Out of butter? These soft brown sugar cookies don't need any. Refined coconut oil does all the work, and you still get chewy centers, crispy edges and crackly sugar-rolled tops. No chilling the dough, either. You'd never guess there's no butter in them!
I made these for those times you run out of butter, or forget to set it out to soften (we've all been there!). They're also a good pick if you just don't want a lot of butter in your cookies.
Want the classic version? Here are my Brown Sugar Cookies made with butter.
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Why you'll love these
- No butter needed. Solid coconut oil stands in for butter and nobody can tell. No waiting around for butter to soften, either.
- Chewy middles, crisp edges. That's the brown sugar. It keeps them moist with a caramel-y, molasses flavor. Classic sugar cookies use white sugar, which bakes up crispier.
- Crackly tops. Rolling the dough balls in a mix of white and brown sugar gives you that crackle.
- No chill time! Mix, scoop, bake. (Unless your dough's on the soft side. More on that below.)
The ingredients that matter
You'll need pantry staples for these. Full amounts are in the recipe card below. Here's what to know about the key ones:
- Refined coconut oil: This is the secret ingredient that replaces the butter. Use refined, not unrefined. Unrefined has a stronger coconut flavor that carries through to the baked cookies. It also needs to be solid, not melted.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark brown has more molasses than light, so you get more caramel flavor. Light brown sugar works just fine if that's what you have. Be sure to pack it when you measure.
- Whole milk: I haven't tested non-dairy milk in this recipe yet, but it's worked for me in other cookie recipes. Use the same amount.
- Eggs: Take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start so they come to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract: Go for the best pure vanilla you can afford. Imitation can taste a bit artificial. Want a fun twist? Swap in almond extract.
Heads up! Use solid coconut oil, not melted. Melted oil = cookies that spread flat. And skip vegetable oil, olive oil or any other liquid oil here. They'll change the texture.
How to make brown sugar cookies without butter
These are super easy! Here's the quick version. Exact amounts and steps are in the recipe card.
- Prep. Heat the oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cream. Beat the coconut oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low. With the mixer still running, pour in the milk and mix until fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer off, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then mix on low just until combined. Don't over mix.
- Roll. Whisk together the rolling sugars. Scoop 2-tablespoon balls, roll them smooth, toss in the sugar to coat, and set them 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. Pull them when the edges are just golden and the tops start to crackle. Let them cool on the trays.
Don't overbake! They'll look a little underdone and puffy when they come out. That's what you want. They keep baking on the hot tray, and that's how you get chewy centers instead of crunchy ones.
Help! My cookies spread
A few things cause flat cookies:
- Melted coconut oil. It needs to be solid. Coconut oil melts at around 76ºF, so on a hot day it can soften fast.
- Too much fat or not enough flour. Measure carefully.
- Extra-large eggs. The recipe is written for large eggs. Bigger eggs add more liquid.
- Old leaveners. Check the dates on your baking powder and baking soda.
Dough too soft to roll? Pop it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes. That's it.
Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.
Storing and freezing
- Room temp: Airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Warm them up: They're best slightly warm. Microwave at 50% power for 30–45 seconds.
- Freeze: Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for at least an hour, then move to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm in the microwave.
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Ingredients
For the cookies
- ¾ cup coconut oil refined, solid
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, add the coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Turn on low speed. With the mixer on low, pour in the milk, then mix until fluffy, 3–4 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla mixing on medium until smooth and well incorporated.
- With mixer off add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low just until combined. Do not over mix.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the granulated and brown sugar to remove any lumps
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, scoop dough and roll into a ball between your palms then toss in the sugar mixture to coat all sides. Place onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until edges are just golden brown and tops start to crackle, about 10-12 minutes, rotating trays front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cookies may look underdone and slightly puffed when you remove them from the oven. They will continue to bake on the trays. Allow cookies to cool on the trays.
Video
Notes
- If the dough is too soft to roll, chill it for 10–15 minutes.
- Store cooled cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Cookies are best when they are slightly warm. Place in the microwave for 30-45 seconds on 50% power.
- To freeze, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for at least one hour.
- Store cookies in a freezer safe bag for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature then warm in the microwave.
Nutrition
Comments
Amanda Alcantar says
Absolutely amazing. I was out of butter and these turned out just as good. Thank you for the recipe.
Kimberlee Ho says
How wonderful!!
Timmi La says
Hello. I followed the recipe to a tee. The batter was very thin and not even close to being rolled in a ball. They spead alot and didn't rise at all. The only difference I see is I had extra large eggs. I tried these because my boyfriend is allergic to milk. I am always on the look out for treats for him. Waste of ingredients.
Kimberlee Ho says
I'm sorry to hear that! I've never had that issue, I wonder if there was a difference in the cookie dough because of the eggs.
Z says
I was wondering if you could sub some of the brown sugar for granular sugar? I don't have much of the brown sugar so I was just wondering!!!!
Kimberlee Ho says
You certainly can, although it'll change the texture of the cookies. Granulated sugar makes cookies more crispy whereas brown sugar makes them softer.
Cato says
Hi!!
This recipe looks absolutely amazing, I was just wondering if there was any other oil that I could use instead of coconut oil? Eg: sunflower, olive,...
I don't often have coconutoil at home so in case of emergency would the others do okay? If so, can I still use the same measurements?
Hugs!!!!!
Kimberlee Ho says
Thank you so much! As far as a substitute for the coconut oil, I have not tried this recipe with other types of oil. The coconut oil needs to be solid, at room temperature, and other oils like sunflower oil and olive oil are liquids at room temperature, so they will likely affect the texture of the dough and baked cookie. You can sub the coconut oil for vegan butter if you have that.
Tiffany B says
Delicious! my pantry was bare! No butter or white sugar, no milk (I swapped for Greek yogurt) no problem, so thin and crispy! I had a shaker of cinnamon/sugar I tossed with the brown sugar for the roll before bake. Added to the already delicious cookie smell! Saved my sweet tooth that hit at 8pm on a Monday night! Thank you 😊
Kimberlee Ho says
Wow you did a fantastic job of making due with what you had on hand! Thanks for baking and sharing!!
Jen says
There was no mention in the instructions on when to put in the milk, so I got to the end and realized it wasn't in the dough.
Kimberlee Ho says
It's actually in Step 2 "Pour in milk and mix until fluffy, 3-4 minutes." I hope you'll try them again!
Sam says
Okay wow. I baked these and I’m hooked! I did make some slight changes like using honey instead of white sugar and adding cinnamon and salt to the coating. I’ll be honest this is probably the best cookies I’ve ever had. They taste like I’m eating a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch with a glass of milk. Thank you so much!
Kimberlee Ho says
Love that you love them! Those changes sound delish!