Have a box of brownie mix, but really craving cookies? No problem! This easy recipe shows you how to make brownie mix cookies with just a few simple ingredients.
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Sometimes I crave brownies. And sometimes I crave cookies. In any case, I'm pretty much always craving chocolate. Something tells me I'm not alone.
There are lots of reasons you might want cookies instead of brownies. Maybe you offered to bring cookies to an event or maybe you don't have a brownie pan on hand or don't want to deal with slicing brownies.
Or maybe you just really want chocolate cookies. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that!
The best news? If you have a box of brownie mix and just a few other simple ingredients, you can have cookies any time you want!
I love making different recipes with boxed mixes and this brownie mix cookie recipe is a new favorite of mine!
🍪 Can you make cookies with brownie mix?
Yes! Cookies and brownies aren't so different aside from one being made in a pan with a batter and one being formed into balls with dough. Which means, of course, that the mixture you're working with prior to baking is going to be a very different consistency.
When I was testing these brownie mix cookies, I knew I needed a much stiffer batter than a brownie batter, which is typically quite runny. But I also knew I still needed a good amount of fat added to make a delicious cookie, which means you can't just omit lots of the liquid ingredients.
With brownie mix, that fat usually comes in the form of eggs, and oil. There's often water added, too.
I was aiming for a chewy, cake-like cookie, so I opted to use two large eggs, whereas my initial box of brownie mix instructed me to use just one large egg (though some do instruct to use two).
I made these cookies many times with all different brands of brownie mixes and different proportions of liquid ingredients. I ended up settling on two eggs, ¼ cup vegetable oil (as opposed to the ⅓-1/2 cup most brownie mix boxes instruct for brownies), and 1 Tbsp water (to help the cookies puff a bit).
But since you're still adding quite a bit of liquid into the brownie mix, you'll need to offset it with an additional ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Once I mixed everything in, I had the perfect consistency of cookie dough, ready for scooping.
Oh, I should probably mention that I tossed in some chocolate chips for extra deliciousness, too!
You can also make cookies with hot chocolate mix! Try these no bake hot chocolate mix cookies.
🍫 What kind of brownie mix to use?
I tested this recipe with three different kinds of brownie mix, but I think you could use most any brand.
The key for this particular recipe is to make sure the box is between 18 and 18.3 ounces. The .3 ounce difference won't make a noticeable difference in how your brownie mix cookies come out.
I haven't tested this recipe with any larger or smaller boxed mixes, so you may have to finagle the recipe a bit if your is a different size.
And if you want my personal recommendation, I'm a huge fan of the Ghirardelli brownie mix (all of the varieties!). It's definitely one of the pricier mixes, but so good!
🗒 Ingredients
I wanted to keep the ingredients for these brownie mix cookies as simple as possible, so I worked to keep them minimal. Here's everything you need (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Box of dry brownie mix: any brand as long as the box is between 18-18.3 ounces
- All-purpose flour
- Large eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Chocolate chips: optional, but recommended!
👩🍳 How to make brownie mix cookies
Making the cookies is just as easy as making brownies... Since you're not creaming together butter and sugar, you don't even need a stand mixer or a hand mixer (though you can use one if you want).
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
And then just put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
And using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until fully combined, taking care not to over-mix.
At first it might seem like you don't have enough liquid in your mixture, but it should come together into a thicker batter.
Scoop roughly 1 ½ Tbsp of batter onto your prepared cookie sheets, at least an inch apart. The cookies will spread a bit as they bake.
I like to use a #40 cookie scoop (sometimes known as a medium cookie scoop) to scoop my dough.
And bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges of cookies are set, but centers are still soft.
You definitely want soft ooey-gooey centers on these brownie mix cookies.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Or eat them warm. Because they're pretty awesome warm.
Can I tell you a secret? I actually like brownie mix cookies better than brownies. They're softer with a fudgy center and still have those perfect slightly crispy edges and tops... Perfect for all chocolate lovers!
You don't have to tell anyone these are "semi-homemade" cookies and trust me, nobody will complain once they taste one.
If you need a last minute dessert to bring to a party or bake sale, these are ideal!
🎉 Mix-in ideas
Of course, there are also lots of things you can do to jazz these brownie mix cookies up a bit. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Add a different flavor chips, like peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips. Or use chocolate chunks instead of chips.
- Add rainbow sprinkles for chocolate funfetti brownie cookies.
- Mix in a little peanut butter for brownie mix cookies with peanut butter. Try the same thing with marshmallow or caramel.
- Add extracts for extra flavor. Vanilla extract is always delicious, but peppermint extract is yummy for the holiday season.
- Add candy to turn these into monster brownie cookies. I especially recommend M&Ms and chopped Reese's Cups.
- Mix in shredded coconut or nuts for some extra flavor and texture.
- Serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce... kind of like a brownie sundae, but with chocolate brownie cookies instead!
⏲️ How to store
Keep these brownie mix cookies fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature.
When stored properly, they should keep fresh for 3-5 days.
🥣 Other recipes with mixes
I love taking standard baking mixes (pancake mix, muffin mix, cake mix, and brownie mix) to make other baked goods and have lots of recipes that feature boxed mixes on my website.
Check out some of my favorites and let me know if there are any mix recipes you'd like to see!
I hope you enjoy this easy cookie recipe whenever your "I'm need fudgy cookies fast!" craving strikes. What? I'm the only one who has those?
If forced to choose, would you pick brownies or cookies?
📖 Recipe
Brownie Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box (18-18.3 oz box) brownie mix
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp water
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, combine brownie mix with flour, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and chocolate chips. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
- Scoop roughly 1 ½ Tbsp cookie dough (I use a #40 cookie scoop) onto prepared cookie sheet, at least an inch apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges of cookies are set, but centers are still soft.
- Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Kim Lamaster says
These are very simple to make. The dough will be thick, but don't try to thin it out. I added a generous splash of vanilla extract and a large pinch of salt. Hubby LOVES these cookies! I didn't use any mix-ins. Used a 1Tbs cookie scoop and baked for 9 minutes. Got 26 cookies. I am def adding this recipe to my quick and easy favorites. Thanks for sharing!
Christy says
I made these for the first time and they are delicious! Thank you for the recipe! Will be making again!
T Barry says
Simple, quick and very good. Thank you!!!👍
cat says
The cookies are delicious! but it really sucks to have to wade through all the "story" and graphic directions first. just put out the recipe and if we want/need the drivel, we have the option to read it. this way, its like you are selfishly and passive aggressively forcing people to read your little story. sometimes, i look through several different recipes for one dish and every time i am subjected to this long winded epic.
Sues says
Hi Cat- I'm glad you liked the cookies and I'm sorry you feel that way! That's why I have the "jump to recipe" button at the top of every page on my website, so you can easily click it and go right to the recipe card. I'm definitely not forcing anyone to read anything. Also, there's a good reason most websites you see do this same thing- I make a living from sharing my carefully developed and rigorously tested recipes with everyone and I have to follow SEO best practices to ensure my recipes are showing up in searches and that I'm able to make some income from ads. I hope this helps you understand it a little better!
Smiley from Arizona says
Super grateful for you sharing this fantastic idea. I need to bring a treat to school and brownies are often so messy. I’m thrilled with making them into cookies. Thank you for sharing the how and why and then doing it ALL for me with your many test runs. Have a beautiful day in the kitchen!
Adrianne says
Sues- way to be so kind to someone who essentially came to your house and complained that you decorated it the way you wanted to!
As for the recipe, I had a 20oz mix and bumped the flour, oil, and eggs up a tiny bit. My scoop is a small size, and 10 minutes looked like the description, but was too raw. I ended up bumping the oven to 375 for the second batch and I liked how they came out a lot better, so I put the first tray back in for 5 minutes and now they all have that crispy, done, yet gooey look. Taste is good, but I’m missing the buttery flavor that a cookie usually has. But definitely worth a try, especially if like me, you have a Costco-sized box of brownie mix at home!
Jennifer Perdue says
Great recipe! I used a Giradelli salted caramel brownie mix and dark chocolate chips. Yummy!! Next time, I’ll try white chocolate chips or caramel chips.