Granulated vs. Light Brown vs. Dark Brown Sugar: Which Is the Best for Chocolate Chip Cookies?

We put the sugars to the test.

I have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe I always use. It’s a printed recipe that’s tattered and covered in butter, chocolate smears and other unidentifiable things. I drag it out every time I make chocolate chip cookies even though I know the recipe by heart. When I make them, I’m like a robot, whipping up a batch of cookie dough without really thinking about it. One day though, I was in “robot-mode,” and mistakenly added all granulated sugar into my cookie dough. As soon as I did it, I grabbed my face like Macaulay Culkin from that shaving scene in “Home Alone” and yelled, “ahhhhh!”

Since sugar plays a significant role in cookie baking, and that role varies by type of sugar, I wondered if my cookies were now doomed. That somehow got me thinking—what actually is the best sugar for chocolate chip cookies? So I whipped up a few more batches with varying amounts and types of sugars and reached out to expert bakers to find the answer.

What Role Does Sugar Play in Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Before we talk about which sugar or sugar combination is “best” for chocolate chip cookies, it’s important to understand the role it plays in a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Sugar, generally speaking, acts as a sweetener, but also contributes to structure, According to Jenny, a chef at Nordic Ware Test Kitchen, sugar can also affect the texture of a cookie. "It can determine if the cookie is soft, chewy, or crumbly," she says. Tessa Arias, chef and founder of Handle the Heat, adds that sugar is also important for “caramelization and Maillard browning, which creates that characteristic butterscotch flavor and crisp edges in cookies.”

To dig even deeper, let’s look at how sugar is made. First, sugarcane is crushed to release its juice which is then boiled to remove water. Next, the sugar is spun in a centrifuge to remove impurities (a necessary step since these impurities can decompose and affect sweetness, according to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking) and molasses. The sugar is then left to crystalize. At this point, it’s white, or granulated sugar. To make brown sugar, manufacturers add back some molasses (more for dark brown sugar), which introduces moisture and gives the sugar its characteristic color.

What does all of this mean for your cookies? Since granulated sugar does not have added molasses, it has less moisture, which will contribute to the hardness and crispness of your cookies, as well as the spread, says Arias. Your cookies will also be more sweet (granulated sugar is sweeter than brown sugar) and lighter in color than cookies made with either all or a combination of white and brown sugar.

As for flavor, it’s unanimous: bakers prefer cookies made with at least 50% brown sugar. “Adding brown sugar or dark brown sugar to your cookies will give you a deeper, slightly more complex caramel flavor that I crave in a classic chocolate chip cookie. Brown sugar also tends to yield a chewier cookie, which I love,” says Emily Nejad, owner of Bon Vivant Cakes. Arias agrees, ”I like a high ratio of brown sugar to white sugar (almost double the brown!) for a bolder butterscotch flavor and slightly more moist texture.”

The Best Sugar for Chocolate Chip Cookies

To see which sugar (or combination of sugars) makes the best cookie, I made six different batches of Allrecipes' popular Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes. Each batch was made the exact same way, using the exact same ingredients, except for the type and amounts of sugar. I refrigerated all the dough overnight, then rolled them into 1 ½ ounce balls and baked them the same day. Here’s what I tested:

• 100% granulated sugar

• 100% light brown sugar

• 100% dark brown sugar

• 50% dark brown sugar and 50% light brown sugar

• 50% dark brown sugar and 50% granulated sugar

• 50% dark light sugar and 50% granulated sugar

The Results

It’s important to know that these results are subjective. Like my baker experts, everyone has different tastes, and even expectations when it comes to their chocolate chip cookies. In other words, my winner might not be your winner. Regardless, you’ll have the information you need to make the best choice for you when it comes to making your next batch of chocolate chip cookies. See below for description on everything from taste and texture to spread!

100% granulated sugar

Visual grade: B

While not an ugly cookie by any means, the paleness from lack of brown sugar made these cookies look under-done, even though they weren’t. We missed the golden-brown hue, but appreciated the little extra “poofiness,” which made the cookies sit a bit taller than the rest.

Flavor grade: B

The cookies are very sweet, definitely the sweetest of the bunch. The absence of brown sugar also made them taste rather “one-note,” lacking complexity from the molasses that contributes that golden, butterscotch flavor.

Texture grade: B+

The exterior provided a delightful crispy bite and the interior was moist, but not chewy. It was a pleasant textural experience, but not quite at “A” level.

100% light brown sugar

Visual grade: B+

This cookie had more golden color than the 100% granulated version, but they came out flatter than many of the others with a bit more spread.

Flavor grade: B+

The cookies tasted sweeter than expected and the concentration of brown sugar gave them a noticeable molasses taste. All of this was “okay,” which is why we gave it a “B+.”

Texture grade: B

All of that moisture created a very soft interior, but not so much that affected the “chewiness.” The only problem was that the cookie was so thin, there wasn’t much interior to chew!

100% dark brown sugar

Visual grade: B+

This was the darkest colored cookie of the group, but that was to be expected. It fell rather quickly once it came out of the oven and “settled” to create a top with lots of bumps and ridge.

Flavor grade: B+

This cookie tasted the least sweet of all the batches, which I personally loved. The dark brown sugar contributed so much caramel-y flavor that made the cookies taste rich and indulgent. These taste like an upscale bakery cookie.

Texture grade: B+

The outside was crisp, which was consistent across all batches of cookies, but the interior was super chewy and incredibly enjoyable to eat.

50% dark brown sugar/50% light brown sugar

Visual grade: B+

The second darkest in color on the list, it came out a beautiful-looking cookie. The spread was just enough to create a cookie with a bit of height, but not too much.

Flavor grade: A

The cookies were delightfully flavored, nicely sweet, but also providing that golden earthiness from the added molasses.

Texture grade: B+

The interior was incredibly soft, and while the moisture was nice, we missed that craveable chewy texture.

50% dark brown sugar/50% granulated sugar

Visual grade: A+

It’s literally gorgeous. That extra molasses from the dark brown sugar adds the perfect golden-brown hue to these cookies.

Flavor grade: A+

If you like a little more depth when it comes to the flavor of your chocolate chip cookie, use dark brown sugar. This cookie felt rich and decadent and more intriguing than the light brown sugar/granulated sugar version.

Texture grade: A+

The texture of this cookie felt “classic” with its just-crispy-enough exterior and perfectly chewy interior.

50% light brown sugar/50% granulated sugar

Visual grade: A+

This cookie was beautiful, striking the right balance of golden and golden-brown color. The spread also seemed “just right,” providing enough lift to secure a scraggly top while allowing for a few centimeters of gorgeous interior.

Flavor grade: A+

It literally tastes like the best cookie— like the one your grandma made, or the one from the fancy bakery down the street. It captures all that is good about cookies from those sweet chocolatey bites to the golden, butterscotch-tasting ones. It’s balanced and delicious.

Texture grade: A+

This cookie wins on texture too. With it’s nicely crisp exterior and slightly chewy interior, it encourages you to slow down and enjoy every bite.