Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

These brown sugar chocolate chip cookies are super easy to make, come together quickly, and result in thick, soft chocolate chip cookies with crispy edges. This chocolate chip cookies recipe is going to become a family favorite! Made with all brown sugar!

 

What is it about a homemade chocolate chip cookie? Warm, gooey, thick, chewy – can’t resist. The aroma in your kitchen when they are baking.

I seriously have no willpower around a great soft chocolate chip cookie. Like maybe these cheesecake stuffed chocolate chip cookies? Or maybe a big warm pizookie (aka skillet cookie) topped with ice cream. Or for a really over the top treat, these cookie dough cookies topped with edible cookie dough.

And these brown sugar chocolate chip cookies are the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe. Find the fat pants. Stock up on milk. Please don’t hate me.

White Sugar Vs. Brown Sugar

This recipe calls for all brown sugar in the cookie, and no granulated sugar. This makes for a chocolate chip cookie that is very chewy, and does spread less than if you were to use some granulated sugar. Over the years I have received many comments from readers having difficulty with their cookies coming out perfectly. They were either too dry or cakey and not soft and chewy like we wanted.

So after many rounds of testing, I have since updated this recipe and increased the amount of brown sugar (from 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups). More brown sugar provided more moisture to these cookies. I think this new and improved version will be a big hit in your kitchen and make for some foolproof chocolate chip cookies made with all brown sugar!

Ingredients needed:

• All purpose flour – I have made cookie recipes that have called for different types of flour, but I love a cookie recipe that calls for simplicity of all purpose flour. We all have this on hand, which means we can make these anytime we want.
• Baking Powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – it’s important to use unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt in your recipe this way. But yes salted but can work just reduce the added salt. The butter needs to be softened to room temperature, which mean you can slightly indent your thumb in the butter but shouldn’t easily smoosh all the way through. If you forget to take your butter out in time, cut the butter into small chunks and leave out at room temperature.
• Light brown sugar – If you don’t have any make my homemade brown sugar recipe. For a chewier cookie, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. 
• Eggs – You will need 2 room temperature large eggs. I always place mine in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
• Vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips – I have used semi-sweet chips, but milk chocolate as well. You can also use a combination of regular chips, mini chocolate chips, discs, chunks, and bars chopped up, which is what I love to do. I like using a combination so that I get chocolate of every shape and size in every single bite. Basically pure heaven.

How To Make These Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1: Measure Your Dry Ingredients

Pre-heat oven to 350^oF (180^oC). I updated this recipe to bake at 350^oF instead of 375^oF and found the cookies had better spread, flavor and texture. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat).

For best results I recommend using a kitchen scale. But if you are using measuring cups than you want to pay attention to how you measure. Too much flour can result in a dense cookie. Don’t just scoop the flour directly into your measuring cup. This can result in a major over measurement! After you have spooned the flour in, then use a knife to level off the flour. Don’t tap the sides of the measuring cup, or pack your flour down. Both can also result in too much flour. You can read a full tutorial on how to measure flour here. You can read more about Which Flour Is Best For Cookies?

You want to whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Brown Sugar

In a large bowl with a mixer (you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) cream your butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Proper creaming with properly softened butter is what helps to aerate the mixture.

The butter needs to be softened to room temperature, which mean you can slightly indent your thumb in the butter but shouldn’t easily smoosh all the way through. If you forget to take your butter out in time, cut the butter into small chunks and leave out at room temperature. It will soften much faster this way. When you cream the butter and sugars together it’s also important to let this happen for 2-3 minutes to allow enough air into the batter and helps leavens the cookies. For 3 quick ways to soften your butter, you can read this post.

The sugar basically punches holes into the butter creating air pockets, which then will fill with the gasses created with the leavening agents which can help create some lift in the cookies.

Step 3: Add Your Eggs

Once the mixture has properly creamed together, then add in your room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure they are thoroughly mixed in. You want to make sure your eggs are room temperature so they don’t seize up the butter mixture.

Pro tip: You can place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them to bring them to room temperature quickly.

Step 4: Add Your Dry Ingredients

Now add your dry ingredients. You want to make sure to not overmix  once you’ve added the flour mixture. I like to stop the mixer right before it’s all mixed in, and then finish mixing with a spatula.

This will be a thick dough, but don’t worry it’s supposed to be!

Note: I have heard from a few readers that their dough was too thick (it’s supposed to be!) and tried to adjust the cookie dough after everything is mixed together. Please trust the process and know you have done it correctly, do not try to adjust the consistency at this point with extra ingredients.

Step 5: Add Your Chocolate Chips

Again, I love a combo. Miniature chocolate chips. Regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. And chocolate chunks. The difference in sizes results in chocolate in every bite.

Step 6: Scoop The Cookies

You can then stir in the chocolate chips at this point. Again just stir enough to mix them in and then stop mixing.

Next you need to scoop the cookies. You can make them regular sized using a medium cookie scoop (cookie scoop #40) that holds about 2 Tablespoons. A cookie scoop results in even-size balls of dough that will cook evenly. Even size = even baking. 

I also like to chill the cookie dough for best texture. You can bake them right away but for best results I love to chill for 2 hours, or ideally overnight. If chilling, just scoop and place on a cookie sheet then wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

When ready to bake, you want to make sure your oven is preheated to 350^oF and positioned a rack in the center of the oven.

Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart prepared cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 10-12 minutes. The top of the cookies should still look soft and puffy, but not wet or raw. The edges will be crispy and golden brown. The cookies will continue to bake when you take them out of the oven so it’s important to not overbake and take them out when the middles look dry but not quite done.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Storage Instructions

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Although most likely will stay fresh if covered or stored in a container.

You can also freeze any leftover cookies. To freeze unbaked: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag or airtight container. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
To freeze baked: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life.
Click here to learn how to freeze your cookie dough.

Recipe FAQs

Bake Up My Most Popular Cookie Recipes!

If you love cookies as much as I do then bake up some of my more popular cookie recipes from the blog, especially when it’s Christmas time!

Like my peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies with a Hershey kiss in the center, or my grandmother’s cookie recipe for Russian Tea Cakes, or these old fashioned peanut butter cookies with criss cross pattern.

For all my Christmas cookie recipes, check out my 25+ Christmas cookie recipes!