Salted Brownie Cookies
These salted brownie cookies are rich, fudgy, and chocolatey. They have the texture of a brownie in cookie form, with melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder giving them a deep chocolate flavor. They're also naturally gluten-free, since they're made without any flour. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt right out of the oven brings everything together.
I love how simple these cookies are to make. There's no mixer needed, and after a short rest on the counter, the dough turns into a thick brownie-batter consistency that's easy to scoop. The result is a soft and chewy chocolate cookie!
Salted Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 85 g dark chocolate, melted
- 56 g salted butter
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/16 tsp kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
Melt the Chocolate and Butter
- 1
Combine the dark chocolate and salted butter in a heatproof bowl.
- 2
Microwave in 20–30 second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Alternatively, place the bowl over a double boiler and stir until melted and smooth.
Cool Slightly
- 1
Let the chocolate-butter mixture cool for about 5–10 minutes. You don't want it to be hot enough to cook the egg.
Whip the Egg and Sugar
- 1
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and granulated sugar vigorously for 1–3 minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color and slightly frothy.
Combine
- 1
Slowly pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
Add the Dry Ingredients
- 1
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- 2
Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix.
Rest the Dough
- 1
Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.
- 2
You're looking for a consistency similar to thick brownie batter—scoopable but not runny.
Scoop
- 1
Portion the dough into 1-tablespoon portions and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.
Bake
- 1
Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
- 2
The edges should look set, while the centers should still look slightly soft.
- 3
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt.
Cool
- 1
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Lauren's Note
- Don't overbake these! The centers should still look slightly soft when you take them out of the oven. They'll continue to set as they cool, which is what gives them that fudgy texture.
- Letting the dough rest for 10–15 minutes is important. It gives the melted chocolate time to cool and the mixture time to thicken into a scoopable consistency.
- I like using dark chocolate for these because it gives the cookies a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. You can use whatever dark chocolate you prefer.
- The flaky sea salt is especially good on these because it cuts through the richness of the chocolate and makes the chocolate flavor stand out even more.
- Make sure the melted chocolate and butter mixture has cooled slightly before combining it with the egg. You want it warm and fluid, not hot.
Frequently asked questions
The chocolate-butter mixture may have still been too warm, or the dough may simply need a few more minutes to rest. Let it sit at room temperature until it thickens to a consistency similar to thick brownie batter.
Yes. If using unsalted butter, add a little more kosher salt to the dough to compensate for the missing salt in the butter.
Yes. The cookies will be slightly sweeter and less intense, but either will work. I prefer dark chocolate because it balances nicely with the sugar and flaky sea salt.
Yes. The dough can be covered and refrigerated. If it becomes too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before portioning.
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. They're best when they're still soft and fudgy in the center.
