Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar (2024)

See how to make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar! The easy homemade cookies are studded with chocolate chips and have a rich, buttery aroma. Plus, you only need 6 ingredients and 15 minutes prep for this simple white sugar chocolate chip cookies recipe.

Easy chocolate chip cookie recipe no brown sugar

Are you craving moist and soft chocolate chip cookies, but are out of brown sugar and don’t want to run to the store? Then this chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar is for you!

Cookies made from scratch are the best thing ever! My family loves these cookies and didn’t even notice that they are made with white sugar only. I’m sure you’ll love the recipe too. It’s so easy and quick to make!

I’ve put together many useful tips and tricks for making chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar below. But if you just want to see the recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Can you make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar? Yes! My easy cookie recipe is made with basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

• 1/2 cup salted butter – I usually use salted butter for the chocolate chip cookie recipe, but unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp fine sea salt will work just as fine. You can also omit the salt if preferred.
• 1 cup granulated sugar (white sugar) or caster sugar
• 1 egg – Use a large egg, not medium or jumbo. If you live in the UK or Europe, use a medium egg.
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is best. You can also opt for bread flour if you like extra chewy cookies. I don’t recommend cake flour as the cookies will spread too much.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – gives the cookies a nice rise and soft texture. Baking powder works as well, but makes the cookies more cakey.
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract – balances out the other flavors and creates a rich, bakery-style aroma.
• 1 cup chocolate chips – I used semi sweet chocolate chips, which you can swap for chopped chocolate or chocolate chunks. Using top-quality chocolate makes all the difference and creates the best chocolate flavor.

This recipe for chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar is easy to customize with different mix-ins, and I’ve listed a few ideas below. While you can switch up the add-ins, be sure to make the rest of the recipe exactly as written.

• Chocolate chips: Semisweet chocolate chips can be subbed with milk, dark, or white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips. You can also mix and match different types of chocolate chips.
• Chopped nuts: Feel free to replace 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice, for example, pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Nuts tend to make the dough oilier, so I always add 2 extra tablespoons of flour to the dough.
• Dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, raisins, or chopped apricots, is delicious add-ins for chocolate chip cookies. Replace 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1/3 cups dried fruits. Since dried fruit often contains extra sugar, your cookies might turn out a little sweeter.
• Flavor extracts: Tired of vanilla? Then swap it for peppermint or bitter almond extract!

Soft chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar take just 15 minutes to prep. Let me show you how to make cookies step by step:

1. Preheat oven

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / gas mark 4. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar

• Add the butter and granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until the mixture becomes creamy, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Tip: Don’t mix the butter and sugar longer than 2 minutes as this leads to flat cookies.

3. Add egg and vanilla extract

• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.

4. Incorporate dry ingredients

• Add the flour and baking soda. Stir with a rubber spatula or cooking spoon until the ingredients are just combined, and you see no lumps of flour.

5. Add chocolate chips

• Fold in the chocolate chips or other mix-ins until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

6. Portion the cookie dough

• Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out cookie dough and arrange the cookie dough balls 3 in / 7 cm apart on the lined baking sheets (trays).
• Optionally, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each dough ball.

7. Bake

• Bake the cookies for 11 to 14 minutes, until the sides are lightly browned. The centers will still look soft and pale, which is fine.

8. Cool

• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet (tray) for 5 minutes.
• Once the cookies are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Before you whip up a batch of these simple chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar, go over my tips and tricks so you can make the best cookies every time!

• Measuring flour: Measuring flour correctly is essential for the best chocolate chip cookies. Using the flour with a kitchen scale will produce the most accurate result. The best way to measure flour by volume (with cups) is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then use a straight edge to level off the excess. This is called the spoon and level method. Packing the flour will result in dense and crumble cookies, so we want to avoid that.
• Don’t overmix the cookie dough. If you watch the recipe video, you’ll notice that I only use my electric mixer to cream the butter and incorporate the egg but switch to a spatula to add the flour. Preparing the cookie dough this way ensure that we aren’t overmixing the dough. Overmixing promotes gluten development, which will make the cookies tough.
• Space the cookie dough scoops apart. Be sure to arrange the cookie dough scoops 3 in / 7 cm apart. They will expand while baking as you don’t want them sticking together.
• Oven temperature: Always preheat the oven for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Some ovens don’t heat correctly and can be off by a few degrees. If your cookies seem underbaked or brown too quickly, use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
• Soft cookies: Bake only for the minimum cooking time and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F / 165°C / gas mark 3 if you prefer soft chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar.
• Chewy cookies: In case you like chewy cookies with crisp edges, bake a little longer, around 13 to 15 minutes.

How do you store chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar?

You can store the cookies in an airtight food container at room temperature or freeze the cookies to make them last longer.

How long do homemade chocolate chip cookies last?

• At room temperature: Keep the easy chocolate chip cookie recipe for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Freezing baked cookies: You can freeze these cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy your white sugar chocolate chip cookies, simply allow them to defrost for a few hours.

How long does chocolate chip cookie dough last?

The unbaked chocolate chip cookie dough will last for up to 4 days in the fridge. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap/clingfilm or transfer the dough into a food container. I also recommend pressing a piece of plastic wrap/clingfilm directly on the dough, so it doesn’t dry out.

Can you make chocolate chip cookie dough in advance?

Yes, you can definitely make the cookie dough ahead. You can prepare the dough 4 days in advance and make the cookies when it’s time to bake. As mentioned above, store the dough in the fridge.

Let the cookie dough sit on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes to become soft enough for scooping.

Can you freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?

Yes, you can freeze chocolate chip cookie dough. I love having a batch of cookie dough in my freezer so I can whip up homemade chocolate chip cookies in a pinch. Here’s how to freeze cookie dough:

• Roll the cookie dough into balls.
• Chill the dough balls for 30 minutes to an hour. The dough should be solid before continuing with the next step.
• Put the chilled cookie dough balls into a zip lock bag or food container.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• When you’re ready to bake, take the frozen cookie dough out of the freezer and preheat the oven. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes longer than indicated in the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar Recipe

Yield: 22 cookies

See Also

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

See how to make chocolate chip cookies with white sugar! The easy homemade cookies are studded with chocolate chips and have a rich, buttery aroma. Plus, you only need 6 ingredients and 15 minutes prep for these simple no brown sugar chocolate chip cookies. Hit the printing button to get the printable chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup / 1 stick/ 115 g / 4 oz salted butter, softened (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
• 1 cup / 200 g / oz white granulated sugar
• 1 egg (US, CA, AUS & NZ: L / UK & Europe: M)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups / 225 g / 8 oz all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1 cup / 170 g / 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/2 12-oz bag)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / gas mark 4. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment (baking) paper. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add the softened butter and granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until the mixture becomes creamy, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.
   Tip: Don't mix the butter and sugar longer than 2 minutes as this leads to flat cookies.
3. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Incorporate dry ingredients. Add the flour and baking soda to the butter mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula or cooking spoon until the ingredients are just combined, and you see no lumps of flour.
5. Add chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips or other mix-ins until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
6. Portion the cookie dough. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out cookie dough and arrange the cookie dough balls 3 in / 7 cm apart on the lined baking sheets (trays). Optionally, press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each dough ball.
7. Bake. Bake the cookies for 11 to 14 minutes, until the sides are lightly browned. The centers will still look soft and pale, which is fine.
8. Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet (tray) for 5 minutes. Once the cookies are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Store. Keep the cookies in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.

Notes

Chill the cookie dough (optional)

Chilling the cookie dough is optional for this recipe. You can also bake the cookies without chilling the dough.

Chilling ensures that cookie dough doesn't spread so much during baking and helps the flavor develop better. So, if thick and soft chocolate chip cookies are your thing, then definitely chill the cookie dough.

Here is what you do:

• Prepare the cookie dough according to steps 2-6.
• Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
• Let the chilled dough sit on the counter for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven and continue with steps 6-9.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 22Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 150Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g