These Almond Black Cocoa Brownie Cookies are made with dark chocolate, almonds, and black cocoa powder to give them that black color. They’re so decadent but not too sweet! Soft, tender, and chewy – kids and adults will love these cookies.
This recipe was originally published on October 17, 2023.
It’s that time of the year!! Halloween is right around the corner so it’s time for black cocoa desserts! If you’re looking for an easy and quick dessert for your spooky party, these cookies are perfect for you. They’re basically almond brownies in cookie form, with a crackled top, crisp edge, and a rich fudgy center. Thanks to black cocoa, and melted marshmallows, they’re perfectly spooky for Halloween! You can also add candy eye sprinkles on top of these cookies for maximum Halloween vibes! Those candy eye sprinkles make these cookies look so cute like dark monster cookies! These will be the highlights of your next Halloween party!
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) >
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE ALMOND BLACK COCOA BROWNIE COOKIES
- Easy to make and fast! No need for chilling time.
- They’re brownies in cookie form. They have the best of both worlds! Crackled top, crisp edge, and a soft fudgy center.
- Dark and cute with those candy eye sprinkles, perfect for Halloween!
- Kids and adults will love these cookies.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Chocolate – You’ll need 70% – 72% dark chocolate cacao solid and make sure it’s high-quality chocolate.
Cocoa Powder – We want these cookies dark, so you’ll need black cocoa powder to get that dark color.
Flour – No need for fancy flour, you’ll only need all-purpose flour to make these brownie cookies.
Almond – I use almond flakes and chopped it into smaller flakes. You can also use whole almonds and chop it into small chunks.
Butter – Unsalted butter is my favorite for baking. It gives you complete control of the overall flavor, but you can use either salted or unsalted butter. I recommend skipping the salt if you’re using salted butter.
Egg – You’ll only need two eggs to hold all the ingredients together. Make sure you’re using large eggs, egg size matters! Also, make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Sugar – I use two types of sugar in this recipe, light brown sugar and granulated sugar to balance the sweetness and texture. Granulated sugar allows the cookie to go slightly crispy around the edges. Light brown sugar has a little more moisture than granulated sugar, so it makes the cookie soft and chewy.
Leavening agent – We need quite a lil baking powder to lift the butter.
Vanilla – To enhance and balance the flavor.
Salt – This will do the job of balancing out the flavor.
Eye sprinkles – This is optional! Really nice for Halloween.
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
- Baking sheets
- Electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer)
- Heat-proof bowls
- Small saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Ice cream scoop. I use a 2.5-inch (5 tablespoons) ice cream scoop, but you can also use a smaller scoop.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THESE ALMOND BLACK COCOA BROWNIE COOKIES
(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and line two baking trays with parchment paper, set aside.
Combine dark chocolate and unsalted butter in a heat-proof bowl, then place it over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double boiler and make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Leave it to melt completely as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine and sift together flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Then, in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Check the chocolate-butter mixture, stir it until fully melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan. Now, start mixing the sugar and eggs for about 4 minutes, then pour in the slightly cool chocolate-butter mixture and mix until it is well combined.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients (flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder) and mix until just combined, then fold in the almond flakes. You can also switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the dry ingredients and the almond flakes. Don’t over-mix the batter, only mix or fold the mixture just until no more flour is visible. The batter will resemble a thick brownie batter.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing it about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with more almond flakes if you like.
Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for about 12 minutes, until cookies are set on the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from oven and add the candy eye sprinkles if you like. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Make the Spider Web:
Grease a medium microwave-safe bowl with butter, then melt the marshmallows in the prepared bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Let the melted marshmallows cool slightly so they are warm enough to touch.
Use one of your hands to pick up a cookie and use the other hand to grab some melted marshmallow in between your fingertips. Spread out the marshmallow to make a spider web design by spreading your fingers apart, then gently lay the marshmallow web on top of the cookie. Lay the cookie back down and repeat the spider web process on the remaining cookies.
Let the cookies set with the marshmallow spider web design for at least 30 minutes before serving to give the marshmallow time to cool down and become less sticky.
TIPS FOR MAKING THESE BROWNIE COOKIES
- Beat the eggs and sugar well for 4 minutes, to bring more air into the batter. This will form that perfectly crackled and shiny top.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. When adding in the dry ingredients, only mix or fold the mixture just until no more flour is visible. Overmixing the batter leads to more gluten formation and makes the cookies too chewy and tough.
- Slightly underbake the cookies! They may look a little underdone, but cookies will continue baking after they have been taken out of the oven, so you need to take them out to keep them soft in the center.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When measuring the flour, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the batter dry. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a kitchen scale is so much more accurate than cup measurements.
HOW TO SERVE AND STORE
I highly recommend enjoying these almond black cocoa brownie cookies warm fresh from the oven, or at least on the same day you bake them. It has the best texture and flavor on the day that they are baked.
If you have leftovers or you want to keep these cookies for later, place the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or up to a week if refrigerated.
You can also freeze these cookies! Wrap each cookie with plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag. They will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Black Cocoa?
Black cocoa is an ultra-dutch process cocoa powder. It’s a cocoa powder that has been heavily Dutch-processed which results in a very dark black color. It is lower in acidity and has a mild chocolate flavor.
Can I swap the black cocoa powder with natural or Dutch-processed cocoa?
If you don’t have black cocoa, I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder. That will be the most similar chemically in your bake, but it would change the taste, color and texture.
Almond Black Cocoa Brownie Cookies
Deep dark brownie cookies are made with dark chocolate, almond, and black cocoa to give them that deep black color. These Almond Black Cocoa Brownie Cookies are so decadent but not too sweet! Soft, tender, and chewy – kids and adults will love these cookies.
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) dark chocolate, 60% - 70% cacao
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 220g (1 cup) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 94g (3/4 cup, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 32g (1/3 cup) almond flour
- 43g (1/2 cup) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Eye sprinkles, optional
Spider Web
- 10 large marshmallow
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and line two baking trays with parchment paper, set aside.
Combine dark chocolate and unsalted butter in a heat-proof bowl, then place it over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double boiler and make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Leave it to melt completely as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine and sift together flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Then, in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Check the chocolate-butter mixture, stir it until fully melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan. Now, start mixing the sugar and eggs for about 4 minutes, then pour in the slightly cool chocolate-butter mixture and mix until it is well combined.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients (flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder) and mix until just combined, then fold in the almond flakes. You can also switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the dry ingredients and the almond flakes. Don't over-mix the batter, only mix or fold the mixture just until no more flour is visible. The batter will resemble a thick brownie batter.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing it about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with more almond flakes if you like.
Bake the cookies in the middle rack of the oven for about 12 minutes, until cookies are set on the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from oven and add the candy eye sprinkles if you like. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Make the Spider Web:
Grease a medium microwave-safe bowl with butter, then melt the marshmallows in the prepared bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Let the melted marshmallows cool slightly so they are warm enough to touch.
Use one of your hands to pick up a cookie and use the other hand to grab some melted marshmallow in between your fingertips. Spread out the marshmallow to make a spider web design by spreading your fingers apart, then gently lay the marshmallow web on top of the cookie. Lay the cookie back down and repeat the spider web process on the remaining cookies.
Let the cookies set with the marshmallow spider web design for at least 30 minutes before serving to give the marshmallow time to cool down and become less sticky.
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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
Also, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on your social media posts with #thejobaker
Happy Baking!
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