Love everything about chocolate chip cookies aside from the chocolate? I’ve got you covered with my easy recipe for Chocolate Chipless Cookies. All the crisp-edged, chewy-centered, buttery flavor of a chocolate chip cookie, without chocolate chips. 🙌
As a chocolate lover myself, I sometimes forget that there are those among us who are not such fervent fans. And, since I’ve already written posts about my ultimate chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip walnut cookies, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, and small-batch chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar, I figured it was time to even the playing field a bit.
Enter my first chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips recipe! Made with fewer than 10 pantry staples, these simply delicious treats are more nuanced than plain sugar cookies, but are still entirely free from chocolate. So, if you’ve been on the hunt for a chocolate chip cookie recipe without chocolate chips that’s equally satisfying without any inclusions, you’ve found it!
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chipless Cookie Recipe
These chipless chocolate chip cookies aren’t a sad afterthought. Nay, they’re a marvel in their own right! They boast a crave-worthy caramelly undertone with just the right amount of salt, plus that stellar crisp-meets-chewy texture that makes chocolate chip cookies so addictive.
Aside from being flavor-packed, textural rockstars, these cookies without chocolate chips are also:
- Made With Only 9 Ingredients - In fact, I’d bet you already have everything you need on hand.
- Simple & Straightforward - With zero fussy creaming, no need for an electric mixer, and a foolproof drop cookie method, these chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips are simple enough for even a baking newbie to nail.
- A Delicious Departure From Sugar Cookies - Don’t get me wrong. I love beautifully frosted sugar cookies with royal icing, and I love soft frosted Lofthouse cookies. (In fact, I don’t think there’s a cookie I’ve met that I don’t love. 🤔) But sometimes, I don’t want frosting and I want more than just the sweet vanilla note that carries sugar cookies. These chewy-crisp caramelly masterpieces are the perfect antidote.
🍴Ingredients
As promised, all you need are a handful of pantry staples to make these delectable chocolate chip-less cookies. Here’s what to grab:
- All-Purpose Flour - Plain white flour is perfect for this chocolate chipless cookie recipe.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - You’ll need both types of leaveners to get the perfect consistency. Make sure they’re active before you start!
- Salt & Unsalted Butter - Starting with unsalted butter and adding salt ensures perfect balance every time.
- Light Brown Sugar - For a slight caramel, molasses undertone, and a more chewy consistency. Feel free to use dark brown sugar for a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- Granulated Sugar - For sweetness and puffiness. You can also use cane sugar.
- Large Egg - Let it come to room temperature to make it easier to mix into the batter. If you’re using liquid eggs from a carton, you’ll need a scant ¼ cup.
- Vanilla Extract - 3 teaspoons might seem like a lot, but we want a fully-realized cookie with lots of panache. Feel free to swap in an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
While I think these chocolate chip cookies without chips are the bee’s knees, they might not be everyone’s perfect cup of tea. Here are some variations to try to make them work for you:
- Gluten-Free - Swap in the cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour mixture of your choosing (preferably one with xanthan gum). Make sure to let the dough rest a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flour to rehydrate and avoid a gritty texture.
- Dairy-Free - If you and lactose aren’t friends, simply swap in vegan butter.
- Add-Ins - Just because we’re making these chocolate chip cookies without chocolate doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with other mix-ins. Consider toasted nuts or dried fruits if it suits you! In total, they should be able to handle about ¾ cup of mix-ins.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
📖 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix wet ingredients: Mix together the sugars and brown butter together until cohesive. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract together in your bowl.
Step 2: Wet + Dry: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined - too much mixing can lead to tough cookies.
Step 3: Chill & Shape: Chill the dough for an hour. Scoop balls of cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop before baking.
Step 4: Cool & Enjoy!: Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for a moment to achieve chewy, soft chocolate chipless cookies.
👩🏻🍳 Expert baking tips
- Spoon & Sweep - If you don’t have access to a kitchen scale, make sure you’re using the spoon and sweep method for measuring your flour. Fluff up the flour in the container, then gently spoon it into a dry measuring cup without pressing down. When the flour is above the edge of the measuring cup, use a butter knife to sweep across the edge and level it. This will ensure the right balance of wet and dry ingredients and prevent your cookies from being too dry!
- Brown the Butter - For an added layer of complexity, brown your butter before adding it to these no chocolate chip cookies.
- Rest the Dough - If you have the time and patience, resting cookie dough overnight in the fridge allows the flour to rehydrate and the flavors to develop. Even just a 30-minute rest is better than nothing!
- Make Cookies On-Demand - Rather than bake off all your cookies at once, freeze some of the dough balls in a single layer, then pop them into a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. When the craving for freshly baked cookies hits, simply bake them from frozen as directed, adding 1-2 minutes onto the bake time as needed.
- Make cookie sandwiches - Take a note from my molasses sandwich cookies recipe and fill these cookies with a cinnamon buttercream perhaps? Delicious.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Let's dive into the cookie chemistry! For chewy cookies, think of brown sugar as your secret ingredient. It's got this cozy molasses vibe that keeps the cookies stretchy and chewy, especially if you pull them out of the oven just before they're fully done.
Now, soft cookies are all about balancing between sugar and fats. Use more white sugar and don't skimp on the butter or shortening. This combo gives them that tender, melt-in-your-mouth feel. And here's the trick: bake them just right, not a minute more, so they stay soft like a cloud.
Officially, I think they're known as "chocolate chipless cookies" or simply "chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips." But where's the fun in that, right? Feel free to give them a name that's as fun and unique as the cookies themselves! 🍪✨ Here are a few ideas:
Vanilla Dream Drops: It sounds like a little bite of vanilla-scented heaven, doesn't it? Perfect for a cookie that's all about the dough's buttery, sugary goodness.
Mystery Morsels: Keeps everyone guessing! "What's missing? What's the twist?" It's like a delightful little riddle in every bite.
Invisible Chip Crunchies: It's as if the chocolate chips decided to play a game of hide and seek. They're invisible, but the classic cookie goodness isn't!
Golden Delights: Emphasizing the golden-baked color and delightful taste, it's a classic, no-nonsense name for a cookie that's just as classic.
These chocolate chip cookies without the chips will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Feel free to briefly heat them in the toaster oven before serving to bring back some of the fresh-baked magic!
Pro tip: Add the unbaked cookies to your freezer stash with some cookie butter cookies and molasses ginger cookies so you always have a sweet treat ready to go!
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If you try the recipe for these Chocolate Chipless Cookies, please leave a 🌟 review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! 📧
Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Equipment
- Tablespoon or Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
Brown Butter (Not all will be used for cookie recipe below)
- 226 g (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, (2 sticks)
Chocolate Chipless Cookies
- 126 g (1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons) All-Purpose Flour
- 60 g (½ Cup ) Bread Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 116 g (½ Cup ) Unsalted Brown Butter , melted, cooled
- 100 g (½ Cup ) Granulated Sugar
- 100 g (½ Cup ) Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
Brown Butter
- Start by melting butter over medium heat. Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can keep track of the color while the butter starts to brown.226 g Unsalted Butter
- Swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that the butter is cooking evenly
- As the butter melts, it will begin to foam, sputter and the coloring will get darker
- Once the butter has developed a deep golden-brown color, pour into a heatproof glass container.
Cookies
- Whisk together your dry ingredients – the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.126 g All-Purpose Flour, 60 g Bread Flour, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Whisk together the melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Then add your room temperature egg, egg yolk, and vanilla whisking again until smooth.116 g Unsalted Brown Butter, 100 g Granulated Sugar, 100 g Brown Sugar, 1 Large Egg, 1 Egg yolk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Slowly add the dry ingredients in two separate stages, mixing until your ingredients have fully combined.
- Cover the dough and place in the fridge for at least an hour or so until the dough is firm and chilled. In the post above, I lay out a few reasons as to why I would recommend letting the dough chill for 24 hours, but one hour is the minimum time you'll need to chill the melted butter based dough!
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your baking tray with parchment paper.
- Using a medium large cookie scoop, about three tablespoons, roll your chilled dough into balls. Place your preferred number of cookies onto a baking sheet, and bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges have JUST started to brown, set and the middle of the cookie is still a bit soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reshape the cookies as desired with a large circular cookie cutter, gently scooting the edges back to a perfectly circular shape. Then, let the cookies sit undisturbed for 3-5 minutes. Finally, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.Flaky sea salt
Shaela
Just realized I forgot vanilla cause nowhere in the recipe card is it mentioned but I seen you said it in the post above. And I doubled the recipe. Oh well haha