Fudge Cookies
intro
Ultra chewy, deeply chocolatey fudge cookies with crisp edges and a gooey, fudgy center, perfect for every chocolate lover.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix dry ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 120g all-purpose flour, 40g unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt for 30 seconds until fully combined, with no visible lumps of cocoa remaining. Set the bowl aside.
Whisk wet mixture
In a large separate mixing bowl, stir 113g cooled melted butter, 150g packed light brown sugar, and 100g granulated sugar together until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 1 whole room-temperature egg, 1 room-temperature egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract, whisking for 45 seconds until the mixture is glossy and thick.
Fold dough and chocolate
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient bowl, fold with a silicone spatula just until no dry flour streaks remain, about 20 seconds — do not overmix, as this creates tough cookies. Fold in 130g (3/4 cup) of the semi-sweet chocolate chunks, reserving 40g (1/4 cup) for topping.
Chill cookie dough
Cover the dough bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes at 4°C (39°F). Chilling prevents cookies from spreading too thin while baking and deepens the rich fudgy flavor; do not skip this step.
Portion dough onto sheets
After chilling, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough into 40g (1.5oz) balls, spaced 5cm (2 inches) apart on the prepared sheets. Press 2-3 reserved chocolate chunks into the top of each dough ball.
Bake to fudgy doneness
Bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack for 10-11 minutes. The edges will be set and slightly crisp, but the centers will look soft, puffed, and underbaked — this is key for a fudgy texture. Do not bake longer than 12 minutes, as cookies will set as they cool.
Cool cookies to set
Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 10 full minutes after removing from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the fudgy center to set fully without turning hard.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to bake cookies longer than 11 minutes: soft, puffed, underdone-looking centers will set into a perfect fudgy texture as they cool on the hot baking sheet, while overbaking leads to dry, cakey cookies.
3.Use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chunks instead of pre-made chocolate chips for a gooier fudge texture: standard chocolate chips have added wax stabilizers that hold their shape, while chunks melt into rich, flowing fudgy pockets throughout the cookie.
OMG these are SO good! I made them for my kid’s after-school snack yesterday and the whole batch was gone in 20 minutes. Chewy, fudgy, not too sweet—total game changer for quick bakes. Difficulty was totally spot on, even my 10 year old helped stir!
Brought these to my office potluck last week and everyone was begging for the recipe! I was worried they’d spread too much in the oven but they held that perfect chewy center perfectly. Only note is I added a handful of extra chocolate chips because… why not?
I meal prepped a batch of these on Sunday to toss in my lunch all week, and they stayed chewy for 5 whole days in an airtight container! I cannot believe how easy this was, no fancy equipment needed at all. 10/10 will be making again.
I swapped the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and these still turned out perfectly chewy! I was so scared they’d be crumbly but they had that perfect rich fudge bite I’ve been craving since going GF. Will be in my regular rotation!
Uh, I’ve never baked cookies from scratch before and these actually turned out? I was convinced I’d burn them but the timing instructions were so clear, they came out chewy exactly like the photos. Only mistake I made was forgetting to let the butter cool a little so my first batch was a little flat, but the second batch was perfect!
Made these for my daughter’s soccer team snack after practice Saturday and every single kid asked for seconds. I love that the cook time is hands off enough that I could throw them together between drop offs and errands. No weird ingredients either, I had everything in my pantry already!
Wait these are BETTER than the bakery fudge cookies I pay $4 each for? The chew is insane, so rich it feels like I’m eating a brownie in cookie form. I added a little espresso powder to the batter like I do with brownies and it amped up the chocolate flavor so much.
I used vegan butter and flax eggs to make these dairy free for my son’s allergy needs, and they came out perfectly chewy and rich! No weird aftertaste, even the non-vegan family members at our Sunday dinner were raving. Great base recipe to tweak for dietary needs.
I made these at 10pm last night when I had a massive chocolate craving and they were so quick to throw together. I didn’t even have to wait forever for the dough to chill? Wait, other fudge cookie recipes make you chill dough for hours, why is this one so easy??
I tested this recipe ahead of my annual holiday cookie swap and it’s definitely making the lineup. I rolled the dough balls in powdered sugar before baking to make them look like crinkle cookies and they looked so fancy, no one believed they took under an hour total to make.
I made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with just a mixing bowl and a toaster oven! No fancy stand mixer needed, I just stirred everything by hand and they came out perfect. Way better than the sad dining hall cookies I’ve been surviving on all semester.
I topped these with flaky sea salt right when they came out of the oven and the sweet-salty combo is unreal. The edges get just a little crispy while the middle stays gooey and chewy, exactly what I want in a fudge cookie. No notes, 10/10.
I doubled the recipe and froze half the dough balls for quick weeknight treats, and they bake perfectly straight from the freezer! I just add 2 minutes to the cook time and they come out just as chewy as fresh dough. Game changer for last minute playdate snacks.
I usually don’t love super chocolatey desserts because they’re too bitter, but these are perfectly balanced! The fudgy center is sweet but rich, not overpowering at all. My husband who is a total chocolate obsessive is already asking when I’m making another batch.
I know this sounds weird but I added crushed salty potato chips to the top of half the batch for a crunch and it was insane. The salty crunch with the chewy fudge cookie? *Chef’s kiss* Don’t knock it till you try it!
I’ve been baking cookies for 40 years and this recipe is one of the best fudge cookie recipes I’ve come across. Simple, no fuss, perfect texture every time. I baked a batch for my grandkids this weekend and they left with tinfoil packets of cookies to take home, that’s how you know it’s good.
I made these for a girls’ brunch yesterday and paired them with vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert, and everyone was raving. They’re still soft even when they cool down, which is my biggest pet peeve with homemade cookies—usually they turn rock hard once they sit for an hour!
I burn literally every batch of cookies I make, I don’t know what it is. But I followed the exact bake time (11 minutes per tray in my oven) and they came out perfect? Edges set, middle all gooey and chewy, no burnt bottoms! I’m actually so proud of myself.
I swirled a tablespoon of peanut butter into the top of each cookie before baking and it was the perfect addition. The nutty flavor pairs so well with the rich chocolate, I’ll never make these without peanut butter again!
I made these as a little treat after my long run on Saturday and they hit so different. Rich, satisfying, and I didn’t feel like I was eating a super over-processed snack. I added a handful of chopped walnuts for a little extra crunch and healthy fat, perfect.