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With shiny, crackled tops and rich, fudgy centers, these salted brownie cookies are the best ever. Made with semisweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa, this is the ultimate chocolate cookie for brownie and chocolate lovers! These life-changing cookies come together in under 40 minutes, no chill time required. Recipe yields 20 cookies.
If you’ve never made brownie cookies, now is the time to try. This reader favorite recipe is one of the most popular homemade cookie recipes on my site and the best way to indulge your chocolate cravings!
When I want all of the richness of a crinkle top brownie in cookie form, I bake these crinkly brownie cookies. They’re super quick to make (step by step photo guidance included below), bake up soft and fudgy, and don’t require any chill time!
Pro tip: Enjoy these chocolate brownie cookies slightly warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Tips for Perfect Brownie Cookies
- Prep ahead – Temperature and timing are key to perfect brownie cookies, so this method works best if you prep all the ingredients before you start.
- Weigh out ingredients – This recipe has been developed and tested by weight. I highly recommend weighing out all ingredients ahead so you can work quickly (this is my favorite kitchen scale).
- Don’t chill the dough – No chilling required! Brownie cookies are baked right away, while the dough is still slightly warm (similar to my double chocolate chip cookies and dark chocolate crinkle cookies). As soon as the dough is mixed, use a cookie scoop to portion out the batter and bake immediately.
Helpful Equipment
In addition to a kitchen scale, use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to make the cookies. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over low heat.
You’ll also need two baking sheets, parchment paper, and a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity).
Cookie Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make these fudgy brownie cookies:
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I use and recommend Dutch processed baking cocoa, which has a lower acidity than natural cocoa powder. My personal favorite is Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa for rich, smooth chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder – Gives the cookies a lift.
- Salt – Brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Semisweet chocolate – Incorporating just a handful of ingredients, this recipe is all about the chocolate, so use the best quality chocolate (around 66-70% chocolate is a great place to start). I recommend Guittard semisweet chocolate wafers (66% cacao) or Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bars.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. The butter is melted with the chocolate.
- Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Egg – Use two large eggs, at room temperature. The eggs are whipped with the sugars to create volume.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract complements the chocolate.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Fold chocolate chips into the batter for plenty of rich chocolate in every bite.
- Flaky sea salt – To top the cookies! I love Maldon.
How to Make Brownie Cookies
Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, sifted Dutch process cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Melt chocolate: Combine chocolate (chopped semisweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate wafers) and cubed butter in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until completely smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Whip eggs and sugars: Combine eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment.
Whisk together on medium speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 5 minutes, until pale and doubled in volume.
Mix in melted chocolate: Add melted chocolate mixture to the mixer bowl and mix in on low speed for 1 minute until incorporated.
Mix in dry ingredients: Add flour mixture and mix in on low speed for 20 seconds, just until combined.
Add chocolate chips: Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips with a silicone spatula. Dough will resemble a gooey brownie batter.
Scoop dough: Spray a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoon capacity) with nonstick spray. Invert the scoop just above prepared baking sheets and squeeze the lever to release the dough. Space cookies 2 inches apart, 10 per baking sheet.
Bake cookies at 350°F until cookies are shiny with crinkle tops, about 12-14 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and sprinkle the top of the cookies with flaky salt. Let cookies cool on baking trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Brownie cookies are the most fudgy and tender when freshly baked. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You can also freeze any leftover cookies for up to 2 weeks.
More chocolate recipes you’ll love:
- Ultimate Crinkle Brownies
- Triple Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Dark Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Ganache Loaf Cake
Did you try this Brownie Cookie Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Print
Best Ever Salted Brownie Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST salted brownie cookies! With shiny, crackled tops and rich, fudgy centers, these are the ultimate brownie cookies for chocolate lovers. These life-changing cookies come together in under 40 minutes, no chill time required.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp (12 g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa, sifted
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
- 8 ounces (226 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommended: 66-70% chocolate)
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs (100 g), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (92 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- flaky salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make cookies: Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk together on medium speed for 5 minutes, until pale and doubled in volume. Reduce speed to low and beat in melted chocolate for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 20 seconds, just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips (dough will resemble a gooey brownie batter).
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated lightly with nonstick spray to form the cookies – invert the scoop just above the baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart (bake 10 cookies per baking sheet).
- Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are shiny and crackly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
Semisweet chocolate: I use and recommend Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bars or Guittard semisweet chocolate wafers. You can also use bittersweet chocolate baking bars (70% cacao).
Espresso powder: If you’re a coffee fan, add up to 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder to the flour mixture.
Cookie scoop: Use a medium cookie scoop which holds approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough or batter.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Not really sure what happened. Mixture was very wet, cookies went very thin and flat (although they cracked) and were hard as rock, not chewy, baked for 12 mins. Measurements etc all correct. Probably won’t make this recipe again, perhaps too sugar heavy?
Hi Kyla, any chance you’re baking at altitude? That’s my first thought that could really affect the recipe (if baked as written without any substitutions). If not, other possibilities could be that your oven runs hot or that the baking powder wasn’t fresh.
My cookies turned out perfectly, love this recipe!
Thanks so much, Marie!
These were such a hit! Love the texture and crackled tops.
This recipe is definitely a keeper, love the crinkle top. Delicious!
Hi Laura,
on the first time i baked this everything went well, the cookies looked just like yours. On the second time, on a different oven, the cookies didn’t cracked 🙁 have an idea why? Thanks
Hi Barbara, what kind of oven was the 2nd oven, and did you make any changes to the recipe? From the photo, the 2nd batch looks like the dough cooled off before baking. The 2nd oven may be running too cool as well.
Hi,
Mine didn’t have a shiny top at all. They cracked, but no shiny top. What could have caused this?
Hi Dina, did you make any modifications or changes to the recipe? The shiny top is due to a few different things, including the sugar content, whipping the eggs and sugars until doubled in volume (for 5 minutes), and working quickly so that the dough stays warm all the way through the mixing and scooping process.
These were delicious. I used white chocolate chips inside instead of semi sweet and it turned out great!