The Best Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut sugar is something I often keep in the house and I use it to sweeten coffee or sometimes use it to create recipes that have less refined sugar.

What is one of those recipes? My best-ever coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies! These cookies are ooey-gooey and have that tasty caramel flavor that brown sugar usually gives you.

So why use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar when making chocolate chip cookies? Coconut sugar has a similar nutritional profile to brown sugar and has almost the same amount of calories and carbohydrates but it is lower on the glycemic index.

This is one reason why some people believe it’s healthier than other forms of sugar.

It is also less processed than brown sugar, but it does have about the same amount of calories as white sugar at just over 16 calories per teaspoon.

Coconut sugar also contains inulin, a prebiotic carbohydrate, which has some health benefits such as supporting gut health. 

Coconut sugar was once only found in specialty food health stores but has become easier to find in regular grocery stores in the past few years. It has recently become a popular form of sugar to use because many people believe that it’s healthier than processed white sugar.

You may also see it in the store as coconut palm sugar or coconut crystals, but coconut palm sugar is not the same thing as palm sugar, which is sugar made from a different type of palm tree.

If it doesn’t say coconut on the package then it’s not coconut sugar. It can also be purchased online from many retailers if you can’t find it in stores.

And don’t get coconut sugar confused with coconut water powder since it looks pretty similar to white sugar, but is actually dehydrated water from the inside of the coconut.

Replacing white or brown sugar with coconut sugar does not require any conversion. When using coconut sugar as a substitute for white or brown sugar you can use a 1:1 ratio. This means that for one cup of brown sugar, you will use one cup of coconut sugar in its place.

Coconut sugar has a texture more like that of white sugar rather than brown sugar which holds more moisture.

Of course, not everyone is a fan of the taste of coconut in their baked goods. If you’re concerned about the coconut flavor being noticeable in your cookie recipe, don’t worry, coconut sugar does not taste at all like coconut.

The color and flavor of coconut sugar are actually very similar to brown sugar and you may not even notice the difference between the two if you didn’t know!

In fact, you may not know that coconut sugar is not actually made from the coconuts themselves. It is made from the sap that comes from the flower buds on the coconut palm tree.

The liquid from the buds is collected and placed over heat until the liquid is evaporated and only the sugar remains.

And although the chemistry of brown sugar and coconut sugar may differ somewhat, these cookies are still delicious and chewy. It’s doubtful that anyone would notice much of a difference between the two types of sugar in this particular recipe.

If you keep coconut sugar in your kitchen then it’s a perfect and easy substitute and can be used in a variety of different baked goods or to sweeten beverages.

Now that you know why I love using coconut sugar, here’s how to make coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies!

How to Make the Best Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1:

Gather the ingredients.

Step 2:

Mix the dry ingredients.

Step 3:

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and butter.

Step 4:

Add vanilla and eggs.

Step 5:

Mix the dry and wet ingredients to make the dough.

Step 6:

Add chocolate chips.

Step 7:

Scoop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. I love this set from Amazon, and I warmly recommend it!

Step 8:

Bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated oven (350 F).

Step 9:

Cool cookies on a cooling rack.

Step 10:

Enjoy the best coconut sugar chocolate chip cookies ever!

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