This brownie cookie recipe is all of the good parts of a brownie- crackly crust, fudgy middles, chewy edges, & intense chocolate flavor -in one easy, homemade cookie recipe. One of the best cookie recipes around!
I have some amazing, chocolaty goodness for you today! These Brownie Cookies are for serious chocolate lovers.
They’re similar to my Flourless Fudge Cookies, the one of the most popular chocolate cookies on my site, but these easy chocolate brownie cookies are thicker and richer.
This homemade brownie cookie recipe is pretty simple to make and give you all of the good parts of a brownie – shiny, crackly crust, fudgy middles, chewy edges, and intense chocolate flavor – in one little cookie.
And…..then enjoy the most ridiculously rich and fudgy, best homemade cookies ever!
If you love brownies, please take a moment to check out my how-to make homemade brownies guide! Or check out my Brookie recipe that combines these cookies with chewy chocolate chip cookies!
How to make brownie cookies
When you read the recipe, you may be tempted to cut short the mixing time. Please don’t do it! One of the keys to success is to follow the instructions as-written.
The cookies need the extended mixing time. It’s going to make all the difference in your cookies turning out right. So please take the few extra minutes to make it as written.
Line your baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Melt the bittersweet chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan over low, stirring constantly, until melted and combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar (white sugar) vanilla, baking powder, and salt on high for 5 minutes, or until the batter is thick and creamy.
Don’t cut this step short! The cookies will be too thin and won’t have the shiny exterior if you cut the mixing short.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and stream in the melted chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder just until combined.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips and nuts, if using. The dough should be thick like brownie batter at this point.
Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Scoop out 1.5 tablespoon scoops of dough (medium cookie scoop). Place the scoops of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes. The middles should look soft and a little underdone but the edges should be set.
Since oven temps can vary, you may find that you need to increase the baking time. Once the cookies have cooled, remove to a wire rack or plate.
Tips for making brownie cookies
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt by about 1/4 teaspoon.
- Cocoa Powder: I didn’t have good results when using Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips: I’ve tried making the cookies without the chocolate chips, and they didn’t have as much of a crackly crust. Don’t skip the chocolate chips if you want a shinier cookies.
- Mixing: I recommend using a paddle attachment to mix the cookie dough. I’ve tried using a whisk attachment, and the cookies didn’t turn out as well.
- Chilling: The cookies will be flat and will bake out if you skip chilling the dough. Also, if your fridge is packed doesn’t chill very well, you may find that you need to add a little extra time to the given chilling time.
- Baking: The cookies will look underbaked in the center but be set at the edges, and the crackly, shiny crust will develop as the cookies cool.
What causes flat cookies?
There are two things that could cause flat cookies.
First, cutting the mixing time short or using a hand mixer (or mixing by hand). The volume of air that a stand mixer can beat in gives the cookies lift.
If using a hand mixer, you’ll need to add additional mixing time. I’ve heard from several people who added about 5 minutes of additional time when using a hand mixer. They’ve said that that helped to incorporate enough air.
Second, the other thing that can cause flat cookies is not adequately chilling the dough. For me, 30 minutes works well.
However, you may find that you need to add additional chilling time. Factors like the temperature that your fridge is set to, how well it chills, and even how full your fridge is can affect how long the dough will need to chill.
Tools used to make brownie cookies
Cookie Scoop: This is the cookie scoop I have. I use it so much that I bought a second one. It’s great for scooping cookies, mini muffins, and even meatballs.
Parchment paper: I buy a giant roll of parchment paper, and I use it regularly to line pans. I also use it underneath baking racks to catch drips when I’m putting on glaze or icing.
More popular cookie recipes!
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Brownie Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips 60-70% cacao
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder¹
- 1 cup pecans chopped, optional
- 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and well-combined.
- Remove from heat, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugars, vanilla, baking powder, and salt on high speed 5 minutes, or until the batter is thick and creamy. This step is key, so make sure to beat the mixture for the full 5 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low, and mix in the melted chocolate until well-combined.
- Stir in flour and cocoa powder just until combined.
- Add nuts, if using, and mini chocolate chips. Stir in to combine. The batter should be the consistency of a thick brownie batter at this point.
- Cover the batter, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop batter onto the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies 8-10 minutes. The cookie will look set at the edges but still be a little wet looking in the center. Don’t overbake, or the cookies won’t be crackly and fudgy.
- The shiny, crackly crust will develop as the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
Video
Notes
- I don’t recommend Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Nutrition facts are estimated.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Adapted from Everyday Dishes.
Originally published 7/7/16. Updated with new photos and tips 11/8/19. Updated again on 12/1/21 to add additional tips and information.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Aidalis says
Gave my first try at this recipe today. Followed all steps, had to keep it in the fridge between batches but OMG…this cookies are really great and addictive. Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the cookies!
Candy says
AMAZING!!! If you are a chocolate lover this is for you.. Easy recipe .. cookies turn out perfect!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Mckala says
I make these a lot but with dairy free butter and semi sweet they come out amazing! Now I make them for the company my fiancé works for !
Kate says
Thank you for sharing that! It’s helpful to hear the subs that have worked for other people!
Karen rotman says
Can you use semi sweet in place of the bittersweet?
Kate says
I haven’t tried it to say for certain, but I would guess that it would work!
Flavia says
Greeting from Brazil. I tried following the recipe accurately, bit since measures here are a bit different, I am not sure I tackled it properly. Since the eggs I had were small and the recipe called for large eggs, I added an extra one… would that have made the recipe softer and the reason for it not baking as quickly? Or maybe the humidity of the tropical ambiance affected it. The texture and taste cam out amazing, I used excellent quality of the products. I will definitely keep using this recipe until I get it perfect…
Kate says
Hi! I have metric and US customary measurements given for this recipe. Converting small eggs to large eggs isn’t an exact science, so you may find that you need to add a partial egg (like adding just the yolk) when making those conversions. As far as the baking time, it varies from oven to oven. You may find that you have an oven that bakes cooler and takes more time. Humidity can absolutely affect baking! I’ve lived in the desert and in areas with high humidity. I’ve had to make adjustments to my recipes, especially when baking bread or rolls, depending on where I live. Hope that info helps for next time!
Cyn says
What happens if I don’t add enough butter ?
Kate says
It will throw the ratios for the cookies off. You will likely end up with a drier cookie that doesn’t bake properly.
Mia says
Amazing! These are so good!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
SofiaR says
Theses were so good better than any others and am glad i got to use cholate chips than chunks it jsut makes it easier for me!Ty
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Pokemon Fan says
These are amazing!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Judy M says
Great recipe…mine turned out just like your photo and were a hit.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that they turned out well for you!
Ellen Weisgerber says
Delicious. Have you ever thought of adding a cream cheese filling between two of these delicious cookies? I did and it’s really good. They’re great for special occasions. Thank you.
Kate says
Thank you! I haven’t, but it sounds delicious, so I’ll have to try that the next time I make these cookies! =)
Sarah says
Nice idea! Do you mind sharing your cream cheese filling recipe?
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure whether she’ll respond or not. I have a great cream cheese frosting recipe that would work well.
Leslie says
Hi I made these last week. My family LOVED them. They disappeared really fast. But I’m wondering what the shelf life is? How long can they last in a container? I want to give them as a gift and would like to know how long they will be good for?
Kate says
Hi! I’m glad your family liked them! They will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Hope that helps! =)
Cara says
oh my goodness i really wanna try it maybe it will be delicious cuz i never made cookies in my whole life before.
Bethany says
Mine are delicious, but really thin! Puffy when pulled from the oven and as they cool they crack and flatten! Mixed the correct time and left in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes! Any recommendations?
Kate says
Hi! Are you using a hand or a stand mixer?
Bethany says
Stand mixer should I be using the hand mixer? I want to make them again today!
Kate says
I recommend using a stand mixer. However, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer. If you use a hand mixer, the mixing time will be more like 9-10 minutes for the egg mixture.
Elizabeth says
Hello! So the recipe calls for 3/4 cups of flour. Is that correct? My dough is really runny and not moldable, seems more like brownie batter then cookie dough.
Kate says
Yes, that’s correct. It sounds like something went wrong along the way. I have step-by-step photos above the recipe. Did your mix look like the pictures? If not, let me know where it looked different, and I can help you troubleshoot.
Robyn says
Hi! I added a little more flour and they were good!
Phy says
I had the same result. The only thing I made different and face-palmed right while doing it was adding the melted chocolate while still hot. I forgot to let it cool first. It might have influenced in the consistency. How much extra flour did you add in yours?
Mya says
Can you omit the cocoa powder or sub another ingredient for this?
Kate says
I haven’t tried subbing another ingredient for the cocoa powder.
Dot says
Absolutely out of this world! This one’s a keeper
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Vanessa says
Hi I was wondering if it’s okay to make the cookie dough and put in fridge overnight, but the walnuts get soggy and take the moisture to its self
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t had any issues with nuts pulling out too much moisture from cookie dough. However, this dough does set up the longer it’s in the fridge. You may find that you need to let the dough come up in temperature some before you use it.
Niamh says
Hi, I was just wondering is the oven temperature for a fan assisted oven? Thanks
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried it with this recipe, but the usual recommendation is to reduce the temp by 25F.
Heidi says
This recipe sounds awesome! Have you made it with gluten free flour? Would it turn out the same?
Kate says
Thank you! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it with gf flour. If you do, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Sophie says
What if I don’t have bittersweet chocolate chips is there anything I can use instead?
Kate says
Yes, you could use dark chocolate if you have that. If not, semisweet would be the next closest sub.
gina says
Hi
Can you make this with gluten free flour?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried this recipe using gf flour to say for certain.
Cara says
I have made it with bob’s red mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour and it turned out really well!
Kate says
Thank you for sharing that!