These brownie crinkle cookies truly are just like brownies in cookie form. From their chewy, soft centers to their crispy edges, they’re irresistible.

Ingredients & Substitutions in This Brownie Crinkle Cookie Recipe

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some people have different preferences than me! For example, if you know you love milk chocolate, use that instead of dark chocolate.

Or you might not have all these ingredients on hand. If you find yourself in either of these situations, below are some swaps and variations that can be made.

Unsalted Butter

The reason why most recipes including this one call for unsalted butter is that different brands of butter use different amounts of salt.

There’s no way to know how much salt is added to a recipe unless you use unsalted butter, then add in salt separately.

To make sure your cookies taste just right, it’s best to use unsalted butter!

However, if you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it. The cookies will taste a bit saltier but will still taste great. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for.

The Chocolate

This part is up to you! I like these cookies best with good-quality dark chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate if you don’t have any on hand.

Chopped-up chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks all work great.

Eggs

The eggs help give these cookies structure and bring the batter together.

If you don’t have any eggs on hand or want to make egg free brownie cookies, you can use a flaxseed egg! Use one tablespoon of ground flax seeds and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg.

Be sure to grind the flax seeds into a fine powder using a coffee or spice grinder and then whisk it in the water until the mixture becomes gelatinous.

Granulated Sugar

A little bit of sugar gives these brownie cookies the perfect touch of sweetness and helps create that tender texture.

You don’t need a ton because the chocolate is also sweet, but I wouldn’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe or it will negatively affect the texture and spread of the cookies.

If you prefer your brownies with brown sugar, you can use it in place of the granulated sugar in this recipe. Light or dark brown sugar will work.

My only note is that it will be harder to get crinkly tops on your cookies if you use brown sugar because of the extra moisture that brown sugar will add to the cookie dough.

Instant Espresso Powder

Adding instant espresso or coffee powder to brownies can be surprisingly polarizing. Some people love it, others hate it.

I personally am a big fan and think it really elevates the flavor of these cookies. This recipe doesn’t use enough for it to be a prominent flavor, but it does add depth of flavor.

However, if you really dislike coffee, you can omit this ingredient from your cookie batter.

All-Purpose Flour

These brownie cookies are made with all-purpose flour.

But don’t worry, these can easily be made into gluten-free brownie cookies! You can use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the AP flour in this recipe (cup for cup).

Just be sure to stir the batter really well to help give it structure. It needs extra help since it doesn’t have any gluten!

Also, let the batter sit for 30 minutes before baking the cookies. This helps the flour absorb moisture from the batter and prevents the cookies from having a gritty texture.

Sea Salt

Adding a garnish of flaky sea salt not only looks beautiful, it also helps balance out the richness of these cookies! I highly recommend adding a sprinkle once the cookies are baked.

How Many Cookies Does This Brownie Cookie Recipe Make?

This recipe makes 12 pretty large cookies. Once they’re baked, they’re about 3 inches in diameter and each cookie is made with 3 Tbsp of cookie dough.

If you want to make smaller cookies or use a smaller cookie scoop, decrease the bake time based on the size of the cookie.

For example, if you use 1 1/2 Tbsp of dough per cookie, bake them for about half as long as the recipe calls for.

Tips for Making the Best Brownie Crinkle Cookies

• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better, so set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure and then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Give the eggs and sugar a good whisk by hand, for at least a minute or use an electric mixer! This incorporates air into the mixture which helps them bake up with a crinkly top.
• Let your cookie dough cool slightly (2-3 minutes) until it makes thick ribbons when lifted with a spatula or whisk (like in the photo below). This will help the cookies spread less and ensure they bake up with chewy centers.
• Use a cookie scoop to make sure your cookies are uniformly sized.
• Space your cookies about 3 inches apart before baking them. They spread a lot as they bake.
• Press extra chunks of chocolate onto the cookies once they’re baked and garnish with sea salt for a little extra pizazz.

Making These Brownie Crinkle Cookies in Advance & Storage Tips

Make your cookies in advance! If stored in an airtight container, they can last for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.

Sadly, the batter cannot be made in advance and frozen since it needs to be slightly warm when scooped and baked.

Baked cookies can be frozen. These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in a Ziplock bag or airtight container.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them to reduce the temperature shock, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before eating.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for brownie crinkle cookies, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

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