These soft, fudgy, and chewy brownie cookies are a perfect Superbowl dessert or game day treat. And with three ways to cut & shape the cookies, there's no cookie cutters required to make these cute, football-inspired cookies!
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Why I Love These Fudgy Brownie Cookies
- Super Fudgy & Dense: These use my fudgy cosmic brownie cookie recipe, which uses dark cocoa powder & a tiny bit of corn syrup to give it an iconic thick, chewy texture.
- No Cookie Cutters Required: If you don't have a football-shaped cookie cutter, you can just use any circle wide-mouth cup or mason jar to cut out the football shape!
- Easy to Decorate: Simply spread on the ganache and pipe a few details to make these adorable football-inspired cookies!
Psst! If you love these, try my tiktok viral homemade cosmic brownies (no scooping!) next!
Ingredient Notes & Supplies
- Cocoa Powder: I use and recommend Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder to give them a moist, rich flavor. You can substitute for regular unsweetened cocoa powder but just note that your cookies will have a puffier texture and won't have the iconic brownie taste.
- Rolling Pin: You can use any rolling pin but I recommend the Rolling Pin with Thickness Guides found on Amazon.
- Ziploc Bags: No piping bag? No problem! Cut out the corner of a ziploc bag to pipe on the details of the cookies.
- Cookie Cutter: You can use a circle cup for these but if you choose to use a football-shaped cookie cutter, I have found the smallest 3 ¾" cutter from this football cookie cutter set.
How to Make Brownie Football Cookies:
Step 1: Make Cookie Dough
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together cookie dough. Dough should be thick and similar to a play-doh consistency, as shown below.
Tip: Using softened butter is important here! If your butter is straight from the fridge, microwave for 10 seconds to slightly soften.
Step 2: Roll & Cut Dough
Cut a piece of parchment paper about 2 feet long and use tape to adhere each corner to the countertop. Use your hands to gently knead the dough into a ball and place it on the parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ⅜" thick.
Tip: I recommend using a Rolling Pin with Thickness Guides and setting it to a ⅜" thickness (read more about my favorite rolling pin here).
Step 3: Cut & Shape the Dough
Cut the football shape out of the dough by either using a football shaped cookie cutter (I used the smallest one from this set) or by offsetting a circle cup or glass.
Cookie Cutter: If you are using a cookie cutter, simply press the cutter into the dough and set the cut-out shapes aside.
Circle Cup: You can also use any circle ring, cup or glass to form the football shape. Simply cut a circle out of the dough using the glass and then off-set the glass slightly (as shown below) to cut out the football shape.
Don't want to roll out the dough?
If you want to avoid rolling out the dough all together, you can also press about 3 tablespoons of dough into the football cookie cutter as shown below! Make sure you are completely filling the cutter with dough to get the preferred football shape.
Continue doing this and then mix the unused dough scraps back together, re-roll the dough, and repeat process until you have no dough left.
Step 4: Bake
Place the cut-out dough onto your parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, depending on size, then allow cookies to fully cool before topping.
Tip: Right after you take the cookies out of the oven, use the side of a knife to quickly "push" in any puffy sides of the cookie so you have a more defined football shape.
Step 5: Make Ganache & Spread
After the cookies are completely cooled, spoon 2-3 teaspoons of chocolate ganache onto each cookie. Lightly spread the ganache to cover the top of the cookie but avoid any spilling over the edge. Place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to help the ganache harden.
Step 6: Make Icing & Decorate
Once the ganache is fully set, make white icing and pipe onto cookie.
- In a small bowl, add powdered sugar (1 cup), light corn syrup (1 ½ teaspoons), and hot water (1 tablespoon). Mix until smooth and thick. Add drops of hot water needed to thin it out. Note that you want this to be pretty thick so that it keeps its line shape when piped.
- Scoop the icing into a piping bag that has a small tip (I recommend the *piping tip). You can also just cut the tip off a plastic Ziploc bag which works as a great substitute for piping simple designs.
- Using the picture below as a reference, pipe the lines of a football onto the top of the ganache.
Tips for Success
- Don't overbake: The centers may look a tiny bit wet and you may be tempted to leave them in the oven after the recommended time but they will continue to bake on the hot pan which will allow them to firm up without over-baking.
- Chill before eating: I recommend refrigerating the cookies as they get even better & fudgier when chilled! You can also keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days, if desired.
- Have extra ganache? If you end up with a little extra chocolate ganache, stick in a ziploc bag in the freezer and then add to hot cocoa!
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: To keep the ultimate chewy, fudgy texture, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. I highly recommend chilling these both before serving & for storing. The rule of thumb for ganache is that you can keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days but I like to keep them refrigerated to be safe.
- Freezing: Place in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Note that ganache can sweat a bit after freezing, so for the best appearance, wait to add the ganache until thawed and ready to serve. If using a freezer bag, definitely wait to add the ganache so that they don't get smudged.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can, just keep in mind that you won't have as moist, rich, and fudgy of a cookie. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder is more acidic and will react with the baking soda, creating a puffier cookie.
I tested this recipe over 5 times and you just can't achieve the dense, fudgy texture without a tiny bit of corn syrup. In addition, the corn syrup adds sweetness to the cookie without adding more granulated sugar which can give it a gritty texture. I promise it's worth it!
If you don't want to use it or can't find it where you live, you can try using thick honey or light molasses to achieve a similar texture (it won't be exact). Or you can use 1 tablespoon of milk but keep note that the cookies will likely end up puffier and won't have the same chewy, dense, fudgy texture.
To get the ultimate chewy, fudgy texture…yes! I highly recommend chilling these both before serving & for storing. The rule of thumb for ganache is that you can keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days but I like to keep them refrigerated to be safe.
Yes! You can make a half-batch of my ganache without heavy cream, or my easy brownie frosting that would work well for these.
Did you make this recipe? If so, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
More Gameday Recipes
Did you make this recipe? If so, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Fudgy Football Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup Fun fact: this is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup!
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder I use Hershey's Special Dark
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Ganache:
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy cream no heavy cream? Make a half-batch of my chocolate ganache without heavy cream!
White Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon hot water + extra drops as needed to thin it out
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to cream softened unsalted butter (½ cup, 1 stick), light brown sugar (½ cup), and granulated sugar (¼ cup) for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg (1 large), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and light corn syrup (2 tablespoons) and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything can combine.
- Add in baking soda (¼ teaspoon) and salt (¼ teaspoon) and mix for another 5-10 seconds until combined.
- Lastly, add dark cocoa powder (½ cup) and all-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups) and mix on medium until combined.
- Press mixture into large ball so that it is all incorporated and any loose floury pieces are pressed in. Knead dough for 5-10 seconds until it becomes a smooth ball. Use a rolling pin to roll dough ⅜" to ½" thick. This is a stickier dough that isn't a traditional roll-out dough , so you will need add a little flour on top to avoid sticking.
- Use cookie cutters or the circle cup hack shown in the blog post above to cut out. Transfer to a parchment baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, based on cookie size. Do not overbake. Allow to fully cool before decorating.
To Make Chocolate Ganache:
- In a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl (cereal bowl sized), place semi-sweet chocolate chips ¾ cup).
- In a separate medium-sized bowl or large liquid measuring cup, heat heavy cream (¼ cup) in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until it begins to bubble (it’s important that your measuring cup or bowl is at least 4x taller than the milk line, as it will expand when it’s heating and can easily overflow). You can also heat this on the stove; remove it once it begins to steam.
- Use a hot pad to carefully remove milk from the microwave and pour over the chocolate chips (do not stir yet!). Use a fork to press down the chips so that they're fully covered with the cream.Allow to sit for about 3 minutes, then use a fork to stir; it will be thick and will likely look like it's not going to mix together but keep at it until smooth & creamy.If your mixture doesn't melt down, microwave in 10 second increments at 50% power, stirring in between each increment until smooth.
To make white icing:
- In a small bowl, add powdered sugar (1 cup), light corn syrup (1½ teaspoons), and hot water (1 tablespoon). Mix until smooth and thick. Add drops of hot water needed to thin it out. Note that you want this to be pretty thick so that it keeps its line shape when piped.
To decorate:
- Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of chocolate ganache on each cookie, let firm up, then pipe white lines on top to create football laces.
- I recommend refrigerate the cookies as they get even better & fudgier when chilled! You can also keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days, if desired.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Ashton Garafalo says
Loved this recipe!!!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that, thank you so much for leaving a review, Ashton!
Paul Basten says
You should check out the cocoa powder at King Arthur
Flourhttps://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/triple-cocoa-blend?_gl=1*z85cgu*_gcl_au*MTQwMTg5MzEwMS4xNzMzNjA2ODc1*_ga*NDk0MjM3NzA1LjE3MzM2MDY4Nzc.*_ga_1ZJWCQGS21*MTczMzYwNjg3Ni4xLjEuMTczMzYwNzU2Mi4wLjAuMA..
Heather says
These were excellent! Mine were not as pretty and my 5 year old and I made a bit of a mess, but the end result the next day was so tasty! We will be making them again in other shapes.
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Heather! I really appreciate it!
T says
I will definitely make these again! They remind me of the Dutch cocoa cookies you find at the grocery store.
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!