugar and you have molasses on hand then you can make your own brown sugar.

• Light Brown Sugar - Simply mix 1 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses.
• Dark Brown Sugar - For dark brown sugar, mix 1 cup white sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses.

Other Cookie Mix-Ins

Don't stop with just the regular chocolate chips, there are so many cookie mix-ins that you can try out!

• Chocolate Chips - Semisweet, milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips
• Chocolate Chunks
• M&Ms
• Chopped Nuts - I like to use these along with chocolate chips or chunks.
• Dried Cranberries or Raisins

Equipment

• Baking Sheet - For best results, use lighter baking sheets (not nonstick). Darker baking sheets can burn the bottoms.
• Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat - This will help the cookies to easily release from the pan. You can skip it, but they may not release as easily.
• Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer - This is the easiest way to cream the butter and sugar when making cookies. You can mix by hand, but you'll need to put some extra muscle into it.
• Large Mixing Bowl - It's always best to use a larger bowl than you think is needed so the flour doesn't make a mess when you mix it in.
• Optional - Cookie Scoop - I love using a cookie scoop for even sized cookie dough balls.

Leftovers, Storage, and Make Ahead

• Leftovers - Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Make Ahead - After mixing up the dough, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can even roll the dough into balls first and store them in the fridge.
• Freezing Cookie Dough - You can freeze the rolled cookie dough balls and then bake from frozen! Flash freeze the dough balls for an hour on a baking sheet then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, take out from the freezer while the oven preheats and bake for 1-2 minutes longer than the recipe calls for.

Recipe Tips

• Don't Over Bake - When in doubt, under bake slightly don't over bake! The cookies are done when the edges are slightly golden but the centers still look a little soft. Once removing from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. They will continue to set up in this time.
• Double The Recipe - This cookie recipe is super easy to double to make more cookies! You'll need to bake in a couple more batches, but that's it!
• Stick Extra Chocolate Chips to the Dough Balls - After rolling the cookie dough into balls, I like to stick a few extra chocolate chips to the top of the dough balls. This results in ‘prettier’ cookies that have some melty chips on top.
• Use Spoon & Level Method for Flour - When measuring flour, it's best to use the spoon and level method (you spoon the flour into the measuring cup then use a butter knife to level off the top). If you scoop the measuring cup into the flour you will get way too much flour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Chocolate Chip Recipes

• Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies – Giant cookies that are super thick. If you’ve had a Levain Bakery Cookie in NYC, these are a close copycat!
• 3-Ingredient Palmier Cookies - Sweet, buttery, flaky, and crispy. All you need is some store-bought puff pastry, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
• Thick Triple Chocolate Cookies – Chocolate cookie dough with both white and semi sweet chocolate chip!
• Brown Butter Sugar Cookies – Soft, chewy, and a major upgrade from regular sugar cookies. They’re drop-style so easy to make. 

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