Brookies (Cookie Brownies)
Can’t choose between brownies or cookies? This Brookie recipe is the answer! Brookies are chocolate chip cookie brownies made with a soft and buttery chocolate chip cookie layer that sits on top of rich chocolate fudge brownies for an absolutely incredible dessert!
I made these Brookies. My family loved them. It is now our favourite dessert.
— Mary Louise
Cookie brownies, also known as Brookies, may just be the BEST dessert ever! They are the ultimate treat when you don’t know whether you want something rich and fudgy or buttery and chewy. You can satisfy both your chocolate chip cookie cravings and your brownie cravings with this recipe!
This is one of my favorite desserts to bring to family gatherings, potlucks and parties. For one, this Brookies recipe makes quite a few bars, so it’s great for serving a crowd. These are rich, so if you really have a lot of people you’re serving, you could cut these into even smaller squares. Also, these bars are pretty unique, so don’t be surprised if you get a lot of oohhs and aahhs and requests for the recipe!
Ingredients needed
This recipe is comprised of two main parts, the chocolate chip cookie layer and the brownie layer. Super quick and easy to make both! See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of what you’ll need.
- Cookie layer. I adapted the cookie layer from the best chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe. These cookies are SO good, so be sure and bookmark them for when you just want to bake cookies.
- Brownie layer. I used my favorite fudgy brownie recipe (which definitely deserves a post of its own soon) for the brownie layer. It’s made up of all of the normal brownie ingredients – butter, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs and flour.
How to make this recipe
These are simple and straightforward to make and will be your new go-to dessert! Here’s a quick rundown of the process, but for full instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the brownie layer. In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugars and cocoa powder. Microwave to melt butter and then stir mixture to combine. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, baking powder and flour. Use a spatula to pour into prepared pan.
- Make the cookie layer. In a large bowl, mix melted butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg, yolk and vanilla, and beat until fully combined. Add baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough on top of the brownie layer, spreading out to fill any gaps, as needed. Sprinkle some more chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top cookie layer is slightly browned, edges are set and toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Cool and serve. Allow the cookie brownie bars to cool for about 30 minutes before cutting into bars and serving. These are great served with a scoop of ice cream!
Customize this recipe
These Brookies are absolutely perfect already, but feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite mix-ins! Here’s some options:
- Baking chips. Personally, I think semisweet or even dark chocolate chips are best in this recipe. However, you can totally try adding in white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, mint chips, caramel bits, or any other fun baking chips.
- Nuts. I think adding in about 1 cup of chopped pecans would be amazing in these. You can also try adding walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and/or macadamia nuts. I would recommend adding 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the brownie batter and 1/2 cup to the cookie dough.
- Coconut. If you’re a coconut lover, sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut over the top before baking.
- M&M’s. Mix in about 1 cup miniature or regular M&M’s, if you’d like to make these extra fun! I would recommend adding 1/2 cup M&M’s to the brownie batter and then 1/2 cup to the cookie dough.
Tips for recipe success
Follow the suggestions below and you’re sure to have the BEST cookie brownies of your life!
- Use quality chocolate. This recipe tastes wonderful with either semi-sweet or dark chocolate. As far as the brand, I like using Ghirardelli. I also recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder. My top two favorites are HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Baking Cocoa and Ghirardelli Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa.
- Do not over mix. For the optimal tender crumb, you want to avoid overworking the brownie batter and the cookie dough.
- Watch your oven. Oven temp can vary from oven to oven, so keep an eye on your Brookies to prevent over baking. Mine are usually cooked in about 25 minutes. If they seem to be browning too quickly, place a large piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top. The bars will continue to bake after being removed from the oven, so I suggest removing them when the center is almost set.
- Cool completely. It’s tough waiting for these soft, chewy, chocolatey babies to cool, but it will be worth the wait. Trust me! They will slice up perfectly when cooled completely.
Frequently asked questions
A Brookie is a dessert made by layering cookie dough on top of brownie batter and baking until you have an ultra-rich and satisfying dessert. These brownie cookie bars are pretty much the ultimate dessert! You get a cookie and a brownie all rolled into one, so you don’t have to decide if you’re more of a cookie person or a brownie person. You can be both!
Brookies keep well for up to 1 week stored in airtight containers (if they last that long!) or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw completely before serving.
You can see the difference just by looking at the desserts – blondies are paler in color while brownies have that familiar brown color that comes from its magic ingredient – chocolate! Since a brookie is made with brownie batter and cookie dough, it’s not really considered a blondie.
How to serve
Personally, I love to enjoy Brookies nice and warm and straight from the pan. However, they’re also wonderful chilled in the fridge – that’s the way my husband likes them best. Feel free to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. You could even drizzle a little hot fudge or caramel over the top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for an extra decadent treat!
Storing & freezing
Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 1 week. These can also be stored in the fridge, if you like to enjoy them cold.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled cookie brownie bars for up to 3 months. Arrange in even layers in a large freezer-safe container between sheets of parchment. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then allow to come to room temperature before serving. Warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds if desired.
More favorite desserts to try
If you like this sweet treat, you should definitely give these other favs a try!
If you try this treat, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Brookies
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
Cookie Layer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + more to sprinkle over the top before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper; set aside. Start with brownie layer. In a large bowl, add butter, both sugars, and cocoa powder. Microwave for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir mixture together until combined.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla very well. Add baking powder and flour, mixing until fully combined. Pour into prepared baking pan.
- For cookie layer, in a large bowl, mix melted butter and both sugars together until smooth. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined. Add baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Avoid over-mixing.
- Drop spoonfuls of dough on top of brownie layer, spreading out to fill any gaps, as needed, in an even layer. It doesn't have to be perfectly covered. Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the top for presentation.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top cookie layer is slightly browned and edges are set. If the cookie dough begins to brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely across the top. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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This came out really yummy for a gathering. Pleased everyone! My bake took quite a bit longer than listed. I went by the toothpick test and I think it ended up being 15 or 20 minutes past the max time listed. Also I think the recipe needs a bit of salt! I added 1/4 tsp to the cookie dough but I think I could have doubled that even.
Thanks so much for the great feedback!
These are amazing!
would love to make these Do you think I can replace applesauce in place of eggs?
That might work but I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it.
Yum! These are so good!
So good! The whole family thoroughly enjoyed these!
I made these Brookies. My family loved them. It is now our favourite dessert.
Yay! So happy to hear!
I love brookies! I have used several different recipes trying to find the best one. Well, this is it! Truly, the best one out there. I have added crushed thin mints to the top of the brownie layer then added mint chips into the cookie dough. Very good! The baking time is very important. I bake them for 25 minutes exactly. Even a couple extra minutes will dry them out.
Yum! Definitely the ultimate dessert. These baked up perfectly and we couldn’t stay out of them. Thanks for the great recipe!