06 Aug Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies
I’m officially declaring August, No Pants Month.
Yes, I have the authority to do that. I wear the figurative pants when it comes to this blog-space. And here, pants are outlawed.
Why the sudden aversion to pants? Well, I’ve been finding it extremely hard to motivate myself to wear them lately. I don’t want to do it.
It’s not like an omg-it’s-the-week-after-Thanksgiving-and-I’ve-already-eaten-3-dozen-Christmas-cookies-and-my-pants-don’t-fit kind of not wanting to wear pants.
It’s more like a holy-batman-it’s-105 degrees-outside-and-I-just-got-out-of-a-hot-shower-and-all-I-want-to-wear-is-a-muumuu* kind of not wanting to wear pants.
Except wearing muumuus in the workplace isn’t exactly what the employee handbook refers to as work appropriate attire.
So here I sit, sweating in my skinny jeans, imagining a world without pants.
I really need a vacation…
In other news, I made these Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies this weekend. I was invited to a pig roast and since the host was going through all the trouble to roast an entire pig I figured the least I could do was show up with some cookies.
You know how I know these are freaking amazing? I eavesdropped. Yes, I lingered around at said party listening to strangers’ conversations. And you know what I heard? Cookie buzz.
“Try those brownie cookies, they are freaking amazing” – Random Girl
Friends and coworkers, they can’t be trusted. Random people at parties who don’t know you’re listening? They don’t lie.
I was skeptical of how these cookies would turn out using olive oil instead of butter, but both the flavor and texture were perfect. The mildness of the olive oil really let the rich chocolate flavor shine (they’re a hit with dark chocolate lovers). The texture was soft and fudgy on the inside with nice crisp outside that kept them from falling apart. And sea salt + dark chocolate? A match made in heaven. For added sweetness, try milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet.
Bon appetit!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the olive oil and sugar and mix until well combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each one.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and beat until a dough forms - it should be the consistency of a thick brownie batter.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda into the hot water. Add dissolved baking soda and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out heaping tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheets then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
*I just learned the proper spelling of muumuu. Double UU, who knew? Wikipedia, I would be lost without you.
Recipe Source: Persnickety Plates
Kim
Posted at 12:38h, 07 AugustHi! These look to die for!
I’ve added a link to these gorgeous things on my blog…hope that’s ok!
I love, love, LOVE your recipes!
Kim recently posted…Ten Things…
KWahlman
Posted at 12:50h, 07 AugustThank you so much! And yes, of course – thanks for the link back 🙂
Donna
Posted at 13:46h, 07 AugustThese look delicious! What type of olive oil did you use?
KWahlman
Posted at 13:51h, 07 AugustI just used some relatively cheap extra light olive oil that I had in the pantry and needed to use up. If you want to taste the olive oil use extra virgin!
Miss Messy
Posted at 15:55h, 07 Augusti love it when somebody you don’t know loves your baking 🙂
Miss Messy recently posted…Mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts
Liz Hampton
Posted at 14:02h, 25 SeptemberThe other good way to get a “review” at a somewhat small gathering is to glance in the garbage cans. Lots of people will take a cookie to be nice but if you don’t see any halves or large pieces in the garbage, you know they ATE them! 🙂
KWahlman
Posted at 14:08h, 25 SeptemberGood call! I’m glad I’m not the only one with a strategy for these things! 😉
Michelle in VA
Posted at 10:23h, 05 MayLooks intriguing … how many cookies does this yield?
KWahlman
Posted at 11:10h, 05 MayHi Michelle! These cookies really are amazing – one of my favorite recipes on the blog! For me, the recipe yields about 21 cookies when I use a medium cookie scoop – but you could stretch it to 2 dozen if you make your cookies a little smaller.
Michelle in VA
Posted at 09:37h, 09 MayReally lovely cookies!!
Now, I deviated from your recipe a tad. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and lacking chocolate chips (shocking!), I substituted a finely chopped 70% chocolate bar for the semi-sweet chips (I had less than 2/3 cup of chopped chocolate, so a smaller volume as well as different flavor profile). The reviews from my colleagues in cube-ville are ONLY positive!
My cookie scoop is just over a tablespoon, so by exercising a little restraint about eating the raw dough (and it was HARD to restrain myself), I got 30 cookies.
You wouldn’t happen to have a recipe for a chocolate-olive oil quick bread, would you?
Michelle in VA recently posted…Happy Day After Cinco de Mayo
KWahlman
Posted at 09:45h, 09 MayFantastic! I never thought to ad herbs to these – what a great idea! Props for your self restraint, I definitely don’t have that kind of will power…salmonella schhhmalmonella 😉
I don’t have a chocolate olive-oil quick bread recipe but my Zucchini Bread recipe calls for veg oil (you could try substituting) and would be amazing with the addition of some chopped chocolate (or chips)!
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Posted at 13:51h, 15 May[…] had better luck with the Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies over at Butterlust. I deviated from her published recipe by adding a smidge of finely chopped fresh […]
Anne
Posted at 00:34h, 27 MayHello to all the other people viewing this post! I just made a half a batch – I only had 1 egg – and I can’t decide if I am glad that I have fewer to eat all by myself or *terribly* upset that I only have a half a batch to eat all by myself. My half batch got me about 15 cookies though my second pan (of 6) were smaller than my first pan (of 9, hey – math.) Please, do yourself a favor and make these cookies. If you think the olive oil in a cookie sounds too strange, ignore that voice and make them anyway. Amazing. I am not sharing the rest with cube-ville. Keeping them to myself. 🙂
KWahlman
Posted at 09:30h, 27 MayLOVE this! Thanks Anne 🙂
ridhima
Posted at 10:27h, 28 MayOmg I’m in love with your blog! thanks for this recipe. Cant wait to try it.
Lucy B
Posted at 21:05h, 30 MayHello! Am making these right now and slightly freaking that your recipe says “until a dough forms”. Mine is more like a thick mix. I’ve added a bit more flour. Also, I’m trying to convert to a thermomix so hoping the beating is on track. Is it like bread dough? Or brownie mix?
I thank you and the girls’ soccer cake stall thanks you!
KWahlman
Posted at 15:03h, 31 MayHi Lucy – So sorry I just saw your comment! It should be more like a thick brownie batter – sorry to freak you out. Your feedback is much appreciated, I will definitely update the recipe!
Shanna
Posted at 23:59h, 06 JuneThese cookies are so great! I’ve made two batches already to rave reviews from friends. I love the crispness they have when they’re just cooled. A few hours later they start to soften though. Any thoughts on how to keep them crispy? I’ve tried baking them a few minutes longer but that doesn’t seem to change the end result.
KWahlman
Posted at 13:05h, 07 JuneHi Shanna – so glad you’re enjoying them! I’ve never really had an issue with them softening up too much. You might try putting them back in the oven for just a few minutes before serving to crisp them back up.
Jackie
Posted at 16:06h, 13 JulyThis recipe is to die for! I re pinned it n have shared it with everyone I know. I did have to swap the olive oil for veg. oil but either way I’m so thankful for your recipe it was quick n easy n oh soooooo delicious.
KWahlman
Posted at 09:19h, 14 JulyThanks Jackie – so glad you enjoyed! And thank you for sharing!!
Claire Chao
Posted at 00:28h, 19 AugustHi there!
This is by far my favorite chocolate cookies!
Thank you so much for sharing.
I just have couple questions, hoping you could help me with:
In this recipe, I’d like to reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 or 1/2 cup.
Should I add something else more to replace the missing sugar?
And the first batch I baked was soft outside, is this the way supposed to be?
How can I make it slightly crunchy outside but still gooey and soft inside?
I have tried many recipes but never turned out that way.
Thank you in advance, will try more of your recipes!
Claire
KWahlman
Posted at 09:46h, 19 AugustHi Claire! When the cookies turned out soft on the outside, did you reduce the sugar? If so, that could be the reason as sugar caramelization during cooking is partly responsible for creating a crisp, browned crust. It may also be an issue with your oven temperature or baking time. Make sure that your oven is heating properly, and if it is, try baking the cookies 2-5 minutes longer to help them crisp. I hope this helps!
Jasmine
Posted at 11:27h, 20 AugustHi! What would be the effect if I use canola oil instead of olive oil? I’m dying to try your recipe. It looks so sinfully good!
KWahlman
Posted at 11:36h, 20 AugustHi Jasmine! Canola oil would work in this recipe, it would just change the flavor profile of the cookies a bit since canola oil has very little flavor compared to olive. Let me know how they turn out if you give them a try!
Jasmine
Posted at 11:40h, 20 AugustThanks for the quick response. I’ll stick with olive oil then. Don’t want to mess up the recipe. Hehe. Can I use table salt(not those super fine iodized one) instead of sea salt?
KWahlman
Posted at 12:04h, 20 AugustDefinitely! Sea salt has a really great, crunchy texture but any salt will work!
Ruth Stackhouse
Posted at 14:03h, 06 SeptemberMade this tonight, didn’t want to wait 30 minutes to refrigerate so added oats to thicken up to a cookie batter consistancy.. Also used a Lindt Chilli Chocolate bar chopped up for the chocolate chips… Was amazing!
KWahlman
Posted at 18:17h, 07 SeptemberAwesome, Ruth! That chilli chocolate sounds amazing!
Anne
Posted at 18:50h, 07 SeptemberI was thinking a touch of chili would be amazing in these! I might have to try the chocolate. 🙂
Lori
Posted at 10:22h, 23 SeptemberHi, i love these cookies. I noticed with mine that after i bake them i can see granuals of salt or sugar that haven’t dissolved in the cookie. Is that normal? I skip the extra salt on top for personal taste so it’s not that. Any ideas what i may be doing wrong? Thanx.
KWahlman
Posted at 10:25h, 23 SeptemberHi Lori! I’ve never heard of that issue with these cookies before. Assuming you are using regular white sugar, you may want to try mixing the olive oil and sugar for a little longer in order to allow the sugar to dissolve more. If you are using sugar in the raw or a larger grain sugar you may want to try pulsing it in a food processor first to create a finer grain. Thanks so much for baking!!
Lori
Posted at 10:35h, 23 SeptemberThanx for you response. I will try these suggetions but i also had another question. When trying to remove the cookies from the parchment paper i seem lose the bottoms. I use a pancake turner to accomplish this, any suggestions? Thanx again!
KWahlman
Posted at 10:47h, 23 SeptemberHmm, that’s an interesting one! You may need to let the cookies cool a little longer before removing them from the parchment. Also, check out this website for some possible solutions: http://www.livestrong.com/article/552296-how-to-get-cookies-stuck-off-of-parchment/. Thanks for all the great questions!!
Jaime
Posted at 21:31h, 04 OctoberTried tonight, only instead of chocolate chips, I used oats and chia seeds. It was super yummy, my whole family and the neighbors LOVED them! Thank you so much!
Jaime recently posted…See You In My Dreams (For Sale)
KWahlman
Posted at 09:50h, 06 OctoberAwesome, Jaime! So glad to hear that!!!
naomi
Posted at 22:18h, 25 OctoberWhat grade olive oil do you use? light or extra virgin?
KWahlman
Posted at 12:36h, 26 OctoberHi Naomi! I use extra virgin but you could use either in this recipe.
jaime
Posted at 18:03h, 26 NovemberMaking them again tonight…yay!
Pingback:Brownie Cookies | Vanilla Bean
Posted at 17:41h, 12 October[…] of a double chocolate cookie. I took a risk and tried one with olive oil instead of butter from the Butterlust Blog. The results gave me a very chewy, chocolaty cookie that could easily fall apart. Make sure […]
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Posted at 00:11h, 22 October[…] Adapted from Butterlust […]
Shelley
Posted at 13:06h, 14 NovemberJust made these…look amazing, but yours look flatter than mine…mine came out flat…do you flatten them a bit before you baked them?
KWahlman
Posted at 13:59h, 14 NovemberHi Shelley! No, I do not flatten mine at all. There are a couple reasons that yours may not look the same — 1. Your oven temperature could run a little cooler than mine, resulting in puffier cookies because they spread less during baking 2. Flour measurement. Unless you are using a kitchen scale, the amount of flour measured can vary quite a bit, resulting in varying cookie textures.
What’s most important is that they still taste delicious!
Vanessa
Posted at 15:44h, 20 NovemberThis is the third time I’ve made these. They are so delicious. Best cookies I’ve ever tasted. Friends and family love them. Thank you! Tip: I wet my hands and roll cookies into little balls then flatten them on top of salt so they get evenly coated.
KWahlman
Posted at 23:55h, 20 NovemberLOVE this Vanessa – thank you so much for the comment and the tip!!!
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Posted at 11:42h, 21 November[…] I saw this olive oil and sea salt brownie cookies recipe and thought, “Yes. This is the greatest thing in the world.”No truer words, […]
Kendra groves
Posted at 01:04h, 09 DecemberHay so annoyed I didn’t read the refrigerate part and added a bit more flour then normal…. Do you think it’ll make a difference??? HELP!!
KWahlman
Posted at 09:15h, 09 DecemberHi Kendra, How much extra did you add? Your cookies may turn out more dense than mine because of the additional flour, but they should be fine!
Ella
Posted at 17:27h, 11 DecemberHi!!! These cookies look sooo yummy – I can’t wait to bake them! I just have one question before I do – I live in Boulder, Colorado so i’m at high elevation (about 5000 feet). Will this change the way my cookies turn out?
Thank you so much and thank you for having such an awesome blog!
KWahlman
Posted at 11:25h, 12 DecemberHi Ella! I must admit, having lived close to sea level my entire life, I know nothing about high altitude baking. I would assume if you made there recipe as is, the result would be different from mine. King Arthur Flour has a great article on adjusting recipes for altitude though, you should check it out: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html. Let me know how it goes!!
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Posted at 11:49h, 14 December[…] recipe is based on one of the most popular recipes on Butterlust – my Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies. In fact, it’s likely that it may have been the very recipe that brought you here for the first […]
karen
Posted at 13:08h, 19 DecemberMy first batch just finished and they came out fantastic! Love the extra sea salt on top. I was given a huge bag of shelled walnuts and so I added crushed walnuts on top of half the cookies along with the salt and oh my…these are added permanently to the rotation! Thanks for sharing!
KWahlman
Posted at 15:51h, 19 DecemberWonderful! I love to hear that, Karen! So glad you enjoyed!
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Posted at 05:17h, 20 January[…] I discovered the recipe for Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies (pictured above), thanks to Butterlust. I’ve made these cookies three times and counting, and they’re just about the best […]
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Posted at 05:53h, 20 January[…] I discovered the recipe for Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies (pictured above), thanks to Butterlust. I’ve made these cookies three times and counting, and they’re just about the best […]
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Posted at 14:49h, 20 January[…] you’re looking for an easy recipe for olive oil and sea salt brownie cookies, head on over to Butterlust. You won’t be disappointed. I’ve made these cookies several times since the start of […]
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Posted at 20:44h, 10 February[…] These. Cookies. […]
Amy E
Posted at 22:19h, 23 JuneHi! I made these and they turned out great. However, my “dough” came out to be more like a thick batter. Do you think the summer heat played a factor in the consistency of the dough or was it possibly improper flour measurements.
KWahlman
Posted at 09:33h, 24 JuneHi Amy! Your dough sounds like it came our perfectly! It should have looked like a thick brownie batter, which can be a little hard to scoop so I usually put in in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes before scooping out onto the bake sheet. Hope this helps!
Susan Miller
Posted at 12:31h, 18 JulyI have my oven preheating and can’t wait to try these. I made without the chips and subbed coconut oil since I had some I wanted to use up. Made a double recipe to take to a fish fry tonight. Love that these are dairyfree.
KWahlman
Posted at 11:55h, 20 JulyAwesome, Susan! Hope you loved them! If you get a chance, let me know how they worked with coconut oil!
Susan miller
Posted at 12:03h, 24 JulyThey were outstanding! Getting ready to make another batch with flaked coconut!
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Posted at 16:00h, 26 July[…] Olive Oil and Sea Salt Brownie Cookies […]
Julia
Posted at 20:08h, 14 SeptemberI’ve made these according to the recipe a few times and they were delicious! I was wondering if anyone had any advice about making these vegan? I want to make these for a vegan friend, but I’m not sure what to use to replace the egg! Any advice would be much appreciated! =)
KWahlman
Posted at 15:16h, 15 SeptemberHi Julia! I have never made these cookies vegan before so I apologize, but I don’t have any tested modifications to share! I know there are a lot of great vegan egg substitutes available but I’m definitely not an expert. I’d look into trying flax seed as an option. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!
Julia
Posted at 16:32h, 20 SeptemberThanks for the reply! I ended up subbing 1/4 cup applesauce and 1 tsp baking powder for the egg! They were a little flatter and more likely to fall apart than the non-vegan version but still just as delicious! =)
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Posted at 08:19h, 28 September[…] recipe comes straight from Katie at Butterlust. Her blog has a really wonderful array of sweet treats recipes. Go check her […]
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Posted at 12:50h, 16 October[…] wanted to experiment baking with fats other than butter, so this recipe for Olive Oil & Sea Salt Brownie Cookies caught my eye. I modified the type of flour and doubled salt (I didn’t have sea salt on […]
Dairy Free Diet
Posted at 15:37h, 28 OctoberI’m going to make these soon. Thanks for this good recipe! I will make them tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Dairy Free Diet recently posted…8 Dairy Free Desserts You Can Make in Less Than 10 Minutes
suzy
Posted at 16:20h, 04 DecemberThese look amazing and I’m gonna try them out being that today is national cookie day! One question… what kind of cocoa did you use to get them so dark? Mine never turn out this great of a color! Thanks!
KWahlman
Posted at 14:37h, 14 DecemberSuzy! I’m so sorry I’m just getting back to you, I hope that if you made the cookies they turned out well! I use good ole’ Hershey’s Natural Cocoa Powder in these cookies. I’ve not tried dutch in place, but I’m assuming the difference in acidity would effect the texture of the final product.
Ruth
Posted at 19:25h, 17 DecemberI just made these, and they are delicious! One question, they ended up having pockets on the inside. Any thoughts as to why this would happen and how to avoid in the future?
Ruth recently posted…Satsuma & Hazelnut Cake
KWahlman
Posted at 23:04h, 17 DecemberHi Ruth! That’s so strange, I’ve made these cookies dozens of times and never had pockets in them. To be completely honest, I’m not sure why that would have happened and my searches have all turned up references to butter. Since there are no butter in these cookies, I’m at a loss!
Amanda Schutz
Posted at 13:25h, 19 DecemberJust wanted to let you know I have made this recipe dozens of times and everyone freaks out every time they taste them 🙂
AJ
Posted at 13:39h, 23 DecemberK I bake every single day and almost never post on recipe blogs unless I have a question… But I just have to say that I made these cookies and was a little skeptical (just because I don’t have much luck with cocoa powder lol), but I took one bite and actually shouted HOLY SHHH. Well, you know. They are amazing. I used 1/2 c organic cane sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar. So yum.
Lina K.
Posted at 09:44h, 16 FebruaryThese cookies are ridiculous. Made them for Valentine’s Day and they were gone in 24 hours. I used a gluten-free flour mix instead and they were literally so perfect. I want to make them every day, forever and ever.
Suvi
Posted at 02:39h, 07 MarchThese sound amazing. Can’t wait to try them. But I’m a bit worried though… Couple of years ago I made similar cookies, but with butter. They tasted amazing (and random people + friends praised them), but they were completely flat. Like really, really flat! It was hard to pick them up without breaking them. Has this happened to you with this recipe?
Another concern is the olive oil. Do you taste it in the dough? I only have Extra Virgin and I don’t want to buy another bottle… If one wants to make these with butter, what’s its quantity?
KWahlman
Posted at 21:25h, 07 MarchHi Suvi! I’ve never had an issue with these cookies being too flat or falling apart easily! They are a little soft if under-baked, so if you want to make sure they are nice and sturdy I recommend adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time, but keep a close eye in case your oven runs hotter than mine! The flavor of the olive oil is very subtle and quite lovely — I encourage you to give it a shot! You could use melted butter or coconut oil in place in the same quantity. Hope you love them!
Echelle
Posted at 20:06h, 17 AprilI can literally never go wrong with these cookies. They’re so delicious and addicting. I’m not usually a fan of salty and sweet, but my god, these are the exception. Plus, I always get to brag about how they’re semi-healthy, since it uses olive oil instead of butter.
KWahlman
Posted at 21:29h, 09 MayLove it! So glad to hear you’re a fan, Echelle!
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Posted at 18:55h, 03 October[…] Source: Butterlust […]
Lou reardon
Posted at 19:01h, 28 OctoberHi – do you have any idea if this is the type of dough/batter that could be made ahead of time then frozen and then baked a few weeks later ?? I know many cookie recipes are able to do that
Amanda Hanson
Posted at 18:06h, 16 JanuaryI made these yesterday, and despite my skepticism of using olive oil instead of butter, they turned out wonderfully! The only deviation I made from your recipe was to use 1 T of bourbon instead of water, and it really helps to deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend it! Thanks for such a good recipe!
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Posted at 10:34h, 23 January[…] Oil + Sea Salt Brownie Cookies recipe from Butterlust 1/2 cup good olive oil 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. […]
Anne
Posted at 00:00h, 12 MarchWhat do you think about using a flavor infused olive oil, like lemon, in this recipe?
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Posted at 15:15h, 06 March[…] Olive Oil and Sea Salt Brownie Cookies. Use MSPI-safe chocolate chips.Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal (DF, SF, GF) Pictured above.Coconutty Chocolate BallsHarvest Sausage Hash (Slow cooker meal!)Dairy-free Creamy Coffee […]