Why Use Both White And Brown Sugar
Sugar is used in baking to provide sweetness and tenderness to baked goods. Sugar is available in many forms such as granulated white sugar, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, icing sugar, powdered sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses, maple syrup, and barley malt syrup. Sugars are added to recipes to sweeten desserts, breads, pastries, and other baked goods. In addition to being sweeter than other ingredients, sugars contribute moisture to doughs and batters. Baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents that react with acids such as lactic acid to produce carbon dioxide gas. This reaction produces air pockets in the batter or dough, resulting in lighter, fluffier baked goods.
Can You Make Peanut Butter Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Who doesnt like a freshly baked batch of homemade peanut butter cookies? Its a fantastic dish to try for any sweet tooth. However, can you make easy peanut butter cookies without brown sugarif you dont have brown sugar at home?
You may bake cookies entirely out of white sugar or any other substitute for brown sugar. Yes, it is true, and all these cookies are delicious but a bit less chewy than typical brown sugar peanut cookies.
So, lets discover our peanut butter cookie recipe with no brown sugar!
Contents
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe Variations
I love me a good traditional peanut butter cookie. But I also love EVERY type of peanut butter cookie. I just searched my own blog and I have nine separate peanut butter cookie recipes! Nine! Here are some ideas for how to take todays regular recipe to the next level:
- Add semi sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
- Add M& Ms. Bonus points if their color matches the nearest holiday!
- Use chunky peanut butter for some crunch
- Drizzle finished cookies with melted peanut butter and let cool
But if you really want to step it up a notch, try out some of my other favorite peanut butter cookie recipes, like this Outrageous Pretzel Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies or Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies . Or my new easy favorite, No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. A childhood classic!
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Difference Between White Sugar And Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown sugar is white sugar that has been combined with molasses to give it a brown hue. Molasses is a syrup made from white sugar. It seems to have a caramel taste that complements a variety of savory and sweet recipes.
The molasses combine with white sugar in brown sugar, which holds moisture better than pure cane sugar. Brown and white sugar have nutritional profiles that are just slightly different.
Although brown sugar has fewer nutrition calories than white sugar, it is sufficient to be healthier or low-calorie. Brown and white sugar, on the other hand, have distinct acidity and chemistry, and they might act differently based on the recipe.
If you substitute one for another, your recipes taste and texture may be affected. Brown sugar may make your biscuits moisture, while white sugar may make them rise more.
In general, they can make sweet and tasty cookies it is just a question of taste. Theres a distinction between dark and light brown sugar as well. Dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content, giving it a caramel-like taste.
Why Do You Put Fork Marks On Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter is heavy stuff. And its basically pure fat. Much more fat than goes in your average cookie. Baking soda and baking powder are powerful leaveners, but even they cant do their job properly in the face of so much fat.
If you dont press down peanut butter cookies, they will stay in the exact same shape they were in when you started to bake them. You dont need to use a fork. Use a spoon, use your fingers, smash with the bottom of a drinking glass. Butdont you secretly love those fork marks? They are so nostalgic, right?? Be sure not to flatten your cookies too much, we dont want them baking up crispy. You want to press them to about ½ inch.
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When You Need A Sweet Treat And Dont Have Brown Sugar In The Houseyou Can Still Make The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
You know I have a sweet tooth and I always like to make an easy recipe that has simple ingredients and tastes amazing!!
This easy peanut butter cookie recipe is one of those recipes that came out of necessity! The first time I made these we lived in Mexico so it wasnt easy to find brown sugar. So many times I had to make my desserts without brown sugar, like my banana bread recipe.
But these cookies are pretty amazing because they are flourless peanut butter cookies- so it could be a gluten-free recipe! With just 4 ingredients you can whip up an amazing dessert for everyone.
I love easy cookie recipes!
White Sugar With Maple Syrup
If you do not have molasses, you may substitute maple syrup with white sugar. There is practically no difference in the result of your dish.
Combine one cup of granulated white sugar plus one tablespoon pure maple syrup to form a brown sugar replacement that will deceive even the most discerning palate.
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Optional: Add Chocolate Chips And/or Oats
If youd like to add chocolate chips, which are optional, youd do that at this point. Again, the texture of this dough is different- the chocolate chips wont stick in there as well. Just do your best to mix them in. You can also add oats in there, too!
I like to roll balls in sugar and give them a little criss cross, but you could simply put spoonfuls of dough on the sheet and flatten them a little with a bottom of a cup if youre in a hurry.
If I add chocolate chips, I usually skip the step with rolling in sugar and criss-crossing and instead I just use a cookie scoop and then lightly flatten the dough balls with my hand or the bottom of a cup.
Who Invented The Peanut Butter Cookie
The peanut butter cookie recipe that most resembles modern peanut butter cookies, and introduced the now familiar cross-hatch pattern, first appeared in Ruth Wakefield’s Toll House Tried and True Recipes in 1936. Over the years, similar recipes followed, including Betty Crocker’s peanut butter cookie recipe.
Our recipe most closely follows Betty Crocker’s proportions, but as in Ruth Wakefield’s, we are using all butter instead of a combination of butter and shortening.
These peanut butter cookies are super easy to make, with no fancy ingredients. What’s in peanut butter cookies? Just peanut butter, flour, butter, sugar, egg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
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Are These Cookies Gluten Free
While these cookies can technically be considered gluten free peanut butter cookies, not all brands of peanut butter are created equal. From what Ive read, there are varying opinions of the trustworthiness of certain types of peanut butter.
So before serving these cookies to someone you know who lives a gluten free lifestyle, let them know what brand of peanut butter you used. If youre baking with them in mind, you could even ask them what brand of peanut butter they use and trust. And, finally, you can also try verifying a brand of your choice with this list: 12 Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brands.
How To Store And Freeze Peanut Butter Cookies
Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for about 5 days before drying out.
To Store or Freeze the Cookie Dough: Refrigerate cookie dough with plastic wrap pressed against the dough for up to 3 days. To freeze cookie dough, line a sheet pan with foil and then add the balls of cookie dough. Press with a fork to make cross-hatch marks, and then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed, adding on a few extra minutes of baking time.
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Why These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies Work
- These dairy free peanut butter cookies are baked at a low temperature to allow them time to spread out instead of being puffy.
- Peanut butter has a tendency to make cookies dry and chalky. This recipe uses just the right ratio of butter to peanut butter and a low amount of flour to create a soft middle.
- This recipe only requires just 9 basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients
These homemade peanut butter cookies can be made using ingredients that are already in your pantry. Heres what youll need to make these ultra soft peanut butter cookies:
- All-purpose flour this base builds up the structure of the cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder these are crucial as they help the cookies to rise.
- Salt we dont add that much because theres already salt in the peanut butter.
- Unsalted butter salted butter can be used too, just omit the 1/4 tsp salt from the recipe.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar this blend gives the cookies the perfect sweetness and the brown sugar helps keep them soft.
- Creamy peanut butter I recommend using Jif or Skippy.
- Egg this helps bind the ingredients together, youll only need 1 here.
- Vanilla extract this adds that light, classic flavor we all love. Preferably stick with the real stuff not imitation.
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Fun Peanut Butter Cookie Variations
- Roll in sugar. Roll the cookie dough balls in sugar before pressing with a fork.
- Add a Hershey’s kiss. Skip the fork marks . Roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar and bake as instructed. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press in a chocolate Hershey’s kiss . Here’s the full recipe.
- Use almond butter. Swap out the peanut butter with almond butter for an easy almond butter cookie.
Another Success Tip: Chill The Cookie Dough
Chilling the cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking the cookies is crucial to this recipes success. The dough is incredibly creamy, almost like peanut butter frosting, and youll have a heck of a time trying to roll and bake such a soft dough. Set aside 12 hours for chilling, or do yourself a favor and make the dough the night before.
Expect a VERY creamy cookie dough:
After chilling, the cookie dough solidifies and its easier to roll into balls:
After chilling, roll the dough into balls and then generously roll in granulated sugar. Sugar gives these cookies a sparkly sweet exterior with a touch of crunch before giving way to soft, melt-in-your-mouth bliss. Dont forget the classic criss-cross on top of each cookie, just press with a fork!
Another success tip: After flattening the balls with a fork, use your fingers to reshape the edges into thicker/taller discs, because the thicker the disc, the thicker the baked cookie.
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Did You Make This Recipe
Tag on Instagram and hashtag it so I can see! –> #ourbestbites
These flourless peanut butter cookies are seriously the easiest, quickest cookies and I almost didnt want to tell you guys that they were gluten free, or didnt have any butter or flour, because I know there are people out there who will dismiss this recipe thinking of it simply as a replacement if you cant have normal cookies. Not the case. This is actually just an amazing cookie recipe and its simply a fun side note that they dont have flour or butter. As proof- I honestly make these more often than any other peanut butter cookie recipe. Its a bonus that theyre stinking fast. It literally takes me maybe 60 seconds to mix the dough. This is one of our family favorites for our weekly Monday Night Family Nights because I always have the ingredients on hand!
What Can I Use To Substitute Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is used in many recipes because of its sweet flavor. It is a combination of white granulated sugar and molasses. Brown sugar is usually found in the baking section of grocery stores. It is available in light, dark, and extra dark varieties. Light brown sugar contains about 20% molasses while dark brown sugar contains about 40%. Dark brown sugar is sweeter than regular brown sugar.
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How To Make Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If youre looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 Using a stand mixer , add sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
Step 2 Cream everything together on medium-high speed until batter is thick and crumbly.
Step 3 Use a cookie scoop to scoop out some dough, then roll it between your hands until it forms a ball. Place the cookie ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4 Use a fork to gently press a criss-cross pattern on the top of the cookie. Doing this will also give the cookie a classic flat, round shape, since these cookies wont change that much while baking.
Step 5 Bake!
Step 6 Serve and enjoy!
Why I Love This Recipe
These cookies are exactly the recipe you need when you get a crazy peanut butter craving because they only require 4 ingredients. I can almost guarantee you that you already have them all in your kitchen right now, they don’t even need brown sugar like many other recipes.) And they cook up in just ten minutes so you can go from hungry to warm cookies in 15 minutes total.
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What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Peanut Butter Cookies Without Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar Prepare the peanut butter cookies by adding granulated sugar.
- Unsalted Butter Butter will improve the texture of the cookies.
- Peanut Butter A tablespoon of peanut butter will add sweet flavors with notes of chocolate.
- Egg Eggs will help in binding the batter for preparing the cookies. It also improves the texture of the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract Bring out the fragrant flavors with a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour Add half a cup of all-purpose flour for preparing the peanut butter cookies.
Honey Agave Nectar Or Maple Syrup
Agave Nectar
Honey, agave nectar or maple syrup can all form as a brown sugar substitute with minor changes to the recipe. Since these are liquid substitutes, you will want to consider how the added moisture will influence the outcome of the dish, especially if youre baking.
The exact substitute proportions may vary based on the dish, but here are some general guidelines to get you began:
- 2/3 cup of liquid sweetener for each cup of brown sugar.
You also wish to shorten the cooking process by some minutes because these sugar substitutes caramelize faster than brown sugar.
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Can I Freeze Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
But why freeze baked cookies when you can have freshly-baked peanut butter heaven anytime by freezing dough balls?
All you have to do is roll out the dough balls as if you were going to bake. Roll them in sugar and store in a ziplock.
You can even bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw first. You might need to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Watch them!
Here is the original photo I took of these peanut butter cookies back in 2011! I added chocolate chips to the dough, never a bad idea right? You can also try swapping in a cup of peanut butter chips for the ultimate peanut butter experience! Tell me you are going to make these soon!!!
What Is The Best Sugar To Bake With
White sugar is pure sucrose sugar while brown sugar contains molasses. Molasses is a dark syrup produced from fermenting sugar cane juice. It is used as a sweetener because it contains minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, and sulfur. Brown sugar is sweeter than white sugar. It is usually added to baked goods and other desserts to give them a deeper flavor. White sugar is generally used in baking and brown sugar is used in savory dishes.
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How To Make Peanut Butter Cookies Without Brown Sugar
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 ° F
Step 2: Using an electric mixer, mix the peanut butter, milk, and sugar for 2 minutes at high speed. Add the egg and mix well for another minute.
Step 3: Mix the flour and baking powder and add to the previous mixture. Mix until homogeneous.
Step 4: Using your fingers or an ice-cream scoop, form small balls, and slightly flatten the top with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Step 5: Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Step 6: Let cool at room temperature.
How To Make 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter, sugar and an egg are the only ingredients you need for this recipe. If you want to get super crazy, add vanilla and salt.
Step 1
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. No electric or stand mixer required! Stir with a spoon until creamy and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes so it firms up a bit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Step 2
Form 1-inch balls of dough using your hands and place onto prepared baking sheets Press the tines of a fork into each dough ball in a criss-cross pattern to create those trademark fork marks.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
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