Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar

It's no accident that these tasty Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar are a favorite for many cookie fans! Their incredibly crisp cookie bottom is matched only by how wonderfully chewy the rest of the cookie is! Whether you're simply out of brown sugar or looking for a great new cookie to try, you're sure to love how perfectly these easy cookies bake up!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe {without Brown Sugar}

These fantastic chocolate chip cookies are a wonderfully sweet combination of crispy, caramelized edges and tender, chocolatey cookie center! My husband loves his cookies with a bit of crunchy texture, and I love mine super soft. We both win when these cookies come out of the oven!!

I've gotten pretty good at working around missing ingredients. Partially because my very rural stores may or may not carry certain items.

Also, and most likely, because I don't always want to make a trip into town. Of course the events of 2020 has also led to shortages at the store that have brought new baking and cooking challenges.

So whatever your reason for needing to bake the family favorite chocolate chip cookie minus brown sugar, I hope you enjoy the recipe!

How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies With No Brown Sugar

The most straight-forward way to bake up your chocolate chip cookies when you don't have brown sugar on hand is to use white sugar for both sugar portions. I've made a few adjustments over the years to deal with the resulting problem of only using white sugar...the dreaded spreading cookie!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

These are the base ingredients of any chocolate chip cookie! There's one minor variation in the ingredients and a few amounts that I have played with to make my cookies just the way my family loves them. Other ingredient swaps, substitutions, and additions are noted here and throughout the post.

• Butter - and the choice of salted butter vs unsalted butter is up to your own personal preferences and what you have on hand. I like using salted butter in most of my cookies, unless unsalted is specifically needed.
• Sugar - granulated or white sugar only, in a doubled amount to replace the brown sugar that is usually called for in a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
• Vanilla Extract - just the right amount of delicious vanilla to bring out the best flavors in your cookies!
• Eggs - two large eggs beaten lightly will help add body to a cookie that is prone to spreading.
• Salt - between just a pinch and a quarter teaspoon is all you need to balance and highlight the sweet flavors.
• Baking Soda - a bit of baking soda to give your cookies that delightfully chewy texture!
• Flour - a bit more all-purpose flour than your standard recipe to keep the cookie shape. Another work-around for the spreading is to use 1 cup of bread flour with 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
• Chocolate Chips - pick your favorite brand and flavor! I'm a milk chocolate fan but also love to use semi-sweet chocolate chips.

How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar

To make your own brown sugar, simply combine the two ingredients that brown sugar is based on - granulated sugar and molasses!

My substitution ratio is 1 cup of sugar + 1 tablespoon of molasses. Since many chocolate chip recipes call for ¾ cup of each sugar and brown sugar, you would need ¾ cup of granulated sugar + 2 ¼ teaspoons of molasses.

Note that molasses is available in many varieties. You will want light molasses ( also called first, mild, or sweet, and sometimes Barbados ). However, dark molasses ( also called full, robust, or second ) will work in a pinch.

I DO NOT suggest using blackstrap molasses. It will add a bitter flavor and is best used in savory recipes.

This substitution assumes that you have molasses in your pantry. I've included many other notes for working with whatever you have available on hand!

Mix the Dough

1. Cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix until smooth and creamy.
2. Add two large lightly beaten eggs and mix into the butter mixture until smooth.
3. Gradually add the flour until all of the all-purpose flour has been incorporated.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout your cookie dough.
5. Portion out the dough in 1 - 1 ¼ inch round balls then place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill using one of the chilling options below.

Options for Chilling Dough

There are several options for chilling your dough. The typical chilling method of covering your mixing bowl with plastic cling film, transferring to the refrigerator, and chilling for one hour does work.

To avoid the 'spreading' that cookies without brown sugar are known for doing, I suggest a longer chilling time. Better yet, freeze the dough.

Can you Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough?

Yes, most definitely! With these cookies, especially without making any alterations like adding molasses, I wholeheartedly suggest freezing this dough before baking!

You can place all of the portioned dough onto one large cookie sheet and chill or freeze, then transfer to baking sheets to bake with spacing. If you have room, you can also portion the dough out onto multiple baking sheets with the usual 2-inch spacing.

Bake the Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF ( 175ºC ) and arrange portioned cookie dough onto parchment paper-lined or silicone at lined baking sheets. Leave approximately 2 inches of spacing between the cookies. *Parchment paper or silicone mats will also help to prevent cookies from spreading.
2. Place your baking sheets with the cookie dough onto the center of the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or 11 - 13 minutes if baking from frozen. The cookies are done when they get a lightly caramelized golden brown color on the edges.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Storage & Freezing of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies will store exceptionally well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If the cookies are not stored in an airtight container, the cookies do go stale within about three days.

Cookies that are refrigerated in an airtight container can still be served somewhere between 1 - 2 weeks after baking. Plenty of my family members are fine with two-week-old refrigerated cookies, however, I feel that the texture difference is noticeable and just not quite right.

If you want to freeze your baked cookies, it is best to freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer them into an airtight container. Pack the frozen, baked cookies in layers with parchment paper sheets between each layer.

How To Freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

To freeze your chocolate chip cookie dough for baking cookies later, scoop out your cookie portions and freeze them in a single layer on your baking sheet. The cookie dough can usually be packaged into plastic freezer storage bags within an hour or two of freezing.

Your cookie dough can also be formed into a log for freezing, then thawed slightly. Allow the log of dough to thaw for 1-2 hours in your refrigerator, then slice and bake according to the directions below in the recipe card.

Once frozen, transfer the frozen cookie dough into a sealable plastic freezer storage bag. It’s best to label your cookie dough with the date made and the temperature needed for baking. The cookie dough can be kept frozen for up to 3 months but is best used within the first 2 months.

Baking your frozen cookie dough is easy! Bake as noted in the recipe card below, but add 1 - 2 minutes for baking from frozen.

More Great Cookie Recipes!

• Peanut Butter Pecan Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Oatmeal Molasses Raisin Cookies (WWII Cookies)
• Sugar Cookies