Does making chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar make any difference? Is it really possible to make chewy chocolate chip cookies with no brown sugar? Yes yes.. let me share the perfect cookies with incredible crisp edges and soft centre using basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry!!!
Sshhh.. I promise no one will know it's white sugar chocolate chip cookies recipe.
What does brown sugar do for a cookie?
For those of you who don't know let me tell you brown sugar is basically your regular white sugar with molasses added to it which makes it naturally moist and this moistness is what gives the cookies a chewy texture.
So brown sugar does change the texture of your cookies.
Molasses also has a slight caramel-y flavour and this is what makes the classic chocolate chip cookies have that subtle caramel flavour and also turn rich golden brown colour as the molasses lends its own colour to the cookies.
Is brown sugar necessary in cookies?
No, it is not mandatory. Even without using brown sugar, you would still be able to make delicious cookies with crispy edges and soft interiors loaded with chocolate goodness that melts in your mouth with little tweaks that I will be sharing in the post.
The only thing that you would be missing is the slight caramel flavor but nevertheless, these are absolutely delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Now let us see how we can make no brown sugar chocolate chip cookies that will tick all your boxes.
Oh btw, this is also a recipe for chocolate chip cookies without baking soda 😀
Ingredients:
- Butter - I prefer and recommend using unsalted butter when it comes to baking as you know the exact amount of salt in the batter. Also, use softened butter which you can achieve by simply placing the butter at room temperature for 30 mins before starting with the recipe.
- Caster sugar - This is the substitute for brown sugar in cookies. Being finer in size it dissolves easily with butter giving you the perfect texture when baked.
- Eggs at room temperature. Check out our eggless chocolate chip cookies recipe in case you are avoiding eggs.
- Vanilla - Better the quality of vanilla better the final outcome will be so try using vanilla extract if you can.
- Chocolate - Use milk or dark chocolate chips or a combination of two to suit your needs. I prefer using chocolate chunks in place of chips.
Detailed measurements can be printed off from the recipe card shared at the end of the post.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until they are light, fluffy and pale in colour.
This would take around 12 to 14 mins when using a handheld electric mixer. Do remember to stop in between to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even creaming.
Meanwhile in a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. Set this flour mixture aside.
Once the butter and sugar are creamed together add the eggs a little at a time along with the vanilla and mix well. These are your wet ingredients.
Finally, add all of the flour mixture and beat it well till it starts coming together for 1-2 minutes.
At this stage, fold in the chocolate chunks or chips using a rubber spatula and bring them together as cookie dough.
Scoop out a portion of it using an ice-cream scoop or a tbsp and place it on a baking tray that has been pre-lined with parchment paper. This recipe would yield 12 cookie balls.
If you like to be precise you can also make use of a kitchen scale to make the cookie balls.
You can place the cookie dough balls close to each other at this stage because it needs to be chilled before baking for best results.
So wrap the baking tray with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for at least 30 mins.
When you are ready to bake, take out another baking sheet, line it with parchment paper too and place the balls far away from each other as these cookies tend to spread while baking.
I placed only 4 at a time and baked them in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12 to 15 mins until the edges are slightly golden brown.
The cookie would look paler as there is no brown sugar in the recipe and might also look underdone but don't worry just take the cookie sheet out.
You can also make use of a large round cookie cutter and shape the cookies while they are still warm to give them the proper circular shape.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet itself for another 5 mins and then transfer them to a cooling wire rack to cool completely before storing or enjoying the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
If you wish to double the recipe then use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make the cookie dough. It would also take less time to cream them if using a stand mixer.
Storage Instructions.
Once the cookies are cooled they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.
For the "fresh out of the oven" mouth feel what I like to do is microwave the cookies for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then eat them.
This is the best way to eat cookies in my opinion.
These cookies also freeze really well. I suggest you first freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then transfer and store them in an air tight container.
Stack the baked frozen cookies on top of each other with a layer of parchment paper in between. Or Simply place them in a freezer bag or a zip lock bag and store them in the freezer for 3 months.
When you are ready to enjoy defrost them for a couple of hours or until they are soft and enjoy.
How to store chocolate chip cookie dough?
Yes, you can absolutely store the chocolate chip cookie dough. And this is what makes homemade chocolate chip cookies special because you can literally bake them fresh when your heart desires. All you have to do is scoop the cookie dough into balls and place them in a single layer on a baking tray. Freeze this for 30 mins in the freezer and then take the solid balls and place them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake simply preheat your oven and take the required number of cookie balls and bake it in the preheated oven so freezer to oven straight away. Just bake them for a minute or two longer than what's called for in the recipe.
Pro Tips:
- Start with softened butter and cream them well. This is what makes the cookies spread and become lighter.
- Once you add the dry ingredients do not beat the batter for long. Just mix until it comes together. Over-mixing the dough would result in flat cookies making them crispier rather than chewier cookie.
- Use a chocolate that you like to eat on its own if going with chocolate chunks. In the case of chocolate chips choose a combination of milk and dark if you are not a fan of dark chocolates.
- Over-mixing the chocolate into the dough would make the dough change its colour. So stop when everything is formed into a dough.
- It is important to chill the dough to make sure it spreads out well.
- Ensure that you are changing the baking tray while baking the cookies. Using the same tray from the previous batch would mean it is still hot and placing the cookie dough on this would warm the dough and it would start spreading even before entering the oven.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on top of the cookies while they are still warm, that is when they are straight out of the oven for a boost of flavour.
- Make use of a round cookie cutter larger than the size of the baked cookies and run over them to give them a proper circular shape if you prefer
Check out our post on the eggless version of the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe to learn the 9 mistakes that you probably are making while following any easy cookie recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely you can. Just add 1 tbsp (15 ml) molasses to 1 cup (200 g) White Sugar and you have your own brown sugar ready. Only thing is to avoid blackstrap molasses which gives out a bitter taste once baked. It is best suited for savoury dishes so other than use any molasses of choice. You can now use this brown sugar to make any cookie of your choice. Here is a good recipe for soft chocolate chip cookies that you can try.
While it is said that all white sugar makes for crispier cookies, in this recipe the proper creaming and chilling technique make way for the cookies to spread just enough to make for a chewier texture, soft centred cookies with slightly crispy edges. So it has a combination of being both crispy and soft at the same time. The caramel undertone is slightly missing but it still makes for an easy recipe that you will absolutely love and keep coming back to.
Related Recipes
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Science behind baking Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
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Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 113 gms (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
- 175 gms (3/4 cup) Caster Sugar
- 62 gms (1 large) Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 210 gms (1 3/4 cup) Plain Flour/APF/Maida
- 4 gms (1 tsp) Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 150 gms Chocolate
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until they are light, fluffy and pale in colour. This would take around 12 to 14 mins when using a handheld electric mixer. Do remember to stop in between to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even creaming.
- Whisk the eggs to break the yolk and add it to the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time. Beat well after each addition and also remember to scrape the bowl before adding the next set of eggs.
- Finally add the vanilla and beat the mixture really well. This is your wet ingredients
- Meanwhile in a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. Set this flour mixture aside.
- Finally, add all of the flour mixture and beat it well till it starts coming together for 1-2 minutes.
- At this stage, fold in the chocolate chunks or chips using a rubber spatula and bring them together as cookie dough.
- Scoop out a portion of it using an ice-cream scoop or a tbsp and place it on a baking tray that has been pre-lined with parchment paper. This recipe would yield 12 cookie balls. If you like to be precise you can also make use of a kitchen scale to make the cookie balls.
- You can place the cookie dough balls close to each other at this stage because it needs to be chilled before baking for best results. So wrap the baking tray with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for at least 30 mins.
- When you are ready to bake, take out another baking sheet, line it with parchment paper too and place the balls far away from each other as these cookies tend to spread while baking. I placed only 4 at a time and baked them in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12 to 15 mins until the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Let it sit in the pan itself for another 2 mins and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
- Enjoy it warm or once cooled completely.
Video
Notes
- Start with softened butter and cream them well. This is what makes the cookies spread and become lighter.
- Once you add the dry ingredients do not beat the batter for long. Just mix until it comes together. Over-mixing the dough would result in flat cookies making them crispier rather than chewier cookie.
- Use a chocolate that you like to eat on its own if going with chocolate chunks. In the case of chocolate chips choose a combination of milk and dark if you are not a fan of dark chocolates.
- Over-mixing the chocolate into the dough would make the dough change its colour. So stop when everything is formed into a dough.
- It is important to chill the dough to make sure it spreads out well.
- Ensure that you are changing the baking tray while baking the cookies. Using the same tray from the previous batch would mean it is still hot and placing the cookie dough on this would warm the dough and it would start spreading even before entering the oven.
- Sprinkle some sea salt on top of the cookies while they are still warm, that is when they are straight out of the oven for a boost of flavour.
- Make use of a round cookie cutter larger than the size of the baked cookies and run over them to give them a proper circular shape if you prefer.
- You can double the recipe too. Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment in that case.
Shell says
This is the first time I have ever made cookies correctly. Thank you! Although I did switch out the butter for oil and used a cup of flour instead. Regardless I'm proud of them ☺️
sushma iyer says
Hi Shell.. That's amazing—congratulations on making your cookies perfectly! It’s awesome that you made those adjustments and still got great results. Your creativity and confidence in the kitchen really shine through. Be proud of yourself—you’ve earned it! 😊 Enjoy those cookies!
Lamise says
Dleicous and soft 100% recommend !
sushma iyer says
Hi Lamise.. I am so pleased to see that you are enjoying the cookies. thank you for sharing your feedback with us. appreciate it 🙂
Jon says
I don't have an electric mixer, how long does it take by hand? TIA
sushma iyer says
well if your butter is really soft then won't take long
Carla says
You forgot to say when to add the egg!
sushma iyer says
Hi Carla..
Sorry for missing such a crucial step. Not sure what I was thinking and thank you for pointing it out.
It should be added once the butter and sugar are creamed well. I have now updated the recipe. Thanks again <3