We all know that homemade brownies are exceptionally rich. And when it comes to brownie cookies, these are the richest—trust me, I’ve done my research! They’re extra chewy with soft fudge-like centers and only require about 20 minutes of chill time before baking. For best results, use pure baking chocolate. See all of my success tips below.
Why make a brownie cookie when you can literally just have a… brownie? A very good question and I have a very good answer. A pan of traditional brownies has varying textures. You have slightly crisp and chewy edge brownies with softer, fudgier brownies in the center. When you bake brownies as cookies, you get both in 1. A super chewy and textured edge with that beloved fudge center.
So the real question is this:
Why make a brownie when you can have a brownie cookie?
Tell Me About These Brownie Cookies
- Texture: Talk about a satisfying texture. If you love fudge brownies, you’ll appreciate all this cookie has to offer—chewy edges, soft centers, gooey chocolate chips when they’re fresh out of the oven.
- Flavor: These brownie cookies are for pure chocolate lovers. No caramel, nuts, fruits, or candies in the way. The wonderful part is that you can control the chocolate’s sweetness and strength. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate and adding a touch of espresso powder, which deepens the chocolate flavor. For sweeter cookies, use milk chocolate. For bittersweet cookies, use bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate. (Warning—unsweetened chocolate lends a very deep, dark chocolate cookie!)
- Ease: Though this recipe much easier than, say, chocolate croissants, it’s not quite as simple as mixing brownie batter together. You need 3 main bowls—one for melted chocolate, one for dry ingredients, and one for other wet ingredients. Shaping the dough is a cinch, though. Use a cookie scoop to keep things uniform.
- Time: Some cookie doughs require chilling in the refrigerator and others don’t. This recipe requires just 20 minutes in the fridge, which is just enough time to quickly clean up and preheat the oven. You’ll be enjoying these cookies in under 1 hour.
Have you made my brownie walnut chunk cookies? This recipe is pretty similar, except the cookies aren’t quite as thick. I wanted a cookie with a little more spread and chew, so I reduced the dry ingredients and chill time. And if you’ve tried my Midnight Brownie Cookies in Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook, or my peppermint frosted chocolate cookies or peanut butter filled brownie cookies, today’s cookies are similarly rich. If you love chocolate, brownies, and cookies, you can’t go wrong with any of these 4!
Recipe Testing: What Works & What Doesn’t
When I was working on today’s recipe, I wanted to experiment with 2 variables: consistency of butter and chill time in the refrigerator. There are 4 cookies pictured below, with the bottom right cookie as the winner (today’s recipe). Each cookie was made with the same measurements and ingredients. For the cookies made with melted butter, I melted the butter with the 8 ounces of chocolate, then whisked in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla before beating in the dry ingredients.
Let me explain each.
- Top Left – Melted Butter + No Chilling: 5 Tablespoons of melted butter with no cookie dough chilling lended greasy cookies that over-spread. The edges burned and crumbled.
- Top Right – Melted Butter + Chilling: 5 Tablespoons of melted butter with 20 minutes of cookie dough chilling. Cookies were thicker, but tasted like pure chocolate. Delicious and rich, but didn’t really have a brownie texture.
- Bottom Left – Softened Butter + No Chilling: 5 Tablespoons of softened butter with no cookie dough chilling. The cookies had more of an irresistible brownie texture, but spread a little too much. The edges burned quickly.
- Bottom Right – Softened Butter + Chilling: 5 Tablespoons of softened butter with 20 minutes of cookie dough chilling. These cookies were the clear winner with nice spread, fudge brownie centers, crackly tops, and chewy edges.
Best Chocolate to Use
Most of the cookie’s chocolate flavor comes from melted chocolate. Do not cut corners here—use pure chocolate baking bars, just like we do for dark chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They’re typically sold in 4 ounce bars, so you’ll need 2. I’m not affiliated or working with this brand, but I strongly recommend Ghirardelli (pictured below). This chocolate simply produced the best tasting and looking cookie. The cookies made with Baker’s brand chocolate were great, but the cookies didn’t really have the crackly tops.
- I use and recommend semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate for a much darker flavor.
- If you can find it and want to splurge, use 8 ounces of semi-sweet Scharffen Berger Chocolate. These are sold in 3 ounce or 9 ounce bars. My regular grocer carries it in the baking aisle, but you can find and purchase it online.
Overview: How to Make Brownie Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the recipe so you understand each step before you get started.
- Melt the chocolate. Start by melting the chopped chocolate. I recommend doing this first so it has a few minutes to cool down before you need it in step 3 below. (Don’t want to melt the creamed butter or scramble the eggs!)
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Work on wet ingredients. As detailed in the recipe below, cream the butter and both sugars together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the melted and cooled chocolate. Pay attention to your mixing times. We want to beat long enough to whip some air into these ingredients, which helps achieve a crackly brownie appearance on the cookies. (Which are usually created by deflated air, melted sugar, and quality chocolate.)
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Chill as oven preheats. Chill the cookie dough for just 20 minutes. This quick chill time helps slightly solidify the chocolate and butter in the dough, which gives the cookies a nice spread (not over-spread). Chilling for longer creates thicker cookies where, in some cases, they may not spread at all. My peanut butter chocolate chip cookies have a super quick chill time, too.
- Scoop and bake. Dough is thick and sticky, so I strongly recommend using a cookie scoop. The medium size is perfect because each dough ball should be around 1.5 Tablespoons, the same exact size I recommend for double chocolate chip cookies.
Pictured above are our 3 bowls: 1 for dry, 1 for wet, and 1 for melted chocolate. When it all comes together, expect a thick and sticky cookie dough.
And for those of you who want your brownie cookies AND brownies… 😉
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Brownie Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are extra rich, extra fudge-like, and extra chewy brownie cookies. For best results, use good chocolate and follow this recipe closely.
Ingredients
- 2 four ounce bars (226g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (21g) natural unsweetened or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Set aside to slightly cool (so it doesn’t melt the butter or cook the eggs).
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl, then beat on high for 1 more minute. Pour in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and mix on medium-high speed for 2 full minutes.
- Pour in the the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Finally, beat in the chocolate chips.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. As the oven preheats, continue to step 6.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for just 20 minutes as the oven preheats. This quick chill time helps slightly solidify the chocolate and butter in the dough, which gives the cookies a nice spread (not over-spread). Chilling for longer creates thicker cookies where, in some cases, they may not spread at all. If chilling for longer than 20 minutes, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Roll or scoop the dough into balls, 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. I recommend a medium cookie scoop. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets and bake for 12-13 minutes or until the edges appear set. (The centers will be quite soft, but will set up as the cookies cool.)
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Cookies won’t spread as much if dough balls were frozen, so about halfway through bake-time, gently press down on the baking cookies with a spoon to help get them to spread. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Double Boiler | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: Use pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4 ounce bars, so you’ll need 2. I strongly recommend Ghirardelli brand. I’m not working with this company– this chocolate simply produced the best tasting and looking cookie. I use and recommend semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate for a much darker flavor. If you can find it (my regular grocer carries it in the baking aisle) and want to splurge, use 8 ounces of semi-sweet Scharffen Berger Chocolate. These are sold in 3 ounce or 9 ounce bars.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor. You can skip it or use 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder instead.
Keywords: brownies, brownie cookies, chocolate
Hi! I want to make these for my students but one of them has a dairy allergy. Is it possible to adapt these? Could I just use soy butter?
Hi Rose! We haven’t tested these cookies with dairy free substitutes but you can certainly try a dairy free butter (like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s). Let us know if you try it!
Semi sweet is not here so using white chocolate so should add more sugar
Made these to avoid exam revision for finals and oh my days best cookies I’ve had in donkey’s years. Recommend to anyone in need of a sugar/happiness fix.
★★★★★
Hi Sally!
I am using Dark chocolate since semisweet chocolate is not available. Can I increase the sugar?
Hi Ayesha, No need to add extra sugar if using dark chocolate! They will still be plenty sweet. Enjoy!
What is your favorite espresso powder to use? Thank you!
Hi Raquel, We don’t have a favorite brand. Just make sure you are using and instant espresso powder, not espresso grounds.
I did not get the crinkle effect, and my cookies spread a lot more than I thought they would (larger than the pictures). I followed the instructions and put the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes. What might have I done wrong?
★★★★
Hi Raquel, if your cookies spread too much, your butter may have been a bit too warm or your flour undermeasured. For next time, you can also chill them for a bit longer which should help them hold their shape more. We share more tips for preventing spread in this blog post on 5 Tips to Improve your Next Batch of Cookies. Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
The cookies are looking beautiful in the oven! Also, Just for next time do the cookies taste like coffee if you put it in?
Thanks,
A regular visitor of your site!
★★★★★
Hi Klailea, are you referring to the espresso powder? That deepens the chocolate flavor, but doesn’t overtly taste like coffee. Hope you love them!
These look delicious! Do you think these would be good to package and ship to someone? Or would they be too soft?
Hi Allie, these should be fine to ship! We share some tips on how best to package and ship cookies here.
Taste amazing!
But my cookies spread and were super thin – any ideas why?
Even though I chilled for 20 mins would a longer chill help this?
First time a Sally recipe didn’t turn out perfect for me!
★★★★
Would substituting the semi sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips be ok? or wil it affect the batter‘/chilling/spreading process
You can definitely use 3/4 white chocolate chips mixed in if you prefer. But you need to stick with pure baking chocolate for the base of the recipe. Enjoy!
Just made these and everyone loved them. Definetly making them agan.
★★★★★
WOW! Followed the recipe to a T and they came out AMAZING. I’m kind of in trouble because I can’t stop eating them.
★★★★★
OMG! I did not think it was possible to have fudgy brownie in cookie form, but Sally does it again! These cookies were soft and fudgy and super delicious. I took them to a birthday party and both adults and kids kept coming back for seconds. I can imagine them warmed up and topped with ice-cream for a decadent dessert. Yum!
★★★★★
SO delicious with ice cream! Thank you for making these cookies, Lakshmi!
“Best Cookies you ever made!”, my Husband said to me. And i’m just starting my interest into baking maybe in less than a year. The recipe is super easy to follow which is help for a beginner baker like me. We both love brownie & chocolate chips cookie so this recipe is perfect for us, Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
We’re so happy you hear that you love these cookies, Fitri!
Exactly what I needed! I didn’t have espresso powder so I added a little coffee to the chocolate as it was melting, and luckily the extra liquid was no problem. I kept them in the oven for 10 minutes when the tops started to crack, and when one cooled a bit I bit into it and woah! These are about half chocolate half cookie batter and you can tell. I used semi-sweet callebaut baking chocolate and it was the perfect recipe for it. If you want a soft, tender, intense chocolate experience, this cookie is it!
★★★★★
These were perfect! Definitely taste like a delicious brownie. I used half semisweet baking bar and half bittersweet since that’s all I had, but I also don’t like an overly sweet brownie either and like this deeper chocolate flavor. They were so gooey fresh out of the oven! I’m tempted to try this with some nutella or peanut butter chips next time.
Sally,all your cookies are amazing, but I think this is my new favorite.
Also – when I tasted the raw dough,the coffee taste was very evident – and being a coffee lover I was super excited. The flavor subsided during baking though, chocolate overtook it. Do I dare add more coffee for a more esspresso-ey taste in the final product? I’m afraid to mess with the quantities.
Thank you for all your awesome work!
★★★★★
Hi Andra! You can definitely add more espresso powder – try 2 tsp next time and let us know how they go!
Hi! I made these cookies day before and they were amazing! But thin. I don’t know where I went wrong, because I followed the recipe exactly as it was but they were still not as thick as in the images provided here. Inspite of that, the cookies still tasted really good, but I would love some advice on what could’ve possibly gone wrong. Thanks!
Hi Aafiya, Be sure that your butter isn’t too warm and chill the dough for at least 20 minutes. Chilling for longer creates thicker cookies!
These cookies are moist and tender but chewy at the same time and are perfect for any chocolate lover! Every time I make these they get eaten within two days. So delicious.
★★★★★
These cookies are amazing. Thank you for giving all the little details needed to make these cookies.
When I’m looking for a baking recipe I always go to your site. I love all the tips and experience you pass on in your recipes!!
Teresa
Just made these! Oh my word they’re so beautiful!
Also I didn’t use ghiradelli (probably butchered that spelling lol) but bakers instead and there were still beautiful cracks on the top, I was supposed to be listening to my brother but instead I was grabbing a camera and gasping over my GORGEOUS cookies! I’m a fan! Can’t wait to taste them!
★★★★★
I love this recipe. Just made it for the second time. It is worth it to make a whole batch and not halve it because they are SO good and because it’s slightly more effort with the 3 bowls and mixing time, might as well maximize output. They are amazingly chocolatey, and the texture is so luscious (because of the mixing?). Sally, thank you for being a great teacher and helping me improve as a home cook!
★★★★★
I couldn’t decide between cookies and brownies, so this recipe was a perfect compromise! I followed the directions and they came beautifully. I was also in a mood for peanutbutter (always) so I used the Tollhouse mix of chocolate and peanutbutter chips. So delicious.
★★★★★
I cannot recommend these highly enough, they are absolutely incredible!! So so delicious!! What an amazing recipe Sally, thankyou for you dedicated recipe testing, the choice is easy to choose your recipe compared to the many others out there on the internet! 🙂
These are intensely chocolatey, fudgy, chewy, and just like a brownie in cookie form, I am in love! They got rave reviews from all who ate them 😀 and that crinkle top is just beautiful. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly!
★★★★★
Fantabulous cookie! Decadent chocolate flavour with delicate crispy edges and chewy centre. I added in chopped pecans and drizzled caramel over top… must have on any cookie platter.
can i use sewi sweet chocolate chips instead of bars?
Hi Sara, we highly recommend pure baking chocolate for melting. Chocolate chips don’t melt into the same consistency as pure chocolate since they contain stabilizers.
I made a batch with half baking chocolate and half truffles left over from christmas and they turned out just as nice, I let them chill overnight to ensure they wouldn’t be too flat and used an ice cream scoop.
Hi Sally, is it possible to make these gluten and dairy free? Can l use oat flour, coconut oil and dark baking chocolate?
Hi Athena, we haven’t tested this recipe with those substitutions but would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.
Oh, thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m just beginning to bake and your recipe gave a very appetizing result for my novice skill and for my convection oven.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Oh, thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m just befinning to bake and your recipe gave a very appetizing result for my novice skill and for my convection oven.
Thank you!
★★★★★
I made these today, leaving out the espresso powder(didn’t have it) and using peanut butter chips instead. I chilled the dough and used softened butter, and the cookies turned out perfectly. The family is raving over them. Thanks, Sally! You have made this pandemic into a year of experimental and fun baking that will stick with me always. My recipe book is now full of things from your site that got rave reviews at our house! 🙂
★★★★★
Wow! These cookies are phenomenal!! Crisp around the edges and gooey in the middle, just as they should be. Thank you, Sally, for yet another delicious recipe!
★★★★★