Brown Sugar Is The Only Trick Needed For Chewy, Moist Sugar Cookies

Nothing beats a soft, chewy cookie. That's why cookies taste so good when you take them out of the oven: Warm, gooey cookies are a true delight for the senses.  However, there's no greater disappointment than a cookie that eventually hardens and becomes crunchy as it cools, especially when the goal was for it to be chewy and moist.

There are a number of ways to increase the moisture content in your sugar cookies: Some of these ways are better than others. For example, one could add extra or melted butterto the cookie, though this may lead to the cookies being too rich. One of the easiest methods to attain moist cookies is to reduce the baking time, but this may not be the best choice for those concerned about food safety, particularly when eggs are involved in the recipe.

There's actually a simpler trick to achieving that moist texture without undercooking the dessert: Just swap out the granulated sugar for brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture to the cookies without affecting the overall sweetness.

Brown sugar can moisten sugar cookies in a way granulated sugar doesn't due to the differences between the two. Essentially, brown sugar is just granulated sugar with added molasses. The molasses add moisture to the cookies, resulting in a chewier texture. This is an easy swap that can help you moisten and elevate your dessert.

When swapping brown sugar for the granulated sugar in your recipe, it's important to use the same amount of sugar that the recipe calls for, as it will not affect the overall sweetness of the cookies. You could use either light or dark brown sugar but note that dark brown sugar contains almost twice the quantity of molasses as the light brown variety, which may magnify some of the flavor elements. The possible differences in flavor are important to keep in mind when deciding which variety of sugar you end up using. 

Swapping granulated sugar for brown is an easy way to add moisture to sugar cookies. However, there are a few elements that you should be aware of, particularly in terms of the taste of the cookies. Since brown sugar contains molasses, its flavor is slightly reminiscent of caramel or butterscotch. This flavor will likely come through in the cookies if brown sugar is used. Though this may be desirable for some people, it may not be for others.

Brown sugar is also likely to affect the coloration of the cookies. Using brown sugar will result in the cookies having a darker color. While this is purely aesthetic, it's important to keep in mind if you're looking for a specific color for your cookies. Beyond these differences, brown sugar is an easy way to ensure sugar cookies that are moist and chewy even after they cool, which helps prevent the dreaded hard and crunchy texture.