Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chipless Cookies (2024)

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.

See Also

Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown SugarChewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - Easy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!Healthy Brookies - Lovely Delites28+ Quick & Easy No Bake Cookies To Make At Home

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.

💭Recipe FAQs

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