Description
These Brownie Sundae Cookies combine rich, fudgy brownie cookies with a light and creamy vanilla mousse topping, drizzled with thick fudge sauce and garnished with sprinkles and maraschino cherries for an indulgent dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Cookies
- 4 ounces dark chocolate bar
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 box brownie mix (18.3–18.4 ounces)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Mousse
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix (about 1 ounce)
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorations
- 3 tablespoons thick fudge sauce
- Sprinkles, as desired
- Maraschino cherries, one per cookie
Instructions
- Prepare Brownie Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Melt Chocolate and Oil: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the dark chocolate and vegetable oil in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes to prevent cooking the eggs in the next step.
- Mix Eggs and Vanilla: Whisk in the room-temperature eggs and vanilla extract vigorously for 90 seconds. This brisk whisking helps create the signature crackled top on your cookies.
- Add Brownie Mix: Fold in the brownie mix using a spatula until the dough is thick and smooth, being careful not to overmix.
- Shape Cookies: Using a 1/3 cup scoop, portion out eight dough balls and shape each into a thick disk roughly 1 inch high. Space them about 3 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent merging during baking. You can fit six cookies per sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake each sheet for 15-17 minutes until the cookies are puffed and crackled at the edges. They will appear gooey but will firm up as they cool. An instant-read thermometer should read at least 165°F when inserting into cookies for optimal doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Vanilla Mousse: In a mixing bowl, gently whisk together the heavy cream, instant vanilla pudding mix, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until pudding mix dissolves, about 1-2 minutes. Then, using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the mixture on low speed until it reaches soft to medium peaks. Avoid overwhipping. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Decorate Cookies: Once the brownie cookies are fully cooled, spoon or scoop about 3 tablespoons of the vanilla mousse onto the center of each cookie.
- Add Toppings: Drizzle the mousse with slightly warmed thick fudge sauce using a spoon or piping bag, then generously sprinkle with sprinkles and top each cookie with a maraschino cherry.
Notes
- Use a dark chocolate bar instead of chips for the best texture and flavor.
- Whisking the eggs and vanilla vigorously is key to the delicious crackled cookie surface.
- Do not overbake the cookies; they should be slightly gooey when taken out of the oven, as they firm up while cooling.
- Warming the fudge sauce slightly makes it easier to drizzle over the mousse.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the mousse from melting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-17 minutes per batch
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: brownie cookies, vanilla mousse, fudge sauce, dessert cookies, chocolate dessert, sundae cookies
