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Brownie Sugar Cookies

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

It’s not a brownie, but it’s not quite as simple as a sugar cookie either! Meet the brownie cookies aka your holiday cookie tray’s newest and greatest addition.

These cookies just tick all the boxes. We’ve got a crispy, crackly brownie exterior rolled in sugar, that signature fudgy brownie texture, and just the right amount of rich chocolate flavor.

I mean, a plate of these + a glass of eggnog? Santa may just go into a coma this year (in the best way).

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

This recipe couldn’t be easier to whip up and no lie, you can have them on the cooling rack and ready for digging into in less than 30 minutes! This is both a blessing and a huge problem if you know what I mean…

These Cookies feature…

  • A rich and fudgy texture
  • A crackly sugar coating
  • Minutes to make and no dough chilling required
Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

Making the Cookies

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cocoa powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Turbinado sugar
Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

Tips for Perfect Cookies

  1. Spoon and level flour – we use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
  2. Use stand mixer or mix dough by hand – this recipe is both mixer-friendly and old-fashioned-bowl-and-spoon friendly.
  3. Bring butter and egg to room temp – make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before creaming with the sugar. Likewise, allow the egg to come to room temperature or submerge in hot water for about 2 minutes to quickly warm it so it incorporates easier into the butter.
  4. Scoop dough into uniform balls – scoop dough into uniform 1-inch balls for cookies that will bake evenly.
  5. Roll dough balls in turbinado sugar – this coats the cookies perfectly with a crunchy texture and gives them a festive little touch.
  6. Flatten dough balls before baking – this will help them bake a bit more evenly throughout.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these cookies.

  • Add more chocolate – add semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or a mix of several.
  • Add nuts – fold 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts into the dough.
  • Top cookies with frosting or glaze – try a powdered sugar glaze, chocolate frosting, vanilla buttercream, or a drizzle of salted caramel.

Storing and Freezing Cookies

Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

To freeze cookies, allow to cool completely, then wrap well and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw cookies completely at room temperature and store up to 4 days.

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

I swear if you were to eat one of these cookies with your eyes closed you might seriously question what you’re eating! It’s like a brownie and a sugar cookie all rolled into one and it’s nothing short of magical.

Cheers to the holiday season and more stacks of cookies like this, please.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

More holiday-worthy cookies to bake next!

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.
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Brownie Sugar Cookies

Coated in turbinado sugar and perfectly rich and fudgy, these brownie sugar cookies are ready in minutes and a festive addition to any cookie tray.

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 149kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Turbinado sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a large stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment OR in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Mix on medium speed or by hand until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating well until smooth.
  • In a medium separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating on medium speed until dough is just combined.
  • Scoop dough into 1-inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly.
  • Bake cookies at 350F 10-12 minutes until cookies are crackly (middles will be slightly soft). Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 20 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing Instructions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 12/2/25.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. Kristina says

    Just made these for my baking exchange at work! AHHMAZING! They came out so chewy and moist and they were a hit! Thanks

    Reply

  15. Marilee says

    As. Usual, most comments describe how good the cookies look. Very few actually comment after baking. Two people actually used the word “chewy”. The “brownie pillows” best describe their texture. The taste was sadly lacking. I used real butter, opened a new bag of semi sweet morsels and used a generous 1/4 cup of Callebaut cocoa powder. Very slight brownie taste.

    Even after refrigerating the dough overnight, they were too soft to form into balls using your hands. Very messy.

    They were done in 8 min.

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Thanks for the honest feedback, Marilee! This dough IS hard to work with and shape, but that’s what gives the cookies their awesome brownie texture! 🙂

      Reply

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