Soft and Chewy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Without Brown Sugar
If you find yourself craving a batch of soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies but don't have brown sugar on hand, fear not!
We have an amazing recipe that will save the day.
With a few adjustments and the right technique, you can still achieve the best chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies without this staple ingredient.
Jump to:
- The Role of Brown Sugar in Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Sugar Substitutes for Flavorful Cookies
- Why This Recipe Works?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar?
- Top Tips From the Chef
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage Instructions
- Related Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Without Brown Sugar
Soft and Chewy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to make with just a few everyday ingredients such as flour, eggs, chocolate chips, caster sugar, and butter.
They taste incredibly delicious and have a soft and chewy texture with delightfully crispy edges!
If you're a cookie lover, be sure to check out some of my other cookie recipes on the blog!
They include delicious options like Gluten-free Pumpkin Cookies, Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, Key Lime Cookies with Glaze, Oreos Covered in Chocolate, Walnut Cookies, and Turkish Apple Cookies (Elmali Kurabiye).
The Role of Brown Sugar in Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown sugar contributes not only sweetness but also moisture and texture to the final product.
Its caramel-like flavor and softness are what make chocolate chip cookies truly special.
Additionally, brown sugar adds a delightful touch of warmth and a beautiful golden brown hue to cookies, all thanks to the rich molasses it contains.
But don't worry! With a little tweaking and some clever ingredient swaps, you can achieve similar results while keeping the same amazing taste and texture.
Brown Sugar Substitutes for Flavorful Cookies
One popular substitute is a combination of granulated or caster sugar and molasses, which mimics the taste of brown sugar.
By mixing them in the right proportions, you can achieve that distinct caramel undertone:
- Light brown sugar: Mix 1 cup (240 grams) of sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses.
- Dark brown sugar: Mix 1 cup (240 grams) of sugar with 2 tablespoons of molasses.
When making homemade brown sugar, you can use light, medium, or dark molasses and treacle – they all work perfectly fine.
However, I recommend avoiding blackstrap molasses as it imparts a bitter-sweet flavor that might be too strong for cookies.
Another option is to use natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey.
Not only do they bring their own unique flavors, but they also contribute to a moist and chewy texture.
Just remember to adjust the overall liquid content in the recipe when using these substitutes.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is incredibly easy to make these Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar, and they are ready in less than half an hour!
- The addition of ground coffee gives these cookies an extra kick of flavor.
- This recipe is excellent for achieving perfectly fluffy cookies with a delightful chewy texture and slightly crispy edges.
- You can freeze the cookie dough or baked cookies and store them for up to 3 months!
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Butter - This recipe requires softened unsalted butter. Keep your butter at room temperature for a couple of hours (depending on the room temperature) until it is soft enough to become fluffy when beaten with sugar.
- Sugar - Both granulated sugar and caster sugar are perfect for this recipe.
- Plain white flour - It is also known as all-purpose flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries, and thickening sauces. Sift it before using it in your pastries.
- Chocolate chips - Use a good quality chocolate chip, dark or milk chocolate depending on what you like most. You can also cut the chocolate bar into pieces instead of using chocolate chips.
- Vanilla paste - I use organic vanilla bean paste or extract for a deep and delicious vanilla flavor. Avoid using artificial vanilla for this recipe.
- Egg - Use 1 large egg (extra large if you live in the US) at room temperature.
- Baking soda - It gives the cookies a nice rise and soft texture. I use it together with baking powder but you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Coffee - Ground coffee powder and chocolate are a match made in heaven. They really bring out the best in each other.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar?
It is very easy to make these delicious chocolate chip cookies and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F) and line 2 baking trays with silicon paper.
Beat on medium speed the softened butter with sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract to the sugar and butter mixture along with the egg.
And beat them for another minute, until all nicely combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate pieces), and coffee powder into the bowl.
Beat on low speed just enough to combine and it forms a dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
You can also use a silicon spatula or a wooden spoon for this step!
Cover the dough with cling film and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to several hours, or overnight.
A shorter chilling time will result in cookies that spread a bit more, making them thinner and slightly crispier.
This step is optional, and whether you choose to chill the dough or not, the cookies will still taste delicious.
Using a spoon, ice cream scoop, or cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients accurately for the best results. If you don't have one, make sure to spoon and level the flour when measuring it.
- Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature before creaming it with the sugar. Softened butter incorporates more easily into the dough, resulting in a better texture.
- Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy helps to incorporate air into the mixture, providing a lighter texture for the cookies.
- Choose high-quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces for the best flavor. The better the chocolate, the more delicious your cookies will be!
- Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined.
- For thicker and chewier cookies, you can refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours or even overnight. The chilled dough spreads less during baking, resulting in thicker cookies.
Recipe FAQs
It's generally recommended to use unsalted butter in baking to have better control over the salt content in the recipe.
However, if you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it, but consider reducing the additional salt in the recipe.
Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough for later use.
Shape the dough into individual balls, place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, and freeze until solid.
Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container and store them for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Yes, ground coffee is an optional ingredient and can be omitted if you prefer.
It adds a subtle depth of flavor, but the cookies will still turn out delicious without it.
Several factors can cause cookies to spread too much, including using softened butter that is too warm, not chilling the dough, or baking on a hot cookie sheet.
To prevent excessive spreading, make sure the butter is softened but not melted, consider chilling the dough before baking, and use a cool baking sheet or allow it to cool completely between batches.
Storage Instructions
To keep your chocolate chip cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
They will remain delicious for up to 3-4 days.
If you live in a humid climate, consider adding a slice of bread to the container to help keep the cookies moist.
If you want to freeze the cookies for longer-term storage, follow these steps:
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or zip-top freezer bag. If stacking the cookies, separate the layers with parchment paper or wax paper to prevent them from sticking.
- Seal the container or bag tightly, removing as much air as possible.
- Label the container or bag with the date for reference and store the cookies in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To enjoy the frozen cookies, simply remove the desired number of cookies and let them thaw at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes to an hour.
Related Recipes
For more delicious cookie recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these Soft and Chewy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Without Brown Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 114 g unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 200 g caster or granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (US extra large egg)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 220 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 175 g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee (optional)
Instructions
Mixing the Wet Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F) and line 2 baking trays with silicon paper.
- Beat on medium speed the softened butter with sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer or handheld mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract along with the eggs, and beat them for another minute, until all nicely combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate pieces), and coffee powder into the bowl.
- Beat on low speed just enough to combine and it forms a dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough. You can also use a silicon spatula for this step!
- Cover the dough with cling film and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to several hours, or overnight. A shorter chilling time will result in cookies that spread a bit more, making them thinner and slightly crispier. This step is optional, and whether you choose to chill the dough or not, the cookies will still taste delicious
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients accurately for the best results. If you don't have one, make sure to spoon and level the flour when measuring it.
- Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature before creaming it with the sugar. Softened butter incorporates more easily into the dough, resulting in a better texture.
- Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy helps to incorporate air into the mixture, providing a lighter texture for the cookies.
- Choose high-quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces for the best flavor. The better the chocolate, the more delicious your cookies will be!
- Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined.
- For thicker and chewier cookies, you can refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours or even overnight. The chilled dough spreads less during baking, resulting in thicker cookies.
Nutrition
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Tracy
These went down really well. My grandkids loved them. I will skip the coffee next time.