Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
If you’ve spent any time here at Red Cottage, you know I love chocolate. What makes these Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies so special is the double hit of chocolate – cocoa powder in the dough and milk chocolate chips both folded into the batter and drizzled on top. This big, easy cookies give you that chewy, brownie-like centre with slightly crisp edges that cookie lovers dream about. All the comfort of an old fashioned pan of brownies, just in a more modern, grab-and-go form.
There’s something so nostalgic about that rich cocoa scent filling the kitchen, the kind that takes you right back to a pan of brownies cooling on my Nana’s counter. These cookies capture all of that warmth, just in a more modern, grab-and-go form that’s perfect for sharing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- one dough delivers both brownie and cookie textures in one bite
- deeply chocolatey thanks to both cocoa powder and milk chocolate chips
- soft and fudgy centres with slightly crisp edges
- beginner-friendly with no tricky steps
- the chocolate drizzle makes them look like they’re from a bakery
- freezer friendly and great for sharing
Ingredient Highlights
Butter – Use room temperature butter for this recipe. It needs to cream properly with the sugar, so don’t rush this step by using cold butter straight from the fridge.
Cocoa Powder – Sifting the cocoa powder is important here. Cocoa tends to clump, and those clumps won’t blend out easily once you add it to the dough. Sift it twice if you need to.
Sour Cream – Helps give the cookie that cake-like fluffiness and tender crumb. You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt 1:1 ratio.
Milk Chocolate Chips – You’ll divide these between two jobs. One and a half cups go directly into the dough, and the remaining cup gets melted and drizzled over the cooled cookies. Don’t skip the drizzle – it really does make these brownie cookies something special.
Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. It makes a real difference in recipes like this with deep chocolate flavour.
Flour – All purpose flour works best for this recipe. Be sure to spoon in and level flour in dry ingredient measuring cups. Scooping straight from the bag or canister where the flour is compacted can add an extra 1/4 cup or more of flour which will result in a dry, less fudgy batter.
Walnuts – Totally optional, but they add a lovely crunch and a bit of contrast to the fudgy texture. Roughly chopped works perfectly.
Other ingredients – you’ll also need baking soda, baking powder and large eggs for this recipe.
Let’s Make Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
Be sure to see the full printable recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
Prepare your dry ingredients Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Sift a second time if needed to make sure everything is fully blended and lump-free. Set aside.
Creaming the butter and sugar In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it’s light and creamy. Add the sugar slowly with the mixer on low, then increase speed to medium and beat for one more minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Continue beating for one more minute.
Add the wet ingredients Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract on low speed just until combined.
Bring the dough together Add the flour and cocoa mixture in two additions, beating on low just until blended each time. Do not over mix. Fold in one and a half cups of chocolate chips and the walnuts if you’re using them.
Scoop and bake Using a medium ice cream scoop, portion the dough onto prepared cookie sheets – six cookies per sheet, spaced two to three inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are just set. You want them slightly underbaked for that fudgy, brownie-like centre. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Drizzle and finish Melt the remaining one cup of chocolate chips over a double boiler and drizzle over completely cooled cookies. Allow the chocolate to set fully before storing.
Tips for the Best Brownie Cookies
- USE ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER – Cold butter won’t cream properly and will affect the texture of your cookies. Set it out at least an hour before you plan to bake.
- SIFT YOUR COCOA – Cocoa powder is one of the most stubborn dry ingredients when it comes to lumps. Sifting twice ensures a smooth, even dough without bitter little pockets of unsifted cocoa.
- DON’T OVER MIX AFTER ADDING FLOUR – Once the dry ingredients go in, mix only until just blended. Over mixing develops gluten and can make your cookies tough instead of tender and fudgy.
- GO FOR SLIGHTLY UNDERBAKED – These cookies will continue to set as they cool on the pan. Pulling them out when they look just barely set is what gives you that chewy, brownie-like centre. If they look done in the oven, they may be overdone by the time they cool.
- LET THE COOKIES COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE DRIZZLING – If the cookies are still warm when you add the chocolate drizzle, it will melt right into the surface instead of setting beautifully on top. Patience is worth it here!
My lemon squares with graham cracker crust follow the same rule – letting baked goods cool completely before adding a topping makes all the difference in the final result.
Variations and Substitutions
These chocolate chip brownie cookies are wonderful just as they are, but here are a few easy ways to change them up:
- swap milk chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips for a more intense flavour
- use pecans in place of walnuts for a buttery, milder nut flavour
- add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the chocolate drizzle before it sets
- skip the drizzle and dust cooled cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar instead
- press a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the scooped dough before baking for even more chocolate in every bite
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common reason is butter that was too soft or warm. Make sure your butter is at room temperature but not melted or greasy. Chilling the scooped dough for 20 to 30 minutes before baking can also help control spread.
Not at all. A hand mixer works just as well for this recipe. Just make sure to take the time to cream the butter and sugar long enough to get a light, fluffy base.
 You can simply place a heat proof glass or metal bowl over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water. Just make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. As a last restort, you can melt the chocolate chips in the microwave instead. Heat in 20 to 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth but be patient – chocolate can scorch quickly if you rush it.
Storage Tips
These brownie cookies store well and I find they actually taste even fudgier the next day!
- store in an airtight container lined with paper towel at room temperature for up to 3 days
- refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days – bring to room temperature before serving
- freeze in an airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 1 month
Chocolate cookies like these are a staple in my freezer during the holiday season. My peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are another freezer favourite that I always keep on hand for when company drops by unexpectedly.
Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
Equipment
- 2 cookie sheets
- stand mixer or hand mixer/mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- sifter or balloon whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour spooned in and levelled
- â…” cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- â…” cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups milk chocolate chips divided
- ¾ cups walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat.
- Sift into a large bowl flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda until well blended. Sift again as needed to fully blend. (Or, using a ballon whisk, whisk until well blended.) Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer and mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, add sugar slowly, increase speed to medium and beat for 1 more minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Continue beating for 1 minute.
- Add sour cream and vanilla extra, and mix on low just until combined.
- Add flour/cocoa mixture in two additions, beating on low speed ust until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in 1 ½ cups chocolate chips and walnuts if using.
- Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 6 portions per sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches apart to allow for spread. Bake at 350℉ for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are set. You want them slightly underbaked. In my oven, 14 minutes in the sweet spot.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate chips over double boiler and drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow chocolate to set before storing.
