The next time you get a craving for something sweet, try these chocolate chip cookies without baking soda.
They’re everything you want in the classic cookie, and they’re especially ideal for when you forgot to go to the store.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Without Baking Soda
Baking soda is used in cookies as a leavening agent. It’s there to help the cookies rise, it ensures they don’t spread too far, and it helps them turn nice and golden.
BUT it’s not essential. In fact, if you like chewy cookies, you don’t need it at all.
Seriously, these chocolate chip cookies are rich, chewy, and loaded with gooey chocolate. Plus, they have the most beautiful crispy edges.
The secret? Use a little less, cold butter and underbake them.
Yup, that’s all it takes to make these chocolate chip cookies without baking soda. Cool, huh?
Ingredients
- Cold Butter - soft butter makes mixing the dough easy. But it also means the dough will spread in the oven. So, use cold butter, and less of it, and the cookies won’t spread (aka, go flat).
- All-Purpose Flour - pretty standard, for structure. You don’t need cake flour for cookies.
- Sugar - white and brown sugar for sweetness and that wonderful chewy finish
- Chocolate Chips or Chopped Chocolate - I like chopped chocolate so you get big pockets of melty goodness
- Egg - for richness, to bind the ingredients, and to help them rise a little
- Vanilla Paste - for sweet warmth. Use extract if that’s all you have
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda
This recipe is enough for 10-12 cookies. And since you’ll be using cold butter, you’ll need a mixer or hand mixer for the initial butter and sugar creaming.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat the cold butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle or in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then mix again until well blended.
- Add the flour and chocolate at the same time, then mix by hand until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Scoop the cookie dough into portions using a cookie scoop or spoon. Then line them on the baking sheet.
- Chill the dough - this is optional. Since the butter was cold, it should be fine, but if you like extra thick cookies, chill the portions for 30-60 minutes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to cool for 5 minutes. Then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frequently Ask Questions
Let’s go over a few frequently asked questions.
What Happens if You Make Cookies without Baking Soda?
As mentioned, baking soda is a leavening agent. That means it creates carbon dioxide bubbles which create an airier texture in the baked dough.
Without it, the cookies will be slightly dense.
But isn’t the best kind of cookie dense and chewy? I think so!
Without baking soda, these cookies are thick, dense, and heavenly. And since you’ll use a little less butter and underbake them, they’ll be super soft and dreamy.
What Can I Use Instead of Baking Soda for Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Want your cookies to be lighter, I’ve got you. Here are a few options for cookies when you need a baking soda substitute:
- Baking Powder - baking powder is similar to baking soda, but you need to use three times as much to get the same effect. So I’d only use this if you’re making a big batch of cookies. And only in chocolate chip cookies as you may taste the baking powder in sugar cookies.
- Potassium Bicarbonate - use this is the same amounts as baking soda (1 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon) but you’ll also need to add a bit of salt. I suggest a large pinch per teaspoon.
- Baker’s Ammonia - here’s another great option you can use on a 1 to 1 ratio (1 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon). But keep in mind the cookies may be more crisp in the end.
Recipe Variations
As with any good cookie recipe, this one has a ton of fun variations. Really, the sky’s the limit, but here are my faves:
- Add chopped pretzels
- Add crushed salted potato chips
- Add chopped nuts
- Sprinkle them with sea salt
- Add toffee bits
- Freeze a small mound of Nutella or Biscoff then mold the cookie dough around it
- Add marshmallows
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda
Ingredients:
- 55 grams of Cold Butter (1/4 cup)
- 250 grams of All-Purpose Flour (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 50 grams of White Sugar (1/4 cup)
- 50 grams of Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
- 175 grams of Chocolate Chips or Chopped Chocolate (1 cup)
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Paste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until well blended.
- Add the flour and chocolate and stir with a spatula until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop, so they’re even.
- Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to cool for 5 minutes. Then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.