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    Bites with Bri » Dessert » Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

    Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

    Published: Jul 20, 2021 · Modified: May 18, 2022 by Brianna May · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    jump to recipe print recipe

    These simple Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar only require 8 basic ingredients to make and dough chilling is completely optional. It does not get any easier! These are perfect for when that sweet tooth hits and you need a quick fix. You can’t go wrong with a classic!

    side view of cookie being dunked in milk

    If you have a little extra time on your hands, I reccomend my Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies.

    Jump to:
    • Highlights
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips & Recipe Notes
    • FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

    Highlights

    • No brown sugar needed
    • Only 8 simple ingredients 
    • Chilling is optional
    • Regular & mini chocolate chips
    • Not overly sweet
    • Super easy to make

    Ingredients

    • Softened Unsalted Butter: Leave the butter on the counter for 1 hour. If you are short on time, you can soften the butter in the microwave. Place the butter on a microwave safe plate in its wrapper. Microwave on 50% power for 8 seconds. Flip and repeat. You do not want to overheat the butter. This will cause the cookies to spread too much. 
    • Semi Sweet Chocolate: You can swap this or use a combination of white and milk chocolate. I prefer semi sweet so the cookies are not too sweet. You can use chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chunks.

    Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

    Instructions

    before you start . . .

    • Soften the butter. Leave the butter on the counter for 1 hour. If you are short on time, you can soften the butter in the microwave. Place the butter on a microwave safe plate in its wrapper. Microwave on 50% power for 8 seconds. Flip and repeat. You do not want to overheat the butter. This will cause the cookies to spread too much. 
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

    Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high for 2-3 minutes.

    Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla. Mix on medium until well combined.

    steps 1 & 2
butter and sugar creamed
eggs and vanilla added to creamed mixture

    TIP - Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated. 

    Step 3: Add the flour, salt, and baking soda in this order. Mix on the lowest speed or use a spatula to fold until about ¾ of the flour is combined.

    Step 4: Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate. (Optional: If you want thicker cookies, chill the dough for 1-2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator or for 30-40 minutes in the freezer.)

    steps 3 & 4
dry ingredients added with flour showing in dough
chocolate chips stirred into dough no more flour showing

    NOTE -  You will see uncombined flour at this step. This is good! 

    Step 5: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scoop the dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon mounds. Arrange 12 per baking sheet spacing them 2-3 inches apart.

    Step 6: Bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes or until set on the baking sheet.

    steps 5 & 6
cookie dough scooped on sheet
baked cookies on sheet

    NOTE -  Cookies often look underdone when they come out of the oven. They will continue cooking on the baking sheet when they come out.

    Expert Tips & Recipe Notes

    • Use a kitchen scale. Accurate measurements are the most important aspect of baking. I measure all of my ingredients in grams. If you do not have one, be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This prevents the flour from being packed in. 
    • Use room temperature butter. Room temperature butter is around 60 degrees. The best way to bring it to this temperature is to let it sit out or use the microwave trick I mentioned above. Do not use melted butter for this recipe. It will cause the cookies to overspread. White sugar spreads more than brown so it is especially crucial for this recipe. It also helps it seamlessly combine with the sugar. 
    • Cream the butter and sugar. Creaming the room temperature butter and sugar with an electric mixer creates little air bubbles throughout the mixture. This results in perfectly puffy cookies. 
    • Use good quality chocolate & vanilla. Since this recipe does not use brown sugar. The quality of the other ingredients are even more important because their flavors are on the forefront. I like Ghirardelli Chocolate the best. Simple Organic makes a great vanilla extract. 
    • Do not over mix the dough. If you over mix the dry ingredients, the cookies will be denser and flatter. This is not the ideal texture.
    • Remove from the baking sheet. After the cookies have baked for a few minutes and are set, transfer them to a wire rack or plate. They will overcook if they continue to sit on the hot baking sheet. 
    • Rotate if baking two sheets at a time. If you want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, follow the same baking instructions, but swap the rack position of the baking sheets halfway though. This helps the cookies cook more evenly.
    side view of stack of cookies

    FAQs

    How do you store leftover cookies?

    These will stay fresh in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days. 

    Do you have to chill the dough?

    No. I prefer to chill it though. The cookies spread a bit more, resulting in a slightly flatter cookie without chilling. Even if you only have 30 minutes, pop the dough in the freezer.

    Can you make this dough ahead of time?

    Yes. Follow the recipe through step 4. Chill the dough for up to 1 day in the refrigerator and follow the rest of the steps as written. These are great to make the day before you want to serve them. 

    What can I use if I don't have brown sugar for chocolate chip cookies?

    Brown and white sugar are not 1:1 substitutes. I recommend finding a recipe specifically made without brown sugar for the best results. 

    Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar in cookies?

    No. I find white sugar to be much sweeter. It also affects the texture of the cookies differently. They will overspread if the recipe does not account for the extra white sugar. 

    What does Brown Sugar do to cookies?

    Brown sugar gives the cookies a chewier and puffier texture. It does not spread as much as white sugar.

    Why are my cookies flat?

    There are a few things that cause flat cookies. Too much butter or sugar will cause the cookies to spread more. This is why accurate measurements are so important. If you do not properly cream the butter and sugar, the dough will have less aeration. This also results in flatter cookies. Over mixing the dry ingredients will also cause your cookies to be flat. This adds too much air, causing the cookies to collapse. 

    Related Recipes

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    • The Best Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe
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    • Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE COMMENT
    5 from 16 votes

    Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar

    These simple Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar only require 8 basic ingredients to make and dough chilling is completely optional. It does not get any easier! These are perfect for when that sweet tooth hits and you need a quick fix. You can’t go wrong with a classic!
    Servings20 cookies
    Prep10 minutes minutes
    Cook10 minutes minutes
    Total20 minutes minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Brianna May

    Equipment:

    • Kitchen Scale
    • #40 Cookie Scoop
    • Stand Mixer
    • Silpat Mat
    • Baking Sheets

    Ingredients:

    • ½ cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter,, softened to room temperature*
    • ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons (138 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ cups (162 g) all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 ½ - 2 cups (6-8 ounces) semi sweet chocolate*

    Instructions:

    • Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the egg and vanilla. Mix on medium until well combined.
    • Add the flour, salt, and baking soda in this order. Mix on the lowest speed or use a spatula to fold until about ¾ of the flour is combined.
    • Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate. (Optional: If you want thicker cookies, chill the dough for 1-2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator or for 30-40 minutes in the freezer.)
    • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Scoop the dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon mounds. Arrange 12 per baking sheet spacing them 2-3 inches apart.
    • Bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes or until set on the baking sheet.

    Notes:

    Softened Unsalted Butter: Leave the butter on the counter for 1 hour. If you are short on time, you can soften the butter in the microwave. Place the butter on a microwave safe plate in its wrapper. Microwave on 50% power for 8 seconds. Flip and repeat. You do not want to overheat the butter. This will cause the cookies to spread too much. 
    Semi Sweet Chocolate: You can swap this or use a combination of white and milk chocolate. I prefer semi sweet so the cookies are not too sweet. You can use chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chunks.
    Use a kitchen scale. Accurate measurements are the most important aspect of baking. I measure all of my ingredients in grams. If you do not have one, be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. This prevents the flour from being packed in. 
    Use room temperature butter. Room temperature butter is around 60 degrees. The best way to bring it to this temperature is to let it sit out or use the microwave trick I mentioned above. Do not use melted butter for this recipe. It will cause the cookies to overspread. White sugar spreads more than brown so it is especially crucial for this recipe. It also helps it seamlessly combine with the sugar. 
    Cream the butter and sugar. Creaming the room temperature butter and sugar with an electric mixer creates little air bubbles throughout the mixture. This results in perfectly puffy cookies. 
    Use good quality chocolate & vanilla. Since this recipe does not use brown sugar. The quality of the other ingredients are even more important because their flavors are on the forefront. I like Ghirardelli Chocolate the best. Simple Organic makes a great vanilla extract. 
    Do not over mix the dough. If you over mix the dry ingredients, the cookies will be denser and flatter. This is not the ideal texture.
    Remove from the baking sheet. After the cookies have baked for a few minutes and are set, transfer them to a wire rack or plate. They will overcook if they continue to sit on the hot baking sheet. 
    Rotate if baking two sheets at a time. If you want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, follow the same baking instructions, but swap the rack position of the baking sheets halfway though. This helps the cookies cook more evenly. 

    NUTRITION:

    Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 93mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g
    Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention or tag @bites.with.bri_ or use the hashtag #biteswithbri
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patricia

      July 22, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Ooo! These are awesome -- I see myself making ice cream sandwiches with them to help beat the heat! Nice!

      Reply
    2. Lizet

      July 22, 2022 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Oh, my! these are so easy to make! and so many times I don't have brown sugar in the house. This is just perfect.

      Reply
    3. Linda

      July 21, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are delicious and I love how easy to make!

      Reply
    4. Jeri

      July 20, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      I saw this recipe and started craving chocolate chip cookies! I had all the ingredients in my pantry, so I made them this afternoon. They are so delicious! My family devoured them, so I will have to double the batch next time. I loved that they weren't too sweet, and it wasn't an obscene amount of sugar used. Great recipe!

      Reply
    5. Agnieszka | Wholly Tasteful

      July 20, 2021 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are delicious, simple to make and the instructions are easy to follow. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    6. Kim

      July 20, 2021 at 9:11 pm

      5 stars
      What a great choice! It's a light crunchy cookie, just perfect when you need that little bit of light crunchy sweetness. I love that it's a recipe that doesn't use brown sugar because, you're absolutely correct. There are times when I've been out and I couldn't make cookies. This is brilliant.

      Reply
    7. Jeannie

      July 20, 2021 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      I love some good easy to make chocolate chips cookies,and I like your idea of reducing sugar 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Bri!

    I am a recipe developer, food photographer, blogger. My goal is to teach you how to cook, not just follow my recipes. I love to cook with bold flavors that are still family friendly. My hubs is a picky eater and all of these recipes are approved by him, so I am sure you and your family will love them too. Learn more about Bri >>

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