These Brownie Cookies taste like your favorite brownie. Crackly tops and chewy throughout with a rich chocolate flavor. Make them fudgy or cakey – your choice! They freeze wonderfully, too.
Friends! Let me introduce you to BROWNIE COOKIES! These are everything we love about a brownie: rich, chewy, chocolaty goodness, in cookie form. I have rationalized that cookies are a casual and simple “anytime” dessert, which means there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t drop what we’re doing and make these Brownie Cookies right this very second. Who’s with me?
MORE BROWNIE RECIPES: FUDGY BROWNIES – COCONUT BROWNIES – PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES – GERMAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIES – BROWNIE IN A MUG – STRAWBERRY BROWNIES
Brownie Cookies
We’re more or less making a thick brownie batter, then scooping it onto baking sheets. You can make these cookies cakey or fudgy. Here’s how to do it:
- Start by melting chocolate chips and butter until completely smooth. See more below regarding tips for melting chocolate chips.
- Granulated sugar gets whisked into the melted chocolate/butter mixture. This mixture will be thick; just keep whisking.
- Add vanilla extract and three eggs. Be sure to whisk really well between the addition of each egg. That will help the cookies to have a crackly crust.
- Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. You can also add espresso powder for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- If you want your brownie fudgy, stir some chocolate chips into the batter. For a more cakey type of brownie, omit the extra chocolate chips.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes so that it firms up a bit. That will make the cookies easier to scoop.
- Scoop the dough onto parchment lined sheets and bake.
Tips for Baking the Best Brownie Cookies:
Chocolate chips: Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, or very slowly in the microwave (15-20 second increments, stirring well between each). Once the butter is melted and the chips are almost melted, you should be able to stir the mixture (off the heat) until the chips melt completely. The residual heat from the bowl and butter will help them along. Be very careful not to overheat the chocolate. If it seizes you will have to start over.
I have the best luck with good quality chocolate chips; Ghiradelli and Guittard are my two favorites. You can also use chopped chocolate bars. You can use bittersweet (dark) or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. My personal favorite is a combination of the two, but I’ve also made this recipe with all of one and all of the other, and each version is delicious. Use your preference. Note: Semi-sweet chocolate will produce a sweeter cookie.
Whisking: Part of what gives these cookies a brownie-like quality is their crackly top. This comes from a combination of whisking the sugar into the melted chocolate, as well as thoroughly whisking each egg into the batter. After adding the last egg, whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds, until glossy.
Chilling: This cookie dough is very soft, so you will need to chill it before baking. Place the bowl of cookie dough in the back of your fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes. After chilling, the dough can easily be scooped and baked. If the dough still seems thin, you can chill it longer.
Parchment Paper: Be sure to line your baking sheets with parchment paper. The cookies could stick if baked directly on the baking sheet. Also, baking the cookies directly on the baking sheet could result in a cookie that spreads too much. Bonus: using parchment paper makes for easy cleanup!
Fudgy Brownie Cookies:
If you like your brownies fudgy, you can add additional chocolate chips right into the batter. When the cookies bake, the chips melt into the cookie, creating a fudgy texture. These are best eaten warm when the chocolate is still slightly melted.
Prefer a cakey brownie? Omit the additional chocolate chips in the batter. You will have a chewy, chocolaty, almost cake-like cookie with no fudgy qualities.
You might also like: Chocolate Cookies – Chocolate M&M Cookies – Nutella Cookies
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Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1-1/4 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, I prefer bittersweet
- 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, optional, for a fudgier cookie
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, slowly melt butter and 1-1/4 cups chocolate chips in the microwave** stirring until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until combined (it will be thick). Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Once the last egg has been combined, whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough firms up.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (don't skip this). Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon portions and place at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. When you scoop the dough onto the baking sheets the dough should spread a tiny bit. If it doesn't spread at all moisten the palm of your hand and flatten each dough mound slightly.
- Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are beginning to set, but they're still a bit underdone in the center. Rotate the baking sheets once during bake time. The cookies won't get their crackly tops until the very end of cook time or after removal from the oven. Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool. Once they have cooled and firmed up, use a spatula to release the cookies from the parchment.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from Joy the Baker.
Allyson Zea says
My kids adore these cookies- thank you!
Lora says
I’ve had such chocolate cravings recently and this is exactly what I need in my life today!!
Taylor says
Perfect cookie for chocolate lovers! So soft, chewy and delicious!
Sara Welch says
I am loving all the ooey gooey chocolate goodness in these cookies! Little bites of heaven!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
These are just so adorable!! These are mouth watering!
Jackie says
These were perfect last week. My whole family loved them and keep asking me to bake more.
Angie says
I’ll take a few dozen of these, yummy!
Julie says
Could I put in nuts??
Celebrating Sweets says
Sure! I’d say maybe 1/4-1/3 cup. Enjoy!