My super easy brownie cookie recipe is all the best parts of a chocolate brownie, but in cookie form - fudgy brownie, crinkly brownie top, and crisp edges. Chocolate brownie cookies come together quickly and bake in only 10 minutes!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this brownie cookie recipe! I am super proud of this one - I have been a baking blogger for nearly 6 years now, and can't believe I still didn't have a recipe for brownie cookies, so here we are!
These chocolate brownie cookies are all the parts that I love about a brownie, but in a cookie form - perfect cookie brownies! They are rich and fudgy, with that perfect crinkly brownie top - basically fudge cookies. They are super easy to make - it was important to me to try and avoid a chill time if at all possible, so they come together in about 25 minutes!
My brownie cookie recipe makes 8 chocolate cookies - it can easily be doubled if you need more, or you can scale back the size too if you would like.
These brownie cookies are amazing frosted too and can be made super cute with sprinkles - use my easy brownie frosting recipe and finish as you like - with cosmic brownie sprinkles, a few Easter eggs, themed sprinkles - the list is endless!
The testing journey
I always take super super detailed notes when I test recipes, and love sharing the process over on my Instagram. Baking is definitely a science, and it often takes multiple tests to get to the point where a recipe is ready to shoot and put on my website. Here is how I got to this point:
- First Test. I took my regular fudgy brownie recipe, made it as written, but I added in baking powder along with the flour. I tested standing the recipe at room temperature, and several chill times in the fridge before baking. The batter was super hard to handle and the texture came out too cakey for me, along with a very strange looking crinkly texture on the top - not the beautiful shiny cookie I was after.
- Second Test. I increased the chocolate quantity slightly, thinking that would make them fudgier, and also increased the cocoa quantity. I left the chocolate and cocoa mixture to stand for 10 minutes before adding to the egg mixture, which I whipped for longer. I was trying to achieve that perfect crackly thin crust that brownies have, along with fixing the texture. This test came out super cakey - however I have filed the recipe away for a chocolate whoopie pie as they will be perfect for this!
- Third and fourth test. I ditched the baking powder for these tests, so they are now just blobs of brownie batter on a pan (truly the dream). I increased the butter and chocolate quantities from my original recipe to help with fudginess, and again left the chocolate and cocoa to sit before adding in to the egg mixture. I played around with different bake temperatures and chill times for these cookies. I was getting close, but I still found that they weren't coming out how I wanted them - they were lifting strangely off the paper, and they weren't spreading how I would have liked them to.
- Fifth test. To help with spreading, I increased the portion size of each cookie. Sometimes having more batter means that they spread more nicely on the pan, and in this case, that worked great. However, I went too far in the other direction and they spread too much.
- Sixth Test. This was where I got to where the recipe is - I increased the brown sugar and the flour just a touch (you can see I only changed it by 10g), and swapped out some of the cocoa for black cocoa to help with richness. These came out perfectly, but they weren't where I wanted them aesthetically. I was using a cookie scoop, which was hard to get a looser batter evenly scooped.
- Seventh Test. This was purely an aesthetic tweak - changing from scooping the batter onto the paper using a cookie scoop to piping it on using a piping bag. This worked out perfectly, and gave me 8 beautifully round cookies, and the brownie cookie recipe I have for you today!
Tips for perfectly round cookies
I tried making these brownie cookies over and over again with a medium scoop - but I just couldn't get them to be the nice, round cookies I knew that I wanted. The easiest way to do this - use a piping bag! Instead of scooping the mixture onto the pan and then trying to shape it into the right shape, using a piping bag I was able to make myself a template, then pipe perfect circles of batter onto it.
I used a piping bag with a round piping tip - the one that I used was an Ateco 805. You do not want the hole to be too big as the batter is quite loose and will leak out.
If you don't have a piping bag or a round tip you can use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off to form an opening. You could also try carefully spooning the batter onto the paper with a teaspoon or tablespoon!
Tips and Tricks for perfect brownie cookies
I know I have written a ton about these brownie cookies (I am just so excited for you to make them, but here are my top tips for perfect brownie cookies:
- Use room temperature ingredients. If your eggs arent room temperature, they won't whip up well. Cold eggs will also cause the chocolate to cool, and the mixture will be too thick.
- Follow the timing. If you leave the chocolate mixture for too long, it will chill too much and you won't have a good batter consistency.
- Have everything ready to go. This is important. This is a time sensitive recipe, so make sure that you follow the timings and having things prepared first will make this easy.
- Don't over bake your brownie cookies. This can be easy to do but make sure that you don't over bake them, or they won't be perfect and fudgy!
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Soft and Chewy 25 Minute Brownie Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This super easy brownie cookie recipe is all the best parts of a chocolate brownie, but in cookie form - fudgy brownie, crinkly brownie top, and crisp edges. Chocolate brownie cookies come together quickly and bake in only 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 100g good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), chopped
- 55g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- 12g dutch process cocoa (I used half black cocoa and half dutch process)
- 1 large egg (50g not including shell), at room temperature
- 75g caster sugar (if you are in the US, regular granulated sugar will work fine, see notes)
- 55g brown sugar
- 55g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a 2 ½” (6.3cm) cookie cutter and a pencil, trace 8 circles on a piece of parchment paper (one line of three, one line of two, then one line of three), leaving even spacing between each. Turn the paper over so the pencil side is facing down.
- Fit a piping bag with a medium round piping tip. Alternatively you can use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off, or a size #24 cookie scoop, but piping is the best way to get nice round cookies. Place a clip above the piping tip and another at the end of the piping bag to stop any batter leaking out.
- In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water), combine the dark chocolate and butter. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Alternatively you can do this step in the microwave - microwave for 30 second increments, stirring well after each until the mixture is smooth and combined.
- Sift the cocoa powder over top of the chocolate and butter mixture and stir until well combined. Leave to stand for 8 minutes. When there is 4 minutes to go, start whipping the egg mixture.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on medium to high speed with an electric handheld mixer for 4 minutes until the mixture has lightened and increased in volume. This step can also be done in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the sugar and egg mixture and mix to combine with the electric mixer.
- Add the flour and salt and incorporate by hand until the mixture is smooth and does not have any lumps. Transfer the mixture to the piping bag.
- Pipe the mixture onto the parchment paper - you want to hold the tip about 2 cm above the parchment and squeeze until you pipe a dome the diameter of the template that you drew. Finish each one with a little flick of your wrist. Do not worry if you do not get them large enough - you can go back and add more batter once they are all piped out - just pipe it onto the middle of each mound and they will spread out.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until they are just set, and crinkly on the tops. Do not over bake as they will dry out. Leave to cool completely on the pan (they are quite soft so will need to set) before transferring to a storage container or serving.
- Store leftover brownie cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- Can I use salted butter?
Yes - if you don't have unsalted butter that is totally fine - just hold back a little on the salt content in the brownie batter. - Do I have to use caster sugar?
No - you can use regular granulated sugar if you like. In New Zealand, our sugar is much coarser, so I call for caster sugar in the recipe. However if you are in the US or you have finer sugar, regular granulated is fine. Either work great in the recipe, caster just dissolves better when being whipped with the eggs to form that crackly top. Another reason why baking with grams is the best - 200g of sugar is 200g sugar. - Can I add toppings?
Yes - I have added peanut butter or Nutella to the cookies - I warmed it slightly then placed it into a ziploc bag and cut the tip off. Once the cookies were piped out, I swirled it on then swirled it in with a knife and baked as usual. It worked great - I will update as I try more options! - I also tried adding chopped up homemade caramels to the top of the brownie cookies before they went into the oven and they were delicious - chop up the caramel into little cubes and sprinkle on straight after you have piped them out.
- How to tell when brownie cookies are done: These brownie cookies only bake for 10 minutes - you do not want to over bake them as you run the risk of them being dry. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set - they will start to crinkle, and the edges are just set. Leave them to cool completely on the baking sheet placed onto a wire rack before removing from the pan
Try these cookies frosted with a batch of my brownie frosting!
Comments
Eunice says
Delicious recipe! My 11 year old and I whipped these together. They were a hit! We doubled the recipe and got 18.
Thank you for another winner Erin!
stacy says
so good!
Waleed says
Why my cookies are getting flat? Like it's spreading out. 😭
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, have you made the recipe by weight and followed the instructions?
caribou says
love these 🙂
Sharon says
Do these require piping? I am willing to attend to many baking details, but I had rather not pipe cookies. Thank you.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! There is a section on this in the post.
Sheri says
I live in Utah USA and don’t do metric. It’s cups, tablespoons, teaspoons etc. To convert is way too much trouble I need my recipe to be easy to follow. The cookies look fabulous but will look for a recipe that uses the measurement system I’m used to.
Erin Clarkson says
I lived in the US for a long time.. you can definitely get scales there. Then no need for converting - you can get a set for about $5 these days!
Nathalia says
Amazing recipe! Turned out great and exactly like on your pictures on the first try!
Thanks for the amazing blog!
Elizabeth says
You can buy a scale on Amazon for under $10, and then you don't have to waste time commenting/complaining to bloggers like Erin who graciously offer fantastic FREE recipes
Annie says
Honestly the foolishness of these comments is just astounding! You're cutting yourself off from most of the world by refusing to use a set of scales that will give you better results across all your baking!?! And acting like it's somehow taking a stand? I suppose we can't expect much from Americans particularly Utahns!
Paula says
Funny how angry some Americans get, if it comes to kilograms.
I made them and we loved it (and maybe we ate them all that evening). I’m more the „I read it once and totally forget everything in the recipe“-Typ of baker, but it worked. I wasn’t sure if I have the right cocoa powder, but the one i usually use for baking in Germany was fine.
Heckler says
Not all Americans are the same ☺️ I have a scale and convert just fine 😬 I’ll get the word out 😂
BC says
I live in the US but I'm a person who bakes. You simply cannot bake without a scale. It's so much easier. A 1 cup measurement of flour is totally different depending on how you scoop it. It can really run a recipe if you don't use a scale.
Ashleigh Smith says
Made these as soon as the blog went up and they are divine! So easy to make and in such a short amount of time too. Will definitely be doubling the recipe next time because 8 biscuits won’t last long in this house!
Ashleigh says
Brownies are my kryptonite... but these were PERFECT FIRST TIME!!!!!!! And so yummy!!!! Definitely adding this to the "must make again" list.
Flawless, once again Erin!
Pat says
I know you are in New Zealand, but we are still on the Imperial system of measurement here in the States (slowly, the change will come). So I have to make the conversion before I attempt these luscious cookies.
By the way, my husband and loved our visits to New Zealand!
Erin Clarkson says
I lived in the US for 7 years, you can definitely purchase scales there!
anava says
where I come from we use metric and it always upsets me when I see a recipe in cups,Tbs ts and so on..so i just looked in Internet how to change it so I can measure it with my scale. no big trouble 🙂
Dominika says
Not as pretty as the ones in the recipe, but they still turned out amazing. These might be our new go to for when we crave something sweet.
avee says
These look great! Do you think using a light or dark baking sheet would affect the bake temp and/or time?
Erin Clarkson says
It may! I haven't tested it though - I usually use a light sheet!
Cristina rivera says
Hello! I would LOVE to try this recipe but in a visual learner 😖 is there a video of this recipe that I could use? Sorry I'm just terrible at instructions unless I see them being done😞
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! I have a video on my instagram 🙂
Lyn says
No matter what i do i don't get that flaky top
Jantizzy says
Same for me
Statia says
Hi, these look amazing. Wondering if they are thick or thin when finished? Many thanks in advance.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! They are thin!
Sarah says
So tasty, thanks for the recipe! I may have left the mix a little long, so they piped like cowpats, but they tasted great 😉 Will definitely be making them again.
Louise says
Can i use almond flour?
Erin Clarkson says
I don't think so sorry!
Abigail says
Such a quick, fool proof recipe! I made two batches one after each other - for some reason the first batch only produced 6 (potentially I more batter made it into my mouth than initially thought, ha!) but 2nd batch produced 8 - theyre soft and delicious, and even better are so quick to whizz up! Will use the frosting recipe to frost them in the morning and top with mini eggs to take into the office for Easter. Another winning recipe - thanks Erin!
Abby says
Thanks for the great recipe! Just wondering - where do you buy your black cocoa in NZ? Do any stores stock it, or is it just online?
P.S. As a scientist I love that you do measurements by weight - definitely team scales 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! I usually get it from Equagold! Either online or in store sometimes if I see it in shops 🙂
Chrystal says
Thank you for another amazing recipe. I loved these and everyone that tried them. Will 100% make again.
Worth noting for those that care, that I doubled the batch, and the first lot that went in the oven came out looking picture perfect, but the second round came out tasting the same, but not looking shiny and crackly at all. The mixture had hardened a bit is why.
Amanda says
These cookies are amazing. Will be making them again and turning them into ice cream sandwiches.
Chelsea says
These came together so quickly! I absolutely love this recipe! I love bringing your brownies to events and this is something new and exciting to take with me 🙂
Maxine says
Made this recipe multiple times already, so quick, so delicious, highly recommend!
Maria says
Loved making these! So easy and yummy!!
Thanks Erin!
jenny says
Tripled the recipe for a work function and the first batch came out perfect! However the second batch- the dough had cooled too much before baking. For the third batch, I tried warming up the dough a little by placing it on the warm stovetop and all of the butter then melted out so the 3rd batch wasn't even worth messing with lol. Oh well! Lesson learned on that one! They were ALL delicious but the second batch made with cooled dough didn't have the beautiful shiny crackly top. My partner gladly volunteered to eat the less beautiful ones. I will definitely make them again, but will mix them one batch at a time! Thanks from the US! #teamscale
Charlotte says
I’ve made these twice and they came out perfect both times (and I have multiple friends requesting I make more). Definitely listen to Erin’s advice of having everything ready to go - it all comes together so much better if you’re ready for each step.
Thanks for another awesome recipe, Erin!
Hel says
Hello! I am looking forward to trying your recipe and would like to ask which brand dutch cocoa and black cocoa you use for the brownie cookies? Thank you for your time!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Mine is from Equagold
Sarah Buckley says
I made these (with the peanut butter topping like you showed on IG). SO GOOD!
Corrie says
Loved this recipe! Fudgy enough for people who like center brownies and done enough for those who like edge pieces. Can’t wait to make them again!
Ancilla says
I made this recipe today. It was superb. My kids and hubby loved it. I used whole wheat flour instead of APF and it turned out just great.
Thank you.
Li says
Mine turned out paper thin. Why 😔😔
Erin Clarkson says
Did you follow the recipe as written?
BC says
I live in the US but I'm a person who bakes. You simply cannot bake without a scale. It's so much easier. A 1 cup measurement of flour is totally different depending on how you scoop it. It can really run a recipe if you don't use a scale.
Amanda says
Just saw this recipe on instagram and YUM. Looks easy peasy since I’m always pressed for time when I bake.
How would it turn out with chocolate chips? I’ll probably try later day, but I thought I would ask for your opinion first. I put chips in almost everything I bake.
Thanks
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't tried with them sorry! I'm not sure - I think so but as I said I haven't tested it 🙂
MC Hull says
Excited to make these and pair them with some coffee ice cream I churned today to make ice cream sandwiches!
Veronica says
The perfect chocolate cookie!! Dense. Chewy. Incredible chocolaty! Perfect!
Great step by step instructions, as always! A new favourite! Thank you!
ps... scales are so readily available anywhere in North America...even small town Nova Scotia! Why is this still a complaint?!🤔🙄
Ruby says
Hey Erin!! Love your website, but one question: how big should I draw the circles on the parchment paper before piping the batter? I think piping the batter vs scooping it is genius! Thanks!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It's in step one of the recipe!
Frances Brown says
Quick, easy, and delicious!!
Fran says
These are absolutely amazing! I felt like some chocolate and had everything in the cupboard and my 1 egg left so thought, why not. I have so many cooking fails that the fact that this recipe was not only easy to follow but produced lovely results leaves me overjoyed and made me want to comment. My picky husband said they were so good eating one and holding another, so thumbs up! Soft middle and held shape even though I spooned them into the baking tray rather than piping. I made 12 mid sized biscuits. Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes. I’m keen to try another now
Heather says
Didn't have much time but wanted to bake something super tasty so turned to this recipe and it was brilliant. Lovely small batch bake, totally delicious. Thank you!
Abby says
Hi do you think I could freeze this recipe? It's a great way to have cookies ready to go when you feel like them
Erin Clarkson says
Yes you should be able to freeze the baked cookies!
Haley Hardin says
Wow. These are incredible!
Briar says
So quick, easy and delicious! I have friends who have begged me to make these for them again! New go to recipe.
Faith says
I am currently waiting for these to cool, but it doesn’t look like your crinkly top:( I used my scale and measured everything correctly, I used a room temp egg and set a timer as I beat that together with the sugars for four minutes (with a hand mixer).
After re reading your recipe I did microwave my butter and chocolate for 30 seconds, mixed then 30 more seconds. (I didn’t chop the choc very small). Could the hotter chocolate mixture maybe mess with the crackle top somehow when combined?
I’ve used your recipes before with great success so I’m sure I messed something up along the way. Just hoping to correct it so I can make them again!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yess maybe, did you use caster sugar? The crinkly top comes from the sugar dissolving in the eggs and if you use granulated sugar it may not dissolve as well
Tory says
These are insanely good!
My mix was a little thick by the time I tried piping (I think because of how cold my kitchen was) so I piped half and scooped half. Both were great and I think the scooped cookies ended up pretty well circular. The scooped ones also ended up thicker and fudgier, just a note for anyone who is curious!
Tam says
Hello from my USA, scale-using, metric kitchen😉 These are amazing, if made exactly the way it's written. If you had problems I'd bet you either didn't use a scale or didn't use a timer somewhere along the way.
And for my fellow American bakers it's not that difficult, the more I use my scale I'm starting to remember the specific conversions so I can adjust my recipes, ie 200 grams of sugar=1 cup etc
Jacquelyn Hill says
Paired these with some of the sh***y frosting and was a match made in heaven. Love this recipe.
Lacey says
Okay, I use organic sugar for dietary reasons so it’s super coarse, and my batter was not even close to as silky as Erin’s looks. I was fearful the texture would suck because of that, but luckily it made no difference at all! Definitely less visually appealing, but these taste exactly like a brownie and have a perfect texture. I love them. I’m gonna be making lots and lots more. Maybe find an organic caster sugar for proper aesthetic too!
Also, anyone intimidated by the weighted measurements, get over it. Less dishes. Better quality. It’s worth it I promise!
Anne says
Best chocolate cookies I've ever made. Thanks a lot for this recipe!
Greetings from my European kitchen with two scales. (Nobody uses cups here, it's really difficult to get them here 😂)
Louise says
These are addictive! The level of chewiness and chocolate is perfect!
Hayley says
Julie says
These were excellent, and the recipe was fast + easy to follow! The timings were really helpful and spot on - I'm always at a loss when recipes say "let mixture cool" but, like, don't provide any guidance of knowing when it's the right cool?? THIS recipe does not leave you hanging -- Erin tells you to set the batter aside for 8 minutes, and to start mixing the sugars with 4 minutes left. That attention to detail is SO AMAZING (chef's kiss).
If you know someone who likes the edges of brownies from the brownie pan, you might consider making this for them -- for me, the delightful chewiness of the cookie hits that brownie edge note.
Definitely keeping this in my baking repertoire!
Natalia Lamarche says
Hi! First I want to say thank you! I love this recipe and have made it a ton of times, they always turn out perfect! This time i would like to make the batter the night before, would it work to keep the batter in the fridge/freezer overnight?
Thanks!
Erin Clarkson says
No I don't think that would work sorry!
ell says
As an American, I only bake with a scale. It surprises me so many Americans don't. Its so much easier to just dump things in a bowl on a scale and not worry about measuring out flour. Recipes are more consistent too. I love this recipe. FYI: It's worth grabbing a scale just for these cookies for those reading this and don't have one
milly says
I followed the recipe exactly, I used my scale to weigh everything out exactly, but when I piped them they were so runny! like oil! I had to just bake them like a normal brownie! Tasted insanely good though!
Erin Clarkson says
Hmmm something must have gone wrong - maybe the mix was too warm?
Pari says
Hi! Had a question, are these cookies really thin?
Erin Clarkson says
Not super thin but they are on the thin side I guess?
Sam says
The whole family loved these, and they’re now a go-to for get togethers!
Rayna says
So quick and delicious