Fudgy brownie cookies with crackly tops and chewy edges — these rich chocolate cookies deliver all the best parts of a brownie in a soft, decadent cookie. This easy homemade recipe creates intensely chocolatey cookies everyone will love.
These fudgy brownie cookies have shiny, crackly tops, chewy edges, and rich chocolate centers — just like the best homemade brownies, but in cookie form. After testing different chill times and baking methods, this version delivers thick, soft cookies with deep chocolate flavor every time.
They’re similar to my popular flourless fudge cookies, but these cookies bake up thicker and richer with an even more intense chocolate taste.
“I found this recipe on Pinterest about 5-6 years ago, and I have made them so many times. They’re the perfect chocolate chewy delicious cookie. I always add a little bit of sea salt on top, and they’re so good!! Thank you so much for the recipe!” – Melanie
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- 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 process cocoa powder. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips: I’ve tried making the cookies without the mini chocolate chips, and they didn’t have as much of a crackly crust. Don’t skip the mini chocolate chips if you want shinier 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.
Step 1: Line your baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: 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. The batter should fall in ribbons at this point. Tip >> 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.
Step 4: Reduce the mixer speed to low and stream in the melted chocolate mixture.
Step 5: Stir in the flour and cocoa powder just until combined.
Step 6: Fold in the mini chocolate chips and nuts, if using. The dough should be thick like brownie batter at this point.
Step 7: Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Step 8: 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.
Step 9: Bake for about 8-10 minutes. The middles should look soft and a little underdone but the edges should be set. Tip >> Since oven temps can vary, you may find that you need to increase the baking time.
Step 10: Once the cookies have cooled, remove from the cookie sheet to a wire rack or plate.
Recipe Tips!
- Melting: You can also melt the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then stir. Continue microwaving in 15 second intervals and then stirring until melted and well-combined.
- 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 refrigerator 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.
- Chocolate flavor: You can add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder for more intense chocolate flavor.
Troubleshooting flat cookies
There are two things that could cause flat cookies.
First, cutting the mixing time short or using a hand mixer/electric 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 of chill time 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.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe has over 1,000 comments and questions. I’ve taken a few of the most common questions and have answered them here.
I’ve used bittersweet chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips to make the cookies. Both have worked well.
I’ve frozen the dough in scoops and have baked the dough from frozen. While I do add more time when baking from frozen, otherwise, I’ve had good luck with baking the frozen dough.
I’ve made the cookies in 1.5 tablespoon, 2 tablespoon, and 4 tablespoon (1/4 cup) scoops. All three of those sized cookies are pictured here. 
Storage
Store any leftover brownie cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for up to 3 days when properly stored.
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Brownie Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips 60-70% cacao
- ½ cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder¹
- 1 cup pecans chopped, optional
- ½ 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.12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, ½ cup butter
- 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.3 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Reduce the speed to low, and mix in the melted chocolate until well-combined.
- Stir in flour and cocoa powder just until combined.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder¹
- 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.1 cup pecans, ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 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
- 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 process cocoa powder. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Chocolate chips: I’ve tried making the cookies without the mini chocolate chips, and they didn’t have as much of a crackly crust. Don’t skip the mini chocolate chips if you want shinier cookies.
- Nutrition facts are estimated.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Adapted from Everyday Dishes.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Michelle says
I made the cookies last night. I halved the recipe since I was just trying it out for a birthday party. I followed the directions, mixing the full 5 minutes. I chilled them a little longer than 30 minutes while I cooked dinner. The dough was thick but sticky. I cooked them 10 minutes but they still didn’t seem done so I cooked them five more minutes and let them cool somewhat. They still didn’t seem done so I cooked them five more minutes, let them cool and tried them again today. They taste like I’m eating fudge instead of a brownie. Not sure what I did wrong.
Kate says
From what you described, the dough was spot-on. It sounds like it was an oven temp issue. Oven temperatures can (and almost always do) vary from what they say they are. The usual rule for that kind of situation is to add 5 minutes to the original baking time in the recipe. If they still aren’t baked, raise your oven temp by 25F and bake for 5 more minutes. Repeat if necessary.
Since you’ve already found out that the recipe temp is too low for your oven, I would raise it 25F when you bake the next batch. Then, continue to adjust as needed until you find the temp that works for your oven. Good luck!
Mu Lavin says
I just baked the amazing Brownie cookies, however that went flat, tested very good but flat. only thing I did deferentially was to use 82% callabeut chocolate instead of chips as I only use the choc chips rarely and only had enough for adding at the end. Now I am at 2,000 ft above sea level would that make the difference. apart from that I followed the recipe to a tee.
Kate says
Hi! How thick was your batter before you chilled it?
Angela Harrington says
Out-frickin-standing!!! In love with these darn cookies. Chewy, moist, like a brownie with no brownie pan. Can’t believe it took me this long to fund these. Thank you from the bottom of my brownie loving heart
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so happy that you liked them!! Thank you for taking the time to comment! =)
Ccboogs says
Omg, these things were so good. They melted in my mouth as I chewed them. I would highly recommend them to anyone who has a sweet tooth for chocolate!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the cookies! =) Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Mariana says
Hi Kate!
I tried this cookies right now and maybe i did something terribly wrong bevause they’re totaly flat! just like a crepe :( you know what can i do ? Thank you!
Kate says
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that! Without knowing more, my first thought was that your egg mixture wasn’t thick enough. How thick was your cookie dough when you put it into the fridge?
Stephanie Adkins says
Did you use dark or light brown sugar?
Kate says
I use light brown sugar in these cookies.
Rochelle says
Thinking of making this today! Have you ever added white chocolate before?
Kate says
I haven’t! Are you thinking of subbing the white chocolate for the bittersweet or mini chocolate chips?
Sable says
I would like to send it to my email. Your recipes look great but I like to download on my computer thanks for your recipe. I would like it a bit darker. I’m loseing my eye sight. Makes it hard to see. But I understand if u can’t please everyone.
Kate says
Hi! If you’d like to send the recipe to yourself, there are email buttons at the very top of the post and at the bottom just under the recipe. If you have a hard time finding them, please let me know! I hope that helps!
Leah says
I’ve been making these cookies for several weeks now. Everyone that has tried your recipe absolutely LOVES them! Thank you so much for the tips, when I follow the recipe exactly, the cookies come out perfect! :)
Kate says
I’m so glad that the cookies have been a hit! I really want my recipes to work out well when people make them, and I’m so happy to hear that the tips helped! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment! =)
Mawar says
Hi, it looks delicious… Been thinking to make it, but I have a question, can I make it without the mixer? Thanks! ☺️
Kate says
Hi! Thank you! I think it would be hard to beat the enough air into the egg yolk mixture by hand. I don’t think it’s impossibe, but it would definitely be an arm workout to get it as thick as you’ll need it to be. Hope that helps!
Robin says
If I don’t have parchment paper, should I use any kind of oil or butter on the baking sheet?
Kate says
I haven’t tried greasing the baking sheet to say for certain.
janet says
Although my cookies didn’t look exactly like yours ( mine were more mounds that flat cookies), they were delicious!
They did taste like brownies. However, brownies are a little easier to make.
Kate says
I’m glad that you liked them! =)
Lia says
Are you using a paddle attachment or whisk? You said to beat the eggs (not whip) so I used the paddle but since I’m the comments you keep mentioning getting enough hair, I’m thinking maybe I should have used the whisk attachment?
They are delicious but very flat!
Kate says
Hi! I use the paddle attachment. I’ve tried using the whisk, and it almost overwhipped it when I mixed it for 5 minutes. If you do try using the whisk attachment, I would recommend cutting the mixing time down. Hope that helps!
Kelly Thompson says
Are any changes needed to be made for high altitude?
Kate says
Unfortunately, I’m not able to test out high altitude changes, so I’m not sure whether any changes are necessary or not.
Baker Vee says
I followed the recipe and had excellent results. No adjustment needed in Denver (5280). If you’re at a higher altitude than that, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of flour, a pinch of extra baking powder and another tablespoon or more of butter. I find that the higher the altitude, the more adjustments are needed.
Kate says
Thank you!! So helpful! =)
Dija says
Great recipe, can’t wait to try it soon! ^_^
I just have some question, can I freeze the dough and bake the cookies whenever I want some straight from the freezer to the oven or is it better to bake them then freeze them? Also how many days do they last after baking (if they even lasted for a day lol)?
Thank again <3
Kate says
Thanks! I haven’t tried to freeze this dough, but it is similar to brownie dough. I *think* it would work fine if you froze scoops of dough, but I haven’t tried it to say for certain. They will last for up to 3 days stored in a resealable container at room temp. I’m going to test storing them in the fridge with the next batch. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. =)
Deb says
I made logs out of the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap and froze them. They were fine and you can cut off as many or as few as you want.
Kate says
What a great idea! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Made these for a treat to share. I made them smaller and baked them 8 minutes. They turned out fine. Chewy inside. Great chocolate taste.
Kate says
Great! I’m so glad! Thank you for your note about the baking time and for taking the time to comment!
Lisa A. says
They turned out just as you described and were delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad! Thanks for commenting. =)
Ann says
I made these moist and chewy chocolate cookies for Valentine’s week haha and tucked in some halved pink, red and white M&Ms on top. I froze some of the cookies to enjoy later.
Kate says
Awesome! The M&M’s sound like a great addition. =) Thanks for commenting!
MMC says
We baked these for the full ten minutes, and they were raw inside. Love the idea of them, but not the actual outcome.
Kate says
I’m sorry to hear that! It sounds like baking another minute or two would have helped. Oven temperatures can vary significantly, and things like a very cold fridge or chilling the dough for longer than 30 minutes can mean that you’d need to add baking time. Hope that helps!
Kristin says
Perfect recipe! They came out so delicious! My four year old and I had a blast making them! Will make them again soon!
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that the cookies came out well and, most of all, that you had fun making them. Thank you for coming back to comment! =)
Christina says
Hi! My question is could you tell me the measures in gram?
Kate says
Hi! Yes, if you click on “metric” right under the ingredients, it will toggle over to the measurements in grams. Hope that helps!