These fudgy chocolate cookies with cocoa powder are soft and chewy, with a rich brownie-like center that's packed with dense chocolate taste. They're simple to make and don't require any chilling. If you like the flavor and texture of fudgy, dense brownies, you'll love these easy chocolate cookies!
I'm always on the lookout for decadent chocolate recipes.
I've made moist and rich chocolate ganache cake, versatile chocolate wafer cookies, gooey brownies with cherries and velvety chocolate pots de creme.
When I realized I didn't have a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies, I started testing with the goal of creating a fudgy, moist chocolate cookie with an easy dough that wouldn't require any chill time. Isn't that always the most frustrating part of cookie baking!? When a chocolate craving hits, you want to satisfy it ASAP.
These cookies are made with cocoa powder, melted butter, and an extra egg yolk to prove a richly dense, flavorful dough that creates a soft and gooey cookie filled with semisweet and dark chocolate. Melting the butter reduces volume (which means more density) and creates a simple dough that you can easily mix up by hand.
The texture of these homemade chocolate cookies is dense and moist, with a crispy outer layer and a tender, chewy center that just melts in your mouth. Pockets of melty, gooey chocolate chips add a satisfying burst of flavor to every bite. They're the perfect treat for anyone who loves chocolate and wants to indulge in something seriously delicious!
You can view the entire collection of cookie recipes here, including these rich dark chocolate tiramisu sandwich cookies.
Ingredients
Cocoa powder - Use Dutch process cocoa powder in this recipe. It provides a darker, richer flavor than natural cocoa.
Brown sugar - A heavier percentage of brown sugar adds rich caramel flavor and extra moisture, which makes these cookies nice and chewy in the center.
Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the total quantity of salt in the recipe. Salt content in salted butter varies from brand to brand. Using melted butter gives you a more chewy, dense cookie. It also makes it easy to mix these up by hand without an electric mixer!
Granulated sugar - Adding a bit of granulated sugar helps ensure the cookies develop a nice crisp exterior.
Egg yolk - Adding an additional egg yolk adds additional flavor and richness without as much moisture, creating a fudgier texture.
Chocolate chunks and chips - I chose to use a mix of dark chocolate chunks (a cut up bar of chocolate) and semisweet chocolate chips. This provides a nice mix of texture and flavor. The chunks create melted pools of chocolate and spread more. The chips lend lend more structure as they don't lose much shape when melted.
* See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Learn how to make chocolate cookies! These photos provide visual cues. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl.
Stir or whisk together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugars.
Stir until well blended.
Add vanilla, whole egg, egg yolk, and salt.
Mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add dry ingredients. Stir until just a few flour streaks remain.
Stir in the chocolate chips and chunks.
Shape dough into approximately 2½ Tablespoon balls (48 grams in weight). I scooped 20 dough balls using my 1½ Tablespoon scoop (#40). I then scooped the remainder of the dough, cut those scoops in half, and combined each half with a whole to make uniformly larger dough balls.
Portion 8 scoops of dough out onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Top each dough ball with a few extra pieces of chopped chocolate if desired.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 8 minutes.
Immediately after removing cookies from oven, place a round cookie cutter (affiliate link) or the rim of a wide drinking glass around each baked cookie and gently swirl. This will push the cookie into a uniformly round shape. Cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to cooling rack.
Hint: Don't overbake these cookies! Since they are made with a dark dough, you won't be able to use color cues to tell when they are done. They should look much less oily and shiny and have an almost matte finish. They'll still be soft when you take them out, but will set as they cool.
Variations
If you'd like to try a different twist on this recipe for chocolate cookies, try these variations:
- Espresso powder - Adding 1 teaspoon of espresso powder (affiliate link) to the melted butter will enhance the chocolate flavor and add extra depth to these cookies without creating a noticeable coffee taste.
- Almond extract- Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the dough when adding the vanilla extract. This adds an intriguing sweet, marzipan note to the chocolate flavor of the cookies. It's quite subtle and doesn't overpower the chocolate at all.
- Nuts - Add ¼ toasted, chopped nuts to the dough when adding the chocolate chips. You might try walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts.
- Chocolate chips and chunks - Feel free to vary the percentage of chocolate that you add to the cookies. Here I've used a combination of dark chocolate chunks and semisweet chocolate chips. You could use all dark chocolate, all semisweet, all milk chocolate, or a combination of the above.
Equipment
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Cookie scoop - To bake these chocolate cocoa cookies, I used this medium cookie scoop which measures out 1½ Tablespoons of dough. It's a size 40.
I cut some of the dough balls in half and combined them with a full dough ball to create a larger ball that measures approximately 2½ tablespoons (approximately 48 grams). This is an important step as the larger dough balls create just the right texture and consistency! Smaller cookies will not be as fudgy in the middle.
I love using a cookie scoop for drop cookies. It keeps them uniform in size, which also helps them to bake evenly.
Baking pans - I bake my cookies on rimmed half sheet baking pans (18 x 13 inches).
Parchment paper is great for lining the baking pan. The cookies won't stick at all if you use parchment paper underneath. Bonus: you don't have to use any grease, and can often simply wipe down the pan rather than needing to wash it after baking.
One roll of this 15 inch x 164 foot (38 centimeter x 50 meter) non-stick paper lasts a LONG time! If you have access to a nearby Costco, the price is often a bit better in store.
Round cookie cutters - Use a round cookie cutter or the rim of an upside down glass to swirl these cookies back into a round shape after baking. Do this as soon as you remove them from the oven while they are still hot and pliable. I've had this set for years, and I use it all the time.
Storage
Store: Store these chocolate chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Store baked cookies in a large zippered freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months
Make ahead: Although these are super easy to whip up, it's always great to have extra cookie dough on hand.
To freeze unbaked cookie dough, place scooped dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for an hour or two. Once frozen, transfer dough balls to a zippered freezer bag.
Label the bag as follows: fudgy chocolate cookie dough with cocoa powder. Defrost dough at room temperature on cookie sheets for 30-60 minutes then bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Store dough for up to 3 months frozen, unbaked.
FAQ
I usually opt for Dutch process cocoa powder (also called Dutched or Alkalized cocoa powder) in my cookie recipes. The process of alkalizing, which reduces the acidity, creates a darker colored cocoa and a deeper chocolate flavor.
I have not tested this recipe with natural cocoa. I expect that it would produce a lighter, slightly cakier cookie due to the acidic reaction with the baking soda.
For best results, stick with Dutch process cocoa powder for these cocoa cookies.
Make sure not to overbake these fudgy chocolate cookies with cocoa powder! Since they are made with a dark dough, you won't be able to use color cues to tell when they are done. They should look much less oily and shiny and have an almost matte finish. They will become more dense as they set, so don't move them from the cookie sheet until they are cooler.
Also, don't try to make these cookies smaller than the recommended size! (Approximately 2½ Tablespoons - 48 grams.) I tested the recipe with both 1½ Tablespoon and 2½ Tablespoon cookie dough balls, and the larger size is what helps create the soft, fudgy center.
I recommend baking a mini batch of 2 cookies on the first baking sheet so that you can confirm if the baking time works for your taste (and oven.)
More Cookies
For more homemade chocolate cookie recipes, check out these other delicious treats!
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📖 Recipe
Fudgy Chocolate Cookies With Cocoa Powder
Print Recipe Pin RecipeINGREDIENTS
- 160 grams (1⅓ cups) all purpose flour
- 30 grams (¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 113 grams (8 Tablespoons; 4 ounces) unsalted butter (melted)
- 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 85 grams (3 ounces) dark chocolate (coarsely chopped into chunks)
- 85 grams (3 ounces) chocolate chips (semisweet or dark chocolate)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350° Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4).
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Whisk together until fully incorporated. Set aside.160 grams (1⅓ cups) all purpose flour, 30 grams (¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons) Dutch process cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- To a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugars and stir until well blended.113 grams (8 Tablespoons; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar, 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- Add vanilla, whole egg, egg yolk, and salt and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add dry ingredients. Stir until just a few flour streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips and chunks.85 grams (3 ounces) dark chocolate, 85 grams (3 ounces) chocolate chips
- Measure cookie scoops into 2½ Tablespoon balls (48 grams*) Portion 6 scoops of dough out onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Top each dough ball with a few extra pieces of chopped chocolate if desired.*If you have a #40 medium cookie scoop like I do, use 1½ scoops per cookie. (For each cookie, scoop one full scoop, then combine with a half scoop (a full scoop cut in half)).
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 8 minutes.
- Immediately after removing cookies from oven, place a round cookie cutter or the rim of a wide drinking glass around each baked cookie and gently swirl the edges of the cookie. This will push the cookie into a uniformly round shape.
- Cool cookies on pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool.
Notes
The Floured Table
Recipe Author: Kathleen Culver
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