This easy chewy Brownie Cookies recipe takes the best parts of a brownie–crackly crust, soft and fudge-like center, chewy edges, and rich chocolate flavor–and bakes them into an even better-tasting bite as a cookie. Made with simple pantry staples, the dough takes only 15 minutes to prep and creates the ultimate homemade decadent dessert that beats any mix from a box!
Best Brownie Cookies
Why make these homemade Brownie Cookies when so many of my other recipes use a basic store-bought box? The answer is simple: this Brownie Cookies recipe is just as easy and quick to prepare as my others with shortcut solutions, but this one combines two delicious desserts into one chocolate indulgence–it’s literally the best of both treats baked into a single serving.
With a shiny, crackly outside and a fudgy, soft center, these are everything I love about a traditional brownie shaped like a classic cookie.
Although I truly do love my Peanut Butter Brownies, Brookies, Cheesecake Brownies, and other brownie recipes that are prepared in a pan, I have to admit that the traditional baking method creates brownies that cut with varying textures–if you wind up with an end piece, you’ll have hard edges that are slightly crisp and chewy, but if you grab one from the middle, you get a piece that is simply just soft and fudgy.
So when you bake brownies as cookies, you get them both: set edges AND a gooey center! Why make a batch of brownies when my Brownie Cookies don’t have to be sliced?
Why We Love This Brownie Cookies Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
- Combines the best of 2 delicious desserts baked into one chocolate treat!
- Crackly crust, fudgy middle, chewy edges, and decadent chocolate flavor.
- Cures any chocolate craving and will satisfy a sweet tooth.
- Perfect for a cookie exchange, dessert tray, party platter, or an after-meal snack.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
Substitutions and Additions
- Flavor Factor: The great part about this recipe is that you can control the chocolate’s sweetness and strength. I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate chips for these Brownie Cookies. You can add a touch of espresso powder as well, which deepens the chocolate flavor. For sweeter cookies, use milk chocolate. For bittersweet cookies, use bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate. However, unsweetened chocolate lends a very deep, dark chocolate cookie!
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can use chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Just remember, the lower the percentage of cocoa in your chocolate, the sweeter the cookies will be.
Recommended Tools
- Measuring cups and spoons of various sizes
- Mixing bowls (large and small)
- Electric mixer
- Spatula
- 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make the Brownie Cookies
This made-from-scratch Brownie Cookies recipe combines all of my favorite parts of a brownie and bakes them into an individual chocolate cookie. It is so quick and easy to prepare this homemade dough, with an indulgent rich taste that is far superior to any brownie batter from a box!
- Beat together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract on high for 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: It’s important that this is whipped at high speed for 5 minutes to get the proper texture. - Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
- Beat dry ingredients into the wet mixture until combined. Do not overmix!
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookies onto baking sheet using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop.
Pro Tip: If the dough sticks to the scoop, spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. The cookies can be placed close to each other on the baking sheet in order to fit them all into the freezer during the next step. I strongly recommend using a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough because the dough is thick and sticky. - Place baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Do not leave the raw cookies in the freezer for longer than 30 minutes total. It is important to chill the dough before baking. The cookies will be flat and will bake out if you skip chilling the dough. - Remove some of the cookies from the freezer, roll them into smooth balls with your hands, and place them on a second baking sheet, 3 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 12 minutes.
Pro Tip: Cookies are done baking when the edges seem set. The middles of cookies will still look slightly wet. The cookies will look underbaked in the center and set around the edges when you take them out of the oven, but they will firm up as they cool down. - After the first batch is complete, prepare another baking sheet and repeat the baking process until all cookies are baked.
Pro Tip: It is important to only bake one baking tray of cookies at a time to ensure even baking. Remember not to keep the other cookies in the freezer for longer than a total of 30 minutes. If you do, the cookies won’t bake with the nice crackled tops. - Let each batch of cookies cool completely on tray before transferring to wire rack.
- Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: Once the cookies have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Place cookies in an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. It is not recommended to freeze the raw dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will know your Brownie Cookies are done when the tops look set and are shiny. Do not bake for more than 12 minutes.
To get the proper texture of fudgy brownie cookies, be sure to whip the wet ingredients for 5 minutes before adding the dry ingredients.
You definitely need an electric mixer for this recipe! It is important that the wet ingredients are whipped together at high speed for 5 minutes before adding the dry ingredients. This wouldn’t be able to be done by hand.
Don’t skip the chips! I highly recommend that you make the recipe as it is written, including the chocolate chips. I have not tested these Brownie Cookies without the chocolate chips; the chocolate chips give added flavor and texture to the cookies.
Other Easy Brownie Recipes
Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter slightly melted
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups (187 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 5 minutes. It’s important that this is whipped at high speed for 5 minutes. Note: To get the proper texture of fudgy brownie cookies, be sure to whip the wet ingredients for 5 minutes before adding the dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Beat dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Using a 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If the dough is sticking to the scoop, spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. The cookies can be placed close to each other on the baking sheet in order to fit them all into the freezer during the next step.
- Place cookies in freezer for 10 minutes. Do not leave the raw cookies in the freezer for longer than 30 minutes total.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper and take some cookies out of the freezer and place on baking sheet. Cookies should be 3 inches from each other on the baking sheet. Use your hands to roll cookies into smooth balls.
- Place cookies into the oven – it is important to only bake one baking tray of cookies at a time to ensure even baking. Remember though not to keep the other cookies in the freezer for longer than a total of 30 minutes. If you do, the cookies won’t bake with the nice crackled tops.
- Bake each tray of cookies for 12 minutes or until cookie edges seem set. The middles of cookies will still look slightly wet. Remove from oven and let cool completely on tray before transferring to wire rack.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Once the cookies have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Place cookies in an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. It is not recommended to freeze the raw dough.
- It is important to chill the dough before baking. The cookies will be flat and will bake out if you skip chilling the dough.
- I strongly recommend using a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough because the dough is thick and sticky.
- The cookies will look underbaked in the center and set around the edges when you take them out of the oven, but they will firm up as they cool down.
These weren’t my favorite. The flavor was there but no matter what I tried they did not look like the picture. lol. Maybe I did something wrong. lol
Can nuts bring added to the recipe?