Chewy Brownie Cookies

Published Aug. 30, 2024

Chewy Brownie Cookies
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(1,906)
Comments
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The perfect union of two of America’s most popular desserts, brownies and cookies, this recipe offers all the goodness of a brownie and bakes up in a fraction of the time. A blend of chopped chocolate, unsweetened cocoa and espresso powder lends enormous depth to the base of these cookies. The only time-intensive step in this recipe is beating the eggs and sugar, but don’t skimp on that process, as it helps the cookies rise without any baking soda or baking powder, giving them structure and shine. Banging the sheet pan on the counter 8 minutes into the baking process creates fudgy cookies and helps create that hallmark cragged surface atop a tray of brownies. Whether you’re the type of person who races to get a corner brownie or you patiently await a middle piece, these chewy brownie cookies offer all of the best textures a brownie has to offer. 

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Ingredients

Yield:18 cookies
  • ¾cup/113 grams finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • ½cup/42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1teaspoon espresso powder
  • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter
  • 2large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
  • ½packed cup/107 grams dark brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)

163 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 94 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    Put chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder in a small heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, about 3 minutes, then pour over the chocolate mixture. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar.

  3. Step 3

    Put the eggs, both sugars and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (If using a hand mixer, a large bowl will do.) Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. (If any solid pieces of chocolate remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.)

  5. Step 5

    With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed, then add the flour and mix on low speed until only a few streaks of flour remain. To avoid overmixing, use a spatula to finish folding in the flour. The dough should be glossy and resemble a very thick brownie batter.

  6. Step 6

    Using a 2-tablespoon/1-ounce scoop, scoop a heaping amount of the dough into mounds directly onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, with each portion at least 2 inches apart, yielding about 18 cookies. Work quickly to ensure the cookies stay shiny once baked.

  7. Step 7

    Bake for 8 minutes until the cookies have started to spread and take on a shiny outer surface, then remove the pans from the oven and whack them on the countertop a couple times to create a cragged top. (This also helps create a fudgier consistency.) Top with flaky sea salt and return to the oven to finish baking, for another 2 minutes until shiny and slightly puffed. Cool for a couple minutes directly on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,906 user ratings
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Comments

the hardest part of this recipe is getting the batter off my forehead after licking the bowl clean. BEST COOKIE EVER.

No need to buy expensive (maybe not-so-fresh) espresso powder, just use your leftover coffee grounds instead! Spread grounds out on a cookie sheet and dry out in oven at 170° for approx. 2.5 hours (or until they feel "crunchy"). Use a coffee grinder to grind into a fine powder and voilà! Keeps for a couple months.

Best chocolate cookie recipe in my opinion! I made the peppermint version many times and I still have friends who bring it up or request it for gatherings. I even made a special peanut butter brownie cookie version for my partner’s birthday. This recipe is very adaptable to whatever fun extra flavors you might want to add. 10/10 🙌

obviously a perfect cookie on its own and i've made them a number of times - but after making vaughn's triple (quadruple?) chocolate brownies, i couldn't resist adding some chopped chocolate - mix of milk and white - to the batter. they are in the freezer now -

Delicious! I used 105 grams rather than 90 grams of flour (I consider 1 c of flour to be 140 grams, not 120 grams as this recipe does, so 3/4 c would weigh 105 grams). Mine baked fully in 8 minutes, though they were also fine after 10 minutes. I didn't top with extra salt but probably had about the same level of saltiness from using salted butter. I can't wait to try the peppermint version. No way I'm waiting until Christmas for that.

these were delicious but I thought they were a little too salty and I love salt. I used diamond kosher salt and next time I will cut it in half. I did add 2 ounces of finely chopped hazelnuts because I think brownies need nuts. I also found I had to cook it quite a bit longer than the recipe called for. I took the cookies out of the oven after a total of 13 minutes. When they cooled off enough to taste it they were very very soft so I put them back in the oven for another six minutes and I thought they were much better. So as usual trust your instincts not the time called for in a recipe.

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