brownie cookies

these chocolate brownie cookies feature a crisp, crackly top that gives way to a soft, chewy middle. Perfect for chocolate enthusiasts, these brownie cookies combine the best of both worlds: the richness of a fudgy brownie and the satisfying chewiness of a cookie.

these brownie cookies combine the rich, fudgy texture of a chocolate brownie with the delightfully crisp edges and soft, melt-in-your-mouth center of a classic cookie. the result is a wonderfully chewy, intensely chocolatey dessert that elevates the classic cookie to new heights of deliciousness. The best part? They’re incredibly easy to make, requiring just a handful of simple ingredients and minimal prep time.

why you will love this brownie cookies recipe

• easy recipe – i wanted to make this fudgy brownie cookies recipe easy for bakers of all levels, so it uses ingredients that you probably already have at home and there is no chill time involved, which means that you can go from mixing to baking without any waiting time. satisfy all your cookie cravings or make a quick dessert for a gathering by simply following a few easy steps!

• small batch recipe – i decided to keep this recipe for brownie cookies small batch, making it perfect for small households or more intimate gatherings. this recipe makes 4 large brownie cookies, which is also great for when you want to satisfy a cookie craving but don’t want to overindulge or have a bunch of leftovers.

• fudgy brownies into cookies – if you’re struggling to decide whether you’re feeling a brownie or a cookie, these chocolate brownie cookies taste like the best parts of both! they manage to capture the essence of a perfectly fudgy brownie and elevate it by mixing it with the chewiness of a cookie.

• customisable – while these chocolate cookies are fudgy, chewy and delicious all on their own, you can absolutely customise them to make them even better. make brownie cookies with chocolate chips or any other mix-ins like nuts. you can make brown butter brownie cookies by browning the butter before mixing it with the chocolate. if you like coffee, you can make brownie espresso cookies by adding some espresso powder to the brownie mix. make brownie cookie ice cream sandwiches by adding a slab of ice cream between two brownie cookies. the possibilities are endless!

learn to make these brownie cookies from scratch

to make these fudgy brownie cookies, we’re going to start off by melting butter and chocolate. in another bowl, we’ll mix together egg, brown sugar and granulated sugar. we’ll add the chocolate butter mixture to the eggs and sugar. then, we’ll add flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. then, just scoop the brownie cookie mix into individual portions, bake and we’re done!

brownie cookies ingredients

• butter – i like to make these brownie cookies with salted butter as the salt balances out the sweetness perfectly. you are welcome to use unsalted butter as well, but i would recommend adding a little bit of salt to the dry ingredients to balance out the flavours.

• chocolate – this brownie cookies recipe involves melting butter and chocolate together. i like to use dark chocolate for a richer, deeper chocolate flavour. dark chocolate also helps balance out the sweetness in these chocolate cookies. you don’t have to use dark chocolate, but keep in mind that using something like milk chocolate will make the cookies a lot sweeter, so you might have to adjust the sugar in this recipe accordingly. try to use a high quality chocolate as it will be easier to melt and will blend more seamlessly with the butter.

• egg – to keep these brownie cookies easy and simple, i decided to use 1 large egg. we’ll be whipping this with the sugar for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.

• brown sugar – i’m using dark brown soft sugar for this recipe. this is what helps make these brownie cookies chewy and soft and gives them a nice flavour. you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. the brown sugar keeps these cookies soft and chewy and the granulated sugar helps them spread. you can also use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar if you prefer – this tends to be finer, which means it will be easier to dissolve, which is what we want in order to get a crackly top on our brownie cookies. i’m using granulated sugar in this recipe since it’s easier to access for most people.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour or all purpose flour for this brownie cookies recipe

• cocoa powder – i like to make these brownie cookies using cocoa powder, just a small amount to deepen the chocolate flavour a little.

tools:

• hand mixer/stand mixer – this recipe involves whipping together the eggs and sugar for a certain amount of time until the mixture becomes pale and frothy. using a hand mixer or stand mixer will make the process easier and save time, but if you do not have one, it’s absolutely fine to use a whisk for this step.

• mixing bowls – i use 2 separate bowls for this recipe: one for melting the butter and chocolate and one for whipping the eggs and sugar. make sure you use a large mixing bowl for the eggs and sugar, as we’ll be mixing everything into the egg and sugar mixture at the end.

• silicone spatula/spoon – using a silicone spatula or spoon at the end to fold in the flour will make it easier to avoid over mixing the brownie cookie mixture. it will also help scrape any of the remaining brownie mix from the bowl.

• baking paper or parchment paper – line your baking sheets with this before baking your brownie cookies in order to make it easier to remove them from the tray once they’re out of the oven.

• baking tray or baking sheet – for baking the brownie cookies

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat your oven and line a baking sheet/baking tray with baking paper/parchment paper.

step two: add butter and chocolate to a heatproof/microwave-safe bowl and melt using a double-boiler or microwave. if using a microwave, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring the butter and chocolate together after every 30 seconds. continue to do this until the chocolate butter mixture becomes smooth and glossy.

step three: to the warm butter and chocolate mixture, add cocoa powder. mix this until combined and you get a thick and smooth chocolate mixture.

step four: in a separate mixing bowl, add 1 egg, brown sugar and granulated sugar. using a hand mixer or stand mixer (or a whisk), whip the egg and sugars together until the mixture increases in volume and starts to look frothy. this might take a good 4-5 minutes. you should continue to whip until the sugar dissolves and you can’t feel any sugar granules in between your fingers when you touch the mixture.

step five: add the chocolate butter mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. make sure it’s not too hot or too cold – it should be slightly warm. use your mixer or whisk to mix these together until combined.

step six: add the flour to the brownie cookie batter. then, use a silicone spatula or spoon to gently fold the flour into the wet batter. be careful not to over mix at this point. the batter should be quite thick.

step seven: use a cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out equal amounts of the brownie mixture and add it to your lined baking sheet. make sure to leave a good amount of space between each one.

step eight: bake the brownie cookies for around 10 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies) or until the edges are set and the centres are soft and fudgy.

step nine: remove the baking tray from the oven. the cookies should be too soft to pick up once they’re fresh out of the oven, so let them cool as they will continue to cook on the tray. after about 10 minutes, they will firm up enough for you to be able to pick them up, but should still be soft and chewy.

step ten: serve with a glass of cold milk, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• use high quality ingredients for this brownie cookies recipe. since this recipe uses only a few basic ingredients, the quality of them will have an impact on the final taste and texture of the cookies. use the best chocolate, cocoa powder and butter that you can.

• if you decide to melt the butter and chocolate using a microwave, be sure to melt it in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one.

• i recommend working quickly when it comes to this brownie cookies recipe. letting the brownie mix rest for too long before baking can change the consistency as well as the end result. make sure your oven is preheated, then scoop your cookies out onto a baking sheet as soon as you’ve mixed the dry ingredients in. i don’t chill the mixture for this recipe or let it rest at room temperature.

• portion out the brownie cookie batter evenly in order to keep these chocolate brownie cookies even and consistent in size.

• make sure to use a room temperature egg, as this will combine with the rest of the ingredients easily and not mess with the texture of the batter.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, and baking time will depend on the size of your cookies, so i recommend keeping an eye on your chocolate chip cookies as they bake. smaller brownie cookies cookies will take less time to bake and bigger brownie cookies will take longer. don’t just bang them in the oven and leave until the designated time is up. i would recommend taking them out of the oven when they’re slightly underdone (they should be set around the edges but still soft in the center) as they will continue to cook as they cool once they’re out of the oven. over baking will result in dry and cakey cookies, which is not what we want.

• once these chocolate brownie cookies are out of the oven, they should be too soft to pick up. let them cool for a good 10-15 minutes before trying to pick them up. they should still be soft and chewy just easier to pick up without them falling apart.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if using cup measurements, just bear in mind that my flour measurements are based on scooping the flour, as this is what most people tend to do.

• i wanted to keep these brownie cookies simple and classic, so i decided to make this brownie cookies recipe without chocolate chips or any other extras. for a more intensely fudgy, chocolate flavour, feel free to make these brownie cookies with chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. just add however much you like and fold them into the mixture after the dry ingredients.

frequently asked questions

1. what type of cocoa powder should i use for this brownie cookies recipe ?

   – for these brownie cookies, i like to use natural cocoa powder. you can also use dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe, but do keep in mind that it will give your brownie cookies a darker colour and richer flavour.

2. can i use unsalted butter in this brownie cookies recipe ?

   – yes, you can use unsalted butter. if you use unsalted butter for your brownie cookies instead of salted, i would recommend adding around 1/4 tsp of salt to the brownie mix with the rest of the dry ingredients just to balance out the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate.

3. how many brownie cookies does this recipe make ?

   – for me, this recipe made 6 brownie cookies. however, the amount of brownie cookies you get will depend on how large you make them, and how much batter you use for each brownie cookie.

4. how do i get a crackly top on my brownie cookies ?

   – the key to getting a crackly top on your brownie cookies is by making sure the sugar dissolves. to ensure that the eggs and sugar are well combined and can create the crackly top, make sure to whip the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes thick and pale. this can take a good five minutes of mixing.

   – you also need to make sure that you fold the dry ingredients in gently and avoid over mixing the batter. over mixing can deflate the air bubbles in the batter and prevent the crackly top from forming.

   – make sure you preheat your oven a good 15 minutes before placing your brownie cookies in the oven as the initial high temperature is ALSO WHAT HELPS CREATE THAT CRACKLY TOP.

5. why did my BROWNIE COOKIES turn into a cake instead of FUDGY like yours ?

   – there are a number of reasons why your BROWNIE COOKIES didn’t come out CHEWY AND FUDGY. the number one reason is likely because of baking times. you should take your BROWNIE cookies out of the oven while they are slightly SOFT AND underbaked as they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. even if you followed the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven. i highly recommend checking on your cookies every once in a while, especially towards the end of the written times to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be that there was too much flour in your brownie cookie batter. to make these BROWNIE COOKIES as accurately as possible, i would really recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale.

   – IT COULD ALSO BE A CASE OF THE BATTER BEING OVER MIXED, SO BE SURE TO GENTLY FOLD IN THE DRY INGREDIENTS TO AVOID OVER MIXING.

6. can i make THESE BROWNIE COOKIES WITHOUT BROWN SUGAR ?

   – WHILE YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE THE BROWN SUGAR IN THIS BROWNIE COOKIES RECIPE WITH GRANULATED SUGAR OR CASTER SUGAR, I WOULD REALLY RECOMMEND USING BROWN SUGAR IF POSSIBLE. BROWN SUGAR HELPS KEEP THESE BROWNIE COOKIES extra CHEWY AND SOFT, AND ADDS A SUBTLE, CARAMEL-LIKE FLAVOUR. USING ALL GRANULATED SUGAR MIGHT MAKE YOUR BROWNIE COOKIES slightly more CRISPY AND CAKEY.

7. CAN I MAKE THESE BROWNIE COOKIES WITHOUT COCOA POWDER ?

   – while it is possible to make these brownie cookies without cocoa powder by increasing the amount of chocolate in the recipe, it would also mean that you would have to change the amounts of some of the other ingredients in the recipe too. for example, since chocolate contains cocoa butter, you might need to reduce the amount of butter in the recipe to account for the added fat. you would also need to increase the amount of flour to make up for the cocoa powder that was removed. these changes would also impact the final taste and texture of your brownie cookies.

8. why did my BROWNIE cookies not spread ?

   – one of the reasons why your cookies didn’t spread might be due to your oven temperatures being too low. make sure to preheat your oven around 15 minutes before adding your cookies in so that the oven is hot enough.

9. can i make the brownie mix ahead of time and bake the cookies later ?

   – this brownie cookies recipe is generally quite a time-sensitive recipe. adjustments in time and how long you leave the batter to rest might are likely to impact the final texture and appearance of the brownie cookies. while you can make the dough ahead of time, store in the fridge and bake later, doing this will probably give you brownie cookies that spread less, are thicker, and are less shiny on top. for that reason, i would recommend baking your brownie cookies as soon as you have folded in the dry ingredients and scooped out the dough onto a baking sheet.

recipe