With a firm cookie shell and gooey brownie center, Chocolate Chip Brownie Tarts are quick to make and easy to pack up for friends and family.
And they start with cookie dough which makes them a surefire win in my book….
A while back I put lemon filling in a sugar cookie shell to make a dessert that looked a little fancy but was actually super simple. Those lemon tarts were so fun to make and serve that I’m always thinking up other combinations.
At Thanksgiving we had a pumpkin pie version. One night a few months ago I attempted these tarts with a classic combination – chocolate chip cookies with rich chocolate brownie.
I have been tinkering with this recipe ever since, but this is finally it. The cookie shells are buttery and loaded with mini chocolate chips. The brownies are cooked just enough and the centers are perfectly gooey.
The tarts are as little as is the recipe. It makes just twelve miniature, sweet bites. And trust me, they’ll go fast.
I’m excited to share these, and they’d be perfect in case you need a sweet treat this weekend.
Enjoy!
Update 12/5/16: I have received great feedback on this recipe since it was first published! I’m so glad that so many people are loving this family favorite as much as we do. However, many readers have reported that this recipe does not work well when scaled up (doubled, tripled, etc.), so I no longer recommend making more than the 12 mini tarts in the original recipe below. However, I’m thrilled to report that we are testing a new version that will be EASIER and make a larger batch. I will post a note here when that recipe is ready to share. Thanks so much for reading – we wouldn’t be here without you.
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk (from a large egg)
- ½ cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- scant pinch salt
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- Maldon or other large-grain salt, for topping (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a mini muffin tin.
- To make the cookie crust, in a small bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (do this by hand with a wooden spoon or in a standing mixer). Add the egg yolk and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix until well combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while making the brownie filling (this will make it easier to handle).
- For the brownie filling, heat the butter on the stove or in the microwave, just until melted. Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside until only slightly warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon stir in the egg and vanilla until evenly encorporated. Add flour and stir until smooth.
- Divide the cookie dough into 12 even portions (about 2 teaspoons each) and press them into the prepared muffin tin to form tart shells. Pour the brownie filling into each of the shells.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, just until the brownie starts to set around the edges (the centers will still be gooey). Be careful not to overtake these - pull them from the oven as soon as you see that the brownie edges are setting.
- Let cool at room temperature in the muffin tin (Note: be sure to let these cool completely or they will crumble - patience is key!). Sprinkle with salt (optional).
Thank you Jessie for the nice recipe. Have a wonderful weekend and hugs to Molly and Clara.
I love sweet little nibbles like these choc chip brownie tarts. They look so incredibly – and I am just loving the perfect layered contrast between cookie crust and brownie filling!
Thalia @ butter and brioche recently posted..Spiced Orange Palmiers
I agree Thalia – something about nibble little desserts is so much fun!
Great idea can’t wait to try it out. I will let you know the outcome. Thanks again. Janice Donovan my email address is jnd64@icloud.com.
Genius idea, Jess. Glad you perfected this and shared!
Debra recently posted..Singleton Cosmo for Food ‘n Flix
Thanks Debra!
I love and want to try but difficult to abtain suck materials because where i live there are no mall that sell these materials.(I’m Indonesia Fakfak a stay in west papua)
That’s so challenging, Vien. Even when we lived in Bangkok there were products and tools we couldn’t make. Hope you can find some good substitutions to bake treats that you will love!
oh yea, Jess! I am totally feeling your Friday night :)
Me too – I’m ready for another one, Francesca! ;)
Dommage que l’on ne puisse pas avoir la traduction en Français car cela a l’air absolument délicieux !!!
Well, don’t these look delightfully tasty and cute! I’m new here and this post has been a fabulous introduction to your blog. I’ll be staying a while. Thanks for the sweet treats!
Amanda | The Cinnamon Scrolls recently posted..A Divine Breakfast at Industry Beans
Thanks so much for stopping by, Amanda!!
Love the new logo Jess. These look amazing and I think it’s a good thing the recipe is little because they wouldn’t last long.
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..Comment on Green tomato salsa – Thermomix by Claire
Thanks Claire – a super talented friend of mine did the logo. I was in desperate need of something other than “Inquiring Chef” in Helvetica font – ha!
Nyam Nyaammm :-D
Really looking forward to making these–I’m just wondering how you would adjust the recipe to fit a “normal” sized muffin tin. Do you suggest doubling it?
I haven’t tried it in a normal sized muffin tin, but I would recommend trying to double the recipe. It will probably need a few more minutes in the oven to finish too!
Just wondering if anyone has tried this in a standard tin since I don’t have a mini tin :)
Thanks!
I just made them in a standard tin and doubled the recipe. The cookie crust made 9 instead of 12, but there was plenty of the brownie filling. I would suggest increasing the recipe by 2.5 or even 3 depending on how thick you want the crust to be in order to make 12 standard sized tarts. I also increased the cooking time to 18 minutes instead of 10-12. I haven’t tried them yet, but they look and smell delicious!
Hello, I tried the recipe in a normal sized muffin tin two times. I didn’t double it, due to I didn’t recognize that it’s made for a mini muffin tin.
And I always wondered why the crust was just so thin ^^.
They are also really delicious with a thin crust, but i look forward to a new try and hope they will look the same as Jess’ :)
Such a cute recipe! Do you think a boxed brownie mix would do the job?
Carly – I can almost guarantee that boxed mix would work great here!
I have just made these and they are lovely. It took a lot longer than the 32 minutes that is suggested it takes to make. I will have to make them again and this time remember to put in the chocolate chips into the dough.
Thanks for the recipe….the cute brownie ????
should be try this recipe
I just made these cute treats, but although the cookie dough turned golden the underside, once cooled, is soft and crumbly. Any tips to get the whole thing firm and more cookie like on the outside. Thanks.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Kim! I’ve never had that issue, but these do need to be pulled from the oven before the brownie center is completely set (it should still look a bit wobbly in the middle). It might be worth baking them for a minute or two less next time. These are best when they’re a bit under-baked. Hope that helps!
I thought the brownie part was incredible while I was making it. After I baked these treats though, my fingers were just covered in oil and I was really disappointed. I did use european butter so maybe that was the mistake, but I’m feeling pretty gross after eating one.
Hi Olivia – I’m so sorry to hear that you had this result. I do wonder if the type of butter had something to do with it – I’ve never had these turn out oily, but I’ve never tested them with European butter.
This is my first visit to your site, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last! Very impressed with how your mind works (I love this idea!) I can not wait to try these – once it’s cooled off enough to turn the oven on again. Thank you for posting this yummy (looking/sounding) recipe!
Thanks so much Jacki! So glad you found us! It’s too hot to do much baking here at the moment as well, but I’ve got my sights set on fall!
Just came across these via pinterest. They are adorable and delicious!! Thanks for sharing this cool recipe.
These were perfect until I put them into the
Cool oven so my dog wouldn’t eat them while
I was gone. I guess they weren’t totally cool and
The steam made the cookie part soggy. Any suggestions how to crisp them up before serving tomorrow?
Hi Paige – I hope you were able to save these! I would guess that popping them in the fridge would help to pull some of that moisture out and firm them up. Hopefully you found a solution!
I would love to have the lemon filling recipe as well
Hi Judy! Here is the recipe with the lemon filling – http://inquiringchef.com/sugar-cookie-lemon-tarts/. Enjoy!
Hi I loved the idea and I made them I added a little salted caramel before pouring in the the brownie mixture but when I tried to take them out they just would not come out whole any idea what I can do next next time
Oh no Erum! I’m not sure what could have happened. Was the muffin tin well-greased with butter or cooking spray? The salted caramel addition sounds AMAZING!
I did greased it well I think it was the salted caramel tht made the base too gooey and it didn’t set well, but I placed it in the fridge and got them a little harden but they still broke. I think next time I will just drizzel it or put the topping on it after it is cooked, but still it tasted amazing lol
Hello Jess!
Thankyou soooo much for the awesome recipe! Am really excited to try it! I thought the outer shell will become crispy and the brownies will be chewy gooey as always. But after I baked it, I found that the shell looked like soft cookies. May I know how to make the shell crispy? Thankyou so much for ur response!
Love from Malaysia!
Hi Najwa! Thanks so much for your note. You’re right that typically the outer shell is a bit more firm than the brownies (though not super crisp, if that’s what you’re looking for.) Do you think it just needed to bake for another minute or two? If you want it to be more firm, I’d try adding an extra tablespoon of flour to the cookie batter. Thanks so much from reading all the way from Malaysia!
hi, can you recommend something I can do with the extra fudge? I doubled the recipe and have a lot left over.
I’ve made this a few times, yummy. (I make it non-dairy)
Hi Rachel! I’d just bake them on their own – the fudge part makes great little brownie bites!
Hi well i love baking and its something totally so new to try it out..thanks for new ideas, I’ll sure bake them soonand let my friends know about it too
These look so yummy! I’d like to make them for company this weekend. Can I double or triple the recipe?
Hi Lital! I apologize – I just saw your question, but yes I have made a double batch of these and it turned out great. I’m sure you should be fine if you double or triple them!
They lokk great, I will try them today. Thanks for charing the recipe
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! These look so indulgent + delicious! Can’t wait to try them! Thank you! :)
Hi. These are quite decadent, but I’m having a hard time getting these out of the tin without coming apart. What type of utensil did you use to scoop out the tarts in one piece? Your pictures posted are beyond perfect!!
Thank you!
Hi Katie! The only trick you need is to let the tarts cool completely in the muffin tin before trying to take them out. During testing I made this mistake many times and they would fall apart when I tried to take them out if they were still warm. It’s always tempting to eat them a little bit warm, but these need to cool for a good long time before being moved. Hope that helps, and hope you enjoy them!!
Really nice recipe. Can you make this in advance ? Can I prepare them on December
24 and serve them the 25? Thanks. Merry Christmas!
Are these good if I bake them the day before I serve? If they are, what is your recommended method of storing? Love the recipe!!
2 questions, First – is the problem with scaling it up baking them in a 24 cup tin? If you made the double batch and used 2 separate 12 cup tims I wouldn’t think there would be an issue??
Second – I just made these (haven’t tasted yet) – just 12. I took them out with the edges of the brownie just set as instructed (around 11 minutes). I had a small ramekin also in the oven with the extra brownie batter. I left it in a few more minutes and noticed that it puffed. My mini muffins never did that and I was already skeptical that the cookie part was raw so I put them back in for a few minutes until they puffed (still not cooked through but not really wobbly). This also made the cookie crust more set. I cooled them all the way in the pan and just removed them. They look perfect. The cookie still seems a but underdone on the bottom, but the top seems to have a little crisp to it. I am optimistic that they will be delicious and not dry. When you say the edge of the brownies are just set are yours puffed up?
Hi Tracy – hope the final result turned out! Your question about scaling up is a good one, but based on the experience of other readers, baking them in two separate muffin tins doesn’t seem to resolve the problem. I’m working on a recipe for a larger batch, so that will be coming out soon. You are correct that the brownie center always puffs up slightly at the end of baking. Since each oven is a bit different, the point at which both the cookie and brownie are cooked just right varies, but it sounds like you found just the right moment!
Any idea when you will have the updated version of the new savage? Mary
These seem a little bland or something…not sure if it’s because there’s no vanilla in the cookie part?
Did you add the pinch of salt on top Audra??
Look super good, I’m going to make some soon. Thanks for the great help. :)
Looks awesome! Have you ever made this in a large tart shell instead of mini muffin tins? Thanks
Hi Rebecca – I haven’t tried that, but I love the idea! I can’t be sure it would cook all the way through, but if it works, it would be delicious.