Brownie Cookies
Irresistible soft and chewy Brownie Cookies are a delicious combination of two classic desserts. Chocolate lovers will go crazy for this recipe! With slightly crisp edges, chewy centers and fudgy flavor, these make the best sweet treat any time of the year!
Brownie cookies are perfect for those times when you’re not sure whether you want a rich, fudgy brownie or a soft, chewy baked cookie. We love these for late-night cravings, after school snacks and they’re a great addition to Christmas cookie exchanges. They’re also so good warmed up with a scoop of ice cream. The moist, fudgy center with a slightly crispy, perfectly baked outer layer, and delicious chocolate flavor is so irresistible.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- So easy to make! All you have to do is pull out a handful of basic ingredients from your pantry, mix everything together, and bake. No need to chop or melt chocolate!
- The best texture! The chewy exterior and fudgy center is absolute perfection! These are the perfect indulgent treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- They’re really versatile! Make these for the holidays, parties, potlucks or just a lazy weekend. The perfect cookie for any occasion!
These turned out to be fabulous!! It will be my forever go to chocolate cookie.
— Kate
Ingredients needed
This brownie cookie recipe might taste decadent, but it only require 9 pantry staples, which you probably already have in your kitchen. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Flour. All-purpose flour will give these the perfect tender texture.
- Cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder for a delicious, chocolatey base.
- Baking soda & salt. For proper baking and to balance the sweetness.
- Butter. Unsalted butter adds flavor, structure, and richness in each bite.
- Brown sugar. Dark brown sugar gives these an extra rich, molasses flavor. You may use light brown sugar, if that’s what you have.
- Granulated sugar. A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar is recommended for the best texture and flavor.
- Eggs. Two eggs for structure, stability, and moisture.
- Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla extract for a warm subtle sweetness.
How to make this recipe
Just a few easy steps and you’ll be biting into the best brownie cookies! Here’s the simple process:
- Stir the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Beat the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then beat on high for 1 more minute.
- Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the wet with the mixer on low speed until combined.
- Chill dough. The dough will be sticky. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for best results.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Make dough balls. Roll or scoop the dough into golf ball-sized dough balls and place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 to 3 inches apart. We like using this cookie scoop.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you’re feeling fancy. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Expert tips
- Measure flour correctly. Use a food scale to measure ingredients more precisely. If you don’t have one, lightly spoon flour (don’t pack or scoop) into a measuring cup and without shaking the cup, use the straight side of a butter knife to level the flour across the measuring cup.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter and eggs will combine better with the sugars, and result in an overall better texture. The butter should still be cool to the touch and it should indent slightly when you press on it with your finger. Take butter and eggs out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before beginning your recipe. Here’s a guide on how to soften butter quickly if you forget to take it out of the fridge.
- Cocoa powder. It’s best to use 100% cocoa powder (such as Ghirardelli or regular Hershey’s cocoa powder) and not Dutch-process powder. Dutch-process cocoa powder has been neutralized, which means it doesn’t have the acid needed to react with the baking soda. This reaction is necessary for the cookies to bake properly.
- Bake on parchment or silicone. Baking on parchment paper or silicone baking mats is recommended. Greasing the baking sheet creates an overly greasy foundation, which will cause too much spreading. Silicone baking mats will grip onto the bottom of your cookies to prevent them from becoming too flat. The mats also promote even browning.
Frequently asked questions
To avoid flat cookies, chill the dough at least 30 minutes or overnight. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread. They will be thicker, sturdier, and more solid. It’s also best to line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Last, never place cookie dough balls onto a hot baking sheet. Always cool the pan to room temperature after baking a batch.
We always chill the cookie dough for best results. Chilling the dough allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, they are more likely to become flat instead of thick and chewy. They will also be much more flavorful.
Yes, if you mix cookie dough too much, you’ll add excess air to the dough, causing it to rise and then fall flat in the oven. It can also lead to excess gluten development, resulting in dense cookies. See this article on why over-mixing matters and how to avoid it.
Variations
These are absolutely perfect as-is, but feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite add-ins! Here are some suggestions:
- Sprinkles: To make these extra festive for a birthday or the holidays, try rolling the dough balls in sprinkles or fold about 1/2 cup of sprinkles into the dough.
- Sugar: We actually tested these cookies rolled in sugar. It gave them a beautiful shimmer, and added a bit of extra sweetness.
- Add baking chips. You can fold about 1 cup or 180g of any type of baking chip you like best into the dough. Or simply press about 4 or 5 baking chips into the top of the dough balls before baking. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips would all be tasty!
- Nuts. If you would like a little added crunch in your fudgy brownie cookies, fold in about 2/3 cup (80g) chopped pecans or chopped walnuts.
- Flaky sea salt. Sprinkling flaky sea salt to freshly baked cookies is the best. It really enhances the flavor and balances out the sweetness!
Storage recommendations
- Storing leftovers. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 7 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. To freeze the cookie dough balls, place in the fridge for 1 hour. Then, place the solid and cold dough balls into a labeled zipped-top bag. Label the bag with the month and the baking temperature and place the bag in the freezer.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves them as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (330g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (220g) packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until completely combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, then beat on high for 1 more minute.
- Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the wet with the mixer on low speed until combined.
- The dough will be sticky. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for best results.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Roll or scoop the dough into golf ball-sized dough balls and place evenly spaced on the cookie sheet, about 2 to 3 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for about 9 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if you're feeling fancy. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Storing leftovers. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 7 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. To freeze the cookie dough balls, place in the fridge for 1 hour. Then, place the solid and cold dough balls into a labeled zipped-top bag. Label the bag with the month and the baking temperature and place the bag in the freezer.
Did you make this recipe?
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These turned out to be fabulous!! It will be my forever go to chocolate cookie.
Love the recipe. How can I make it Vegan ? What can I substitut eggs with ?
Glad you enjoyed! I haven’t tried substituting anything for the eggs, so I can’t say for sure.