Nothing frustrates me more than baking a batch of cookies and biting into one… only to find it dry and crumbly. I like a cookie that’s soft in the middle with a little chew — not one that falls apart like sawdust.
After a lot of trial (and way too much error), I found one simple swap that guarantees chewier cookies every single time. No fancy ingredients. No complicated steps. Just one little change that makes a big difference.
The Secret? Swap Out Some White Sugar
Most cookie recipes call for white sugar and brown sugar. But here’s the trick: if you want your cookies chewier, use more brown sugar and less white sugar.
Brown sugar holds more moisture because of the molasses in it. That moisture sticks around when the cookies bake, keeping them soft and chewy instead of dry and crisp.
How I Do It
Whenever I’m making chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies (or honestly, any cookie), I adjust the sugar like this:
If the recipe calls for 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, I flip it. I’ll do 1 ½ cups brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar.
Sometimes I skip the white sugar altogether if I want them super soft.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Same recipe. Same bake time. Just chewier cookies that taste like they came from a bakery.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Overbake
While you’re at it — take those cookies out of the oven just before they look done. They’ll finish cooking on the pan. Leave them in too long, and no sugar swap will save them from turning into hockey pucks.
Since I started doing this, I haven’t looked back. My cookies come out soft, chewy, and impossible to resist every time.
So next time you bake, skip the dry-cookie heartbreak. Grab your brown sugar and give this easy swap a try. Your taste buds (and everyone in your house) will thank you.
