Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are a tasty twist resulting in a thinner and crispier cookie that is just as scrumptious!

We love cookies, especially Chocolate Chip Cookies, and have several variations on the site. These chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar are a crispy alternative and delightful addition to the collection!

Close up of 4 chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar.

Really, No Brown Sugar!

Can you make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar? You may be wondering if it’s even possible to create tasty Chocolate Chip Cookies without also adding brown sugar and the answer is “Yes, you can!”

The molasses in the brown sugar is what helps adds a caramel flavor as well as a thick and chewy texture to a cookie and you can still make a yummy cookie without the molasses.

A cookie using only white sugar will be just as sweet and will have a thinner and crispier texture. So give these chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar a try – you’ll love them!

Adding chocolate chips to cookie dough batter in a metal bowl.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and mix until fluffy.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour and mix until your cookie dough is combined well. Fold in chocolate chips.

BAKE. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop and roll into balls and place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Variations

Easily change up these cookies by adding different mix-ins.

Nuts. Try mixing in a few nuts such as chopped walnuts or pecans.
Chips. Use different flavored candy chips such as white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips.
Chocolate. You can also use chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate candy bars.

Mixing cookie dough batter with chocolate chips.

Recipe Tips

Make a picture-perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar using these easy tips and tricks. With a taste similar to a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, they are just as heavenly!

Chill the dough. To make a white sugar cookie that is a little thicker, chill the dough before baking the cookies. When the dough is cold it takes longer for the fat in the cookies to soften, melt, and spread.

The dough can be covered and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, but it is best when baked within the first 1-2 days. The outside of the cookie will be a light golden brown while the inside stays a bit thicker and softer.

Ingredient tips. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off. Scooping it directly out of the flour container can cause it to compact resulting in using too much flour.

Don’t overmix the dough as it can cause the strands of gluten to activate causing a tougher cookie texture.
Utilize the steps in this post to soften your butter quickly. It is also helpful to use room-temperature eggs since they incorporate better than cold eggs.

Scooping cookie dough onto parchment paper with an ice cream scoop.

Baking Tips

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to keep the cookies from sticking to the pan and for easy cleanup.

The cookies will spread quite a bit so be sure to space them a couple of inches apart on the baking sheet.
Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before placing them, in a single layer, on a wire rack to cool.

Picture perfect cookies. Placing 4-5 chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls before they go into the oven will show off a pretty baked cookie topped with the chocolate chips.

To help create a perfectly round cookie use the side of a rubber spatula to gently press the edges of the freshly baked cookies into a circle.

A tray of freshly baked cookies topped with chocolate chips.

Storing Cookies + Dough

Just like with other chocolate chip cookie recipes the dough can be stored before and after baking.

Store cookie dough. The cookie dough can be kept, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days before baking baked.

Freeze cookie dough in log form or shape it into cookie dough balls. Cookie dough can be frozen for 3-4 months.

Log form: Divide the cookie dough in half and roll each section into a log. Wrap each log tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Thaw before shaping cookies and baking.
Cookie dough balls: Place the dough balls on a baking tray and then put them in the freezer. Once the dough balls are solid, transfer them into the freezer bag. Thaw the dough or bake it straight out of the freezer. Add a couple of extra minutes when baking from frozen.

Store baked cookies. Allow the cookies to cool and place them in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for about 5 days. Placing a piece of white bread into the container will help keep the cookies soft.

Baked cookies can also be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Close up of chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar on a sheet lined with parchment paper.

Recipe FAQ

What does brown sugar do in chocolate chip cookies?

Dark brown sugar and light brown sugar are often used when making cookies. The molasses found in the brown sugars help add a caramel-like flavor as well as a soft and chewy texture. Cookies without brown sugar have a thinner and more crispy texture but are just as delicious.

Do I have to chill chocolate chip cookie dough without brown sugar?

You do not need to chill the cookie dough before baking no-brown sugar chocolate chip cookies. However, you can if you choose to. Chilling the dough can help keep them from spreading as much and yield thicker cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar