These Chocolate Chubbies from Sarabeth's Bakery fall somewhere between a brownie and a cookie. Unlike other brownie cookies, these don't spread out thin as they bake, but rather retain their "chubby" mounded shapes because they are packed full of chopped nuts and chocolate chips.

A pile of brownie cookies on a plate with chocolate bars and vanilla extract behind it.

(This recipe was originally published in December 2012, but was updated with new photos and content in 2021).

Are these chocolate chubbies brownies or are they cookies? In the end, does it matter if they are amazing? They're super chunky, fudgy, deeply chocolatey, and crunchy from the addition of both chopped walnuts and pecans. The use of real chocolate instead of cocoa powder makes all the difference in flavor and texture here.

If you like chunky, nutty brownies you will love these. A shiny and dry exterior is reminiscent of the top crust of a pan of brownies, forming cracks like fault lines that give way to the delicious and intense chocolate flavor within.

The most tedious process in making these chocolate chubbies is chopping the ingredients, but once that step is complete the recipe is very easy to make, and the results speak for themselves.

Ingredient notes

Ingredient for chocolate chubbies brownie cookies on a light brown background.

Chocolate: You'll need semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (between 60 to 70% cacao) and unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao) for these chocolate chubbies. Both varieties are chopped, melted, and incorporated into the batter. You'll also need chocolate chips to mix into the batter before portioning out these brownie cookies for baking.
Nuts: This recipe contains coarsely chopped pecans and walnuts. As a shortcut you can also buy chopped walnuts or chopped pecans (also sometimes labeled as walnut or pecan pieces) which are convenient for baking rather than chopping your own.

Cross-section of a brownie cookie showing the chopped nuts and chocolate chips within.

How to make it

Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a wide, heatproof bowl, and melt the butter over the hot water in the saucepan. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, stirring often, until melted and the mixture is smooth (PHOTOS 1-2).

Before and after photos of mixing chopped chocolate in melted butter until smooth.

Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly but still warm, about 5 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Next, whip the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are foamy and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, then the vanilla. Whip until the eggs are thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.

A frothy pale yellow mixture in a metal mixing bowl.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the tepid chocolate, making sure it is completely incorporated.

A thick chocolate batter in a metal mixing bowl.

Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add the flour mixture.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts, making sure to mix evenly throughout the batter. It will be very chunky.

A thick and chunky chocolate batter in a metal mixing bowl.

Use a 2-inch ice-cream scoop (#24 size) to portion the batter onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart.

Scoops of unbaked chocolate cookie dough on a parchment paper lined pan.

Bake the cookies immediately (don't chill them) because if you wait, they won’t be shiny after baking. Bake, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, about 17 to 20 minutes.

Cool the chocolate chubbies completely on the pans.

These brownie cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, with the layers separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 days.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Baked brownie cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Expert tips

You should be able to fit 16 chocolate chubbies per pan since they don’t spread out much. Otherwise, if needed a third parchment paper-lined pan can bake after the first batch is complete (it's ok to leave it out at room temp briefly while you wait). Bake the lone pan in the center of the oven for a couple minutes less than what it took to bake the 2 pans together.

If you have any cracks, crevices or pockets in the dough after scooping, they will stay that way. These brownie cookies don’t really spread out and will mostly retain the shape they have once scooped. Feel free to carefully smooth out the unbaked scoops if you'd like to fill in any of the imperfections before baking.

If you don't have a #24 scoop (2-inches diameter and about 1 ⅓ ounce capacity) you could use a slightly smaller scoop and yield more chocolate chubbies. Just note that you may need to reduce the baking time slightly. Use this as a guide for when they are done: if you lift one from the pan, the edges should release easily, even if the center seems underdone.

A plate of chocolate cookies on a red napkin with pecans and walnuts next to it.

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