Quick Answer
Yes, you can make cookies without brown sugar. There are a few simple substitutes you can use in place of brown sugar such as white sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses or coconut sugar. The key is to find an ingredient that provides the moisture, texture and sweetness that brown sugar would add to the cookies. With a few tweaks to your regular cookie recipe, you can bake delicious cookies without brown sugar.
Substitutes for Brown Sugar in Cookies
If you are out of brown sugar, don’t worry. Here are some of the best substitutes to use in cookies:
White Sugar
The easiest substitute is to replace brown sugar with an equal amount of white granulated sugar. The texture and moisture levels will be a bit different, but the cookies will still turn out tasty. Add a teaspoon of molasses along with the white sugar to help replicate the flavor of brown sugar.
Maple Syrup or Honey
For every 1 cup of brown sugar, substitute 3/4 cup of maple syrup or honey. Maple syrup will add nice maple flavor while honey provides floral notes. Both help keep cookies moist and chewy.
Molasses
Molasses gives brown sugar its distinct flavor. Use 1 cup white sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of molasses for every 1 cup of brown sugar called for. The cookies may end up slightly more crisp.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a brown sugar substitute made from the sap of coconut palms. It has a similar texture and flavor to brown sugar. Substitute coconut sugar 1:1 for brown sugar.
How to Modify Cookie Recipes Without Brown Sugar
When baking cookies without brown sugar, you’ll need to tweak the recipe slightly to ensure the cookies turn out well:
- Reduce oven temperature by 25°F to prevent overbrowning on the bottom.
- Increase liquids like milk or butter by 1-2 tbsp to keep cookies moist.
- Add a touch more leavening agent like baking soda or powder.
- Blend in extra vanilla or spices like cinnamon for more flavor.
- Swap a portion of all-purpose flour for cake flour to improve texture.
Test a cookie after baking to ensure the modifications produced the texture and taste you want. You may need to experiment with ingredient ratios to find the right brown sugar substitute for your favorite cookie recipe.
Best Cookie Recipes to Make Without Brown Sugar
Here are some delicious cookie recipes that work well even when you don’t have brown sugar on hand:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
- Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Brown Sugar Substitution: Replace the brown sugar with 3/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the oats and raisins.
- Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Brown Sugar Substitution: Replace the brown sugar with 1/2 cup white sugar and 2 tbsp molasses.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Use a fork to flatten each ball into a criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack.
Brown Sugar Substitution: Omit the brown sugar and use 1 cup white sugar total. Add 2 tbsp molasses along with the white sugar.
Snickerdoodles
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set.
- Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Brown Sugar Substitution: Use all white sugar instead of the brown and white sugar combo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is brown sugar used in cookies?
Brown sugar is often used in cookie recipes because it helps produce soft, chewy cookies. The molasses in brown sugar gives cookies more moisture and richness than just white sugar alone. The subtle caramel flavor also enhances many cookie recipes.
Do I need to make any other changes if I substitute honey or maple syrup?
When using liquid substitutes like honey or maple syrup, it’s a good idea to reduce the flour slightly (about 1-2 tablespoons per cup of liquid sweetener) to maintain the right consistency. You may also want to add a touch more baking soda or powder to help the cookies rise properly.
Can I substitute brown sugar in any cookie recipe?
You can substitute brown sugar in most drop cookie recipes like chocolate chip, oatmeal and peanut butter. Some recipes like gingerbread rely heavily on the molasses flavor so substitute carefully. For rolled or cut-out cookie recipes, brown sugar helps bind the dough so you may need to add more egg or liquid to compensate.
Will the cookies taste the same without brown sugar?
Cookies made without brown sugar will taste a bit different than the original recipe. Substitutes like honey, maple, coconut sugar or molasses will impart their own flavors. Using all white sugar will give you a simpler, less nuanced sweetness. The cookies may also end up more cake-like in texture. But they can still be quite delicious!
Conclusion
While brown sugar plays an important role in many cookie recipes, you can absolutely bake cookies without it. With simple ingredient swaps like honey, white sugar, maple syrup or coconut sugar, it’s easy to mimic the moisture, texture and flavor brown sugar provides. Be sure to modify the recipe as needed by adding more liquid or leavening agents. Test out different brown sugar substitutes in your favorite cookie recipe to discover which one you like the best. With a few easy tweaks, you can enjoy wonderful homemade cookies anytime – whether or not you have brown sugar in your pantry.