So, picture this: it’s one of those nights when the craving hits. You’re in the mood for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but there’s no brown sugar in the pantry. Happens more than I care to admit. And instead of giving up or running to the store, I started playing around with a simple idea — cookies that still taste amazing without that brown sugar base.
And you know what? These came out so good, I make them even when I do have brown sugar.
They’re soft in the center, lightly crisped at the edges, and packed with melty chocolate. Just 8 basic ingredients, no chill time, and you’re eating warm cookies in under 20 minutes.
Why I Love Making These Cookies
These cookies feel like a bit of a baking hack — especially on those days when I’m down to the baking basics and still want something sweet without fuss.
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Fast and fuss-free: No chill time. That means mix, scoop, bake, done.
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Pantry-friendly: If you’ve got flour, butter, sugar, and an egg, you’re pretty much set.
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Perfect for freezing: You can freeze the dough or the baked cookies — great for unexpected cookie emergencies.
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Flexible: Use any kind of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate you’ve got lying around.
I honestly reach for this recipe more often than my classic brown sugar cookie dough — especially when I’m baking with kids or just need a quick sweet fix on a weeknight.
What You’ll Need
These are the kind of cookies you can whip up even when your kitchen feels bare. Here’s what I use:
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All-purpose flour: Tried and true. I haven’t tested this with any substitutions like almond or oat flour.
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Butter: Regular or dairy-free both work. Just make sure it’s softened slightly before mixing.
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Granulated sugar: The star in this recipe. It gives the cookies a bit more structure and those lightly crisp edges.
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Vanilla extract: The real deal, if you can. It adds a deeper, rounder flavor.
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Egg: Holds everything together and gives the dough some richness.
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Chocolate chips or chunks: I use whatever I have — semisweet, dark, milk, or chopped chocolate bars.
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Baking soda and salt: For that bit of lift and balance.
I’ve made these with dairy-free butter and vegan-friendly chocolate chips before for my plant-based friends, and they turn out beautifully.
Step-by-Step: From Bowl to Cookie Sheet
Here’s exactly how I make these, usually with one hand holding a spatula and the other sneaking chocolate chips:
1. Preheat and prep:
Set your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. I prefer parchment to silicone — the bottoms brown better.
2. Dry ingredients:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside — no fancy flour sifting required.
3. Cream butter and sugar:
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until it’s light and a little fluffy — about 1–2 minutes. You don’t need to go crazy here, just enough for the sugar to blend in well.
4. Add egg and vanilla:
Mix until just combined. Don’t overbeat — you’re not looking for an airy cake batter here.
5. Bring in the dry stuff:
Add in your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then fold in your chocolate chips or chunks.
6. Scoop and space:
Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough (I use a cookie scoop for this), and place them on your prepared sheets, leaving about 3 inches between them. They spread a bit!
7. Bake:
Bake one tray at a time for about 8–11 minutes. They’ll look underbaked in the center but that’s the magic. The edges will be set and just starting to get a little color.
8. Cool:
Let them rest on the tray for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack. They’ll firm up as they cool, but stay soft inside.
Do You Really Need Brown Sugar in Cookies?
Brown sugar adds moisture and chew thanks to the molasses, but honestly? These cookies don’t miss it.
The balance of flour, granulated sugar, and butter keeps things soft and chewy. You still get that satisfying bite with a gooey center, which is what I love most about cookies anyway.
And there are plenty of other cookie styles — like sugar cookies or shortbread — that skip brown sugar and still taste amazing.
Chilling the Dough: Yay or Nay?
You don’t have to. That’s part of why this recipe is so quick.
But if you like thicker, puffier cookies, chilling the dough overnight helps. Just scoop and chill the dough in a covered bowl, and bake it straight from the fridge the next day.
Why Some Cookies Turn Hard Overnight
I’ve learned this the hard way: over-baking is the main culprit.
Since this dough doesn’t have brown sugar to lock in extra moisture, baking even 1–2 minutes too long can make them firm up by the next day. I always take mine out when the centers are still pale and a little soft — they finish setting up as they cool.
If they do end up too firm, a quick 10-second microwave zap helps bring back the softness.
Don’t Have Brown Sugar? Here’s What You Can Use
While this recipe skips it altogether, here are a few other options if you’re experimenting:
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White sugar: Just like this recipe — simple and reliable.
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Demerara or turbinado sugar: Gives a bit of molasses flavor and slight crunch.
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Coconut sugar: Slightly earthy and caramel-like — a good natural option.
Still, I say just stick to white sugar for these. They’re already balanced to work that way.
A Few Extra Tips From My Kitchen
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Measure flour carefully: I use the scoop and level method or weigh it on a digital scale. Too much flour = cakey or dry cookies.
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Don’t wait for golden brown: If they look done, they’re probably overdone. Take them out earlier than you think — they keep cooking on the tray.
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Add extra chocolate on top: Press a few extra chips or chunks onto the tops right before baking for that “melted chocolate puddle” effect.
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Use room temp butter: Not melted, not cold — just soft enough to blend easily. It helps get the right texture.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
These buttery, golden cookies are proof you don’t need brown sugar for a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (dairy-free works too)
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (any kind you like)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside.
- In a separate larger bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream the softened butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy — about 1–2 minutes should do the trick.
- Crack in the egg, add the vanilla, and mix again until everything just comes together. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
- Gradually stir the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms. Fold in your chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Scoop out the dough using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon (about 1.5 tbsp per cookie) and space them 3–4 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one tray at a time for 8 to 11 minutes, just until the edges start to firm up. They’ll still look pale and slightly underdone in the middle — that’s exactly how you want them. Let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Want puffier cookies? Chill the dough for a few hours or overnight.
- Measuring tip: For the best texture, spoon and level your flour (or weigh it if you have a kitchen scale).
- Chocolate options: Use semisweet, dark, white chocolate, or even chopped-up bars.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5–6 days at room temp.
- Freezing baked cookies: Store in freezer-safe bags for up to 2 months.
- Freezing dough: Scoop dough onto a tray, freeze until firm, then transfer to bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield
19Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 166Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 29mgSodium 111mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 2g
TastyFitnessRecipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although tastyfitnessrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
How I Store Them
I usually make a full batch and store half to eat fresh, half to freeze.
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Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If they start to firm up, microwave one for 5–10 seconds for that fresh-baked feel.
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Freezer (baked): Pop cooled cookies into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temp or microwave before eating.
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Freezer (unbaked): Scoop dough balls onto a plate or tray, freeze until firm, then store in a zip-top bag. Bake straight from frozen — just add 1–3 minutes to the bake time.
Next time you’re halfway through mixing cookie dough and realize the brown sugar’s missing — don’t panic. These cookies will have your back. They’re soft, gooey, and incredibly satisfying. Honestly, no one will even notice the brown sugar is gone.
Try other Cookie recipes: