Chocolate Brownie Cookies for Halloween (or Any Holiday!)

Why choose between brownies or cookies?! These Chocolate Brownie Cookies combine your love for rich chocolatey goodness in a chewy cookie. Feel free to change your M&Ms to match whatever holiday you want!

I'm not sure how it's already Halloween time or how time can continue flying by at warp speed when we do the same thing day in and day out, but here we are! Maybe it's the age or the need for any small semblance of excitement in our lives, but as soon as the calendar hit October, the kids were so excited to break out every Halloween decoration and "decorate" their rooms and the house with all sorts of stuff (aka junk).

We're also reaching peak baking season -- and it's been so fun to bake holiday treats with them. These Chocolate Brownie Cookies are SO GOOD and SO EASY to make with kids. No mixer, no fancy ingredients, no chilling the dough -- just your basics and an easy technique kids can do on their own.

What I Love About These Cookies

• Customize for any holiday. Use different colored M&Ms and make these Christmas chocolate brownie cookies, 4th of July chocolate brownie cookies, you get the picture.
• Dough doesn't need to be refrigerated. This dough doesn't need to be stuck in the fridge for an hour. They just need to sit for 10 minutes. Not bad.
• Excellent to make with kids. You don't even need a mixer -- just some bowls and your basic ingredients. The kids love helping me measure everything, separating the M&Ms, and, of course, eating the cookies.

Tips for Making These Chocolate Brownie Cookies

1. Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder. It's not the end of the world if you don't, but the cookies may be slightly drier and lighter in color.
2. Use a cookie scoop to make even-sized mounds of dough. The dough will be pretty sticky, but a cookie scoop will make sure you scoop equal amounts and you don't need to use your hands (yet).
3. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. This will help the dough firm up, not be so sticky, and make them easier to roll.
4. Smoosh cookies just a little bit before sticking them in the oven. After you stick your M&Ms on, give them a little smoosh so the cookies spread out when baked.

Storing Cookies

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They're great 3-4 days later.

To freeze, you can do one of two things: freeze after they're baked or freeze the dough (preferred).  If freezing the dough, freeze the balls of dough in freezer-safe plastic bag until you're ready to bake. Defrost the cookies in refrigerator overnight before placing M&Ms on and baking. 

Other Halloween Favorite Treats

• Mummy Sugar Cookies
• 5 Easy, Healthy Snacks for Halloween
• Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
• Baked Mini Donuts (just change out the sprinkles!)
• Cutout Sugar Cookies (ignore the Santa...this is my go-to recipe for cut-out sugar cookies!)
• Ghost Halloween Cookies

Happy Halloween!

xox,

kathryn

As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Why choose between brownies or cookies?! These Chocolate Brownie Cookies combine your love for rich chocolatey goodness in a chewy cookie. Feel free to change your M&Ms to match whatever holiday you want!

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate cookies, halloween cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 cookies

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder*
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup M&Ms

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix butter and chocolate chips. Melt in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until completely melted. Whisk in brown sugar and eggs until combined.
• Fold in flour mixture with a spatula until no dry flour is visible.
• Use cookie scoop or spoon to make even-sized mounds of dough and place onto parchment sheet (these don't need to be neat yet). Let mounds of dough rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
• Use your hands to roll out the mounds of dough into smooth, round balls. Place 5-7 M&Ms all around each of the balls of dough. Use your palm to gently flatten each cookie slightly. Make sure cookies are 2" apart (so you'll need two baking sheets or do two separate batches).
• Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes or until edges are set. Let cookies cool on rack for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

*Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you're able to.  If you use regular cocoa powder, it won't be the end of the world, but the cookies may be a bit drier and lighter in color. 

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.  They'll stay fresh for 3-4 days.

Freeze: These cookies can be frozen after you bake them or the dough can be frozen.  If freezing the dough, freeze the balls of dough in freezer-safe plastic bag until ready to use. Defrost in refrigerator overnight before placing M&Ms on and baking.