Brownie Cookies

Why choose between baking brownies and cookies when you can have the best of both worlds with brownie cookies?

Our easy brownie cookies recipe is everything you want it to be: a quick, decadent, chocolaty treat with crisp cookie edges and a fudgy brownie center, all thanks to a box of brownie mix.

Literally a brownie in cookie form, this simple dessert can satisfy even the strongest sweet tooth without the wait. It's true. They're even faster to bake than a batch of classic brownies.

Better yet, you can freeze the batter for up to a month. After freezing individual scoops until solid, you can package them all together in a zip-top plastic bag to freeze for a longer period. Pop out the amount of brownie cookies you want to bake when the time is right, and you can bake them from frozen.  

Ingredients for Brownie Cookies

To make these cookies, you'll need:

• Double chocolate brownie mix: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix is our top choice, but any 18-oz. package will do.
• Salted butter: Adds fat and a hint of saltiness. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp. salt to the mix.
• Large egg: Binds the batter.
• Bittersweet chocolate baking chunks: For rich, melty chocolate chunks in each cookie.
• Chopped toasted walnuts: Can be swapped for other types of nuts, or left out, if needed.

How To Make Brownie Cookies

These brownie mix cookies come together in no time at all. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

• Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat brownie mix, melted butter, and egg to combine. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts. Scoop 1 1/2-inch scoops of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Step 2. Freeze cookies about 15 minutes until chilled. Bake 10 to 11 minutes until just set. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Variations for Brownie Cookies

These cookies are so easy to whip up, you'll be thinking up a variation for every season. These are a few of our favorite ideas:

• Nuts: Swap the walnuts for pecans, or swirl with peanut butter or Nutella.
• Heat: A hint of chili and a handful of marshmallows can make for an excellent spicy hot chocolate version.
• Candy: Add your favorite chopped candy bars into the mix (especially that leftover Halloween candy).
• Melted chocolate: Drizzle or dip with melted chocolate to amplify the dark chocolate flavor.
• Flavored chips: Peppermint, peanut butter, caramel or white chocolate chips can be substituted in for the chocolate chunks.
• Powdered sugar: Coat with powdered sugar before baking for a classic snow-capped look.

Storing Brownie Cookies

Freeze the portioned cookie dough for up to a month in a zip-top plastic bag. Bake from frozen when ready to serve.

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Freeze up to one month.

Why Are My Brownie Cookies Dry?

One minute these cookies are gooey in the center, and the next, they're dry throughout. Watch the baking time closely—when you pull them out, the cookies should be slightly underdone. As they cool on the cookie sheet, they'll continue to set.

If you left them in a few extra minutes, immediately transfer to a cooling rack to help stop the baking process. Not all hope is lost—overbaked cookies make excellent ice cream sandwiches.

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.