Did the name “brownie cookies” stop you in your tracks? Well, yeah. I know. It’s not like I’m immune to such enticing words all strung together. The first time I made these my husband was on a low-carb diet. I haven’t seen that much naked desire in anyone’s eyes since our honeymoon. Maybe not even then.–Katie Workman

WHY DO I NEED TO BANG BROWNIES OR COOKIES ON THE COUNTER?

If you’ve been following baking trends, or heck, if you’ve been on Instagram lately, you’ll notice loads of recipes that call for banging your cookie sheet on the counter before or after (and even during) the baking process. What’s that all about? For brownies, it’s a technique that seems to help enhance that seriously coveted, crinkly top that everybody loves so much. By hitting the pan on the counter, it forces out air and lets the brownies deflate a little more, giving you more crinkles than Martha’s Sharpei. Now, keep in mind, this ain’t no gentle tap. You don’t need to go overboard but it will definitely make a bit of noise. One good bang is all it should take.

Nine brownie cookies, half without tops and just peanut butter filling. A bowl of filling, a knife and a hand placing a cookie top are also in the picture.

Big Chewy Brownie Cookies

5 from 1 vote
These big chewy brownie cookies are rich, buttery, and oh-so-chocolatey. Sandwich peanut butter filling between them for an extra special treat.
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisineAmerican
Servings36 cookies
Calories145 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (or substitute chopped bittersweet chocolate)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the butter, unsweetened chocolate, and chocolate chips in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring frequently, just until everything is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and light yellow, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, blend the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 3 batches, blending after each addition, just until barely combined. Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl and beat just until combined. The dough will be very thick. [Editor's Note: At this point, you may want to snitch a spoonful as you stand at the counter and congratulate yourself on choosing such an easy and indulgent recipe. Go ahead, have another spoonful.]
  • Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the dough and create 12 mounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the tops are crackly and the edges are set, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and firmly tap the bottom of the sheet against the counter. Let the cookies sit for 1 to 2 minutes on the baking sheet (they will sink slightly), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can keep the brownie cookies in a resealable container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Big Chewy Brownie Cookies Sandwiched With Peanut Butter variation

A creamy peanut butter filling turns these big chewy brownie cookies into very special, rich sandwich cookies. With a mixer, blend together 2/3 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter, 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature until light and fluffy. Carefully spread about 1 tablespoon filling on the flat side of 1 big chewy brownie cookie, then press the flat side of a second big chewy brownie cookie onto the filling to make a sandwich. Repeat.

Adapted From

Dinner Solved!

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 145 kcalCarbohydrates: 18 gProtein: 2 gFat: 8 gSaturated Fat: 4 gMonounsaturated Fat: 2 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 28 mgSodium: 58 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 12 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2015 Katie Workman. Photo © 2015 Todd Coleman. All rights reserved.


Recipe Testers’ Reviews

Everything I love about a brownie is in this cookie—right down to the crinkly top. The fudgy center. The crisp edges. And that wondrous crinkly top. What’s even better is the portion control. I can stop at 1 cookie, but when it comes to brownies, I have no self-control.

Yes, this recipe uses a lot of stuff (a saucepan AND a bowl AND the mixer AND 2 cookie sheets), making the cleanup a bit laborious, but these brownie cookies are worth it (see aforementioned fudgy center and crinkly top). I skipped the peanut butter filling because a friend of mine inspired me to top each cookie with a bit of whipped cream and a sprinkle of espresso salt. We all need friends like her.

There is one thing I’d change, however. I’d use bittersweet chocolate instead of semisweet. We’ve grown accustomed to darker chocolate in our house, and I think these cookies could benefit from a teensy bitter edge.

These brownie cookies are fantastic! I made them on Friday, and it’s only Sunday, but the whole batch is almost gone. In fact, they almost didn’t make it into the oven, I was so tempted by the rich, chocolatey dough.

The recipe yielded 36 medium-size, soft, chewy cookies. Though these aren’t significantly different from brownies in flavor or texture, that’s not a bad thing, as I hold brownies in high esteem. And due to their shape, the cookies are more portable than traditional brownies, making them a great gift or the perfect dessert to bring to a party. I will definitely be making these again, this time with the peanut butter filling, as there is simply no better combination than peanut butter and chocolate.

This is a perfect cookie recipe for when you want that strong chocolatey kick. It comes together in no time, and your family will be thanking you as they wolf down these warm, chewy, and fudgy treats with large glasses of cold milk.

I halved the recipe and got 13 brownie cookies out of it. The cookies baked to the perfect texture in about 10 minutes, and they keep very well. We enjoyed them even after 3 days at room temperature. We also enjoyed them warmed up in the microwave with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

These big chewy brownie cookies definitely lived up to their name, and they’re also delicious. Our grandsons gave them two thumbs up. They were so easy to assemble. I made them a day ahead, so they cooled completely before I sandwiched them with the peanut butter filling.

Yes, it was a rich and very satisfying cookie. (My peanut butter filling was very stiff, and I think next time I’d add maybe 1 to 2 teaspoons milk to achieve my desired spreading consistency.) The cookies were super on their own, but the peanut butter filling made them very special. They didn’t last long, so I’ll be doubling the recipe next time.

Call them what you wish, these are great. They come together quickly. My batter wasn’t exactly thick but more like brownie batter than cookie dough. I portioned out dough on all 3 cookie sheets and noticed that as I worked, the dough got stiffer and stiffer. Not in a bad way—just an observation that didn’t appear to change anything. These required an extra minute of baking, and I wonder why we’re told to firmly tap the pan against the counter. (I did what I was told but couldn’t help but wonder the reason why.)

I opted for the variation filled with peanut butter cream. If the cookies are to be filled, my advice would be to make smaller cookies rather than larger. Some of mine ended up looking like whoopee pies—not necessarily a bad thing but this doesn’t taste anything like that. I think a filled cookie should be smallish and a level tablespoon would suffice. It is a chewy, delicious brownie taste enhanced with a peanut butter cream. These are equally delicious without the filling. They are really simple and quick to put together.

These big chewy brownie cookies have it all going for them—a deep, rich, chocolatey taste; a little crispness on the outside; and a soft chewiness on the inside. I loved the way the top of them looked cracked with a little sheen. Just a wonderful recipe! The dough was thick and sticky and sooo yummy.

The first batch baked for 11 minutes, and they looked done. The tops were crackly and edges set, just like the recipe. I don’t know what good it did to “firmly tap” the pan against the counter. I did it with some pans and some without with no noticeable difference. They rested on the baking sheet 1 minute before I scooped them off. They should’ve rested longer as well as baked longer for my taste. They didn’t come off the parchment paper very well and were still a little doughy inside.

The next 12 baked for 15 minutes and cooled in the pan for 2 minutes, which resulted in easier removal and a more cakey texture. My last 2 pans baked 17 minutes, and those were my favorite. I think my oven doesn’t bake as fast as some; I usually have to bake all recipes longer than suggested. I have a thermometer in my oven, and it got to the required temperature, but each batch had its own unique texture, so depending on how you like your brownies, you can adjust the baking time. This is definitely a keeper.

This cookie bakes up like a Whoopie pie. These are very good and went quickly. I would almost say that they taste better than they look. My yield was 24. The recipe doesn’t really say how much batter to use for each cookie. I chose my next-to-largest scoop because I knew these were supposed to be big. I’d use a smaller scoop next time.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These brownie cookies are my new go-to for events, my kid’s bake sales, or for any other reason I can come up with for making cookies. They don’t take too long to pull together, the texture is just perfect–soft and chewy inside and a crackly top–and they taste wonderful (especially when you get that pinch of salt with the chocolate). I haven’t tried the PB filling option, but I have used them as ice cream sandwich cookies over the summer resulting is a delicious mess!

  2. Will try these today but I wanted to comment on the tapping the tray on the counter. I learned about this trick a long time ago. This is what makes your cookies stay soft and chewy. I personally hold my cookie tray about 6 inches from the floor when it immediately comes out of the oven and drop it. Yes, it seems nuts but it will flatten the cookies right away and give them the soft chewy texture you’re looking for.

    1. Thanks, Joanne. I had always heard that this releases any air trapped in the baked good? Shrug. I don’t know for certain why it does what it does but I’m grateful that it does it!