Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
These homemade chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are the best. They are soft, chewy, easy to make in one bowl, and ready in 20 minutes! They have a delicious buttery flavor and chocolate chips in every bite.
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- 2 Medium-Large Baking Sheets
- 1 Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, slightly softened or dairy-free butter*
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour*
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two medium-large baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the slightly softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 1-2 minutes.¾ cup unsalted butter, slightly softened, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until just combined.1 egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be very careful not to over-mix.1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated. A rubber spatula is great for this.1 cup chocolate chips
- Use a cookie scoop to form evenly-sized balls of dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each. Place each dough ball on the baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. The cookies will spread while baking, so be sure they have enough room.
- Gently press additional chocolate chips into the top of each cookie dough ball before baking. The chips will show through the tops of the cookies and look pretty once baked.
- Bake the cookies for 8-11 minutes, or until the edges barely start to turn lightly golden. Without brown sugar, the cookies will look very pale, but do not over-bake them! For soft and chewy cookies, it is better to slightly under-bake them. They will continue to set up as they cool.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy!
Notes
Storage: Store leftover chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days, so they stay moist and soft. To freeze the cookies, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Dairy-Free: To make dairy-free cookies, use vegan stick butter (not a butter spread) and use vegan chocolate chips.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum in the ingredients list.
Chocolate Chips: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips also work well. Use your favorite kind!
Baking Time: Because there is no brown sugar in these cookies, they will be pale in color. It is very important to not accidentally over-bake the cookies. They should not appear golden brown in the oven. Remove the cookies when the edges are set and have just begun to have a pale golden color. This ensures they are soft and chewy and not dry!