With just 8 ingredients, you'll love these easy and chewy Chocolate Chipless Cookies! A rich brown sugar vanilla cookie everyone will love. This tried and true dough is chilling-optional prior to baking, so you can have a batch made in no time. It's nothing but cookie in my tasty no-chocolate chip treats.
Chocolate chip cookies are kind of my thing, in fact I've even won an award for my classic Chocolate Chip Cookies and they are still a top favorite among my family and friends.
Now I am quite a chocolate lover, but I got to thinking what if I made them without the chocolate chips...all I'll say is the recipe is genius.
These chipless treats are buttery, soft, chewy and have a lovely caramel flavor. Plus, the dough doesn't need any chilling time so you can make a batch in less than 30 minutes. All 8 ingredients are probably in your pantry right now - it really is the perfect recipe for a beginner baker.
I can never say no to cookies, they're just the ideal treat any day of the week. Some of my other favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes have walnuts, or if you need a small batch of treats rather than a bunch I've got the solution for you too!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
But why? If you are a fan of my award winning chocolate chip cookies, you might be wondering why folks like them without chocolate chips!
Here's the deal: Chocolate chip-less cookies are packed with delicious, simple flavors! That's why the cookie is a great vehicle for chocolate and other bits and bobs.
Leaving the chocolate out of a chocolate chip cookie lets the butter, caramelized sugars, and vanilla sing.
These treats are essentially brown sugar and butter cookies, because those are the flavors that really stand out. It's a tasty bite, and perfect with a glass of milk, or cup of tea.
Ingredients For Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Chocolate Chips
- All-purpose flour: Creates the structure of the cookie. Don't pack your flour into the measuring cup. Fluff or sift before spooning and measuring.
- Baking soda: The chemical leavening that helps the cookies rise, and creates a soft, chewy texture.
- Salt: I use a fine sea salt here so it disperses well in the recipe. I like Redmond Real Salt for it's flavor and fine texture.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the flavor of the cookies and adds to the natural, delicious butter flavor.
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar adds delicious flavor and helps create the soft, chewy texture for the cookies. Lightly pack the brown sugar into your measuring cup.
- Granulated sugar: This adds sweetness and structure to the cookies.
- Eggs: Use a large egg for the perfect measurement. It can be cold or room temperature.
- Vanilla extract: I love the flavor of Casa Bella Vida vanilla, but you can also use your own to bring out the caramel flavors in the cookies.
Get my favorite clear vanilla extract with a discount! CLICK HERE for 10% off Casa Bella Vida Vanilla.
How To Make Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Here are a few easy steps to making chocolate chipless cookies. It's a basic cookie method so you'll find success.
- Heat the oven to 350ºF. I like to let an oven thermometer heat in the oven for at lease 30 minutes to make sure it is the right temperature.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix.
- Place 2-tablespoons-sized balls of dough on parchment-lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.
- Bake until golden around the edges and just set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Don't overcook! They continue coking on the pan out of the oven. Let cool slightly (if you can wait) and remove from pan.
Tara's Tip: You can portion the dough with a handy cookie scoop. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake. No melty chocolate, or overpowering flavors to mess with your vanilla-scented, buttery cookies.
Chilling Chipless Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Like classic chocolate chip cookies, this dough may also benefit from chilling before baking.
While this recipe will turn out absolutely delicious without chilling, you'll see a slight difference in texture if you do.
The texture of the dough changes when chilled due to the flour being able to absorb some of the moisture from the eggs and butter. This expands the molecules and makes them almost like a gel in the dough.
This creates a more chewy, dense cookie when baked. The edges don't crisp quite as much because much of the butter fats are now absorbed rather than melting out of the dough quickly.
If you choose, you can chill your dough for an hour or up to 3 days.
Chocolate Chipless Cookies Expert Tips
You'll find these cookies are super simple to make. They are an extra special treat for folks who with there was more cookie to a chocolate chip cookie!
- Don't over bake the cookies. Let the just-done cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to finish cooking out of the oven to produce chewy cookies.
- Measure flour properly. Fluff or sift your flour before spooning into your measuring cups.
- Cream butter and sugar correctly. Mix until the combination is lightened and creamy.
- Chill the dough as desired. This recipe works right away or after the dough is chilled.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size. You can make large or small cookies, but using a cookie scoop ensures they will all bake the same.
Storage & Freezing
General storing: Baked cookies without chocolate chips can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. To warm them, microwave them for 8 to 12 seconds.
Freezing: Place the cooled cookies in an airtight freezer bag and store for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw at room temperature and serve. Alternatively, you can warm them in a 300ºF oven until warm and gooey.
Variations
If you do want to add delicious mix-ins to your dough, I have a few suggestions! Try adding 1 ½ to 2 cups of the following to the cookies:
- Toffee bits
- Chopped nuts
- Raisins or currants
- Chopped dried apricots
- Dried cranberries
- M&M candies
FAQs
Chill up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. If frozen, defrost in the fridge or on the counter until pliable.
This recipe works well gluten-free! I always use Cup4Cup all-purpose GF flour in my cooking and baking.
Try all different nuts, sprinkles, or dried fruit! All are delicious options.
More of the best cookies in the world
- Honey Cut Out Cookies
- Blossom Cookies with Cashew Butter and Chai Spice
- Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crunchy Pecan Cookies
- Pistachio Lace Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Rate this recipe! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scroll to the bottom of the page to rate and comment on this recipe. Leaving comments, questions, and ratings helps other too!
📖 Recipe
Best Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until lightened and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add in the flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix.
- Place 2-tablespoon sized balls of dough on parchment-lined bakign sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until golden around the edges and just set in the center, 10 to 12 min. Don't overcook! They continue cooking on the pan out of the oven. Let cool slightly (if you can wait) and remove from pan.
Notes
-
- Don't over bake the cookies. Let the just-done cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to finish cooking out of the oven to produce chewy cookies.
- Measure flour properly. Fluff or sift your flour before spooning into your measuring cups.
- Cream butter and sugar correctly. Mix until the combination is lightened and creamy.
- Chill the dough as desired. This recipe works right away or after the dough is chilled.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size. You can make large or small cookies, but using a cookie scoop ensures they will all bake the same.
Nutrition
Cookie Recipes from Tara Teaspoon
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Tara Teaspoon says
Hi Crystal. None of the ingredients combine to make rubbery cake texture, so could you give me any more info? Did you swap any ingredients? How is your oven temperature? This recipe was created using my award winning chocolate chip cookie recipe (sans the chocolate chips) and will be chewy, with some crisped edges, and butter and brown sugar flavors. Let me know if I can help.
Annie says
I love chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips so this was the perfect recipe for me! Loved it!
Zoe says
Tasted OK. I would make again but VERY salty. I recommend adding much less salt.