Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (2024)

Jump to Recipe

These homemade chocolate chip cookies without baking soda are going to rock your world! All it takes is 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients to whip up these ooey, gooey chocolatey treasures!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (1)

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are truly one of life’s greatest pleasures and nothing compares to homemade.

Many of us have our favorite recipes for this timeless classic, but what happens when we are missing a couple of ingredients? There is no need to panic or make an extra trip to the store — we got this.

Many recipes call for a leavening agent, such as baking soda, but it’s certainly not necessary. These chocolate chip cookies with no baking soda are proof, and I’m excited to share this recipe with you.

Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:

  • All the ingredients you need to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe without baking soda
  • What to substitute for baking soda in chocolate chip cookies
  • Helpful tips on making the best chocolate chip cookies with no baking soda

This recipe is simple, easy, and scrumptious — all with no baking soda and no baking powder. Get ready for your house to smell divine!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (2)

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take two baking sheets, line them with parchment paper, and set them aside.

STEP TWO: Cream butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and eggs and mix thoroughly.

STEP THREE: In the same bowl, sift in flour and salt and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

STEP FOUR: Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Once you’re ready to bake, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets using a medium cookie scoop (I love my OXO cookie scoop). Leave 2 inches between each scoop to allow for spreading.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (4)

STEP FIVE: Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is slightly undercooked. Cool on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes to finish setting the centers. Then, transfer them to wire racks to finish cooling.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (5)

What Can I Use Instead of Baking Soda in Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you’d like to test out other leavening agents, here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Baking powder can be used in place of baking soda in most recipes, but it’s not as strong. Use 3 times as much baking powder as you would baking soda.
  • Potassium bicarbonate is another effective substitute and is a 1:1 substitution. The lower sodium content may change the flavor of your recipe, so you may need to add a pinch of salt.
  • Baker’s ammonia (ammonium carbonate) is another, less common option. It is also a 1:1 substitution. This option is best for thinner, crispier recipes such as these cookies.
  • Self-rising flour can also be used in recipes in place of all-purpose flour and baking soda. This flour already contains baking powder and salt. It is important to note that other ingredients in your chocolate chip recipe will need to be adjusted, which can be tricky.

Of course, if you don’t have any of these clever substitutes in the cupboard, simply follow this top-notch recipe for homemade chocolate chip cookies without baking powder or baking soda. Voila — no substitutes required!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (6)

Tips for Making This Chocolate Chip Recipe Without Baking Soda

A few simple steps will make your cookies the best they can possibly be:

  • Make sure your oven is preheated at the correct temperature and correctly calibrated.
  • Use room-temperature ingredients when making the dough, then chill the dough before baking.
  • Gather all of your ingredients before starting and be sure to measure precisely.
  • Avoid overmixing! Stop as soon as there are no more visible streaks of flour.
  • Keep a close eye on the oven and don’t overbake.

How Will Making Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda Change My Cookies?

Baking soda is a leavening agent, which means it causes your dough or batter to rise. In the case of baking soda, carbon dioxide bubbles are released during baking, causing the rising action.

Since this cookie recipe has no leavening agent, the cookies will turn out thicker and denser. I personally love a dense cookie — more scrumptiousness per square inch!

You can also try my sugar cookie recipe without baking soda and banana bread without baking soda!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (7)

What Can I Add To Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Do you feel like jazzing up your cookies a bit? Get as creative and adventurous as you’d like! Here are a few add-ins and upgrades to consider:

  • Change up your chips! How about trying white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, or a combination?
  • M&Ms, Reese’s pieces, or your other favorite candy
  • Smashed up candy bar bits
  • Nuts
  • Sprinkles
  • Get creative and have fun!

Other Homemade Cookies Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
  • Hershey Kiss Cookies Without Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies With No Butter
  • Vanilla Crinkle Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
  • Snickerdoodle Cookies
  • 35 Easy Holiday Cookies
  • Butterscotch Chip Cookies
  • Easy Iced Thumbprint Cookies
  • Eggless Cookies
  • Chocolate Toffee Thumbprint Cookies
  • Snowball Cookies Without Nuts

More recipes You’ll love

  • Healthy Lunch Meals
  • Air Fry Shrimp Frozen
  • Recipes for Leftover Steak
  • Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
  • Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe
  • Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer
  • Air Fryer Burger
  • Meatballs in the Air Fryer
  • Macaroni and Cheese with Cream Cheese

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (8)

Yield: 24-28 cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (9)

These homemade chocolate chip cookies without baking soda only take 30 minutes and a few ingredients to whip up these chocolatey treasures!

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Cool Time5 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cool
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, cold
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  4. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
  5. Sift in the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
  6. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.
  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or until you’re ready to bake.
  8. Use a medium cookie scoop to drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and slightly underdone — be careful not to overbake.
  10. Cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer them to baking racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 199Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g

This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo on Instagram tagging @EverydayFamilyCooking! I love to see your pictures!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you bake cookies without baking soda? ›

You technically can leave out baking soda in certain recipes (like chocolate chip cookies or pancakes) in a pinch, but you need to understand that your finished product will not be as light and fluffy as the recipe intended. Unless you have no other option, you really should use a leavening substitute.

What can I use if I dont have baking soda? ›

If you don't have baking soda, you can use baking powder, at three times what the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can use three teaspoons of baking powder. Baking powder also contains a little bit of salt, so it's also a good idea to halve the salt the recipe calls for.

What happens if you use baking powder instead of soda in chocolate chip cookies? ›

Baking soda is generally about three times stronger than baking powder, so adjust your recipe accordingly. Baking soda and baking powder can produce cookies with different textures. Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies.

What happens if you forget the baking soda in cookies? ›

Without baking soda or baking powder, these cookies will remain a little flatter then other recipes but because of the eggs and creaming of the butter and sugars in this recipe they will still puff up a little in the oven. They will have crispy edges and a soft, chewy center.

Can you bake anything without baking powder or baking soda? ›

If you don't have either baking powder or baking soda, consider switching gears and relying on another type of leavener altogether: whipped egg whites. Instead of sparking a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide, whipped egg whites introduce air to the batter, bringing natural height to your baked goods.

Why avoid baking soda? ›

Baking soda contains sodium, which, in high amounts, can affect the heart. One 2016 case study notes that overdosing on baking soda has caused heart arrhythmias for some individuals. There have also been cases of baking soda overdoses causing cardiac arrest.

How do you substitute baking powder for baking soda in cookies? ›

Remember that baking soda is 3-4 times stronger than baking powder, so you'll need a lot more baking powder to get the same leavening action. As a general rule, triple the amount of baking powder for the amount of baking soda called for in a recipe. For example, 1 teaspoon baking soda = 3 teaspoons baking powder.

What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

What makes cookies chewy? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

Can you leave out baking soda in sugar cookies? ›

Baking soda helps to create a softer, more airy texture in sugar cookies. However, it is not necessary for the cookies to rise. Other leavening agents, such as baking powder or self-rising flour, can be used instead.

Why are my cookies flat? ›

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

What happens if I forgot to add baking soda to banana bread? ›

Believe it or not, you can make a delicious loaf of banana bread without baking soda that is moist, soft, and fluffy with the help of baking powder! It won't rise quite as much, but it will still be absolutely delicious and tender packed with flavor from brown bananas and ground cinnamon.

How important is baking soda in cookies? ›

adding baking soda to your cookie dough. will help your cookie spread more. and develop a golden brown color. this is because baking soda is a base. adding basic ingredients will weaken the gluten.

Why do you have to mix baking soda with water for cookies? ›

The recipe for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies claims that the addition of a small amount of water, “creates steam as [the cookie] bakes, working with the baking soda to puff the cookies up.” Others claim mixing warm water with baking soda helps remove clumps and disperses it with the other ingredients in the recipe.

Why use both baking soda and baking powder in cookies? ›

Recipes that use both baking soda and baking powder

The most common reason is that these recipes contain an acid, but the combination with baking soda is not enough to fully leaven the recipe, so baking powder is used to add the necessary lift.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6050

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Clemencia Bogisich Ret

Birthday: 2001-07-17

Address: Suite 794 53887 Geri Spring, West Cristentown, KY 54855

Phone: +5934435460663

Job: Central Hospitality Director

Hobby: Yoga, Electronics, Rafting, Lockpicking, Inline skating, Puzzles, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.