How to Make Soft Brown Sugar Cookies, No Butter Recipe

If you love soft cookies, these soft brown sugar cookies are for you. It’s a brown sugar cookie, no butter recipe, so it’s dairy free. 

These brown sugar cookies are simple to make with basic ingredients and no electric mixer needed. 

Brown Sugar Cookies, No Butter Recipe

This recipe has become a favorite cookie recipe at our house. Why???

Because they are quick to make! No chill time needed. I made a batch and my family couldn’t believe the cookies were ready so fast. 

They are not only delicious sugar cookies, but they smell divine while baking. 

And they take only basic ingredients you probably have on hand right now. 

If you bake cookies for the holiday season, these will become a fast favorite to make. 

But don’t limit making them only for the holiday season, they can satisfy your sweet tooth any time of the year. 

I think once you try them, you’ll think these are the best cookies ever. 

So let’s get started with what you’ll need to make these brown sugar cookies without butter. 

Basic Ingredients for Brown Sugar Cookies, No Butter Needed

Vegetable Oil, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, or Olive Oil

You can use any of these oils in the cookies. If you’ll be using coconut oil, be sure to use a refined coconut oil if you don’t want your cookies to have a coconut flavor to them. 

Brown Sugar

You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. Use what you have on hand. Dark brown sugar will give the cookies a little deeper brown color. With the added extra molasses in the dark brown sugar, the cookies will be a little chewier too. 

White Sugar

You’ll need a bit of white sugar to roll the cookies in before placing them on the cookie sheet. 

Eggs

You’ll need one egg with the egg yolk. 

If you want to make this recipe vegan. Use soy flour to replace the egg. Add 1 tablespoon of soy flour to the dry ingredients and 1 tablespoon of water to the wet ingredients in place of the egg. 

Or make it with a flax egg. Which is 1 tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Then use it in place of an egg in the recipe. 

Flour

You can use all purpose flour in this recipe. I like to use the unbleached flour. Or you can use whole wheat pastry flour or white wheat flour to make it healthier. 

Baking Powder

This cookie recipe calls for baking powder instead of baking soda.  

Vanilla

The vanilla flavor really comes through in this cookie recipe. You can use real vanilla extract or imitation vanilla flavoring. I prefer the real vanilla extract. 

Salt

Use any salt you have on hand, table salt or even pink Himalayan salt. For best results, use a fine salt, not course.

Adaptations for this Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe

A few adaptation ideas for you to make this recipe even more delicious.

Almond Extract

If you want a little unique flavor, you can try almond extract instead of vanilla in this cookie recipe. But 1 teaspoons of the almond extract as it’s stronger. 

Chocolate Chips, Vanilla Chips or Butterscotch Chips

Any cookie is great with a yummy chip added. Add chocolate chips to take these simple brown sugar cookies to all brown sugar, no butter chocolate chip cookies. 

You can use white chocolate chips if you prefer. Or for an added butter flavor, try adding butterscotch chips to the dough.

Kitchen Tools You’ll Use for this Butter-Free Brown Sugar Cookies Recipe

The list of items you’ll need to prepare these soft and chewy sugar cookies

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Baking Sheet or Baking Tray

You need a baking sheet or cookie sheet to bake the cookies on.

Parchment Paper or Silicone Sheet Pan Liner

It’s nice to have parchment paper or a silicone sheet pan liner to line your cookie sheet. 

Large Bowl and Small Bowl

You’ll want to have two bowls for this recipe. A large bowl for all the ingredients and a separate bowl for mixing the flour mixture before adding it to the wet ingredients. 

Wire Rack

Having a wire rack to cool the cookies on is nice to keep the bottom crisp as they cool. 

Airtight Container

These brown sugar cookies will stay nice and soft when stored in an airtight container. If they aren’t in an airtight container, they can dry out and become hard. 

If you don’t have an airtight container, you can store them in a zipper topped bag once cooled. 

Electric Hand or Stand Mixer

I’ve made many batches of these cookies by hand without a mixer to mix the ingredients and they turn out great. But if it’s hard for you to mix the dough by hand, an electric mixer can be used. 

Cookie Scoop

To make sure your cookies are all uniform, you can use a cookie dough scoop. I usually use a teaspoon and eyeball it, but a cookie scoop is nice too. 

Now that you know the main ingredients you’ll need and what kitchen tools you’ll need also, let’s get to baking!

How to Make Brown Sugar Cookies, No Butter Recipe

I’ve made a quick video to show you all the steps in this recipe. If watching a video isn’t for you. Scroll on down for the step-by-step photo tutorial and the printable recipe too. 

 More Simple Cookie Recipes to Try…

No Chill Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Chocolate Mint Twinkle Cookies

Quick and Easy Cornflake Cookes

Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe, Step By Step Instructions

Follow the step-by-step tutorial with the photo and written instructions for making these soft sugar cookies with brown sugar below. 

1. Mixing the Dry Ingredients

In a small bowl, you’ll want to place the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients well. You don’t want any little pockets of baking powder in the cookies. 

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a larger bowl, add your egg and whip it. Add oil or melted coconut oil and the vanilla to the bowl. Mix with a whisk until all the ingredients are mixed well.

3. Add the Dry Ingredients to the Wet

Take your premixed dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Fold and stir until the flour is moistened. 

Don’t whip or over mix the dough, that will make the cookies tough. Just mix until the flour is moistened. 

4. Roll the Dough Balls

Scoop the dough with a teaspoon or a cookie scoop. Then roll the dough into balls. 

Place the white sugar into a small bowl and roll the balls of dough in the white sugar to coat.

5. Place on Cookie Sheet

Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Then place the rolled cookies on the baking sheet. Leave enough space for the cookies to expand a little. 

6. Bake the Brown Sugar Cookies

Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

How do you know when sugar cookies are done?

Bake until the tops of the cookies crack and the edges are slightly browned. Don’t over bake or the cookies will become crisp and hard. 

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes to set. Then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool at room temperature. 

7. Storing Your Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

Once fully cooled, place the brown sugar cookies into an airtight container or zippered topped plastic bag to keep them soft and chewy. 

How long do brown sugar cookies last? 

They will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If you need longer storage, you can freeze them for a couple of months. 

That is how easy it is to make this simple cookie recipe.

 Whether you need to eat dairy free or you, if you just don’t have any butter in the refrigerator, these brown sugar cookies are great cookies to make.

Get the Printable Brown Sugar Cookies, No Butter Recipe…