Cookie Dough Brownies
intro
Decadent two-layer treat with a rich fudgy chocolate brownie base, topped with safe-to-eat eggless chocolate chip cookie dough for an indulgent, nostalgic sweet bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pan and oven
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 5cm (2-inch) overhang on two opposite sides to easily lift finished brownies out later. Lightly coat the exposed parchment with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix fudgy brownie batter
Set a heatproof glass bowl over a small saucepan of gently simmering water (double boiler, ensure no water touches the bottom of the bowl). Add 113g unsalted butter and 170g chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate to the bowl, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until fully smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat, whisk in 200g granulated sugar until combined, then whisk in 2 room-temperature large eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. Use a rubber spatula to fold in 65g all-purpose flour, 30g unsweetened cocoa powder, 5ml vanilla extract, and 1g fine salt, mixing only until no dry streaks remain; do not overmix to avoid tough brownies.
Bake brownie base
Pour the finished brownie batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into a perfectly even layer with a small offset spatula. Bake on the middle oven rack at 175°C (350°F) for 22 to 25 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center: it should come out with 2 to 3 moist, fudgy crumbs attached, not raw wet batter and not completely clean (which signals overbaked cakey brownies). Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let the brownie cool completely to room temperature, about 40 minutes; never add cookie dough to a warm base, as it will melt and turn greasy.
Heat-treat raw flour
While the brownie cools, spread 95g all-purpose flour for the cookie dough in a thin, even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 5 minutes to kill any potential foodborne bacteria in raw flour, making the uncooked cookie dough safe to eat. Remove the flour from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature, about 10 minutes, then sift out any small hard clumps before use.
Mix edible cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine 113g softened room-temperature unsalted butter, 100g packed light brown sugar, and 50g granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale tan. Add 30ml whole milk and 5ml vanilla extract, then beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Add the cooled, sifted heat-treated flour and 0.5g fine salt, mixing on low speed only until no dry flour remains, then fold in 113g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spatula; do not overmix to avoid tough dough.
Layer and chill brownies
Once the brownie base is fully cooled to room temperature, drop small, even spoonfuls of cookie dough across the entire surface of the brownie. Use a clean offset spatula to spread the dough into a smooth, uniform 1cm (1/2-inch) thick layer, pressing gently to help it adhere to the brownie. Sprinkle a handful of extra mini chocolate chips on top for decoration if desired. Place the uncovered pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, until the cookie dough is firm to the touch.
Slice and serve treats
Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire solid brownie block out of the pan and transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Dip a sharp chef’s knife in hot water, wipe it dry with a kitchen towel, and cut the block into 12 equal 5cm (2-inch) squares, wiping the knife clean between each cut for sharp, clean edges. Serve chilled or at room temperature; store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips
2.Do not eat raw untreated flour in the cookie dough: the 5-minute baking step kills harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness, and it does not change the taste or texture of the finished cookie dough.
3.For bakery-style clean edges, always wipe your knife clean between cuts, and dip it in hot water before each slice—this prevents sticky brownie and cookie dough from tearing the layers as you cut.
SO good! I was worried the medium difficulty meant I’d mess this up since I’m a pretty casual baker, but the steps were super straightforward. My only tiny note is I wish the cookie dough layer was a little thicker, but that’s just personal preference!
Took these to my office holiday party and people were asking me for the recipe left and right! Full disclosure: I forgot to add the salt to the brownie batter and it still slapped, lol. 10/10 will make again.
Made these for my dorm floor movie night and everyone lost their minds. Pro tip: cut them into tiny bite-sized squares so you don’t make a mess holding them while you’re watching a movie, no crumbs everywhere!
Has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I want to make them for my sister’s birthday next week but she has celiac so I can’t use regular all purpose!
Made these for our neighborhood block party and I swear three people asked if I bought them from a fancy bakery! The chill time is so worth it, don’t skip that step like I almost did — I almost pulled them out an hour early and I’m so glad I waited.
These are dangerously good. I made a pan on Sunday and told myself I’d have one square a day as a treat… I ate half the pan in 24 hours. No regrets, though. Worth every calorie.
Help! I followed the recipe exactly but my brownie layer came out a little more cakey than fudgy? Did I do something wrong? I baked it for the exact time listed too!
Game changer alert! I swirled a little extra peanut butter into the top of the brownie layer before baking and it took these to a whole new level. Salty sweet perfection, y’all have to try it.
My kids are obsessed! They begged me to make these for their after-school snack every day this week. I added a handful of mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough layer and they went crazy for it. Super easy to customize too!
How long do these stay good in the fridge? I want to make a batch on Sunday to have for little treats throughout the work week, but I don’t want them to go dry or weird.
Made these for my fantasy football watch party and the guys ate the whole pan in the first quarter. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder for the brownie layer instead of regular and it gave it such a deep, rich flavor. Will be making this all football season for sure.
Okay full transparency, I burned the edge of the brownie layer the first time I tried to make these because I got sucked into a TikTok and lost track of time. I trimmed the edges off, added the cookie dough layer, and it still turned out amazing. Even my burnt edges were a hit with my dog, lmao.
I swapped the eggs for flax eggs and used vegan butter for both layers, and these still came out so fudgy and delicious! My non-vegan roommates didn’t even believe they were vegan until I told them. 10/10 recipe, super adaptable.
Served these at my monthly brunch last weekend alongside mimosas, and everyone said they were the best thing on the menu. I cut them into little 1-inch squares so they were perfect finger food, no plates needed!
Making these for my daughter’s sweet 16 party next weekend! I’m planning to top each square with a little edible gold star to make them feel fancy, does anyone know if I should add those before or after the chill time?
I made these at 10pm last night when I had a massive chocolate craving and zero regrets. The only thing I had on hand was semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of baking bars and it worked totally fine, no fancy ingredients required if you don’t have them.
I’ve tried so many brookie and brownie recipes over the years and this one is easily top tier. The ratio of brownie to cookie dough is perfect, not too much of either, and the fudge factor is 10/10. No notes!
Made these for my high school baking club demo last week and the kids went wild for them! We talked about why the chill time matters and everyone got to take a square home. A couple students already texted me saying they made them for their families over the weekend!
I was worried these would be too sweet since it’s two sweet layers, but the dark chocolate in the brownie cuts the sweetness of the cookie dough perfectly. I brought them to a work potluck and even the people who “don’t like sweets” had a piece. Wild.
Quick question! Can I freeze these after they’re done chilling? I have a ton going on next month and want to stash a few pans in the freezer for last minute get-togethers, but I don’t want the texture to get weird.