What is the difference between white sugar and brown sugar?

The key difference between these two sugars is the presence of molasses. White sugar does not contain molasses, while brown sugar does contain molasses.

What is the difference between dark brown sugar and light brown sugar?

There are two types of brown sugar: dark and light. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses (6.5%) while light brown sugar contains less molasses (3.5%). This means dark brown sugar will produce a deeper, richer flavor and has a darker color.

What does brown sugar do for cookies?

Simply put, brown sugar creates cookies that are more moist and chewy . This type of sugar is more dense than white sugar. When it's creamed with butter, it creates fewer air pockets. This results in cookies that spread more while baking.

Which brown sugar is best for cookies?

Typically, dark brown sugar and light brown sugar can be used interchangeably. For this particular recipe, I prefer dark brown sugar because it produces the richest and deepest flavor.

Can you use just brown sugar in cookies?

Yes, of course! The cookie dough in this recipe is sweetened with only brown sugar. However, we'll roll the dough in some granulated sugar for decoration and added sweetness.

Vegan Brown Sugar Cookies

Description

Vegan brown sugar cookies are soft, moist, buttery, and chewy! They’re sweetened with dark brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla. The easy recipe is eggless, dairy-free, and gluten-free friendly. Although they’re delicious all year round, these cookies are perfect for holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup vegan butter, slightly softened (112g)
1 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed (213g)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp molasses
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (238g) (gluten-free if needed)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the vegan butter and dark brown sugar. Using an electric handheld mixer or a stand mixer, cream the ingredients together until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and molasses. Cream together until combined.
Add all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Fold the ingredients together until evenly combined.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop and roll the cookie dough into balls. Add the granulated sugar to a bowl. Gently roll each ball of cookie dough in the sugar, evenly coating the surface. Transfer to the baking sheet.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes on the middle rack in your oven. Remove them from the oven while the center still appears underbaked. Once you remove them from the oven, let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They will continue to cook, de-puff, and firm up while cooling. Enjoy!

Notes

How to measure flour: Flour should never be scooped or packed into a measuring cup. Instead, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup and scrape off any excess. For accurate measurements, I strongly recommend weighing the flour using a food scale. This recipe uses 238g of flour.
How to store cookies: Store cookies inside a sealer container at room temperature for 3-5 days. If saving longterm, store inside a sealed ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Brown sugar: I recommend using dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar will work too.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 169
Sugar: 16g
Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 1g