Easy Brownie Mix Cookies Recipe

I turned a box of fudgy brownie mix into Soft Brownie Cookies studded with chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, eggs, a touch of vanilla and a drizzle of oil, finished with flaky sea salt. This playful riff on boxed brownies uses familiar pantry ingredients to spark a little kitchen mischief.

I cant stop telling people about these Easy Brownie Mix Cookies because they really do taste like a brownie in cookie form. I love that a 1 (18 to 19.5 oz) box fudgy brownie mix, plus 2 large eggs and 1/3 cup vegetable oil, makes chewy, nearly gooey cookies that everyone fights over.

I always add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and fold in 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, sometimes a flake of sea salt on top, and boom you have dessert magic. Whether you call them Cookies Made From Box Brownies or Duncan Hines Brownie Mix Cookies, the crowd thinks youve been baking all day.

Why I Like this Recipe

– I love how they’re gooey in the middle yet crackly at the edges, it’s like getting two textures in one
– I like that they come together super fast so I can make them on a weeknight when I’m tired
– I love how everyone always wants more, they vanish at parties and I feel like a baker rockstar
– I like that eating one slightly warm tastes basically freshly made, it never fails to make me smile

Ingredients

• Brownie mix: lots of carbs and sugar, base gives rich chocolate taste and fudgy texture
• Eggs: add protein, structure and moisture, they help cookies hold together and rise
• Vegetable oil: pure fat so cookies stay soft and tender, not healthy but tasty
• Chocolate chips: more chocolate, adds sweetness and melty bites, pick semisweet or milk
• Nuts: add crunch, healthy fats and some protein, optional for texture contrast if you like
• Vanilla extract: tiny boost in flavor makes chocolate pop, optional but worth it
• Flaky sea salt: brightens sweetness, tiny sprinkle adds contrast and grown up salty taste

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 (18 to 19.5 oz) box fudgy brownie mix, whatever brand you like
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional but I always add it)
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks (semisweet or milk, your call)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a medium bowl add the entire brownie mix, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract if you are using it, then stir until just combined and smooth; the batter will be thicker than normal cookie dough.

3. Fold in 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks and 1/2 cup chopped nuts if you want them.

4. For thicker, less spready cookies chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, or skip this step if you are short on time.

5. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion rounded balls of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Press the tops down a little so they bake more cookie like and less ball like.

6. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes depending on size; aim for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy, fudgy centers and a set edge, longer will make them more cake like.

7. Right when the cookies come out of the oven sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over each one so the salt sticks and the chocolate flavor pops.

8. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool a bit more.

9. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze baked cookies for longer. Tip I love them slightly warm so zap a cookie 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave for that fresh out of the oven gooeyness.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Baking sheet plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
3. Medium mixing bowl, you’ll mix the brownie mix and eggs here
4. Measuring cups and measuring spoons for oil, chips, etc.
5. Whisk or wooden spoon and a rubber spatula for folding the chips in
6. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion the dough
7. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts for handling hot trays
8. Airtight container or freezer bag for storing leftovers, microwave for quick reheat (optional)

FAQ

Easy Brownie Mix Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Eggs: swap 1 egg for 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (adds moisture, makes cookies a bit cakier), or use a flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water, let sit 5 min) for vegan binding, or 1/4 cup mashed banana per egg if you dont mind a light banana note.
• Vegetable oil: use melted butter cup for cup for richer flavor and crisper edges, or melted coconut oil cup for cup (gives a mild coconut note and will firm up if chilled), or replace with applesauce cup for cup to cut fat and keep them soft.
• Vanilla extract: substitute almond extract at half the amount (1/2 tsp for 1 tsp vanilla) because it is stronger, or stir in 1/2 to 1 tsp instant espresso or a splash of strong coffee to boost chocolate flavor, or just omit if youre out.
• Chocolate chips or nuts: use chopped baking chocolate or chocolate chunks instead of chips for gooey pockets, swap in peanut butter or butterscotch chips for a twist, and for nuts try toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds if you have nut allergies, or just leave them out for a cleaner fudgy cookie.

Pro Tips

1. Chill or quick-freeze the scooped dough before baking so the cookies spread less and stay thicker; if you forget, pop the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes and it still helps.
2. Swap half the oil for browned or melted butter for a richer, more complex flavor — it makes the cookies taste way less “boxed” without much extra work.
3. Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone and the edges are set, they keep cooking on the hot sheet so you get fudgy middles instead of dry cakey ones.
4. Sprinkle flaky sea salt right after they come out so it sticks and brightens the chocolate, or use a tiny pinch of espresso powder in the batter to boost the chocolate flavor if you want subtle depth.
5. For make-ahead convenience freeze portioned dough balls on a sheet, then transfer to a bag; bake straight from frozen adding a minute or two to the time, or microwave a cooled cookie 8 to 10 seconds for that fresh-baked gooeyness.