Brownie-like chocolate cookies with shiny crunchy tops and chewy fudgy centers. A must have recipe for chocolate lovers! They’re so delicious and incredibly simple to make.
You guys know how much I love cookies. I have tons of cookie recipes on the blog, like chewy peanut butter cookies, coconut cookies, Linzer cookies, and thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies, to name a few!
Experimenting with cookies recipes is definitely one of my favorite pastimes. I recently tried these chocolate cookies by Martha Stewart and I immediately was hooked. I loved these cookies so much that I wanted to share the recipe with you guys — so here it is!
These chocolate cookies are almost like a brownie because they are soft, fudgy and chewy. They’re made with real melted chocolate in the batter and really are the best chocolate cookie recipe I’ve ever tried (Thank you, Martha!). I hope you love these babies as much as I do!
How to make chocolate cookies
Here’s a step-by-step break down of the process.
- Melt chocolate and butter together. Place both in a microwave-safe bowl and put in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Be careful not to overheat because it can burn the chocolate. Set it aside.
- Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugars and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the cooled melted chocolate-butter mixture. On low speed, add in the cooled chocolate mixture until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. An an optional mix-in, you can add 1 cup of chocolate chips/chunks, but I prefer these cookies plain for pure fudginess.
- Chill. If you notice the batter is very runny and you can’t scoop it with a tablespoon place, place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. However, if it’s firm enough, you can skip this step.
- Bake. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough (I prefer using this ice cream scoop) 2-3 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: The secret to making these chocolate cookies super fudgy and brownie-like is to slightly underbake them. Overbaking will make them dry and tasteless. My cookies were exactly 1.5 tablespoons in size and took about 9 minutes to bake. The cookies should be shiny and crackly, but still soft in the center. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before you move them to a wire rack to cool completely, so they won’t break.
More of my favorite cookie recipes
- Alfajores: Classic melt-in-your-mouth alfajore cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche.
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Nutty brown butter adds a delicious caramel flavor to these chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- Hazelnut Nutella Sandwich Cookies: Soft and buttery hazelnut cookies filled with creamy Nutella.
- Soft Sugar Cookies: A deliciously rich, soft and chewy sugar cookie.
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies: Pretzels add a salty flavor and amazing texture to these moist chocolate chip cookies.
Amazingly Fudgy Chocolate Cookies
These fudgy, brownie-like chocolate cookies have crackly tops and taste absolutely amazing.
Ingredients
- 225g (8 oz.) semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick/57g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C degrees. Put butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Do not overheat.
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In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
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In a mixer bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate on a low speed. Mix in flour mixture just until combined. If the batter is too runny, place it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes until it firms up a bit.
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Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the counter, still covered, or overnight in the fridge.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Justyna says
I agree with you, preparing a post may take a lot of time. I would actually add point number 8 to your list – trying no to eat the whole batch of cookies by myself and in one sitting (that’s why I usually try to bake only half the batch each time, haha). That will definitely be a problem when I bake these cookies, and I will do that for sure!
Shiran says
I didn’t mention it because I thought it was obvious 😉 Sometimes people think I’m joking when I say it, but I can easily eat an entire batch of cookies by myself! It’s so hard not to 🙂 I’m glad I’m not alone though!
Neta says
Hi Shiran,
I made the cookies and they taste great, but they didn’t get the shiny crust – do you have any idea why?
I LOVE your blog, thanks for all the great recipes!
Shiran says
Thank you so much Neta! 🙂 When you melt the butter and chocolate together, the mixture should be smooth and shiny. Make sure to beat the eggs and sugar for a few minutes in the mixer until light and fluffy before adding the chocolate mixture. If you do this, you should get that shiny crust!
Batya says
Hi, these cookies look amazing! I want to make them but will they come out the same if I substitute the butter for oil to make it parve?
Shiran says
Thank you Batya! I don’t recommend using oil, but you can try replacing the butter with margarine if you want it to be parve. The flavor would be different though.
KB says
Have made these so many times- delicious and perfect! I bake on the lower end of the time range so they’re gooey inside.
Delaine says
Can I use cocoa powder instead of chocolate chunks?
Shiran says
The two are usually not interchangeable in recipes.
Batya says
Ok then, I guess I’ll reserve this recipe for later… maybe Shavuot next year or some other time. Thanks!
Raizl says
Is this a Jewish website?
Wendi L says
Everyone loves good food, so what does it matter?
Stephanie Humphreys says
Because Jewish people eat in accordance with Jewish dietary laws referred to as kosher. That’s why Wendi
Whitni says
Is the dough supposed to be super runny? Like the consistency of brownies?
Shiran says
It shouldn’t be runny like a brownie batter, but it also shouldn’t be thick like a chocolate chip cookie dough. Maybe the melted chocolate was too hot when you added it? If it’s too runny, place it in the fridge for about an hour until it firms up a bit.
Whitni says
That could have been it. I will have to try these again! I ended up making brownies out of them because they were really runny. I definitely did something wrong! haha They tasted great though!
Shiran says
Then definitely try it again! 🙂 I hope that next time they will turn out perfect!
rachel says
my batter was runny too so I put it in the fridge like you wrote and then they firmed up and they baked perfectly!!
Shiran says
That’s great! I’m glad to hear 🙂 I’ll add that as a note in the recipe!
Elle says
This is a pretty good recipe. A little bit more cakes than I was wanting but still a very good recipe. I used 1 semi sweet and 1 dark chocolate bar bc that’s all I he. I should’ve added a bit more sugar probably a full cup. They came out more like dark chocolate cookies but still good. Thank you 🙂
ELLE says
I have the same name as you <3
Beverly says
I followed the directions exactly, but my briwn sugar, eggs, and vanilla refused to become anything other than a pancake type batter, even after ten minutes of beating. I’m going to try putting it in the fridge, but I’m afraid my cookies are going to have to be brownies.
Shiran says
Hi Beverly, these things happen sometimes. Have you tried whipping eggs before? Make sure your bowl is completely clean before you start.
Abigail says
I have the exact same problem. Clean bowl, ten + minutes of beating and still nothing!
Michele says
Mine was as well. I found I put in a half a cup of butter as it says 1/2 stick of butter or 4 tbsp butter which is 1/4 cup not 1/2. It’s a bit misleading especially in Canada as we don’t have butter available at most
Stores in ‘sticks.’ It was very good anyways but obviously need to be careful on reading measurements.
Tammy Stone says
I had the same problem. This is my first time making these so I trusted my instincts and used the 4 tbsps of butter since a lot of the feedback was too runny. It seemed to come out perfectly.
CookieLover says
Question, what do you mean by dropping heaping tablespoons of dough? Should we press them flat? Should we keep it big and round? Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi! You should shape the dough into round (or even tall) balls, place them on the cookie sheet, and bake. Don’t flatten them!
Lila says
Hi there,
this looks divine! One question, I have Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips would this work too? I don’t want them to be bitter though…I like the fudge-like taste better than dark/bitter chocolate. Any suggestions? 🙂
Shiran says
Hi Lila! I’m not sure about these specific chocolate chips, but I usually just use chocolate bars, because the two can be a little different, depending on the brand (in short – the reason for this is that chocolate chips need to keep their shape when heated, which is good for cookies for example). The best thing to do is to taste the chocolate – if you like it, use it in the recipe and if you don’t, you better use another brand or cocoa percentage. It’s just a matter of taste. Personally, I like using 60% cacao chocolate.
Rose says
These look beautiful! Do you think I could add red food color (without compromising crisp/chewy texture) to make red velvet cookies? How much food color do you think I should add?
Shiran says
Thank you so much, Rose 🙂 I’m not using food coloring often so I’m not sure how much you need to add or how it would work with these cookies. Usually I just start with adding a drop, then adding more as needed until the desired color.
Courtney says
What kind of chocolate bars do you use? I’m a little unsure of what kind to buy since you said not to use baker bars.
Shiran says
Hi Courtney, some brands produce high quality baking chocolate, but it really depends on the brand, that’s why I suggest using chocolate bars that aren’t labeled as baking chocolate. Great brands are Ghiradelli, Guittard, or Scharffen Berger, but you can use any of your favorite brands. As long as you like the chocolate, you’ll like the cookies.
Erin says
Any idea if I use cocoa powder instead, and how much would I use?
Shiran says
Hi Erin, unfortunately, the dark chocolate can’t be substituted for cocoa powder.
Theresa says
Try using butter flavored crisco for parve recipe, conversion is on the pkg.
Rima says
Hi Shiran, I’ve tried making this twice and followed the recipe accordingly…but both times my cookies didn’t have that lovely crack. They tasted heavenly, it’s just that I didn’t get that lovely crispy outer. Any idea what could have possibly gone wrong?
Shiran says
Hi Rima, you should beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for several minutes until light and pale in color. This should give you these shiny crackly tops.
Amal says
How many cups of chocolate? I’ve searched but some says it’s cup and 1/2 cup, the other says it’s cup and 1/4 cup! Can you please help me? Thank you for you great recipe.
Shiran says
Hi Amal, it should be about 1 and 1/3 cups chopped chocolate.
Karen says
I made these just now and they are sooo delicious! Oh my dog they are just what I was hungry for. I followed exactly and I got the lovely crackle tops. I did find one error I made. I accidentally put in a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of vanilla. Oh well still edible…now excuse me while I go pour some almond milk to go with those beauties 😉
I tried putting in a five star rating, but it only let me put in four, but it’s a five!
Shiran says
Thank you so much Karen! I’m so happy that you love them!
Deanne says
My tops didn’t come out crackly and I beat brown sugar and eggs on high speed until light and fluffy. I used Lindt milk chocolate – think that could be why no crackly tops? Cookies are delicious!
Shiran says
Hi Deanne, using milk chocolate will affect the flavor and texture of the cookies because it’s different than dark chocolate. If you use dark chocolate next time, beat the eggs and sugar for longer, more like 5 minutes.
Carolyn says
This one is a winner !!!!
Pamela says
I made these as directed but added mint and chocolate chips to them and they are amazing! When you need a chocolate fix, you can get your fill without having to fill up.
Rob Gividen says
This is one of the better cookie recipes I have tried. I have been a baker for 35 years and have tried hundreds of recipes for my bakery. Real winner here and have now made several batches keep up the good work.
Marcy says
The recipe is terrific! The cookies came out exactly the way they should. Rich intense chocolate taste. I did chop up about 40z. of Ghirardelli chocolate and mixed it into the dough. I also refrigerated it for about 20 min. They were perfect! Did you add nuts to your recipe?
Shiran says
I like to play with the add-ins. Sometimes I leave out the chocolate, or add nuts, or even caramelized nuts. It’s delicious!
Shelinaz says
I made this recipe and it was sooo yummy, crispy in outer part and chewy in the middle and very chocolaty with shine on top
Pamela says
I followed the recipe exactly and the cookies look dry and crumbly on top not shiny and didn’t set well. Any ideas why?
Shiran says
Hi Pamela, if you beat the eggs and sugar for a few minutes in the mixer until light and fluffy, you should get that shiny crust. However, chilling the cookie dough for a while in the fridge can make it lose some of that shine, but it does help in making thicker cookies. If they turned out dry they were either mixed or baked for too long.
Sandra H. says
Made these tonight for he first time. I’m in my 60’s and let me say the batter was finger-licking good. I used Nestlė Toll House semi-sweet morsels. As suggested , I did put the batter in the fridge for about 20 min. They came out as described: had a nice sheen and were crackly looking. Mostly firm in the outside with a soft center. One, okay maybe two, will satisfy my chocolate craving! P.S. It won’t let me give it 5 stars, but it is!
Diana says
Will doubling this recipe give me the same quality cookie?
Shiran says
Yes Diana, it should be just fine!
Joanna says
Hi!!!!!! I love this recipe! But how can make the cookies not stick to the baking tray?
Shiran says
Hi Joanna, if you line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, they won’t stick.
Bett says
Hello! This looks so goood! I’ve got a little question. Would it be okay if I replace the chocolate bars with unsweetend cocoa powder? Or would that ruin the recipe
Shiran says
Unfortunately it’s not possible because these are two different products.
Ameera says
Loved it. Just tried it today and it tast sooooo goood. Thank you so much.
Ameera Al Shkeili says
Hi Shiran,
I baked the cookies yesterday. everyone went crazy for it and they just loved it. My only mistake that I over baked the cookies and it was little hard, however, still YUMMY.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Shiran says
Thank you, Ameera!
Lhot says
I’ve tried this 3 times. They do taste absolutely great but for the life of me, I can’t make it with the crackly and shiny finish. My cookies turned out round and fat. no crackly effect at all. What could I be doing wrong?
Shiran says
Hi Lhot, to get crackly tops you need to beat the eggs and sugar for several minutes in the mixer. You can try using the whisk attachment instead of the paddle attachment. It also helps if you bake them right away or as soon as possible, although they might spread too much.
Debbie says
I just had to comment on these cookies because they turned out fantastic! I followed your instructions exactly, using a dark chocolate bar instead of semi sweet, and I was so proud of my shiny, crackle topped cookies I just had to say thank you. So, thank you! (Not to mention they are one of my new favorites?). Definitely 5 star but I wasn’t able to reflect that on your rating.
Lauren says
Hi Debbie if you don’t mind me asking what kind of chocolate did you use? What brand was it ? I’m having trouble finding a good chocolate to use
Carrie Mars says
I just made these cookies and my family loved them! I did use baking cocoa though instead of semi sweet chocolate bars and the only thing was that they did not have the crackled kinda crispy tops like they should have. They ended up just turning out to be like a smooth cake top look to them but they still tasted great and were super easy to whip up! Thank you so much.
Dora says
Just baked these cookies! Absolutely delicious.xxx
Sally says
I just made these for the third or fourth time now. They came out drastically differently each time but all batches were delicious and crackly. This time I replaced half of the sugar with coconut sugar and I made them smaller so I could use them as ice cream sandwich material. Good stuff.
Phoebe says
I DONT HAVE CRACKS AND I FOLLOWED EVERYTHING to the t literally I fridged for 30 mins beat the eggs until light and fluffy let the cookies rest for 5mins on the tray and yet I still have flat cookies with acne scars on the surface.
Alex says
I’ve made these so many times before and LOVE this recipe! This year I’m going to try rolling balls of the dough in powdered sugar to make chocolate crinkles.
Can the dough be made a couple days in advance and refrigerated?
Shiran says
Yes it can 🙂
Alex says
YESSS, thank you!!
Jessica says
I just made the substituting the flour for all-purpose gluten-free flour and they turned out amazing!!! So delicious, I better put them away before I eat them all!
Kelly says
These turned out great! Just like you described. I didn’t chill the dough before baking the first batch and it took 9 minutes to cook. The cookies came out with the shiny tops like you said. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Laila says
I made these and I really like them. I suggest 9 minutes rather then 12 though
Tatyana says
Hello Shiran,
Exploring your recipes and photos is a real pleasure, as usual!
But this time I need a small advice 🙂 My cookies didn’t spreat in the oven at all… They didn’t flatten and hardly had any crancks on top. I suspect high cocoa content in the chocolate I used (72%) could affect the cookies this way, but I’m not sure. Could you remember if you faced the same problem during your tests?
Thank you in advance!
Christi says
They were delicious, but mine were a bit salty! I used unsalted butter…
Debbie says
Hi Shiran, OMG! I’ve just made these cookies and ate two before they had even cooled. They really are the business. I only had dark soft brown sugar in, but that worked a treat and I added a good pinch of instant coffee, something I always do when cooking anything chocolately. I’m figuring that all that dark chocolate and brown sugar must be packed with goodness?…Wishful thinking I know… I had hoped to freeze some, but I don’t think they will make it that far!
xx
Aviva says
Taste great, but mine came out much thicker than your picture. I was hoping for more of a thin, crunchy chocolate cookie, but the dough was too thick to press down. Any ideas? Thanks!!
Shiran says
It’s supposed to be a good thing! They are meant to be fudgy on the inside. If you prefer the cookies more crunchy, try baking them for longer.
Imene says
Hi, i just made these brookies, they were super moist, shiny ,with beautiful cracks on top and sooooo very delicious ,thank you for the recipe !
Hope Kloeppel says
Wow, delicious! I didn’t know how much to whip the eggs and I didn’t want to overwhip them so I just waited for pale yellow and frothy, 4-5 minutes. These baked in 10 minutes and went pretty flat but are shiny and crispy and chewy and chocolatey! Oh and I didn’t have any good chocolate, but chocolate chips worked fine! I made sure to not over-microwave, the chocolate stayed shiny and made for shiny cookies. :))
Nobi says
I made these cookies, and they were DE-LIC-IOUS! The only problem is that the batter was REALLY thick, and they made really thick cookies, but the cookies were like tasting brownie, fudge, heaven on a fork! Thanks so Much for this recipe!
Lia says
I usually don’t rate or leave reviews/comments but this recipe is to die for. Definitely would recommend you try it out because its a fairly quick recipe and the bake time isn’t long either. I tend to make mine slightly smaller (between a teaspoon and tablespoon in size) because they bake really quickly just make sure you don’t burn them! I could eat hundreds of these a day and not feel the slightest feeling if guilt. This recipe is absolutely decadent and Im happy to say I’ve used it many times with no difficulty.
Renee says
These are SO delicious! Super gooey and fudgey middle with a chewy crust, yummy. The first time I made these they were really salty, so the second time I omit the salt and sprinkled sea salt on top after baking. So good, recommend!
A’aishah says
Hi,
I have melted chocolate from making churros the other day. Can I use that since I ran out of my chocolate chip bits? What would the quantity be then?
Lianne says
The mixture turned out too brownie batter-like! I left it in the fridge for 20 minutes then in the freezer for 10 minutes, it became thicker so I thought I fixed it but once I put them in the oven they melted! I ended up making them into brownie brittle and my family says they taste good!
Lila says
These were amazing cookies! But mine cooked much faster, about 7 minutes. At 9 minutes they had lost the gooey magic but were still great.
I made some subs like less butter and chocolate, and added sunflower oil to balance out the mixture. I would also use less sugar next time as for me they were so crazy sweet!
But amazing to recipe and thank you!
This is my go-to chocolate cookie recipe from now on 🙂
Much love and gratitude
Ishara says
Hello, I was wondering if i wanted to stamp the cookie with ‘a love heart’ or ‘dad’, would I do it before or after baking?
Shiran says
Hi Ishara, usually you do it before, but it won’t work well for these cookies. It’s better for sugar/butter cookies that don’t spread or get crackly on top.
gehad says
excuse can this batter be made, shaped and freezed for baking it later?? thanks
Shiran says
Yes 🙂
Stephanie says
Do you think adding a TBSP of orange zest would compromise the structure of the cookies?
Shiran says
Hi Stephanie, as long as you use the zest and not the juice, it would be ok 🙂
Alex says
I make these every year, rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar to make the greatest chocolate crinkles of all time! I’ve never tried making the dough ahead of time, I’m wondering if it would be okay refrigerated for a couple of days before baking?
Shiran says
Yes, it’s ok!
Debra says
These cookies are an amazing bit of chocolate heaven! My husband is calling them the best cookie he has ever had. I bake a lot but had never tried this recipe, definitely recommend it just as you have written it. Thank you Shiran!
MPoehler says
They were very very good. However, mine did not spread flat like the pic. They were more domed. Upon re-reading the recipe I realized the butter says 1/2 a stick OR 4tbsp. 1/2 a stick is 8 tbsp of butter. I’ll make another batch and make sure to make this adjustment. I’m sure they would spread put with the extra butter.
Shiran says
1 stick of butter equals 8 tablespoons so 1/2 stick equals 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup). 1 cup equals 2 sticks so maybe that’s the confusion 🙂
Sarah says
Hii !! I just want know why mine are so falt ! In the oven they are ticker and out so falt !! 💔💔
Wilfredo Garcia says
I’ve made these for the teachers in my school several times. Always a hit. I have to make about 300 by Dec 23rd. Can the cookie dough be frozen so that I can prepare my batches ahead of time?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Wilfredo, yes definitely! Feel free to make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it. You can even pre-scoop the batter and freeze them then bake straight from the freezer.
Addisyn Bernier says
Hi Shiraz, I just made these cookies and they are so good my friends want me to make more. However, I’m out of eggs, and was wondering if anything could be substituted for the eggs? Thanks!
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Addisyn, I haven’t recipe tested an egg replacer so I recommend sticking to the recipe:)
Abby says
Hi Shiran,
I’m planning on making this recipe as a little surprise for some of my friends for valentines day, but slightly altered to suit their preferences, and I have a couple questions:
1) would it be possible to substitute the melted chocolate for melted white chocolate? would I have to adjust anything to compensate for any difference in texture, etc?
2) if I were to try and add strawberries (either fresh or freeze-dried) as an add-in, what would you recommend doing?
these look absolutely delicious, I can’t wait to make an extra batch just for myself 😉
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Abby, white chocolate won’t work in this recipe unfortunately. White chocolate has a different makeup than dark chocolate and the cookies may not turn out. I also don’t recommend adding addins to these cookies because they bake very thin. Check out my double chocolate cookie recipe though, you could try adding small pieces of strawberries to these 🙂
Sara says
so good! I made one batch as normal and another using almond flour and they were even better with almond flour in my opinion! super easy recipe and they came out perfect. I used them to make cookie sandwiches with a whipped chocolate ganache in between, totally recommend!
Sara says
so good! I made one batch as normal and another using almond flour and they were even better with almond flour in my opinion! super easy recipe and they came out perfect. I used them to make cookie sandwiches with a whipped chocolate ganache in between, totally recommend!
Mais says
Can i use dark chocolate instead of semi sweet chocolate
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Mais, you certainly can, but the flavor will be less sweet.