With crisp edges and chewy centers, these chocolate chipless cookies are everything you love about a chocolate chip cookie without the chips! Flavored with nutty brown butter and brown sugar, these rich, chewy cookies are bound to become a family favorite.
There’s one fact about me that nearly always sends people into orbit when they learn it: I detest chocolate.
To answer your questions: I’ve never liked it, I don’t like anything with chocolate in it, and yes that includes chocolate chip cookies.
In fairness, I have met multiple other people throughout my life that don’t care for chocolate either. It’s always a bonding moment for us, since it’s something that a bunch of people just can’t wrap their minds around.
I think that not enjoying chocolate chip cookies is the one thing that people really can’t fathom. I mean, I’ve always liked the idea of them, I just…don’t want the chocolate chips.
Enter: Chocolate chipless cookies.
If you’re like me and love the idea of a big, chewy chocolate chip cookie but don’t really love chocolate chips, this is the recipe for you.
What are chocolate chipless cookies?
Chocolate chipless cookies are exactly what they sound like: chocolate chip cookies made without the chocolate chips!
You get the same crisp edges, chewy centers, and rich flavor that you have in the base of a traditional chocolate chip cookie. But in this version, the caramel notes of the brown sugar shine even through even more.
I even went ahead and browned the butter for these cookies, adding another depth of nutty flavor to the batter.
A little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top balances out the sweetness and adds a fancy bakery feel to them.
Would you believe me if I told you that these are my 4-year-old’s favorite cookies? She adores them (yes, even with the sea salt on top!) and gets so excited when I make them for her.
And I don’t mind making them whenever she wants because the dough doesn’t require any chilling time. That’s right, add these to your no-chill cookie recipes list right alongside no-chill sugar cookies, almond lace cookies, and my favorite oatmeal cookies.
How to make my chocolate chipless cookies
The hardest part of making these chewy chocolate chipless cookies is browning the butter. And if you’d done that before, you know that’s not actually hard at all.
You don’t even need a stand mixer (or a mixer at all!) to make them!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make these cookies, you will need:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Flaky salt, for sprinkling on top (optional)
Since we’re going to brown the butter for these cookies, don’t worry about remembering to soften the butter before you start baking. You can even grab it straight from the freezer – one of the few times that’s an option!
A lot of cookie recipes, such as butterfinger chocolate chip cookies, use a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. This recipe skips the granulated sugar and focuses on using all brown sugar.
You can use light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or a mix of the two in this recipe. Using a mix or using all dark brown sugar results in a slightly chewier cookie with a richer flavor, but you can’t go wrong either way.
We keep a tub of Maldon salt in the pantry for sprinkling on top of baked goods (such as these cookies or maple walnut blondies), finishing dishes like roasted boneless leg of lamb, or even just adding to scrambled eggs.
The tub lasts for ages and is a simple way to make your everyday dishes feel more fancy, so it’s worth keeping around!
Making these cookies
To start making your chocolate chipless cookies, brown the butter.
Add the butter to a medium skillet or saucepan and melt it over medium heat. If you have a light-colored saucepan, I suggest using it here so you can keep a closer eye on the color of the butter as it cooks.
Once the butter has melted, keep it over medium heat. Stir or swirl the pan frequently as the butter cooks.
It’ll bubble up, then foam, and then turn a beautiful brown color with a nutty aroma. As soon as it hits this stage, take it off the heat and pour it into a bowl. Make sure to use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape out all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan!
Set the browned butter aside to cool for 20-30 minutes before you continue with the batter.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this side.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with both of the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla; whisk until smooth and well combined.
Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Using a large (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto lined baking sheets. Leave at least 3 inches between each cookie. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of flaky sea salt if desired.
Bake the chocolate chipless cookies at 350°F for 12-14 minutes. The cookies should be golden but the centers will still be soft.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Storage and freezing tips
Chocolate chipless cookies will stay good in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
If you’d like to freeze them, pop them into a zip-top freezer bag or a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to a month.
You can also freeze the dough before baking. Portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet – don’t worry about leaving space between the dough balls.
Pop the pan into the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the dough balls are solid. Transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag or an airtight container with pieces of parchment between the layers.
When you’re ready to enjoy, pull out as many of the cookie dough balls as you’d like and bake according to the recipe directions, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time if needed.
Chocolate Chipless Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups lightly packed brown sugar see notes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Flaky salt for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, continue cooking over medium heat, stirring and/or swirling the pan frequently. The butter will bubble, then foam up, then turn a golden brown color with a nutty aroma. (This will be easier to see if you use a light-colored pan.)
- As soon as the butter is browned and nutty, remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl, making sure to get the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and the cooled brown butter. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisking vigorously until smooth and well combined.
- Switching to a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Use a large (3 tablespoon) cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 3 inches between each cookie. If desired, sprinkle each cookie with a bit of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.