Fudgy, brownie cookies with deep chocolate flavor and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Wow, these are good. Like real good.
They’ve got melted chocolate and cocoa so the chocolate flavor is super rich. And I love sea salt on a cookie… it adds that irresistible sweet-salty combo. They’re sort of like the darker, bolder sister of my favorite Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie.
You can use natural unsweetened cocoa or dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe. I think the dutch-processed version of this cookie tastes richer and fudgier, but if I hadn’t tried it both ways, I would have thought the natural cocoa ones are just as fantastic.
So what’s the difference between natural and dutch-processed cocoa? You can see the difference in color of the cocoa in the picture below which causes the cookies to have a slightly different color. The dutch-processed are a bit darker.
Other than the color there are 3 main differences…
- Acid content. Dutch-processed cocoa has had all of its acid processed out. Therefore, it is usually used with baking powder because baking powder doesn’t need an acid to react. Natural unsweetened cocoa (think Hershey’s) has all of its acid still so it’s usually used in recipes with baking soda since baking soda needs an acid to activate the leavening agent …. but it can also be used in recipes with baking powder since baking powder works with or without an acid. Did that make any sense? BASICALLY…. baking soda is high maintenance about who it hangs out with and baking powder doesn’t give a hoot.
- Taste. As the color would suggest, dutch-processed cocoa provides a richer chocolate flavor than natural cocoa.
- Location. So unfortunately for us Americans, dutch-processed can be a little difficult to find. I happened to find some at my grocery store at home, but I can’t find it in any of the grocery stores around my college. From what I’ve read, it seems that Europeans only have dutch-processed. If you find a package of cocoa at the store that doesn’t specify natural or dutch-processed, look at the ingredients and if it says “processed with alkali” or “alkalized” then it is dutch-processed cocoa.
So all of that was to explain that in this particular recipe you can use natural or dutch-processed cocoa… but I like the taste and texture of the dutch-processed cocoa a little better if you can find it.
The dough will seem a bit sticky when you scoop it. I suggest scooping all of the cookies out and then going back through and rolling them. In the few minutes that you let them sit, the dough balls dry out a little and are a lot easier to roll without it sticking to your hands.
Then you’ll freeze them for 15 minutes before baking them. This keeps them from spreading too much in the oven which would create a thinner crispier cookie instead of that fudgy, chewy brownie texture.
I’ll think I’ll take this one….
Enjoy!
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (32 g) dutch-processed or natural unsweetened cocoa*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup salted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- sea salt
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate in and mix until combined.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. The dough will look like a really thick brownie batter.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Scoop the dough onto a tray that fits in your freezer.
- Roll the dough into balls so they're smooth.
- Sprinkle the dough balls with sea salt and slightly press the salt into the dough so it sticks.
- Freeze the dough balls for 15 minutes.
- Move the dough balls to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. I put 6 cookies on each sheet so they have plenty of room to spread. Leave the cookies you aren't baking immediately in the freezer.
- Bake the cookies for 12 minutes.
- Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- Bake the rest of the cookies from the freezer.
- Store in an airtight container.
Adapted from The Boy Who Bakes and Sally’s Baking Addiction
YUM! These cookies look so delicious! I love chocolate and sea salt together ♥
Chocolate and sea salt is my favorite combination… along with chocolate and peanut butter!