Who doesn’t love a good old’ chocolate chip cookie, however, even though there are thousands of recipes, there always seem to be some problems with them.
When baking, different ingredients have different effects on the outcome of the products. With regards to cookies specifically, when substituting ingredients, it can result in flavor changes as well as changes in the texture i.e. the chewiness or crispness of the cookie.
A particular pet peeve of mine is when a chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for brown sugar and only brown sugar.
I understand why, as brown sugar has many beneficial qualities when baking cookies such as creating a darker colored cookie (due to its caramelization qualities) as well as creating a denser, chewier cookie – this is all good and well, but what if I don’t have any brown sugar? Or what if I don’t like the taste of it?
So, how can you substitute brown sugar with white sugar? The answer is actually really easy – simply substitute the sugars equally.
The final result in your cookies will barely be noticeable unless you compare them side by side – who knows, you might even like these better.
Tastewise, depending on the type and quality of brown sugar you use, at most, you will have a more caramel taste than when using brown sugar.
Using the white sugar version will allow the chocolate chip cookies to raise more. This is because brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses (a sweet syrup). The molasses will help the ingredients bind better, but will not allow the cookie to rise as well.
Probably the biggest difference in the final cookie result when using white sugar, is that you will have less chewy cookies. This, again, has to do with the composition and chemical structure of brown sugar.
Your cookie will be more crispy than chewy when you use white sugar, which again, could be exactly what you are looking for in a chocolate chip cookie.
I love this chocolate chip cookie recipe as it is easy to make and the white sugar creates a much crisper cookie than other brown sugar recipes.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cookies No Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick paper or cooking spray.
Cream together the butter and white sugar in a large bowl using an electric beater. Cream until the butter begins to lighten and become light and airy.
Add the vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Using one egg at a time, incorporate the eggs until a uniform batter forms. Set aside the mixture for later use.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. While the mixer is running on low speed, slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until the flour is almost fully incorporated.
Finally, add the chocolate chips into the batter and finish the mixing until you can no longer see any flour.
Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place portions of batter on the lined baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy40
cookies16
minutes12
minutes115
kcalA classic easy yet delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe that should be a staple recipe in your home. Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar is going to be a delicious treat.
Ingredients
1 cup 1 (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 ½ cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons 2 vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or plain flour
1 teaspoon 1 baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
12 oz 12 semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet (or cooking sheet) with non-stick baking paper, cooking spray or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and white sugar using an electric whisk. Cream the two ingredients until they become light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and give it a few more seconds of whisking. Add one egg and fully incorporate it before adding the other. Set this mixture aside until it is needed.
- In a second large bowl, sift together the all-purpose or plain flour, the baking soda and the fine salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture while mixing with the electric mixer until the ingredients are almost fully combined – you should still see some flour.
- Add all of the chocolate chips and continue mixing them through until you cannot see any flour. Do not overmix the mixture as that will affect the final texture of the cookies.
- Using an ice cream spoon (or a tablespoon), drop spoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
- Allow them to cool on a wire rack before serving them with a glass of fresh milk.
Notes
- Store these cookies in an air-tight container, in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks.
- If you have white castor sugar, you can substitute your white (or brown) sugar with an equal part castor sugar.
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Tips & Tricks
As when substituting brown sugar with white sugar, there will be slight changes in the taste and texture, but the differences will be minute and you will still end up with a delicious cookie – that is another reason I love this flexible recipe.
What about using xylitol?
Xylitol is a non-sugar substitute that is also often used in baking. If you want to replace the brown, white or castor sugar in this recipe, use ¾ cup xylitol instead of the 1 ½ cup granulated sugar.
Other Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies
McDonald’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Conclusion
I am so thankful that I have found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn’t use brown sugar and even better, whose sugar content can easily be substituted without drastically affecting the recipe.
This is the best and only recipe that I use to make chocolate chip cookies as it is super easy and yields great results every time!
Tasted good. Texture was soft but not at all “chewy” . If anything its a glorified sugar cookie, rather bland except for the chunks of chocolate chips. Cookies did not flatten while baking so I had cocholate chip cookie “balls” as a result. I would have liked to give 4 and 5 stars because I’m sure its hard to get a good chocolate chip cookie without the brown sugar that actually is normally what gives it a chewy texture, but It just wasn’t there for me. The recipe worked for me because I didn’t have brown sugar on hand, but I won’t be making again. I’ll just get some more brown sugar and try again next time with all the right ingredients.