Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar

Are you curious if you can make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar? Yes, you can, AND they are pretty tasty too.

You don’t have to be an experienced baker to bake delicious chocolate chip cookies. You just have to be patient and follow the directions.

We add extra vanilla to make up for that layered, golden flavor that brown sugar provides. 

The smell of fresh cookies baking is one of the most delightful smells in any home.

It is distinctive. It draws a crowd.

The great news about this recipe is that you likely already have the ingredients in your pantry.

And if you don’t, it is an easy peasy shopping trip.

I do realize that not everyone keeps chopped pecans in the pantry. They play an essential role in this recipe, so I recommend running to the store to get some if you don’t have any.

However, if you want to experiment and leave the nuts out of the recipe, feel free. The world will not end.

Do you need to soften the butter?

Yes, you do want to use softened butter when baking cookies. Softened butter will keep those chocolate chip cookies moist and fluffy.

Softened butter will mix with the other ingredients, such as flour and sugar, much better than melted butter or cold hard butter.

Softened butter in cookies will provide a cake-like texture to the cookies. Using softened butter vs. melted butter will also help the cookies keep their shape.

That said, we did revisit this recipe recently and melted the butter instead of softened and it still made some pretty good cookies!

They even held their shape pretty well when rolled into balls before placing on the parchment paper.

Chocolate chip cookie ingredients

Yes, you can make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar, and this is what you use.

All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour is the same thing as plain flour. It is just another way of referencing everyday plain white flour.

Baking soda – Hot tip, make sure that your baking soda isn’t expired. If you are like me, you keep it around forever and then wonder if something went wrong when baking.

That something may simply be that your baking soda is expired. Once opened, you should use up baking soda within six months.

Salt – Use plain everyday table salt.

Sugar – In this recipe, we use plain white sugar instead of brown sugar.

Eggs – Now, eggs have become an interesting topic lately. When it comes to baking, I use the cheaper eggs. I save my fancier eggs for breakfast platters where the egg is the star of the show.

Vanilla extract – If you are curious about what vanilla extract does to a cookie, the answer is simple and complex. The extract keeps the flavor from being boring or off.

Leaving the vanilla extract out of the recipe will not impact how the cookie bakes, but it will affect the flavor. When eating the cookie, you will realize that something is missing but perhaps not place it. That missing element is often the vanilla. While it seems unimportant to add vanilla extract to your chocolate chip cookies, it is a crucial ingredient.

Semisweet chocolate chips – Well, chocolate chip cookies wouldn’t be the same without these beauties.

Now, I have strong feelings about chocolate chips these days. I didn’t always feel this way but lately if at all possible, I only make cookies with Ghiradelli chocolate chips. If another brand is on sale and I just can’t pass up on the deal, I will take the savings. However, I can tell you that these chocolate chips are generally always in my pantry these days.

Chopped pecans – These add to the creaminess and flavor of this recipe. I think that the nuttiness helps replace the taste of brown sugar in these chocolate chip cookies.
While you can make this recipe without the nuts, I just don’t find it the same. Also, I don’t find the recipe to be as good with walnuts.

Tips on making the best chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar

• Soften the butter. It is tempting to skip this step if you are in a hurry. If you don’t soften the butter, the cookies will turn out completely different. If you are in a hurry, check out our tips for quickly softening butter in the microwave.
• When measuring the flour, don’t over-pack the measuring cup. Use the spoon and level method.
  
  That means to spoon the flour in the cup without packing it. After the cup is full, use a butter knife to level the cup by scraping the top of the cup with the knife to push off any excess gently.
• Make sure that the oven is preheated. This will ensure that the cookies cook more evenly. Also, if the oven isn’t properly heated the cookies will spread a lot more because the oven isn’t quite hot enough to cook them. In that case, the cookies start melting and spreading instead of properly baking.