We all have those friends or family members who say they are not a fan of chocolate. As a chocolate lover, these Chocolate Chipless Cookies are also wonderful for a little variety and to satisfy that sweet tooth!
I tested a bunch of Chocolate Chipless Cookies so you didn't have to. And I have made this recipe many times with rave reviews from those who do not like chocolate in their cookies and those who do, so that you can feel confident that these are the best chocolate chip-less cookies.
A word of caution: these cookies are divisive; some of your family and friends will not want to eat cookies without chocolate and others will be utterly thrilled you created a cookie without chocolate chips just for them to enjoy. You have been warned!
The good news is these are absolutely delicious cookies with soft centers, crisp edges, and no chill time required. This recipe comes from Bon Appetit, so you can trust it's the best there is!
Looking for more chocolate chip-less cookies? Try Brown Sugar Cookies, Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies, and Soft Brown Sugar Cookies (no butter).
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Chocolate chipless cookies, for the anti-chocolate people in your life
I know — a cookie recipe with "chocolate" in the name and no actual chocolate in it sounds like a trick. It's not. These are for the people in your life who politely pass on your chocolate chip cookies (they exist, I promise), and after testing this recipe more times than I'll admit, I can tell you they hold their own against the original. Crisp edges, soft chewy centers, no chill time.
What makes them taste like something instead of just "vanilla cookie" is browned butter, a little toasted flour for a toffee note, and dark brown sugar for the caramel backbone. It's less "chocolate chip cookie minus the chips" and more its own thing — chewy chocolate chipless cookies built to taste rich on their own. Start to finish, you're looking at under an hour and no stand mixer required.
If chocolate's not off the table for your crowd, my The BEST chocolate chip cookies recipe is the one I'd send you to instead — but keep this one bookmarked, because someone always asks.
💡 Why I toast part of the flour: Cooking a quarter cup of the flour right in the brown butter (instead of adding it all in later) toasts it and pulls out a deeper, nuttier flavor — think the color of a chai latte. It's a five-minute step that does a lot of the flavor work in this recipe, so don't skip it.
How to make them
Whisk your dry ingredients and set aside a quarter cup of the flour. Brown your butter in a skillet until it smells nutty, then cook that reserved flour right in the butter for a couple of minutes until it deepens in color. Scrape it into a bowl, whisk in the dark brown sugar until the lumps are gone, then whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and pale. Fold in the dry ingredients, cover the dough, and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes before scooping and baking at 350°F for 9–12 minutes, depending on the size you scoop.
💡 About that 20-minute rest: These don't need to chill in the fridge, but a short rest at room temp lets the flour fully hydrate so the dough scoops and bakes evenly — skip it and you'll get flatter, greasier cookies.
Full ingredient amounts, exact bake times, and step-by-step photos are in the recipe card below.
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How to store these cookies
Baked cookies keep for 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. To freeze, spread them in a single layer on parchment, freeze for an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag — they'll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Craving more? I've got tons of recipe ideas for homemade cookies if you want to keep the baking going.
Tip: Keep a stash of these cookies on hand in the freezer for when your friends who are not chocolate lovers come over.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- brown butter from 14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set dry ingredients aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Brown the butter: In a large saucepan, add unsalted butter and cook over medium heat, swirling often and scraping bottom of pan with a heatproof rubber spatula, until butter foams, then turns dark brown and smells nutty, about 6–8 minutes.brown butter
- Add the remaining ¼ cup all-purpose flour to the brown butter. The butter will foam immediately, but don’t worry; just keep stirring. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is deep golden brown (the shade of a chai latte), about 2 minutes.
- Scrape the brown butter mixture, including any browned bits at the bottom of the pan, into a medium heat proof mixing bowl.
- To the brown butter flour mixture, add the dark brown sugar and whisk until no large lumps remain.1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
- Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and paler in color, about 1 minute.1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients and fold in until no dry spots remain. The dough will be thick and maybe even look a little greasy.
- Cover the dough and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Allowing the dough to rest ensures thicker cookies.
- If making medium cookies, using a #16 cookie scoop (about ¼ cup), portion out 12 balls of dough (about 56 g each).If making large cookies, using a #10 cookie scoop (about 6 heaping Tbsp.), portion out 8 balls of dough (about 85 g each).
- Divide the dough balls between the two prepared baking sheets. Bake one tray of cookies at a time until firm and golden brown around the edges, 9–11 minutes for medium cookies, 10–12 minutes for large cookies. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets.
Notes
- Make ahead: Cookies can be baked 3 days ahead. Store cooled cookies in an airtight at room temperature.
- To freeze: Place cooled cookies on a parchment paper lined baking tray in a single layer. Freeze for at least one hour then transfer to a freezer safe storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Recipe from Bon Appetit.
Comments
Maria says
How do I triple it? I tried multiplying by 3 but dough turned out really greasy and crispy uneven cookies came out 😭😭😭
Kimberlee Ho says
Hmmm... I wonder why they came out greasy. I don't know what else to tell you other than to make one batch at a time!