Name: Brownie Cookies In 30 Minutes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 227 g good quality semi-sweet chocolate (60-65% cocoa, finely chopped. Quality matters here, use the best you can find); 84 g unsalted butter (browned first for that deep nutty flavour. Don’t skip this step); 1 tbsp neutral oil (keeps the cookies soft and prevents them from drying out); ½ tsp instant expresso powder (enhances the chocolate without adding coffee flavour); 63 g plain flour (minimal flour is what keeps these fudgy rather than cakey); 20 g Dutch-process cocoa powder ( richer and darker than regular cocoa, essential for that intense brownie flavour); 1 tsp baking powder (if you want denser and fudgier result, reduce it to ½ tsp); 1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour (the secret to keeping centres very soft); ½ tsp fine sea salt (balances the chocolate and brings everything together); 100 g caster sugar + 50g dark brown sugar ( the combination gives structure and chew); 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (room temperature (the extra egg yolk adds richness)); 2 tsp vanilla extract; Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

If you love brownie and you love cookies, you need to make these brownie cookies. These brownie cookies taste and look exactly like the ones you get from the bakery: that shiny, crackly top, crisp edges, rich taste and a fudgy soft centre. Basically, a brownie but in a cookie form.

I have made a lot of chocolate cookies, but these just hit different. The first time I made brownie cookies, I ate three before they were even fully cooked. Not proud of it but they were too good to resist! Let’s make them together, they are much easier to make than they look 🙂

What are Brownie Cookies?

Brownie cookies are rich, fudgy cookies made by whipping eggs and sugar until thick and glossy, then folding in melted chocolate and a bit of flour, giving you the shiny top and soft, dense centre of a brownie in a cookie form.

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Why This Recipe For Brownie Cookies Work So Well

Brown Butter base– adds a deep, nutty, caramelised flavour that makes these taste genuinely bakery quality
Whipped eggs for 5-7 minutes– this is the non-negotiable step that create the signature shiny, crackly top (don’t skip this step)
Espresso powder– doesn’t make these taste like coffee, just makes the chocolate taste more intense
Dutch process cocoa and melted chocolate– double the chocolate, double the depth and taste
Corn-starch/Cornflour– keeps the centres super soft and fudgy even after the brownie cookies are cooling
Slightly underbaked– make sure you pull the cookies out before they look done and they set perfectly as they cool on the tray

A Little Backstory

I have been chasing the perfect brownie cookies for a long time. I have tried versions that are too cakey, too flat, too dry. The breakthrough for me was understanding that this batter behaves more like a brownie batter than a cookie dough. It’s loose and glossy. You scoop it immediately and bake it straight away. If you let it sit for too long, you won’t get that shiny crackly top, which is the whole point.

Brown butter was the game changer, I add it to so many of my baking recipes now because it transforms the flavour so well. It tastes nutty, deep and almost toffee-like. I make these brownie cookies whenever I want to impress people without spending hours in the kitchen. They look stunning, taste amazing and they come together in under 30 minute!

Ingredients You Need

227g good quality semi-sweet chocolate (60-65% cocoa), finely chopped. Quality matters here, use the best you can find
84g unsalted butter– browned first for that deep, nutty flavour. Don’t skip this step
1 tbsp neutral oil– keeps the cookies soft and prevents them from drying out
½ tsp instant expresso powder– enhances the chocolate without adding coffee flavour
63g plain flour– minimal flour is what keeps these fudgy rather than cakey
20g Dutch-process cocoa powder– richer and darker than regular cocoa, essential for that intense brownie flavour
1 tsp baking powder– if you want denser and fudgier result, reduce it to ½ tsp
1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour– the secret to keeping centres very soft
½ tsp fine sea salt– balances the chocolate and brings everything together
100g caster sugar + 50g dark brown sugar– the combination gives structure and chew
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature (the extra egg yolk adds richness)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Making Your Brownie Cookie, Step by Step

1. Preheat your oven to 177°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Get everything weighted and ready before you start. This batter needs to go unto the oven quickly once it’s made.

2. Brown the butter. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter then keep cooking and stirring until it turns brown. Watch it carefully so it does not burn.

3. Remove from heat immediately and add the finely chopped chocolate, neutral oil and espresso powder. Stir until completely smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes- warm but not hot.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cornstarch/cornflour and salt. Set aside.

5. This is the most important step. In a large mixing bowl, combine both sugars, the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Using an eclectic mixer in high speed, beat for a full 5-7 minutes until the mixture is pale, thick and has almost tripled in volume. It should fall from the beater un thick ribbons. Don’t rush this step, it’s what creates that signature shiny, crackly brownie top.

6. Slowly pour un the warm chocolate mixture and mix until fully combined and glossy.

7. Add the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until combined. Stop as soon as you can’t see streaks of flour. The batter will be loose and glossy, more like brownie batter than cookie dough. That’s exactly right. If you want to add chocolate chips, you can add it now.

8. Scoop immediately, using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, portion the batter onto the tray leaving about 5 cm gap between each cookie. Don’t let the batter sit, bake it straight away for the best crackly top.

9. Bake for 10-11 minutes. The top should be shiny and crackled, the edges set and the centre still looking slightly underdone. Pull them out at this point.

10. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while warm. Leave to cool on the tray before moving them.

Things Worth Knowing

Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable. Cold eggs wont whip up to the same volume and you will miss that crackly top.
Scoop and bake immediately, letting the batter sit for too long can cause it to deflate slightly and you will lose that beautiful shiny finish.
Slightly underbake. I pulled mine out when my cookies looked a little raw in the centre. They firm up fast on the hot tray later.
Good chocolate makes a real difference. I have made these with cheap chocolates and good chocolates. The difference is very noticeable.

How to Store These Cookies

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They get fudgier on day two if you don’t eat them all!

Freezing: These freeze very well! Layer between sheets of baking paper in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 15-20 seconds.