Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies are a slight twist on a classic, one that is definitely worth trying! The cookies are packed with chocolate and are as chewy as can be. If you want more Cookie Recipes, be sure to see my 50 favorites!
Brown Sugar vs. Granulated Sugar
Why are these cookies packed with brown sugar instead of granulated? Simple… I wanted them as chewy as possible! What exactly is brown sugar? Light brown sugar has molasses added to it which allows recipes specifically developed for brown sugar to achieve rich and complex flavors. It is a dense sugar and pacts easily, which means fewer air pockets during creaming. That means extra chewy! And, since brown sugar has a unique moist texture, it needs to be packed into a dry measuring cup.
In recipes that involve baking soda, (as this one does) the role of brown sugar is to react with sodium bicarbonate and produce carbon dioxide. This makes cookies thick and soft. Granulated sugar can’t participate in that reaction, so white sugar cookies are comparatively thin, dense, and crisp (chewy if kept from browning).
What Kind of Chocolate Chips Should be Used?
When testing this recipe I only used two kinds of chocolate; milk and semi-sweet. Because the dough itself is rich, I preferred semi-sweet chocolate for more contrast. However, I was quickly outvoted and ended up using milk chocolate chunks. You can use whatever you prefer.
I bought the ‘chunk” version of chocolate chips and then coarsely chopped them. Please don’t skip this step when you are making yours! I happen to love the shavings and small bits that reach every nook and cranny of the cookie not to mention how it looks, and I think you will too! Right before baking, I added more chocolate chunks to the top of the cookie. This is because I love the added chocolate and because I love that the cookie is easily identifiable.
Can This Recipe be Doubled?
Yes, you sure can double this recipe! This recipe only yields about 12 cookies, you may want to double it if feeding a crowd. However, if you make the cookies smaller, about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, you can get at least 24 cookies out of it.
How to Store Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Or, for longer storage, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
More Popular Cookies
Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (186 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 5 ounces milk chocolate chunks, plus extra for the tops of the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter.
- In a large bowl, add brown sugar. Pour butter over brown sugar and mix to combine.
- Add in egg and vanilla and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to the brown sugar mixture. Mix by hand until combined. The batter will be coarse and appear dry.
- Coarsely chop the chocolate and add to the batter. Reserve a few pieces of chocolate to add to the top of the cookies.
- Using a cookie scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons of batter, scoop out the dough and place it onto the lined baking sheet.
- Place a few (3-5) extra chunks on chocolate on top of each cookie.
- Using a clean kitchen glass, press down each cookie until it is about ½ to ¾ inch thick. This step is optional, but if you don't press the cookies down they may need to bake longer as they do not flatten on their own.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack.
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Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
i made exactly as written. tasted kinda cakey. i used confectioner chocolate-kind you get for easter 2lb bunny- used about a 1/4 of it … not enough chocolate chip taste … maybe use better chocolate next time … and more 🙂
oh and also had to add extra flour as my dough was too gooey and refrigerated for about an hour .
these were good but a tad cakey.. my son says they are good so thumbs up !!!
These have been a STAPLE during COVID shelter in for my housemates and I. They don’t look anything like the pics (pics make them look granola-ey). They are ooey, gooey and amazing! Only suggestion is to cook less. We cook it at 9 mins every time. These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever!
So glad you like them Karen!
edit ^ we cook it 6 mins every time and they are the best!
Couple things to those that attempt to bake.
1) the dough has to chill. Simple physics. Chilling cools down the fats so that the cookie does not spread, very basic physics.
2) as I have read comments I’m not alone but the result was very gooey and sticky dough, not dry and crumbly.
3) the flavor is amazing I love when cookies are not overly sweet and the brown sugar is perfect with a more mellow sweet.
So if you plan on attempting this recipie, probably add more flour, chill overnight and then bake. Also is there a flour measurement in weight? Flour changes depending on humidity so the only way to be accurate is with weight not dry cups.
I have had many incidents where something came out too gooey or dry because the humidity was different.
Yup! These are the best! Hands down. I didnt squish them flat, i like them like little nuggets. I also added a lot of pecans. Save Me!
Hey Amanda! I LOVE this recipe, and all of your recipes. I thought you might like to know that this is the recipe I’m using at the summer camp I go to for adults with disabilities. We bake fresh cookies together every day and eat them every night before bed with glasses of milk. I’m picking up pounds and POUNDS of ingredients for it tomorrow. Can’t wait to make these with friends next week!
What a blessing you are!!! And what a fun treat for others!
Can’t wait to tryyourcookie recipes as well as cake recipes
i just did this cookie… but strange enough it was very gooey for me so i added extra flour, 1/3 cup intially but still not enough… ended up with 1 cup extra flour…. end result is still edible thou… LOL… sort of success i suppose…