Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
These chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips. They have that classic chocolate chip cookie texture, just made with granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
About these cookies
To make up for the butterscotch notes you usually get from brown sugar, this cookie dough uses browned butter. It brings a deeper caramel flavor and keeps the cookies tasting rich and cozy, with slightly crisp edges and a soft centre.
This is a no-chill cookie dough once the butter has cooled for about 15 minutes. If you want extra-thick cookies, or you would like to prep ahead, you can roll the dough into balls and chill or freeze them until you are ready to bake.
A few of the key ingredients
Method
- Add butter to a medium, light-colored saucepan. (It’s hard to see the browning in a dark pan.)
- Once you have melted butter, let it cook further for around 3-4 minutes.
- Keep stirring as it does this, and take it off the heat to check the browning. The butter is finished when it’s a golden amber color and it smells nutty.
- Let the butter cool down before continuing with the recipe.
- Add the granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the butter and beat it together until well combined.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls. Use around 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for around 9-10 minutes until they have puffed, and the edges are golden brown. The cookies will seem very soft, will continue cooking on the hot oven tray once out of the oven, and will firm up as they cool down.
Note: For best results, don’t over-bake them. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool further. Granulated sugar can make a crisper cookie than one made with brown sugar, so ensure you don’t over-bake them if you want a chewier cookie.
Storing
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or frozen for up to three months.
Baked cookies can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container or freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
The chocolate chip cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 3 months and baked from frozen. They don’t need to be thawed, but baking time can be increased by a couple of minutes.
More cookie recipes to try
If you love the browned butter flavor, try my cookie butter cookies next. For another pantry-friendly option, these chocolate chip cookies without butter are a great one to have on hand. And if you like a coffee twist, my chocolate chip espresso cookies are a favourite.
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 170 g butter salted or unsalted
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 170 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky salt to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line cookie dough sheets with parchment paper
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then let it cook for around 3-4 minutes, stirring fairly regularly until the milk solids have caramelized and the butter smells nutty. Pour it into a bowl and cool down for around 15 minutes. 170 g butter
- To the butter, add the granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat it until well combined. 200 g granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk,2 tsp vanilla paste
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir it into the cookie dough mixture, then add the chocolate chips. 220 g all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt
- If the cookie dough is still very warm due to the butter, let it cool a bit more before adding the chocolate chips so they don't melt into the dough. 170 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll the cookie dough into balls, using around two tablespoons of dough for each. Space them out generously on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. The cookies will spread in the oven, so give them space to do so.
- Bake them one tray at a time for 9-10 minutes until they have puffed and the edges have just cooked. The cookies will seem very soft, but they'll continue cooking on the hot oven tray once out of the oven, and firm up as they cool down. For best results, don't over-bake them.
- While the cookies are hot, sprinkle them with flaky salt. Flaky salt to serve
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
So good! Just what I needed after running out of brown sugar!!
These were absolutely delicious! My family loved them! The secret was the browned butter!
So happy you and your family loved them Sandy!