Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are simple to make and will totally satisfy your cookie craving! Dotted with rich dark chocolate chips in a buttery dough, this recipe for the best cookies has 7 simple ingredients and only takes about 10 minutes of prep!
Have you ever had a craving for chocolate chip cookies, and you gathered all the ingredients on your counter only to realize that you’re missing an important ingredient?
Well, that happened to me recently when I had everything prepped and ready to go, only to find I was out of brown sugar!
The good news is that you can still create a perfect, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookie without brown sugar! All you need is standard granulated sugar.
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There are so many different ways to make this classic chocolate chip cookie recipe that you don’t have to worry about missing an ingredient. With a few adjustments, they will turn out just as delicious!
While changing the ingredients typically results in a slightly different consistency, we think these cookies are pretty close to the original version! If you make even more swaps than just the brown sugar, you could end up with a thin and crispy cookie or a soft and chewy one. Subbing different flours will also result in a different bake.
These cookies are a little more crispy than traditional chocolate chip cookies since they use white sugar instead of brown, but I promise they won’t disappoint! This may just become your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe yet!
- Simple Ingredients: You only need 7 basic ingredients to make this cookie recipe with no brown sugar!
- Super Fast: Only 10 minutes of preparation time needed before you have perfect cookies ready to go.
- Amazing Texture: Bake up soft with crunchy edges every time!
- Tastes Just Like A Classic Cookie: Perfect for dunking in milk!
- Kill Those Cravings: Satisfy your sweet tooth with the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever.
Latest Recipe Video!
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🥘 Ingredients
You only need 7 ingredients to make these easy chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar – all of which can be found at the grocery store and many of which you might already have in your pantry! Here’s what you need:
- Eggs + Unsalted Butter: Set your butter on the counter at least an hour before you’re ready to prepare your cookies so that it can soften and come to room temperature. You will need a 1/2 cup or one stick of butter to cream with the whole egg and sugar.
- Granulated Sugar: The original recipe for brown sugar chocolate chip cookies will typically require a mix of brown and white sugar – to make crispy and chewy cookies. But we use just simple white granulated sugar to make these crispy on the outside and soft on the inside cookies! The key is the adjustment in the other ingredients to compensate for the reduced moisture since you’re not using brown sugar!
- All-Purpose Flour: This traditional plain flour works so well in these cookies. You can sift the flour, an extra step, to create a fluffier cookie. While I haven’t tried this recipe with whole wheat flour or another type of flour, I imagine it would still work with a flour swap!
- Baking Powder: Essential for leavening the cookies. When paired with the granulated sugar, baking powder gives the cookies a more cakey feel and keeps them from becoming too crisp. You can also use baking soda, it will make the cookies more crisp on the outside.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: You can use any type of chocolate chip you prefer. However, semi-sweet is classic! You could even add in peanut butter, dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips!
- Vanilla Extract: Brings out the natural flavors of the other ingredients and enhances the chocolate flavor.
🍲 Ingredient Substitutions
- Chocolate: Substitute your favorite from dark chocolate chips to milk chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips. You can even add peanut butter chocolate chips if you choose!
- Flour: Use your own favorite variety of flour. All purpose flour will give you the best texture, but you can also use whole wheat flour or oat flour to make this chocolate chip cookies recipe without brown sugar.
Here’s how to make this easy recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar. For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment), add the butter and sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Beat In Egg: With the mixer on low speed, beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture just until combined.
Add The Dry Ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder and stir in with a rubber spatula until just combined and there are no lumps. Then, fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Scoop Batter: Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the chocolate chip cookie dough and arrange the dough balls 3 in apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake The Cookies: Bake until the sides are lightly golden brown (for about 11 to 14 minutes)
Allow Cookies To Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
- Measure Precisely: For best results, measure flour using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife. Flour gets packed into the bag, so spooning helps to make it fluffy so that you don’t end up adding more flour than you actually need.
- Avoid Overmixing: Use a spatula to add the flour rather than the electric mixer.
- Space Them Out: Give these homemade chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar plenty of space on the cookie sheet so that they can spread.
- Pay Attention To The Temp: Oven temperature is important! If your oven isn’t calibrated properly, your cookies may need more or less time to bake.
- Adjust For Texture: For softer cookies, reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 11 minutes. If you want a chewier cookie that is more crisp, bake for the full 14 minutes (up to 15 minutes).
- Make Bigger Batches: You can easily double or triple this recipe if you want to make a big batch of these delicious cookies!
📖 Variations
- Nuts: Fold crushed nuts into the cookie dough before baking.
- Dried Fruit: Incorporate raisins or craisins for a fruity version.
- Double Chocolate Cookies: Replace 1/4 cup of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder and feel free to add some extra chocolate chips into the batter too!
- Oatmeal: Feel free to replace 1/4-1/3 cup of the flour with oat flour, rolled oats or quick-cooking oats to make chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with no brown sugar.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
You can snack on these cookies all on their own, but you can also serve them with delicious sweet sides.
- Dipping: Dip these incredible cookies into whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or apple sauce with cinnamon.
- Sandwiches: Use these to make ice cream sandwiches by spreading any flavor of ice cream (like this tofu ice cream) in between two of them.
- Garnish: Use the cookies as a garnish for other sweets like creamy vegan pudding or flaxseed pudding.
- With A Drink: Cookies and milk are a classic combination! But they also go great with this protein hot chocolate or this honey latte.
🙌 Dietary Adaptations
- Gluten-Free: Make this chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. Be sure to choose one with xanthan gum for the best texture.
- Vegan: Use flax eggs instead of regular eggs and vegan butter or coconut oil instead of regular butter to adapt this recipe to a vegan version.
🫙 Storage Directions
- Store Cookies At Room Temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will be good for up to 7 days.
- To Freeze Baked Cookies: It’s super easy to freeze these soft chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar. To freeze, place the cookies in an airtight freezer bag. Make sure all air is pushed out of the bag. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, simply place your cookie on the countertop to defrost.
- To Freeze Cookie Dough: Roll the dough into balls. Place in the freezer on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer, and place the balls in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer, preheat oven, place on baking sheet, and bake according to recipe directions.
- Make Ahead Cookie Dough: You can refrigerate or freeze the cookie dough and bake later. Roll the dough into a long log, and wrap in plastic wrap. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to use, place on the countertop for 20 minutes to allow the dough to come to room temperature. Then bake these homemade chocolate chip cookies with no brown sugar according to the recipe instructions.
❓Recipe FAQs
Why is brown sugar added to chocolate chip cookie recipes?
Brown sugar does a few things for regular chocolate chip cookies:
1) It gives the cookies a buttery caramel like finish.
2) The moisture in brown sugar helps to give your cookies that soft and chewy texture.
3) It keeps the cookies from spreading too much, and helps to keep cookies on the thicker side rather than being thin and crisp. White sugar chocolate chip cookies will spread more.
Do you need brown sugar to make chocolate chip cookies?
No! You don’t need brown sugar. You can substitute brown sugar with several different other types, or you can even make your own with granulated sugar and molasses.
Some substitutes for brown sugar include: granulated sugar, golden sugar, muscovado sugar, coconut sugar, and even powdered sugar. But you can easily make chocolate chip cookies with only white sugar. It works as a 1:1 replacement.
How do you make brown sugar?
If you run out of brown sugar, but have white sugar and molasses you can make your own brown sugar. Molasses is a syrup created from white sugar, and has a caramel flavor.
To Make Brown Sugar At Home: Combine 1 cup of white sugar and 1 tablespoon of light molasses for light brown sugar, or add 1.5-2 tablespoons of molasses for a dark brown sugar. Light molasses works best, but dark molasses can also be used if needed! Note: Do not use backstrap molasses – it is too bitter!
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are simple to make and will totally satisfy your cookie craving! Dotted with rich dark chocolate chips in a buttery dough, this recipe for the best cookies has 7 simple ingredients and only takes about 10 minutes of prep!
Servings: 20 large cookies
Calories: 269kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), add the butter and sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in the egg and vanilla extract just until combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder and stir in with a rubber spatula until just combined, and no lumps.
- Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Using a 2 tablespoons cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and arrange the dough balls 3 in apart on the prepared baking sheets. You will get 16-20 cookies.
- Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the sides are lightly browned.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For best results, measure flour using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and level with a knife. Flour gets packed into the bag, so spooning helps to make it fluffy, so that you don’t end up adding more flour than you actually need.
- Don’t over mix the batter. Use a spatula to add the flour rather than the electric mixer.
- Give the cookies plenty of space on the cookie sheet so that can spread.
- Oven temperature is important! If your oven isn’t calibrated properly, your cookies may need more or less time to bake.
- For softer cookies reduce the heat to 325 degrees F, and bake for 11 minutes. If you want chewy cookies that are more crisp, bake for the full 14 minutes (up to 15 minutes).
- You can easily double or triple this recipe if you want to make a big batch of these delicious cookies!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g
These chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are a game-changer! Soft, chewy, and incredibly satisfying, they are my go-to for satisfying my cookie cravings. The rich dark chocolate chips nestled in the buttery dough create a heavenly combination.
Awesome to hear Kim! Thank so much!
I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I didn’t have any brown sugar. This recipe was perfect!
Yay! Glad you liked this recipe Kate!
The texture of these cookies was amazing. So easy to make too.
Awesome! Thanks Dannii!
Your chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are a hit! They have the perfect balance of chewy and crispy, and I love how you’ve managed to achieve such a rich flavor without the brown sugar. The step-by-step guide made it super easy to follow along. You’ve got a knack for making baking feel approachable and fun.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Tavo – thank you for the kind words!
So easy to make and so easy to eat! I loved them
Thanks so much Sisley!
In the text it calls for ½ C. of butter, but in the “Recipe Card” it calls for 1 ½ C, Which is it??
Omg thanks for catching that Willow! It was a typo in the “Recipe Card” – it’s ½ C. of butter for this recipe!
I tried these. They were so easy to make, and so fast! As per your other suggestions, I added dark, chocolate chunks. Delish!
Thank you!
Woohoo! Dark chocolate chunks is one of my favorite additions! 🙂
Very easy to make and delicious cookies! thanks!
Thanks Tavo!! 🙂
These cookies were amazing! Worked out perfect when I had no brown sugar in the house!
Woohoo!! I’m so happy you loved them!
Now I found the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies! Will make these again!
Yay! So glad you liked these Joan!