I developed a Dark Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe that yields soft, thick, chewy cookies packed with deep molasses flavor and a simple pantry trick that makes all the difference.

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I stumbled on this Dark Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe while searching What Can I Make With Brown Sugar and it totally changed how I bake cookies. These chewy brown sugar cookies are thick and soft, with a deep molasses flavor that keeps pulling you back for another bite.

I like how the brown sugar and molasses create a kind of caramel chew, but the cookies never get greasy or flat. I tell people theyre simple enough for a weeknight fix yet special enough to bring to a gathering, and somehow everyone asks for the recipe after one bite.

Try them, you might be hooked.

Ingredients

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Brown sugar: dense carbs and lots of sweetness, adds moisture and deep caramel flavor.
Unsalted butter: mostly fat, makes cookies soft and chewy, adds rich mouthfeel.
Egg and yolk: provides protein and structure, yolk gives extra richness and chew.
Molasses: strong sweet, small amounts add acidity and a warm, almost bitter note.
All purpose flour: main carbs and gluten, gives structure but can dry cookies if overworked.
Vanilla extract: boosts aroma and perceived sweetness, tiny calories, no real nutrients.
Optional coarse sugar: adds crunch and sparkle on top, pure simple sugars, not healthy.

Ingredient Quantities

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg, and 1 large egg yolk

2 tbsp (30 ml) molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine salt

Optional: coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Let your butter and eggs sit out 15-20 minutes so they come to room temp, it makes mixing easier.

2. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer or 4-5 with a whisk and elbow grease.

3. Beat in 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk until combined, then add 2 tbsp molasses and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Scrape the bowl so nothing is hiding on the sides.

4. In another bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt so everything is evenly distributed.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and stir gently until just combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will get tough, a few streaks of flour are ok.

6. For thicker, chewier cookies, chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes. If you’re impatient you can bake right away, they’ll just spread more and be a little flatter.

7. Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons or a
1.5 to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop into balls, roll them in coarse or granulated sugar if using, and place on the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart. Slightly press each ball down so they’re a bit flattened but still puffy.

8. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. They will look underdone in the middle but will firm up as they cool.

9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer. If they get too firm, pop one in the microwave 5-8 seconds to soften.

Equipment Needed

1. Baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
2. Large mixing bowl for creaming the butter and sugar
3. Medium mixing bowl to whisk the flour baking soda baking powder and salt
4. Hand mixer for easiest mixing or a whisk if you wanna use elbow grease
5. Rubber spatula to scrape the sides and fold the dough gently
6. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for the sugar flour molasses and leaveners
7. Cookie scoop about one and a half to two tablespoons or two spoons to portion dough
8. Cooling rack so the cookies finish firming up evenly
9. Small shallow bowl for rolling the dough balls in coarse or granulated sugar optional

FAQ

Q: Why did my cookies spread out too much and turn flat? A: Usually the butter was too soft or the dough was warm when it went in the oven, or you creamed the butter and sugar too long. Chill the dough 30 minutes to an hour, don’t over-cream, and make sure you measure flour right. Also bake on a cool baking sheet and use the middle rack.

Q: How do I make these extra chewy? A: This recipe is built for chew, but a few tips help: use packed light or dark brown sugar, don’t overbake (take them out when edges are set but centers still soft), add the extra yolk like the recipe says, and chill the dough so the cookies don’t spread thin. Underbaking by a minute or two helps too.

Q: Can I swap dark brown sugar or granulated sugar? A: Yes, dark brown sugar works fine and will give more molasses flavor and chew. Swapping for all granulated sugar will make them drier and crisper, not as chewy. If you mix sugars, keep total amount the same.

Q: Do I have to chill the dough? A: No, it’s not required, but chilling improves flavor and keeps cookies from spreading. 30 minutes is helpful, overnight is better. If you skip chilling, expect slightly thinner cookies, but they’ll still taste good.

Q: Can I freeze the dough or the baked cookies? A: Yes. Scoop or roll dough into balls, flash-freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time. Baked cookies freeze well too in an airtight container for about 2 to 3 months.

Q: How do I get that pretty sugar-crunch on top? A: Roll each dough ball in coarse or granulated sugar before baking, or lightly sprinkle sugar on top right before they go in. Coarse sugar gives the best crunch and sparkle. Don’t add sugar after baking unless you want big sugar bits only on the surface.

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Light brown sugar: use granulated sugar plus molasses. Swap 1 cup brown sugar for 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses, stir till even. Gives almost the same chew and flavor, just mix well or cookies won’t be as soft.
Unsalted butter: swap with solid coconut oil or vegan butter 1:1. Use refined coconut oil if you don’t want a coconut taste. Texture is slightly less rich and edges may spread less, but chew stays good.
1 large egg + 1 yolk: use aquafaba + a bit of oil. Replace the whole egg with 3 tbsp aquafaba, and replace the extra yolk with 1 tbsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable). Cookies will be a touch less rich but still chewy.
Molasses: swap 1:1 with dark corn syrup for the same chew, or use maple syrup 1:1 for a different, sweeter flavor. Maple will lighten the color and change the taste, corn syrup keeps chewiness and color.

Pro Tips

1. Soften the butter right, dont just hope for the best. If it isnt soft, cut it into small cubes so it warms faster, or zap it in the microwave in very short bursts till edges just give. Cream until the mixture is light and a bit fluffy then stop once you add the flour, overmixing makes them tough.

2. Chill or freeze the dough for thicker chewier cookies. Even thirty minutes helps, but freezing scooped balls on a tray then baking from frozen gives the best rise and less spreading, just add a couple minutes to bake time.

3. Measure flour the right way. Spoon it into your cup and level it off or better yet weigh it, packed flour makes dense dry cookies. Also whisk the dry mix so the baking soda and powder are spread evenly, you dont want surprise lumps.

4. Watch the bake not the clock. Ovens vary, so look for set edges and a soft center, rotate the sheet halfway if your oven has hot spots. To keep leftovers soft put a slice of bread in the container with the cookies or store airtight, and if one gets too firm pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to revive it.

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Louise Nightin

0.0 from 0 votes

I developed a Dark Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe that yields soft, thick, chewy cookies packed with deep molasses flavor and a simple pantry trick that makes all the difference.

Servings

servings

Calories

158

kcal

Equipment: 1. Baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
2. Large mixing bowl for creaming the butter and sugar
3. Medium mixing bowl to whisk the flour baking soda baking powder and salt
4. Hand mixer for easiest mixing or a whisk if you wanna use elbow grease
5. Rubber spatula to scrape the sides and fold the dough gently
6. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for the sugar flour molasses and leaveners
7. Cookie scoop about one and a half to two tablespoons or two spoons to portion dough
8. Cooling rack so the cookies finish firming up evenly
9. Small shallow bowl for rolling the dough balls in coarse or granulated sugar optional

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, and 1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp (30 ml) molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt
Optional: coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Let your butter and eggs sit out 15-20 minutes so they come to room temp, it makes mixing easier.
In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer or 4-5 with a whisk and elbow grease.
Beat in 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk until combined, then add 2 tbsp molasses and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Scrape the bowl so nothing is hiding on the sides.
In another bowl whisk together 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt so everything is evenly distributed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and stir gently until just combined. Don't overmix or the cookies will get tough, a few streaks of flour are ok.
For thicker, chewier cookies, chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes. If you're impatient you can bake right away, they'll just spread more and be a little flatter.
Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons or a
5 to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop into balls, roll them in coarse or granulated sugar if using, and place on the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart. Slightly press each ball down so they're a bit flattened but still puffy.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. They will look underdone in the middle but will firm up as they cool.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer. If they get too firm, pop one in the microwave 5-8 seconds to soften.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.