Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Chocolate Chips Or Brown Sugar (2024)

So you want to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies but don’t have any chocolate chips? Or, are you like me and live in a country where chocolate chips aren’t even available?

Or perhaps you’ve always wondered what chocolate chip cookies would taste like without the chocolate chips at all? If you’ve been in any of these situations, then you’re sure to love this recipe.

So if you’re craving some incredible cookies that will take you right back to your childhood but, for whatever reason, you happen to be missing some essential ingredients, then this is the answer! Despite the substitutions, these may well be the best cookies you’ll ever make!

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies

There were a few considerations I had to make when devising this chocolate chip cookie without brown sugar recipe – namely, moisture and flavour.

For one, brown sugar tastes remarkably more complex (which is why I use it in my banana bread recipe, as well) and, well, better than plain white granulated or castor sugar and it lends a deeper flavour to the cookies.

Second, the moisture from the molasses in the brown sugar lends to a chewy and moist consistency that is hard to achieve when using white sugar.

To account for these shortcomings, I’ve included brown butter and a bit of honey in this recipe and I doubt you will miss the addition of brown sugar at all.

Another consideration I’ve had to account for is the addition of “chocolate chips.” Whether you’re searching for chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips because you don’t have chips or because you want them without chocolate at all, I believe that this recipe accounts for both scenarios.

The final thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t require a mixer at all, whether that be a hand mixer or a stand mixer. It is super easy to mix together by hand meaning that you can whip these cookies up wherever you are.

To begin with, you need to brown your butter. I recommend doing this as the first step as you need time for the butter to cool down before you mix it in with your cookies (it can cause your eggs to curdle if you don’t!). Browning butter is easy, but it does require you to be attentive.

Basically, all you need to do is melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. It will start to foam and then, as the foam begins to dissipate, the milk solids will begin to toast. If you’re new to this, I recommend using a light-coloured pan so you can see how the butter is browning more easily, but it isn’t a requirement.

After a couple of minutes, you will notice that there will be some brown bits beginning to settle on the bottom of the pan and the butter will emit a very pleasant, nutty aroma.

When you reach this stage, turn off the heat and immediately transfer the butter to a large mixing bowl to prevent it from burning from the residual heat in the pan. Set the bowl aside for about ten minutes or so to allow it to cool.

In the meantime in another bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda and salt and set the bowl aside.

After your butter has cooled down, add your egg, egg yolks, granulated sugar, honey and a generous splash of vanilla extract. Whisk this mixture vigorously until it is thoroughly combined and becomes very pale, light and fluffy, about one minute. The addition of honey and the melted butter will ensure that you end up with soft chocolate chip cookies without using any brown sugar.

Once the wet ingredients have been mixed, pour your dry ingredients over them and fold together just until all of the flour is incorporated — be careful not to overmix at this stage as that will result in a tough cookie. Now, if you’re looking to make these without the chocolate chips at all, this is where you can stop and be finished with your dough!

If you do want some chocolate, however, and just have no access to chips, this is where you should finely chop a bar of dark chocolate (I like to use about 60-70% cocoa to counteract the sweetness of the cookie) and then add it unto the dough. Stir it just until the chocolate is well-incorporated.

Next, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for about thirty minutes. This will help the dough set up more and make it easier to portion out the cookies. While they’re chilling, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line two sheet trays with parchment paper.

Once your dough has chilled sufficiently (you can do this overnight, as well, for an even better flavour!), portion out your dough using a large spoon or a scoop into sixteen even balls distributed over the two trays (eight on each tray).

If you have a smaller oven like I do, I recommend baking one tray at a time, however, if you have a large oven then you can position the trays in the upper and lower quarters of the oven and bake both trays at once, making sure to rotate the trays halfway through.

Bake your cookies for twelve to fifteen minutes or until they are golden brown and lightly cracked on the exterior. Allow to cool on the sheets for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack and cooling completely.

The cookies will keep for a number of days if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze the portioned out dough (freeze on baking sheets until solid and then transfer to a zip-top bag), thaw and bake the cookies whenever you feel like it. This recipe can also be easily doubled.

As you can see, making delicious chocolate chip cookies without using pre-made chocolate chips or brown sugar needn’t be an impossible undertaking. This recipe ensures that you cookies will be soft, chewy, crispy in the right places and deeply flavourful even if you can’t get your hands on some “essential” ingredients!

Are you looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe without brown sugar or chocolate chips? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!