These easy Brownie Mix Cookies turn a box of brownie mix into rich, fudgy chocolate cookies with soft, chewy centers and those irresistible shiny, crackly tops. With just a handful of ingredients and no chilling required, they’re a quick and easy way to satisfy a chocolate craving!
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Table of Contents
A Note From My Kitchen
Recipes that make use of store-bought mixes or ready-made ingredients, like these Brownie Mix Cookies, my Ritz Cracker Cookies, and Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, definitely have a place in your recipe collection. They’re perfect for baking with kids or when you’re making several different kinds of cookies for Christmas cookie trays and need something quick and easy to add to the mix.
I did quite a bit of experimenting with this cookie recipe, testing different brands of boxed brownie mix and whether chilling the dough made a difference. I was pleased to find that the least expensive brownie mix and the quickest, easiest method yielded the best results. Not only are these brownie cookies budget-friendly and easy to make, but they’re absolutely gorgeous, with crackly tops, soft, chewy centers, and rich chocolate flavor.
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Ingredient Notes
- Brownie mix: I tested this recipe with both Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge and Ghirardelli Double Chocolate brownie mixes and got the best results with Pillsbury. The cookies were thicker, chewier, and had those beautiful crackly brownie tops. The brand you choose matters because brownie mixes vary in package size and ingredients, which will affect how the cookies spread and their finished texture. For the best results, I recommend using the 18.4-ounce Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix (13×9-inch Family Size). See the recipe notes section of the recipe card below for a Ghirardelli variation.
- Eggs, oil, and water: These ingredients add moisture and richness and help create that brownie texture. Use a neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable oil or canola oil.
- All-purpose flour: A little extra flour gives the brownie batter enough structure to create a scoopable cookie dough that yields soft and chewy cookies.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a little extra flavor to complement the chocolate.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Semisweet or dark chocolate chips both work well. You can also substitute ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for the chocolate chips, or use a combination of nuts and chocolate chips totaling ½ cup.
How to Make Brownie Mix Cookies
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, water, and vanilla until combined.
- Finish the cookie dough. Add the brownie mix and flour and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop the cookies. Drop scoops of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Valerie’s Tips
- Expect a sticky dough: The cookie dough will be thick and sticky, but the added flour gives it just enough structure to make it scoopable. Resist the urge to add more flour, or you risk losing that wonderful soft, chewy texture.
- No chilling required: Bake the cookies right after mixing the dough. I found that chilling the dough resulted in cookies with a tighter, less pronounced crackle, while baking right away produced those beautiful, crackled tops.
- Use a medium cookie scoop: I slightly overfilled my medium cookie scoop to get about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. This gave me nicely sized cookies with the perfect thickness.
- Don’t overbake: Start checking on them at about the 10-minute mark. The cookies should be set around the edges but still soft in the centers.They’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet: Allow the cookies to rest for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This gives them time to firm up so they’ll hold their shape better when moved.
Storage Tips
Room temperature: Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container or zippered plastic storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Ingredients
- 1 (18.4 ounce) Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix, 13×9-inch Family Size
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the eggs, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on MEDIUM speed until well combined and slightly frothy.
- Add the brownie mix and flour and mix on LOW speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Increase to MEDIUM and mix briefly until well combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the cookies are crackled across the top and the edges are set. The centers should still be soft. Avoid overbaking for the best fudgy, chewy texture.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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Hello Valerie, Can I substitute nuts for the chocolate chips?
Absolutely! You can substitute ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for the chocolate chips. Either would be delicious in these cookies! Enjoy!