Irresistible Fudgy Brownie Cookies: The Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Delight
Fudgy Brownie Cookies are a dream come true for any chocolate lover. Imagine the intense richness and moist, fudgy texture of your favorite brownie, perfectly combined with the soft, chewy edges of a classic cookie. This ingenious dessert offers the best of both worlds in every bite. And for an extra special touch? We’re dipping them in decadent white chocolate and sprinkling with crushed peppermint for a delightful surprise that elevates them from simply delicious to absolutely unforgettable.
These magnificent cookies are a must-add to your holiday baking list, especially if you’re participating in a cookie swap or simply looking for an extraordinary treat to share (or keep all to yourself!). The decision to marry these two beloved desserts, cookies and brownies, into one perfect creation came from a desire for the ultimate sweet indulgence. The result is a uniquely delightful experience that will earn you endless compliments.
Looking for more festive inspiration? Check out these other delightful Christmas recipes:
- Easy and Tasty Caramel Gingerbread Cake
- The Very Best Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies
- Oreo Gingerbread Cake
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Fudgy Brownie Cookies
These aren’t just any cookies; they’re an experience. Here’s why these fudgy brownie cookies will quickly become a cherished recipe in your baking repertoire:
Perfectly Chewy & Fudgy Texture
Forget dry, crumbly cookies. These brownie cookies deliver an exquisite balance. They are deeply fudgy, boasting the dense, moist interior you’d expect from a high-quality brownie, while maintaining that delightful chewiness around the edges that makes a cookie so satisfying. Each bite offers a luxurious mouthfeel that’s rich in chocolate flavor and utterly addictive. The combination of ingredients and specific techniques (like creaming eggs and sugar, and using melted dark chocolate) are key to achieving this signature texture.
Signature Crinkle Top
The beautiful, delicate crinkle top isn’t just for show; it adds an incredible, slightly flaky texture that contrasts wonderfully with the soft interior. This characteristic crinkly surface is a hallmark of truly amazing brownie cookies and is a testament to the perfect sugar and egg emulsion in the dough. It’s a visual cue that these cookies are going to be something special, and it’s surprisingly easy to achieve with this recipe.
Effortlessly Easy to Make
Don’t let their sophisticated appearance fool you; these fudgy brownie cookies are incredibly straightforward to prepare. With clear, step-by-step instructions, even novice bakers can achieve impressive results. The process is designed to be simple, ensuring that you can whip up a batch of these show-stopping treats without any stress. They are an ideal recipe for impressing guests without spending hours in the kitchen.
Essential Equipment for Perfect Brownie Cookies
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking experience. Here’s what you’ll need to make these amazing fudgy brownie cookies:
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment: While you can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer makes creaming the eggs and sugar much easier and more effective, ensuring the light and fluffy texture crucial for those signature crinkles.
- Small Saucepan: For melting the butter and chocolate gently over low heat.
- Rubber Spatula: Essential for mixing, scraping the bowl, and folding ingredients without overworking the dough.
- Whisk: For combining dry ingredients and ensuring they are well aerated.
- Small Cookie Scoop (1.5-2 tablespoon size): This helps create uniform cookies that bake evenly and look professional.
- Baking Sheets: Two large baking sheets are ideal so you can bake multiple batches.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: Absolutely crucial for preventing sticking and ensuring easy cleanup. It also promotes even baking.
- Wire Rack: For cooling the cookies completely after baking, which helps maintain their texture.
- Airtight Container: For proper storage of your delicious cookies.
Key Ingredients for Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Each ingredient plays a vital role in creating the perfect fudgy brownie cookie. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:
Eggs (Large or Extra Large, Room Temperature)
Using large or extra-large eggs is essential for the structure and richness of these cookies. The most crucial part, however, is ensuring they are at room temperature. Room temperature eggs emulsify better with sugar, incorporating more air. This creates a lighter, fluffier base, which contributes significantly to the signature crinkle top and chewy texture. If you forget to take them out, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
Pure Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is more than just a flavor; it enhances and rounds out the deep chocolate notes. Opt for a high-quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. My favorite brand can be found here. Avoid artificial vanilla for superior taste.
Dark Cocoa Powder
For that intense, deep chocolate flavor and rich color, dark cocoa powder is highly recommended. I use Dutch-processed dark cocoa powder, which has been treated to reduce its acidity, resulting in a smoother, less bitter chocolate taste. This is different from natural cocoa powder and impacts the leavening. The specific brand I use for these fudgy brownie cookies can be found here.
Bittersweet or Dark Chocolate
This recipe specifically calls for semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The higher cocoa content and lower sugar in these chocolates provide the necessary structure and intense flavor for fudgy brownie cookies. Milk chocolate will not work as a substitute; its higher sugar and milk fat content will result in a flatter, greasier cookie with less structural integrity. My go-to brand for its quality and flavor can be found here.
All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, & Salt
These dry ingredients form the foundational structure. All-purpose flour provides the bulk, while baking powder ensures a slight lift and helps achieve that desirable crackly top. Salt is crucial for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors, especially the chocolate. Sifting them together ensures even distribution and prevents lumps.
Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar
The combination of both sugars contributes to the unique texture. Granulated sugar promotes the crisp edges and the crackly top, while light brown sugar, with its molasses content, adds moisture and chewiness, contributing to the fudgy interior. This blend is key to the cookie-brownie hybrid texture.
Unsalted Butter & Vegetable Oil
Butter provides rich flavor and tenderness, while vegetable oil adds to the fudginess and keeps the cookies moist. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall salt content of the recipe. The combination ensures a perfectly balanced fat profile for optimal texture.
Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Perfect Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Follow these detailed steps to create your own batch of irresistible fudgy brownie cookies:
Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Environment. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature for even baking from the moment your cookies go in. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment paper prevents sticking, promotes even browning, and makes cleanup a breeze. Set these aside while you prepare the dough.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisking dry ingredients together ensures they are evenly distributed, so you don’t end up with pockets of salt or leavening in your cookies. Set this bowl aside for later use.
Step 3: Cream the Eggs and Sugar to Perfection. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar. Cream them together on medium-high speed for about 7-8 minutes. This step is crucial! You want the mixture to become light in color, thick, and have significantly doubled in volume. This process incorporates a lot of air, which helps create that desirable crinkle top and contributes to the chewy texture. Do not rush this step.
Step 4: Gently Melt the Chocolate and Butter. While your eggs and sugar are creaming, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s completely liquid. Once melted, remove the pan from the heat and add about one-third of your chopped bittersweet or dark chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Repeat this process, adding another third of the chocolate, stirring until melted, and then the final third. Adding the chocolate in stages allows it to melt gradually and smoothly without seizing or overheating, ensuring a velvety chocolate base.
Step 5: Incorporate the Dark Cocoa Powder. Once all the dark chocolate is melted into the butter, remove the pan from the heat entirely. Add the dark cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly with your rubber spatula until it’s completely smooth and there are no lumps of cocoa powder visible. This deepens the chocolate flavor and color.
Step 6: Add Vanilla and Oil to the Egg Mixture. With the stand mixer still on low speed, slowly add the pure vanilla extract and vegetable oil to the creamed egg and sugar mixture. Mix just until these liquids are fully incorporated. The oil enhances the fudginess and moisture of the cookies.
Step 7: Blend in the Warm Chocolate Mixture. Keeping the mixer on low speed, gradually pour the warm (but not hot) melted chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture. Mix until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix here, as vigorous mixing can deflate the air incorporated in Step 3.
Step 8: Fold in the Flour Mixture. Finally, add your whisked dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed *just until* there are no visible streaks of dry flour remaining. Overmixing at this stage can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dry cookies. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated. Once mixed, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes. This resting period allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a more tender cookie.
Step 9: Scoop and Bake. Using a small cookie scoop (about 1.5-2 tablespoons per cookie), portion the dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Space each cookie dough ball about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. You should be able to fit approximately 12 cookies on each standard baking sheet.
Step 10: Bake to Perfection. Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes. Baking times can vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them. Mine typically take 9 minutes because my oven runs a bit hotter. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft and fudgy. They will continue to set as they cool. Do not overbake!
Step 11: Cool and Optionally Garnish. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. This is crucial for their structure and fudgy texture. If you try to move them too soon, they may fall apart. Once fully cooled to room temperature, you can proceed with the optional dipping and garnishing. Melt the white chocolate (using a double boiler or microwave in 30-second intervals), dip half of each cookie, and then sprinkle with crushed peppermint for a festive and delicious touch. Let the white chocolate set for about 20 minutes before serving or storing.
Expert Baking Tips for the Best Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality brownie cookies is easier than you think with these professional tips:
- Don’t Skimp on Creaming Eggs and Sugar: This is arguably the most critical step for that coveted crinkle top. Creaming for 7-8 minutes on medium-high speed incorporates a significant amount of air, creating a stable emulsion. This air expands in the oven, then collapses slightly as the cookies cool, forming those beautiful cracks. Under-creaming will lead to flatter cookies without the signature crinkle.
- Sift Your Dry Ingredients: While it might seem like an extra step, sifting flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt ensures they are fully combined and free of lumps. This leads to a smoother batter and a more uniform, tender crumb in your finished cookies.
- Avoid Overmixing the Flour: Once you add the flour mixture, mix on low speed only until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your cookies tough and dense instead of delightfully chewy and fudgy. A rubber spatula can help finish incorporating any last bits of flour without overworking the dough.
- Use Quality Chocolate and Cocoa: Since chocolate is the star here, invest in good quality bittersweet or dark chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa powder. The flavor difference is noticeable and contributes significantly to the richness and depth of these cookies.
- The Importance of Room Temperature Eggs: As mentioned, room temperature eggs emulsify much better with fats and sugars. This leads to a smoother, more uniform batter that holds air more effectively, contributing to both texture and the crinkle top.
- Don’t Overbake: Brownie cookies are meant to be fudgy! Overbaking will dry them out, turning them into cakey or hard cookies. They should look slightly underbaked in the center when you pull them out of the oven, as they will continue to cook from residual heat.
- Cool Completely on the Pan: These cookies are delicate when warm. Allowing them to cool fully on the baking sheet helps them set up and develop their characteristic chewy, fudgy texture. Patience is key here!
- Invest in Good Parchment Paper: Using high-quality parchment paper prevents sticking and makes transferring cookies much easier. Here are my favorite parchment paper liners.
Fun Variations & Customizations
While these fudgy brownie cookies are perfect as is, they’re also fantastic canvases for your creativity! Here are a few ideas to customize your batch:
- Add More Chocolate: Stir in a cup of chocolate chips (milk, dark, or white) into the dough during the last moments of mixing for extra bursts of chocolate.
- Nutty Crunch: Fold in ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds for a delightful textural contrast.
- Espresso Boost: Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the cocoa powder to deepen the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
- Peppermint Patty Cookies: Instead of dipping in white chocolate and crushed peppermint, melt some dark chocolate and dip the cooled cookies, then top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Spice It Up: For a festive twist, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne pepper for a subtle warming spice.
- Drizzle with Caramel: Once cooled, drizzle the cookies with homemade or store-bought caramel sauce for an extra layer of indulgence.
- Sea Salt Finish: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the warm cookies (before they cool completely or on top of the melted white chocolate) enhances the chocolate flavor beautifully.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Can these cookie dough balls be frozen?
Absolutely! Freezing cookie dough is a fantastic way to prepare ahead. To freeze, scoop the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours). Once solid, transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to bake, you don’t even need to thaw them! Just place them on a prepared baking sheet and add an extra 2-4 minutes to the baking time. If you’ve added the crushed peppermint topping, you can freeze them with the crumb on top too!
Can I chill the cookie dough overnight?
Yes, chilling the cookie dough overnight (or for at least a few hours) is a great idea. The batter is quite soft, so chilling helps firm it up, making it easier to scoop and handle. More importantly, chilling allows the flavors to meld and deepen, resulting in a richer, more complex chocolate taste. It can also help prevent excessive spreading. When you’re ready to scoop, pull the bowl out of the refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before you begin to allow it to soften just slightly, making it easier to portion.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark or bittersweet?
Unfortunately, no. This recipe is specifically formulated for bittersweet or dark chocolate. I’ve tried using milk chocolate, and it doesn’t provide the same structural integrity or intense chocolate flavor. Milk chocolate contains more sugar and milk solids, which can lead to a greasier, flatter cookie that spreads too much and lacks the desired fudgy texture and deep chocolate taste. Stick to dark or bittersweet for the best results in these fudgy brownie cookies.
How do I ensure a perfect crinkle top?
The key to those beautiful crinkles lies in two main steps:
- Creaming Eggs and Sugar: Beat the eggs and sugars on medium-high speed for the full 7-8 minutes until the mixture is very light, thick, and significantly increased in volume. This incorporates air and dissolves the sugar, which is crucial for the crinkle.
- Warm Chocolate Mixture: Adding the warm (but not hot) melted chocolate mixture to the aerated egg mixture helps create the perfect conditions for the crinkles to form during baking. The contrast in temperatures plays a role.
Storing and Freezing Your Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Storing Baked Fudgy Brownie Cookies
To maintain their optimal fudginess and chewiness, store these delicious brownie cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They will stay fresh and delightful for up to 2-3 days. While they might last a little longer, their texture is best within the first couple of days. If dipped in white chocolate, ensure the chocolate has fully set before stacking or storing.
Freezing Fudgy Brownie Cookies (Baked)
You can easily freeze fully baked fudgy brownie cookies. Once completely cooled, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be stored for up to 2 months. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature for an hour or two. You can also warm them slightly in the microwave for a few seconds for that freshly baked feel.
Freezing Cookie Dough Balls
As mentioned in the FAQ, freezing the cookie dough balls is a fantastic meal-prep hack. Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time, whenever a craving strikes!
I am confident you will adore this recipe! If you try these Fudgy Brownie Cookies, please remember to leave a review and rate it. Your feedback means the world to me!
For more delightful dessert ideas, be sure to explore these other recipes:
- Easy and Tasty Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Best Ever Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake
Recipe
Fudgy Brownie Cookies
By Molly Murphy
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 (70 g) tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate (milk chocolate will not work with this recipe)
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- Optional Topping:
- 4 ounces white chocolate (melted)
- Crushed peppermint
Instructions
For the Cookies
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and the mixture has doubled in size. This will take about 7-8 minutes.
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While the egg mixture is creaming, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until completely liquid. Remove from heat. Add one-third of the dark chocolate and stir with a rubber spatula until melted. Repeat with the second and then the final third of the chocolate until all is combined and smooth.
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Take the pan off the heat and add the dark cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture. Mix until smooth and there are no more lumps.
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Turn the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil to the egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
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With the mixer still on low, slowly add the warm (but not hot) chocolate-butter mixture until combined.
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Add the flour mixture to the egg/chocolate mixture and mix on low just until there are no more flour streaks. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well mixed.
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Cover the mixture with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
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Using a small cookie scoop (about 1.5-2 tbsp), scoop the batter onto the prepped baking sheets, spacing each ball about 2 inches apart. You should be able to fit 12 on each pan.
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Bake for 8-12 minutes. Mine took 9 minutes (my oven runs hotter), but ovens vary. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
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Let the cookies cool completely on the baking pan before moving. They are delicate when warm.
Optional Topping
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Once the cookies have reached room temperature, dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate and top with crushed peppermint. Let the chocolate chill for 20 minutes to set before serving or storing.