Chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are delightfully dense, chewy, and chocolate packed. Whether you’re out of brown sugar or want to try a delicious twist on a classic recipe, these cookies are definitely for you.
We’ve all been there before. You’re craving a sheet of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. But when you go to your pantry you discover that you’re out of brown sugar. Can you just use granulated sugar??
Yes, my friends. That you can. And the result is sweet gooey perfection.
I love to make these chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar when I’m craving a thinner cookie that lets the chocolate shine through. These babies are thin to win, as my husband likes to say. But they bake beautifully and if you pull them from the oven early enough, they’re insanely gooey and as they set they become the chewy cookie of your dreams.
They are an immaculate confection. ๐
Ingredients
- Butter – the creamy base for these cookies. We use plant-based butters to cut back on the fat content, but you can also use real butter. Just be sure to use unsalted butter so that you can salt to taste.
- Granulated sugar – for simple sweetness. These cookies taste sweeter than those made with brown sugar, so feel free to adjust your sugar slightly.
- Vanilla extract – for a hint of vanilla sweetness.
- Eggs – binding agent.
- Flour – we make our cookies with white whole wheat flour for a touch of added vitamins and minerals. All purpose flour works as well.
- Baking soda – for leavening. These cookies are surprisingly thin due to the changes in the sugar.
- Salt – helps bring out all the other flavors in these cookies.
- Chocolate chips – for the gooey chocolatey flavor in every bite.
What is the Difference Between Brown and Granulated Sugar in Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown sugar and granulated sugar will behave differently in chocolate chip cookies due to their chemical make up. Allow me to drop some chemistry sugar bombs on you.
Brown sugar is slightly acidic. When it’s added to a dough that contains baking soda, it will react to produce carbon dioxide. This reaction is key to creating puffy, thick, soft cookies.
Granulated sugar is neutral, and therefore won’t react with baking soda. So, when compared to cookies containing brown sugar, cookies containing granulated sugar will be thinner, denser, and chewier.
A traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe will call for equal parts brown and granulated sugar to create just the right balance of height and texture. However, this recipe only calls for granulated sugar, so these cookies are predictably thinner and chewier than their traditional counterpart. But they are delicious in their own right!
If you want a more detailed explanation, check out this post about the difference between brown and white sugar from Serious Eats.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
In a stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate the dough 10 minutes before shaping. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Repeat until the cookie sheet is full.
Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden but still soft. *Note, these cookies will spread considerably more than traditional chocolate chip cookies.
How to Store
- Room temperature – store these cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc baggie at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freeze – for the best results, freeze these cookies as dough. Shape the dough into a “log” and wrap tightly in parchment paper. Store the log in a freezer Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze these in individual tablespoon servings. Flash freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a large freezer Ziploc bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! That is exactly what this recipe calls for. Just know that the texture and thickness will differ from traditional chocolate chip cookies due to less moisture and no reaction with the baking soda. These cookies will be thinner and chewier.
Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of unsulphured molasses to replace dark brown sugar or with 2 teaspoons of molasses to replace light brown sugar. Mix with a spatula to evenly distribute.
These cookies will spread quite a bit more than traditional chocolate chip cookies due to the absence of brown sugar. However, you can minimize that spreading by refrigerating cookie dough at least 30 minutes before baking, rolling cookie dough into tight balls, and using baking mat on your cookie sheets.
You should use softened butter when making cookies. Melted butter will result in runnier batter and thinner, crispier cookies, while softened butter will create thicker, chewier cookies due to the formation of air pockets.
Check out our other recipes
- Dark chocolate cranberry cookies
- White chocolate peppermint cookies
- Cookies and cream cookies
- Maple brown sugar cookies
- Coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 c plant-based/vegan or unsalted butter, softened
- 1โ c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2ยผ c white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ยฝ tsp salt *see notes
- 1 c dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
- In a stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate the dough 10 minutes before shaping. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Repeat until the cookie sheet is full. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden but still soft. *Note, these cookies will spread considerably more than traditional chocolate chip cookies.
Notes
- Can I use granulated sugar instead of brown for cookies? Yes! That is exactly what this recipe calls for. Just know that the texture and thickness will differ from traditional chocolate chip cookies due to less moisture and no reaction with the baking soda. These cookies will be thinner and chewier
- Can I make brown sugar at home? Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of unsulphured molasses to replace dark brown sugar or with 2 teaspoons of molasses to replace light brown sugar. Mix with a spatula to evenly distribute.
- How do I prevent these cookies from spreading? These cookies will spread quite a bit more than traditional chocolate chip cookies due to the absence of brown sugar. However, you can minimize that spreading by refrigerating cookie dough at least 30 minutes before baking, rolling cookie dough into tight balls, and using baking mat on your cookie sheets.
- Are chocolate chip cookies better with melted or softened butter? You should use softened butter when making cookies. Melted butter will result in runnier batter and thinner, crispier cookies, while softened butter will create thicker, chewier cookies due to the formation of air pockets.
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