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 (66–70% recommended)
- 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
These ratios line up closely with other modern brownie cookie recipes that use mostly chocolate with a modest amount of flour and cocoa for structure.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Prep your space
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even spreading.
Most brownie cookie recipes bake around 350°F to set the edges while keeping centers fudgy.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Set aside.
Sifting or whisking cocoa and flour helps prevent lumps and distributes leavening evenly.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter
- Chop the 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate into small pieces.
- Place the chocolate and cubed butter in a heatproof bowl.
- Set the bowl over a saucepan with about an inch of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl (double boiler).
- Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Letting the chocolate cool a bit prevents it from scrambling the eggs when mixed in, a tip echoed in other brownie cookie guides.
4. Whip the eggs and sugars (for shiny tops)
- In a large mixer bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for a full 5 minutes.
- The mixture should become pale, thick, and increased in volume; it should fall in ribbons from the whisk and briefly sit on the surface before dissolving.
This “ribbon stage” is key for the crackly, shiny tops seen in the best brownie cookies.
5. Bring it all together
- Reduce the mixer speed to low.
- Slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix for about 1 minute, until well combined and uniform.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture and mix on low for just about 20 seconds, until barely combined.
Overmixing at this stage can add too much air or develop extra gluten, which can make the cookies cakier instead of fudgy.
6. Fold in extra chocolate
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
- The dough will be very gooey and glossy—more like brownie batter than standard cookie dough, which is exactly what you want.
Many brownie cookie recipes note that the batter should be thick but scoopable, more batter-like than dough-like.
7. Adjust consistency if needed
- If your dough seems too runny to scoop, refrigerate the bowl for 15–20 minutes to let it firm up slightly.
- Chilling briefly helps prevent excessive spreading and makes scooping easier, similar to tips from other brownie cookie bakers.
8. Scoop the cookies
- Lightly spray a medium cookie scoop with nonstick spray to help the sticky batter release.
- Scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Aim for around 1.5–2 tablespoons of dough per cookie; most fudgy brownie cookies are portioned similarly.
- Try to keep to about 10 cookies per sheet, as they will spread.
9. Bake to fudgy perfection
- Bake at 350°F for 12–14 minutes.
- For even baking, rotate the pans halfway through (front to back, and swap racks if using two sheets).
- Cookies are done when the tops are shiny and crackly, the edges are set, and the centers still look slightly soft and glossy.
Watching visual cues (puffed, cracked tops; set edges; glossy centers) is the preferred doneness test for brownie cookies.
10. Finish with flaky salt
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops lightly with flaky sea salt.
- This optional step adds contrast and enhances the chocolate flavor, a popular trick in modern brownie cookie recipes.
11. Cool and store
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes; they’re fragile when hot and continue to set as they cool.
- Transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature; similar brownie cookies are best within 2–3 days.
Room-temperature storage in an airtight container keeps brownie cookies soft and fudgy for several days.