Brownie Mix Cookies
Brownie Mix Cookies is an easy recipe to make and all you need is a 20 oz box of brownie mix, vegetable oil, eggs, extra flour (super important!) and some chocolate chips! All this comes together to give you ultra fudgy brownie cookies that have a crinkly top, gooey center, and set bottoms for the ultimate brownie cookie!
Brownie Mix Cookies will remind you of your favorite brownies! You can make bakery style (larger) brownie mix cookies with my Brownie Batter Cookies. Or try my Walnut Brownie Cookies or Cosmic Brownie Cookies that take a cookie spin on your favorite brownie recipes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Gooey brownie centers. I love that the bottom of the cookies are baked but the centers stay fudgy just like a brownie!!!
- Ghirardelli brownie mix cookies. I’m a huge sucker for brownies — and brownie mix. You can ask anyone in my family. I love licking the brownie batter leftover on the spoon and bowl, and I love the fudgy goodness of brownies. So, when I found out it was easy to make the best brownie mix cookies from Ghirardelli brownie mix (or any brownie mix for that matter), I was SOLD!
- Brownie cookies from mix. The best part of these brownie box cookies is all you need is a brownie mix and a few extra simple ingredients!
Ingredient Notes
- Dry Brownie Mix: I love the Ghirardelli brownie mix and usually buy the large box at Costco. You only need the dry mix for this brownie mix cookie recipe. Disregard any of the additional ingredients called for on the back of the boxed brownie mix. Please only use the extra ingredients called for in this brownie mix cookies recipe! This is an easy brownie mix cookies recipe thanks to using a boxed mix.
- Flour: We add additional flour to the mixture so we get a cookie dough consistency instead of a brownie batter consistency. This will help provide the cookie form.
- Vegetable Oil: The vegetable oil gives a moist texture in baking. Usually cookies use butter as the fat, but this recipe uses vegetable oil because we are trying to mimic the brownie texture (and brownies are made with vegetable oil).
- Eggs: Our baking binding agent.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Some brownie mixes have chocolate chips in them already. If that’s the case, you can skip this ingredient. Or add more! Can also use regular sized chocolate chips if you’d like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. To a large bowl, add the 20 oz dry brownie box mix (see recipe tips for details on if your brownie mix is less than 20 oz), 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Using a hand mixer, beat until combined.
- Scoop into balls. Using a 2 T cookie scoop, scoop the dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.
- Bake the Ghirardelli brownie cookies. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set but the centers still look doughy. Remove them from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy as is or with a scoop of ice cream!
Recipe Tips
**If you use a brownie mix that is not 20 oz, add enough flour to the brownie mix until it equals 20 ounces. IMPORTANT: you will STILL need to add the additional 1/4 cup of flour called for in this recipe. That is in additional to the 20 oz dry brownie mix.
NOTE: you do NOT use the ingredients listed on the box. Please only use the additional ingredients listed in this recipe!
Using the cookie scoop will help in portioning the dough balls. Although this is a cookie dough, it is still brownie-like, meaning the dough is softer than most cookie doughs so you won’t really have the texture to roll into balls of dough with your hands (because we are going for fudgy brownie-like cookies AKA gooey in the center).
I used a size 40 cookie scoop and spaced the dough balls 2 inches apart from each other.
Don’t over bake the cookies! Over baking will make the cookies dry and you won’t have that chewy fudge center. (I sent this recipe to my sister and she baked them for a few minutes longer and she said the cookies were dry and not at all fudgy like brownies. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
To get fudgy cookies, you want the edges to look set but the centers will look doughy. That is the key to the perfect cookie! The centers will look doughy and not fully done. As long as the edges are set, they are done. If you pull the cookies out and the centers look baked, you won’t get the fudgy center.
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. This will help them set so the bottoms of the cookies are set and you can easily transfer the brownie cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Let the cookies cool completely. This will help the bottoms of the cookies to set completely so you can pick them up.
If you don’t have a hand mixer you can use a wooden spoon and just mix until everything is evenly combined. Or feel free to use a stand mixer if you have one.
Variations
- Create fun variations of brownie mix cookies by adding peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, mint chips, butterscotch chips or M&Ms to the batter for different flavors.
- Add chopped nuts (of any variety) for an additional crunch or variation.
- Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar for a crinkle cookie effect.
- Eat plain or pair with vanilla ice cream or make into ice cream sandwiches.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 3-5 days. I love eating them fresh though! Right off the cookie sheet so they are still a bit warm and gooey … yum!
To freeze, bake as directed and then freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Will keep for 1-2 months in the freezer. Thaw before eating. I don’t know how the fudgy centers will do in the freezer/thawing process as I haven’t frozen these cookies yet. We usually eat them within 1 day (totally serious!!)
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Follow the recipe as directed, let the cookies cool, and then freeze in a ziplock bag for 1-2 months. I haven’t personally frozen these cookies before since usually my family eats them all the day I make them! So, I’m not sure if the gooey, fudgy nature of the cookies will be unaffected after being frozen and thawed. If you do freeze them, let me know how they turn out!
If you want to add peanut butter, I suggest stirring in peanut butter chips. This will give you bursts of peanut butter in every bite.
No! In fact, if you add those ingredients, the brownie mix cookies won’t turn out. You only need the DRY brownie mix.
There could be a few reasons why the cookies didn’t turn out. The first things to look for is to make sure your oven temperature is accurate. Most ovens run a few degrees cooler or hotter than what it says. I use an oven thermometer to make sure my temperature is correct. Then, make sure you are baking cookies in the center rack of the oven. Adjust the racks as needed. Finally, be sure to fluff your flour before measuring. And with this recipe in particular, make sure your brownie mix is 20 oz. If it isn’t, then add additional flour until the brownie mix comes in at 20 oz (use a kitchen scale). THEN you still add the 1/4 cup flour to the bowl. This additional flour will help provide a cookie dough consistency.
You may have baked the cookies for an extra minute too long. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are st but the centers still look gooey. Once they set (rest on the pan for 3 minutes) and then cool completely on a wire rack, they will be perfect!
More Brownie Recipes
Brownie Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 20 oz box Ghirardelli brownie mix - Can also use a different brand of mix. If your mix is less than 20 oz, add flour until it is 20 oz.
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips - mini chocolate chips or regular semi chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together until combined. I used a hand mixer, but if you don't have a hand mixer you can use a wooden spoon and just mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Using a 2 T sized cookie scoop, scoop dough onto baking sheet, spacing each dough ball 2 inches apart from each other.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set but centers still look doughy. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
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110 Comments on “Brownie Mix Cookies”
Followed instructions exactly with a scale and it didn’t create a batter, just crumbles. I left as is and they are little pucks, but they taste OK.
Sorry to hear you had issues with this recipe, Jane!
I made this recipe. Omitted the chips, but I found the dough to be extremely stiff and difficult to mix. So I added one tablespoon of water and everything started coming together. Baked as per recipe and they were yummy!
I’m glad you were able to figure out how to make the dough work, Mary! Thanks for sharing your experience and leaving a review.
I have made this recipe a couple times with a couple different brownie mixes, and every time, they’re an absolute hit! Thanks so much for posting!
So glad you enjoy the recipe Elisabeth!
Made this recipe and followed to the letter.
At first was skeptical. The batter was very thick,but I continued.
Very glad I did. They were PERFECT.
Thank you
Sherry
Hooray! So happy these turned out, Sherry. Thank you for making this recipe and leaving a review!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My first attempt went well with some adjustments and I’m planning to try again.
I did have to add the extra flour to reach 20 oz + 1/4 cup. It’s possible that I miscalculated the extra flour because I had to estimate about 2 oz without a scale. That being said, it ended up too dry. I added about 1/4 cup of water and it turned out pretty well! Overall, it was an easy fix. I’d recommend introducing more oil or water slowly.
Next time I plan to either use extra oil instead of water, add less water, or add less extra flour (if anyone has any thoughts on these options, I’d love to get feedback because I’m no professional).
Finally, I made these into a peppermint holiday cookie by adding 1 tsp of mint extract (couldn’t find peppermint!!) and adding crushed candy canes on top of the cookies in the final 2 minutes of baking.
Love the holiday twist you put on these, Kait! Thanks for leaving a review and sharing your experience.
The batter was dry and the cookies didn’t spread at all. I am going to try this recipe again. My boxes were 18.3 ounces so I added more brownie mix from another box to equal 20ounces of mix. I won’t do that next time. Your photos of the cookies look delicious. Maybe I’ll add a bit of water this time. Happy baking!!
So sorry these didn’t turn out for you Michelle! More water or oil could help. Good luck to you!
This was a terrible recipe. I followed the recipe perfectly and ended up with hard lumps that weren’t edible. More oil, less flour would be better. These were garbage. Literally.
Sorry these didn’t turn out for you, Jacquelyn!
Best, the best chocolate cookies ever! Use all-purpose flower and measure. Look just like they popped off a page of a magazine.
Thanks for your review Amy!
Used Aldi Bakers brownie mix, added and mixed as directed. Dough was too dry so added another tablespoon water. Dough was stiff, but used it as it was. I found the 2 T of mix per cookie was a little too much, the centers were too soft, close to raw. Made the second batch smaller, but they are still cooling. They look closer to being done after 10 min baking time. I’d try this again, with more water and oil and reduce the size of the cookie. Thanks!
Thanks for your review, Jill! It’s so helpful to have readers share their experiences with this recipe.
I made this exactly as directed, except for the chocolate chips because my mix already had them, and they were perfectly delicious. I didn’t have to add any more oil. Thanks for the recipe!
Happy to hear they turned out delicious! Thanks for your review, Stephanie!
The quantity of liquid to dry ingredients was nowhere near correct for a 18oz box of Betty Crocker mix. I tried doubling the oil and it still didn’t go quite right.
Sorry to hear this didn’t work for you, Sunny!
Made these tonight according to the recipe, I had an 18oz brownie mix and added 7tbsp extra flour. They turned out well for me! They didn’t spread much, but I pushed down on them a bit when they came out of the oven and they look and taste good!
So glad these worked for you, Kelly!
Professional pastry chef here: I made this as a test to teach some second graders to read a recipe – as I read it over I knew the oil wasn’t going to be enough, and it wasn’t. The mixture was so dry it barely came together. And no, I did not “overmix,” I weighed my flour at 30g which is exactly 1/4 cup, and I live in central Virginia, so there are no altitude issues. I added almost another 1/4c oil to get the proper consistency.
Glad you were able to make the recipe work for you.