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Chocolate Blackout Cookies

Inspired by the classic Chocolate Blackout Cake, these Chocolate Blackout Cookies feature soft chocolate cookies topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate cookie crumbs!

Chocolate Blackout Cookies on a pewter tray

Just so you know who to thank once you’ve tried one of these beauties, I must tell you that the idea for these cookies came from Quinn. We were eating lunch one day, and he asked if I could make a blackout cookie. As much as I love chocolate and baking cookies, I enthusiastically jumped on that idea and got to work.

You may be familiar with the legendary Blackout Cake that was served in a now defunct Brooklyn bakery. It was a chocolate cake with a chocolate filling and frosting, and covered in cake crumbs. From what I’ve read, people absolutely adored that cake. These cookies are an homage to and a loose interpretation of that famous cake.

overhead view of Chocolate Blackout Cookies on a pewter tray

It all starts with the cookies. Oh, the cookies! These are the softest, fudgiest, tastiest chocolate cookies I’ve ever made. I’m certain that these are my go-to chocolate cookies now. They’re that good. And if you like, you can just make the cookies without the other embellishments and be perfectly happy.

But for blackout mode, each cookie is topped with a rich chocolate ganache. And then in keeping with the way the cake was traditionally finished, chocolate cookie crumbs are sprinkled on top.

close-up view of Chocolate Blackout Cookies on a pewter tray

Tips for Success

  • Measure accurately. Use a kitchen scale to measure by weight if possible. Otherwise, use the spoon and sweep method.
  • Use good quality chocolate. With this much chocolate involved, you want to use the good stuff. Good chocolate doesn’t have to be expensive. Just choose a chocolate that you enjoy eating out of hand and that will melt well. For the cocoa powder, use your favorite if you have one.
  • The corn syrup is optional. I know some of you don’t like to use corn syrup at all in your baking. I often like to add a small amount to ganache to make it sturdier and shinier. It will still work without it, but the texture and structure of it may be a bit different.
  • Any chocolate cookie crumbs will do for the topping. Those Nabisco chocolate wafers can be tough to find, so feel free to substitute some other dark chocolate cookie crumbs.

I’m afraid I can’t adequately express to you how very good these cookies are. They’re deliciously rich. You aren’t likely to sit down and eat several at a time. But just one of these cookies is wonderfully chocolate-y and satisfying. A perfect treat for your serious chocolate cravings!

Find more chocolate recipes in the Recipe Index!

More Chocolate Cookie Recipes

Chocolate Blackout Cookies

Yield 36 cookies
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Chocolate lovers will absolutely adore these wonderfully rich and delicious Chocolate Blackout Cookies!

Chocolate Blackout Cookies on a pewter tray

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 & 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup (85g) milk chocolate chips

For the topping:

  • 4 ounces (113g) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup*
  • 1/4 cup (29ml) heavy cream
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons chocolate cookie crumbs**

Instructions

To make the cookies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans. Bake, one pan at a time, 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are almost set with a soft center. Do not overbake.
  6. Cool the cookies on the pans for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the topping:

  1. Place the chocolate and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
  2. Place the cream in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the cream begins to bubble.
  3. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then, stir until the ganache is smooth. Top each cookie with about a teaspoonful of ganache. Use the back of the spoon to spread out the ganache on top of the cookie.
  4. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoonful of cookie crumbs on top of each cookie while the ganache is still warm.
  5. Allow the ganache to set before serving the cookies.

Notes

*This little bit of corn syrup helps the ganache hold up a bit better, but you can omit it if you like.

**I used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. They can sometimes be hard to find locally, but they are usually available from Amazon.

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    13 Comments on “Chocolate Blackout Cookies”

  1. these cookies look devine!! I am a huge fan of the cake, awesome that you made a cookie version 🙂 thank you for sharing!

  2. There are insane! Blackout cake is my fave and you are brilliant in figuring out how to make blackout cookies! Can not wait to make!

  3. Aaaaaand now I need chocolate. These look SO delicious!

  4. SO MUCH CHOCOLATE. You just can’t go wrong!

  5. I love blackout ANYTHING and I also looove cookies so this is AMAZING to meee!

  6. This is my kind of cookie! The more chocolate the better! 🙂

  7. I bought the ingredients for these cookies today but by the time supper was over, I’d thrown in the towel. I turned the kitchen over to my 16 year old and sank into my bath tub. You know how they say baking is precise where cooking isn’t? Well my kid has disproved that. Other than exploding my stand mixer all over the kitchen (she was just happy that the softened butter stayed in one lump–that she could pick up off the floor and put back in the mixer) the only other detail I’m sure of is that instead of adding the cup of chocolate chips to her cookie dough, she used the 4 ounces of chocolate that I had measured out for her before retiring to my tub. With more than one trip to my bathroom to confer with he expert, she returned with a cookie on a plate and awaited my judgement. They were awesome. I went back for a second and then went to the kitchen to supervise the storage of leftovers because I want more tomorrow! I can only imagine how good these will be when we actually follow the recipe!!!

  8. Do these cookies need to be refrigerated (stored) because of the ganache??

  9. How many cookies will this recipe make?

  10. Do you have to chill this dough for any length of time?

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