Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
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If you’re asked to choose between cookie dough or brownie batter, choose neither; bake my brownie mix chocolate chip cookies and simply grin!
All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC
LOADED QUESTION! So many easy desserts begin with a basic box of brownie mix. Aside from brownies and cookies, think bars, individual chocolate truffles, cakes, and trifles. I keep a basic box of brownie mix on hand along with a package of instant pudding mix for these easy cookies. They take 15 minutes, and I can easily transport them to share at cookouts, birthday parties, holiday events, and my book club meetings.
Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
Grab a large bowl for mixing and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. You’re about to embark on one heck of a great recipe and an easy recipe at that!
How to describe these…um, chocolate chip cookie brownies? No, no…fudgy nutty chocolate chippy brownie cookies?
I think you have a pretty good idea where I’m going with these, but in case you don’t, allow me to state it plainly. Cookies made from brownie mix, made all the better because I add chocolate chips…and pecans…oh my gosh!
These are my December secret weapon when I need to bulk up Christmas cookie gift tins. Nobody, and I mean to say NOBODY will ever holler at you for bulking up a cookie tin with these ‘brownie lovers chocolate cookies.’
They may not look special, but they are perfect for when you need to ‘bring a dessert,’ require a unique and homemade birthday gift, make a fabulous treat for after school, and as I mentioned a moment ago, make a nice addition to those holiday gift tins.
Do You Have What’s Needed to Bake Up Some Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies? Check the List!
- a box of store-bought brownie mix
- unsalted butter
- large eggs
- store-bought vanilla flavored instant pudding
- room temperature tap water
- chocolate morsels
- pecans
optional add-ins
- white chocolate chips
- peanut butter chips
- butterscotch chips
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- flakey sea salt
How This Recipe Came About…
Do not for one minute think that the cookie brownie recipe CRAZE passed me by. Noooooo! I was all over that with my box of brownie mix and my little old hand mixer JUST like YOU.
What sets these apart from other recipes? These are just a ‘lil more brownie than cookie, just the way I like ’em.
The baking time is super quick at only 10 minutes, an extra minute or two if you want them firmer. And if I am honest, all of these simple ingredients come together to make THE BEST COOKIES in just about 15 minutes.
THAT is why I keep both a boxed brownie mix as well as instant vanilla pudding on hand at all times. I never know when I’ll be invited to that gathering that is somebody’s birthday, a cookout, holiday party, or a neighborhood potluck.
Almost nobody can resist a sweet treat, especially when it involves a chocolate fudgy center and gooey chewy edges…I’m digressing but I CAN’T HELP IT PEOPLE!
What Brand of Brownie Mix Should I Use?
I’m not sure what the best thing about these cookies actually is, the fact that I am not required to bust out the brown sugar or the jug of vegetable oil, or that this brownie mix cookies recipe yields 28 fabulous cookies from just one box of classic brownie mix.
Use the brand of brownie mix which resonates with you. Remember what I always tell you; when there are few ingredients in a recipe, the quality of those ingredients matter. Always get the best you can afford or have access to.
For me, I am a steadfast Ghirardelli brownie mix gal or a Duncan Hines fudge brownies gal. Which reminds me that the next time I hit my local big box store, I need to grab that Ghirardelli; there I can purchase it in triplicate at a better price.
What’s The Best Way to Store These Brownie Mix Cookies?
I get a little ridiculous here, but I cannot recite the merits of metal cookie tins enough. They are an airtight container that keeps cookies EXACTLY the way they were at the moment you popped them in there…and for like weeks.
That means giving any cookie the correct amount of time required for it to cool completely on a wire rack. Placing a ‘still warm’ cookie into a tin full of cookies will result in damp and stale cookies.
Pro tip: Forget the plastic wrap, let ’em cool, and invest in a cookie tin.
What Kind of Equipment Do I Need to Make These?
A bowl, an electric mixer, measuring cups and spoons, cookie sheet(s), a cooling rack, and a cookie scoop. Oh, and I like to use a rubber spatula for seriously scraping out the last little bit from the bowl, so nothing is wasted here.
You know…we wouldn’t want waste in a brownie cookies recipe, would we? Noooo…
The size cookie scoop you use will determine mostly how many cookies you’ll get from this bake. I go with a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) so I will yield between 26 and 28 cookies.
Using a big cookie scoop (anything over 2 tablespoons) will result in larger cookies, just fewer of them. If you do opt for biggie cookies, adjust the bake time appropriately and pull them from the oven right when you see their edges are set.
Once pulled from the oven, the cookies are going to stay on the prepared baking sheets for another 2 to 3 minutes before you’ll transfer to a wire rack. This trick ensures chocolatey rich cookies with the texture of fudgy brownies.
What Else Should I Add Besides Chocolate Chips?
I guess this depends on your eaters. You can go to town as far as add-ins with things like peanut butter candies or chips, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, instant espresso powder for a coffee-esque flavor, or even white chocolate mini morsels.
I add nuts. Pecans to be precise. I begin with pecan halves and give them a once over rough chop so there are some big chunks in my final bake.
If I’m taking these to a gathering where some folks might have nut aversions, I steer clear of all add-ins except for the chocolate chips and either dust the top of the cookies (once completely cooled) with flakey sea salt or confectioners’ sugar. That way, nobody misses out on the best part of a meal which is dessert of course!
How To Make Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Prepare the Cookie Sheets
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two or more cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats and set aside.
There is some degree of spreading with these cookies, so plan on placing them 1 1/2 to 2-inches apart on your baking sheets. I go a step further and place my balls of dough six to a cookie sheet, so I get a more perfectly round cookie.
Assemble the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine a stick of VERY SOFT butter with half a box of brownie mix. Beat this mixture until well combined.
Next add 2 eggs and a few tablespoons of water that you’ve allowed to come to room temperature. Beat again.
Lastly, incorporate the remaining brownie mix from the box and an entire package of instant pudding mix. Beat until combined before folding in the chocolate morsels and chopped pecans if using.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Since I go with a small cookie scoop, I get anywhere from 26 to 28 cookies and my bake time is between 10 and 12 minutes.
If you use a bigger cookie scoop, you will want to adjust that bake time. I’d begin checking for doneness at 12 minutes and go to 14 if it’s required. You’ll know by how well done the edges are getting.
Cooling and Storing/Transporting the Cookies
Once you pull the cookies sheets from your oven, allow the cookies to sit tight for 2 to 3 minutes more on the hot sheets. This gives them the extra umph to set up in the middles as the sheets slowly cool down.
Use a metal spatula with a thin edge to lift the cookies from the sheets and over to a cooling rack. Sit on your hands if you feel the urge to taste before they’ve morphed into total chocolate lover’s brownie perfection.
To store the cookies properly and also transport them without breakage, opt for an airtight container with a lid. I go metal cookie tin all the way.
Place a square of parchment in the tin and use your hands to fit the parchment up the sides. Place the cookies flat in the bottom.
You may only be able to lay three or four cookies flat and that’s okay. Continue by stacking cookies over the voids from the previous layer until you’ve filled your tin.
Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheets
- cookie scoop
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 18.3-ounce box brownie mix divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 tablespoons water at room temperature
- ½ cup pecans rough chopped
- 1 cup chocolate morsels
optional add-ins
- white chocolate morsels
- peanut butter morsels or peanut butter candy
- butterscotch morsels
- toffee bits
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
- flakey sea salt for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two or more cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine a stick of VERY SOFT butter with half a box of brownie mix. Beat this mixture until well combined.
- Next add 2 eggs and a few tablespoons of water that you've allowed to come to room temperature. Beat again. Lastly, incorporate the remaining brownie mix from the box and an entire package of instant pudding mix. Beat until combined before folding in the chocolate morsels and chopped pecans if using.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are set.
- Pull the cookies sheets from your oven and allow cookies to cool for 2 to 3 minutes directly on the cookie sheets. Use a metal spatula with a thin edge to lift the cookies from the sheets and over to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
If You Like This Recipe…
…you might also like:
- The Frog Commissary Chocolate Chip Cookie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Ginger Molasses Tea Cookies
- Pork Rind and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
