This easy recipe for Small Batch Brownie Cookies will save you anytime you have a chocolate craving! They are soft, moist and fudgy just like your favorite brownie in bite sized form, and in less time. These rich chocolate cookies have that signature shiny crinkle crust on top and bake in less than 10 minutes. I usually make 7 perfect cookies, and you can also make 6 extra large ones. I've also sandwiched these with peanut butter, and let me tell you - WOW. These are fun to make with the kids and also great for a small household when you just need a few. If you love this idea, check out my Flourless Brownie Cookies, and if you just want a few, try my Small Batch Flourless Brownie Cookies recipe.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make - brownie cookies are a cinch to make! The method is similar to making regular brownies with different ingredient proportions.
- Few and simple ingredients - since this is a small batch, you need just 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of butter and less than a bar of chocolate to make these. You also don't even need a mixer because I often make these with just a whisk.
- Rich chocolate flavor - if you love chocolate then you are in for a treat. There's melted dark chocolate and a bit of cocoa powder in the cookie batter.
- Perfect fudgy texture - the texture of these cookies is perfectly fudgy without totally falling apart. They hold together well and also melt in your mouth with every bite.
- Shiny crinkle crust - these cookies bake up with that thin shiny wrinkly crust, just like my Perfect Shiny Crust Fudge Brownies. Using the method I have below for this recipe guarantees that you will get the shiny crust.
INGREDIENTS FOR SMALL BATCH BROWNIE COOKIES
- Bittersweet chocolate - it is very important to use bittersweet chocolate with 70% cocoa solids for the right texture and sweetness. If you use sweeter chocolate, the cookies will taste too sweet and be more crumbly.
- Butter - you can use salted or unsalted butter. Salted butter is really tasty in this recipe as it enhances the chocolate flavor and gives them an inherent richness. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt to ⅛ teaspoon.
- Cocoa powder - a bit of cocoa powder deepens the chocolate flavor without interfering with the structure too much so that these cookies bake up thick and velvety. You can use natural cocoa or Dutch process cocoa powder. I like this Dutch cocoa powder for this recipe to give the cookies rich dark color, but natural cocoa imparts a lovely fruity flavor.
- Eggs - just 1 large egg sets the structure for these brownie cookies.
- Sugar - regular white granulated sugar dissolves more readily into the egg for the shiny top and creates a fudgy texture. Do not reduce the sugar or it will affect the fudgy texture.
- Baking powder - just a small amount of baking powder (yes, just ⅛ tsp) gives a bit of structure to the batter and that little bit of puff also helps the cookies develop the crackly appearance.
- All-purpose flour - use unbleached all-purpose flour for the best results. Bleached flour will make these cookies more cakey.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- STEP 2). Melt butter with chocolate. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave in 30 seconds bursts with frequent stirring, or melt in a saucepan over low heat while stirring constantly until completely smooth and glossy. Set this aside but keep it warm - no need to cool it down.
- STEP 3). Mix egg with sugar. Add egg to a large bowl. Gradually add sugar while mixing with an electric handheld mixer on medium speed or whisking by hand with a wire whisk. Once all of the sugar is combined, add vanilla and mix for about 1 minute until lightened and pale yellow-colored. If whisking by hand, then whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes.
- STEP 4). Add the chocolate mixture. Add melted chocolate mixture and whisk it in until evenly combined. The batter will tighten up and become glossy when the chocolate is properly emulsified. Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold them in gently.
- STEP 5). Let the batter thicken. At this point, the consistency of the batter highly depends on the temperature of your ingredients and the temperature of your kitchen since it is made of mostly chocolate which has a sharp melting point. If your batter is quite runny, set the bowl aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken up so it looks like pudding or thick muffin batter, but not too long or it will stiffen up as the cocoa butter sets.
- STEP 6). Bake. Use a 1.25-oz cookie scoop to portion batter and release it onto the baking sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but the middle is still gooey. Let them chill on the tray for 5 minutes since they are delicate while warm and will stick to the parchment if you try to release them too early. Top with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
WHY DID MY COOKIES SPREAD TOO FLAT?
If your cookies spread out too thin, it could be due to several factors listed below:
- Inaccurate measurements - weigh out the ingredients using a scale, especially for the flour.
- Chocolate is too sweet - semisweet chocolate will add more sugar to the batter than bittersweet chocolate, thus causing it to spread more.
- Over-whipping - incorporating too much air when mixing the egg and sugar can cause these cookies to puff up and then collapse on cooling, however this is usually less of an issue with a small batch recipe.
- The batter is too warm or too thin - a warm batter will also be runny and thin. If you are making these in the Summer and the temperature in your kitchen is warm and humid, try cooling the batter down to 22℃ to make sure it's thick enough. You can refrigerate but for 10 minutes only! A long chill time puts the cookies at risk of losing the crackly top. When you scoop the batter onto the pan make sure it doesn't spread out too flat. It should hold a soft dome shape as shown above.
- Oven was not sufficiently preheated - make sure you pre-heat your oven for at least 20 minutes.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Avoid using cold eggs. I recommend warming the egg in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. This will ensure the sugar dissolves properly so you get that shiny crust.
- Add sugar gradually. Slowly stream in the sugar while whipping the egg. This will help the sugar dissolve and incorporate evenly instead of overwhelming the egg and creating a supersaturated solution. It also helps create a fine foam instead of a big bubbly one.
- Whip the egg and sugar thoroughly. I mix mine for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. This helps incorporate enough air to stabilize the batter and add some structure to the cookies while also dissolving sugar.
- BUT, do not whip the egg and sugar too much. If you incorporate too much air, then the batter will stiffen up very quickly once you add the melted chocolate and it will be difficult to scoop. It will also make them more chewy instead of fudgy. To avoid over-whipping, mix on low or medium low speed using if using an electric mixer and add the sugar gradually while mixing instead of adding it all at once.
- Use bittersweet chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids. If the chocolate is too sweet, then the cookies will spread too much and also taste too sweet. I love to use this chocolate to make these cookies.
- Use only ⅛ teaspoon baking powder. I know it seems like so little, but baking powder is powerful. If you use much more, then the cookies will be more chewy instead of fudgy and the excess gas that it produces will aerate the batter and make a stiffer batter.
- Rest the batter just until it is thick enough to scoop without running. This will make sure the cookies aren't too flat. After you fold in the chocolate chips, cover the bowl and let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. It will thicken as the chocolate solidifies. If you live in a hot climate, then you can place it in the fridge, but for only 5-8 minutes. If it gets too cold then the cocoa butter in the chocolate will harden and the batter will become stiff and crumbly. You can still use it, but it will be more difficult to work with. See my FAQ section below for more tips.
- Preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes. It is important that the oven is properly hot and at the right temperature for these to bake with that nice crackly shiny top and the right thickness with fudgy centers.
- Do not over-mix after adding the flour. Gentle folding at this stage will guarantee a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Mixing too much will make cookies that have a tougher and more "bready" texture.
- Use a scale to measure ingredients. The amount of flour in a brownie recipe is very important and even slight changes can impact the texture.
WHAT MAKES THE SHINY TOP ON BROWNIE COOKIES
Brownie cookies can be finicky! Getting that glossy, shiny, crackly top on brownie cookies depends on quite a few variables. You may notice that sometimes it happens, and sometimes not. That's because it depends on the type of chocolate you use, the temperature of your ingredients. what season it is, how warm or cold your kitchen is and how hot your oven (actually) is. The main ingredient responsible for the shiny crust is sugar - dissolved sugar to be exact. Using semisweet chocolate creates a more glossy top because chocolate contains finely milled sugar (so fine that you can't detect it on your tongue) and semisweet chocolate has about 20% more sugar than bittersweet chocolate. The temperature of your ingredients matters. If eggs are cold, they won't dissolve the sugar readily and if the melted chocolate cools down too much, it will affect how the cocoa butter crystallizes and aligns in the batter. It will also cause the batter to stiffen up quickly as the cocoa butter sets. A cool or chilled batter that is released from the scoop will have a rougher appearance that may not entirely smooth out in the oven.
My preference is to work with warm eggs and warm melted chocolate so the batter is still flowing when you scoop it, but not so loose that it spreads into a puddle when you release it. If you find the batter is too loose, simply set it aside for 2-5 minutes to thicken. Do not refrigerate it as it will firm up too fast. If you batter does stiffen up too fast, don't fret. I find that you can gently roll scooped portions in your hands to form balls (it will be a little sticky and a bit messy) but the warmth of your body will help smooth out the surface and melt the cocoa butter.
RECIPE FAQ
I often do use packed light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar for this recipe it works well, giving it a slightly more caramel-like taste. It changes the way the shiny crust develops slightly and it is more difficult to dissolve brown sugar in the egg, but the results are similar.
This recipe absolutely requires bittersweet chocolate with minimum 70% cocoa solids. Semisweet chocolate has too much sugar and will make these cookies spread too much.
If you prefer chewier cookies, whip the egg with the sugar for longer (3-5 minutes) using an electric mixer until pale and thick, then scoop the batter immediately to bake as it will stiffen up quickly with all of the air build into it.
The secret to getting the shiny crust for this small batch brownie cookie recipe is in the method of beating the egg with the sugar until the sugar is well dissolved. This is important. If the sugar is not dissolved then the crust will be dull and grainy. In order to make sure the sugar dissolves well, make sure your egg is at room temperature. If you take it straight from the fridge it will be too cold, so in this case I like to submerge it in warm water for 5-10 minutes until it warms up.
If your brownie cookies spread out too thin, then it could be a couple of things:
1). The chocolate is too sweet. Make sure to use chocolate with minimum 70% cocoa solids for the best results. If you use semi-sweet chocolate with 50% cocoa solids, then it will have 20% more sugar content and the cookies will spread too much.
2). Not enough corn starch or cocoa. Make sure to weigh your ingredients to get accurate quantities. If they are still spreading too much, try adding 1 tablespoon more cocoa in the next batch.
3). Too much liquid. Make sure to use a standard large egg. If you use an extra large egg, then it will add almost 1 tablespoon extra water to the batter!
If the batter cools too much (like if you leave it in the fridge too long), the cocoa butter in the chocolate will harden and cause the batter to stiffen up. It will also become crumbly from all the air incorporated into the batter from the gases released from the baking powder. It may also be too stiff if you've whipped too much air into the eggs and sugar. If this is the case, you can still make these cookies and they will bake up just fine, however the batter will be more difficult to work with. I would recommend scooping it with a lightly wetted spoon and roll it into balls with damp hands. Also, if the batter is stiff, the crust on the cookies will be more dull rather than shiny, but that won't change the taste.
TROUBLESHOOTING: Why did my cookies spread too much and become flat?
If your brownie cookies spread out too thin, then it could be a couple of things:
- The chocolate is too sweet. Make sure to use chocolate with minimum 70% cocoa solids for the best results. If you use semi-sweet chocolate with 50% cocoa solids, then it will have 20% more sugar content and the cookies will spread too much.
- Not enough flour or cocoa. Make sure to weigh your ingredients to get accurate quantities. If they are still spreading too much, try adding 1 tablespoon more cocoa in the next batch.
- Too much liquid. Make sure to use standard large eggs. If you use extra large eggs, then it will add almost 2 tablespoon extra water to the batter!
- The oven temperature is too low. To jumpstart the puff and set of these cookies, follow my instructions to preheat to 375 and then lower to 350 once they get in the oven. This will ensure that your oven is sufficiently hot to set the starch and eggs before the chocolate and butter begins to melt and spread.
- Watch the video. See my recipe video for how the batter looks when it is firm vs. soft and fudge-like. When it is cooled just the right amount, it will looks like thick hot fudge.
HOW TO GET THE SHINY CRUST ON BROWNIE COOKIES
- Mix egg with sugar first. This will help the sugar dissolve to create a moist texture and create the thin shiny crackly crust on the surface.
- Bring your egg to room temperature. You can do this by taking it out of the fridge 1 hour before baking, or submerge it in warm water for 10 minutes. A room temperature (or even warm egg) will dissolve sugar better than a cold one.
If you love cookies, check out my other popular chocolate cookie recipes below:
THE BEST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style! Small Batch Flourless Brownie Cookies Small Batch Double Chocolate Chip Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!Craving more cookies?
If you love cookies as much as I do, check out the latest recipes:
Small batch baking
Here are some more small batch recipes:
Video
Small Batch Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (50g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon (3g) cocoa powder (I prefer this Dutch cocoa or this one)
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 oz (85g) bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 3 tablespoon (42g) unsalted butter*
- 1 large egg, slightly warmed under warm running water
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (80g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- flaky sea salt (optional for sprinkling)
*if using salted butter, use ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave in 30 seconds bursts with frequent stirring, or melt in a saucepan over low heat while stirring constantly until completely smooth and glossy. Set this aside but keep it warm - no need to cool it down.
- Crack the egg into a medium bowl. Gradually add sugar while mixing with an electric handheld mixer on medium speed or whisking by hand with a wire whisk. Once all of the sugar is combined, continue mixing for about 1 minute until lightened and pale yellow-colored. If whisking by hand, then whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes.
- Add melted chocolate mixture and salt and whisk it in until evenly combined. The batter will tighten up and become glossy when the chocolate is properly emulsified. Add the sifted dry ingredients and fold them in gently. At this point, the consistency of the batter highly depends on the temperature of your ingredients and the temperature of your kitchen since it is made of mostly chocolate which has a sharp melting point. If your batter is quite runny, set the bowl aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken up so it looks like pudding or thick muffin batter, but not too long or it will stiffen up as the cocoa butter sets.
- Use a 1.25-oz cookie scoop to portion batter and release it onto the baking sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but the middle is still gooey. Let them chill on the tray for 5 minutes since they are delicate while warm and will stick to the parchment if you try to release them too early. Top with flaky sea salt and enjoy!
K Lewis
Delicious. Made as written but used raw cane sugar that I had on hand. I used a slightly smaller scoop and doubled the recipe. I had less surface 'crackles' and also not quite as chewy which I suspect had to do with my time in the oven? Next time I will shorten by a couple of minutes to get more chew and less 'cake' texture. I did wait until I was half through mixing the eggs and sugar (by hand) before I melted the chocolate as previous notes had me worried that it would cool too quickly. A great recipe that I'll put on repeat! I really appreciate that the recipe is scaled for smaller batches!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you K Lewis! Glad you enjoyed them. Yes, if you make the cookies smaller you will need to decrease the baking time.
Kim Hamlin
The link to the cocoa you use is broken... 😢
christina.marsigliese
Hi Kim! I checked and they seem to be working.
Maria
These cookies are the perfect cookie if you’re looking for a cookie with a brownie texture. They are absolutely delicious!!! Love all your recipes Christina!!! Another one your recipes checked off my list.
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Maria! I'm so glad you have been enjoying my recipes 🙂
Shannon
I was worried at first when the recipe was very thin. But, just like you said it would, it thickened right up. Made this recipe with gluten free flour. Worked out great!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Shannon! Glad it worked out great with the gluten free flour 🙂
Mike
i been baking and cooking certified in chef in California in 1984 than moved to Canada i just recently retired and i was sitting at home looking for something to do i saw this recipe i tried it and the cookies came out identical to the picture and the tase is exquisite the best of the best for the one who wants to tried it a 100% go ahead just follow the exact recipe and direction and if you don't have a scoop it could be done by scooping the dough using a table spoon and leave them same way the fall on the baking sheet and when you bake them they will take cookie shape and when you let them cool and you take the first bite you're in heaven and i also made Christina cinnamon rolls and if you didn't see them or make them yet you must try they're crème du la crème Christina well done job and very very good job please keep it up
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so much for the feedback Mike! Glad you enjoyed the cookie and cinnamon roll recipes 🙂
Mani
I tried these but they didn’t crinkle at the top or spread out! I let the chocolate sit for a little bit while I hand mixed the sugar and eggs - could that have been it? The dough was very thick and fudgey too. Is that how it’s supposed to be?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Mani! Please see the FAQ section above the recipe card as it provides information about a stiff batter and dull appearance. It sounds like it was due to leaving it out and cooling down too much (hardening of the chocolate).
Mark
If they didn’t flatten out during the bake, does that mean I added too much baking powder, or did I let the batter cool too much?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Mark! If they didn't spread then it is either too much flour or the batter was too cold.
Sharon
I doubled but my scoop was smaller so I ended up with 30 cookies! They only change I made was to use 1/2 monkfruit, instead of all sugar. Big mistake! They did not come out crackly or fudgy, they did not spread and are quite cakey. Good flavor so will definitely make again without the sugar swap.
christina.marsigliese
Thanks for the feedback Sharon! Those sugar substitutes often cannot provide the same functionality in baking, but also making them small will also cause them to set faster and not spread. I wouldn't recommend making smaller cookies without reducing baking temp and time.
Jen
Love your recipes, had a question. I didn’t notice the salt listed in the recipe except to top it with the flake salt. Should it be added & sifted with the dry ingredients?
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Jen! Add the salt in with the eggs and sugar after you add the melted chocolate. It is separate to the optional flake salt for topping.
Jen
Thank you Christina! I appreciate it! I love your recipes so much, I appreciate you putting the time and effort of putting them out. I make your flourless brownie ones on repeat in my household and I am just obsessed with them! I will be adding these in the rotation as well. The absolute best chocolate brownie cookies I have had by far!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Jen! I'm so glad you have been enjoying my recipes 😀
Johanna
Dear Christina, thank you for sharing your recipes. I have a question: if I want to make 20 cookies, do I just triple the recipe? Do I need to do anything else? Thank you.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Johanna! Yes, you can triple the recipe for more cookies. Just make sure to measure accurately.
Johanna Echeverria
Thank you Christina.