Brookies (brownie + Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars)

These brookies are the ultimate treat when you can’t decide between fudgy chocolate brownies or chocolate chip cookies or blondies! Get the best of all three worlds with fudgy, chewy, super chocolatey, decadent brookie bars!

Plus, they are ridiculously simple to make, and I elevate the flavor even more with brown butter ! Perfect to make for crowds, and these freeze beautifully.

• What are brookies?
• Why this recipe works!
• Ingredients you’ll need to make brookies
• How to make brookies (step by step overview)
• How to know when the brookie bars are done baking
• My baking tips for the best brookies
• Recipe variations
• Storage instructions
• Commonly asked questions & troubleshooting
• Recipe video

What are brookies?

Brookies (aka brownie cookies) are a fantastic dessert hack! Fudgy chocolate brownies join forces with chocolate chips cookies to make these swirled brookie bars .

Chocolatey, fudgy brownie layers paired with brown butter chocolate chip cookie layers make this one of my favorite potluck, summer BBQ, and holiday desserts to make. Guaranteed party favorite!

Simple idea, simple execution, grand results.

Why this recipe works!

• This recipe is developed from my chocolate brownie recipe and brown butter blondie recipe that are both delicious and well-loved on their own.
• The brownie recipe is fudgy, very chocolatey, foolproof, and a very popular recipe on the blog . I adapted it by adding some extra chocolate to the batter to make it even more chocolatey!
• My popular brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe is the base for my blondies. The flavors are similar, but with different textures when baked. So, I adjusted my blondie recipe to be half-way between a cookie bar and a blondie here.
• The chocolate chip cookie layer is made with brown butter that adds so much more flavor !
• Perfect for when you can’t decide between brownies, chocolate chip cookies, or blondies – the best of all three worlds to satisfy those cravings!
• These are super simple and fast to make! Easy for beginner bakers too.
• You get two batches of brookies from this recipe , so it’s perfect to make for crowds – like a party or potluck. These are also very freezer-friendly .
• You can make these as two layers stacked on top of each other , but I prefer to swirl the layers so that each bite is a different variation of flavors!

Ingredients you’ll need to make brookies

Chocolate brownie layer

Ingredients for the brownie layer

• Butter
• Sugar
• Semisweet chocolate
• Cocoa powder
• Eggs
• Flour
• Salt and vanilla
• Instant espresso

Chocolate chip cookie layer

• Brown butter (or regular butter)
• Whiskey (optional)
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Salt and vanilla
• Eggs
• AP flour
• Chopped chocolate chunks

How to make brookies (step by step overview)

Step 1 – Make the brown butter and prep the baking pans

This is an optional step, but it adds SO MUCH flavor to the chocolate chip cookie layer! My chocolate chip cookies are made with brown butter, which is one of many ways to add more flavor to cookies.

Brown butter is made by melting butter and continuing to cook it until the milk solids separate and start to caramelize and turn brown. To get more toasted milk solids, I like to add some milk powder as well – which adds even more flavor!

After making the brown butter, let it cool slightly. We’ll be using the brown butter while it’s still warm to make the chocolate chip cookie layer.

Take two 9-inch square pans and line them with parchment paper. You can also use one 9 x 13 inch pan instead, but the bake time will be longer because the bars will be taller. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.

Step 2 – Make the chocolate chip cookie layer

Place the warm brown butter in a large bowl and add 2 tbsp water (or whiskey – for added flavor!). If you’re not using brown butter, you can just melt butter in the bowl, and use it while it’s still fairly warm.

Add the sugar and salt, and whisk to combine (image 1) . Because of the temperature differences, the sugar may not form a smooth paste with the brown butter, and that’s OK.

Add the eggs and whisk them in until you have a smooth batter (images 2 – 3) .

Step 3 – Whisk the eggs

Once the eggs have been incorporated, keep whisking the batter with an electric hand beater until the mixture starts to turn a slightly lighter color, and thickens a little (image 4) .

Step 4 – Add the dry ingredients

Add the flour and carefully fold it in (image 5). I like to add it in 2 – 3 additions to prevent the flour from forming lumps in the batter.

When adding the last portion of flour, add the chopped chocolate chunks along with it (image 6) , and fold it in. Then, set it aside (image 7) .

Step 5 – Start making the brownie layer

In a large bowl, place the butter, sugar, and chocolate (image 8) . Melt the ingredients in the microwave in small bursts. When the butter and chocolate are mostly melted, stir the mixture to melt completely (residual heat will melt the rest).

Add the flavorings to the batter as well (image 9) . I like to dissolve the instant espresso powder in the vanilla extract so that it mixes in easily with the batter.

Add the eggs and mix well to combine (image 10) .

Step 6 – Whisk the eggs

Mix the batter for a few minutes after adding the eggs. Just like with the chocolate chip cookie layer, we want to whisk the batter until it turns a lighter color and is slightly thick (image 11) .

Step 7 – Add the dry ingredients

When the batter has become lighter in color, you can add the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together to make sure there are no lumps (image 12) . Add this in 2 – 3 additions (image 13) into the batter and fold it in to combine. Set aside (image 14) .

Step 8 – Layer the batters

Get the two batters ready along with the lined baking pans (image 15). Add the brownie batter and the chocolate chip cookie batter using an ice cream scoop (image 16) . An ice cream scoop lets you evenly divide the batter between the two pans (and the two types of batter).

Alternate the brownie batter and the chocolate chip cookie batter in the pans. The chocolate chip cookie batter will be less fluid, but that’s OK, because it will bake more like a cookie bar.

Using a butter knife or small palette knife, create just a few big swirls between the batters to mix them just a little bit (image 17) . They still need to be separate, with just a little bit of swirling.

Shake the pans to even out the batter.

Step 9 – Bake and cool the brookie bars

Place the baking pans in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 – 40 minutes (for 9 inch square pans), or 45 – 50 minutes for a 9 x 13 inch pan. The bake time can vary depending on your oven or the material of your pans.

Once baked, let the bars cool completely . This is essential. The brookies are warm and extra fudgy, but will also be too soft to cut through when they are warm . If you do, they’ll be a mess!

Letting them cool down will allow the flour matrix to settle and strengthen, and the flavors meld together better as well. This will also make it much easier to cut the bars with a sharp knife.

Before vs after baking brookie bars

How to know when the brookie bars are done baking

The bake time for these brown butter brookies will vary due to several factors .

• Type of oven you have (toaster oven vs a larger oven)
• How the oven is heated (convection vs conventional)
• Size of the pan (smaller square pans vs one larger pan)
• Material of the pan (glass vs metal and light vs dark metal)

Smaller ovens, convection ovens, smaller cake pans, and metal pans with dark colors will all contribute to the brookies baking faster. In which case, the oven temp. should be reduced, OR the bake times should be reduced.

Once you make this recipe once or twice, the bake time will ALWAYS be the same after that. The good news is that these chocolate brookies are still delicious even if they are a little overbaked! The brownies will still be fudgy – just a cakey fudginess, and the cookie bars will be more crisp than chewy.

However, I have extensively tested my brownie recipe and find that the perfect fudginess is around 35 minutes (though 40 minutes is still pretty fudgy for me!) . If you insert a toothpick into a section with more brownie batter, it should come out with just a few crumbs attached to it.

Toothpick test for chocolate brownie doneness

My baking tips for the best brookies

This isn’t a complicated recipe! The brownie recipe and the chocolate chip cookie / blondie recipes are very simple. But, I do include small variations to enhance the flavor.

• Use brown butter for the chocolate chip cookie / chewy blondie layer. You can make this with melted butter too, but the toasted milk solids in brown butter add incredible flavor!
• You have another option to add flavor to the cookie batter when you replenish the water that was lost in the brown butter. You can simply add water again, OR add extra flavor in the form of whiskey or rum . To keep it alcohol-free, add rum extract mixed with water instead.
• I also like to add a little espresso powder to the chocolate brownie layer since coffee deepens the chocolate flavor. This does not make the brownie layer taste like coffee or mocha! But if like a more pronounced coffee flavor, then I recommend adding more espresso powder.
• Whisking both the batters (separately) after adding the eggs will ensure that you get that lovely shiny crackly surface on top ! Do not skip this step, and whisk each batter really well until the color of the batter lightens and the batter thickens slightly. The sugar, egg foam, and the extra air beaten into the batter are what create that meringue-like, shiny crust.
• If you prefer brownie corner pieces , then make these brownie cookie bars in 2 separate pans. Then you get way more corner and edge pieces! If you bake this in 1 large pan (9 x 13), you’ll have more of the fudgy pieces in the middle.
• If you only have 1 square pan, you can certainly refrigerate the extra batter and bake it later ! This recipe contains no leaveners, so it can be refrigerated and baked after the first one is done. Just make sure to divide each batter in half, so you don’t add too much for the first batch.
• You can also divide the batter evenly without an ice cream scoop. Use a 1/4 measuring cup, OR use a scale to evenly divide each of the batters into two portions . Pour the brownie batter in first, and then dollop the cookie dough batter on top. The brownie batter will be thinner than the cookie batter, so some cookie dough pieces will sink as the brookies bake.
• Let the brookie bars cool down before cutting them ! This is even more important if you want to cut these bars into neat slices to serve – and they taste better after sitting for a little while too. You can always re-warm the slices if you want to serve them warm.
• I make these with metal pans, since metal pans conduct heat more evenly . I have not made these with glass or porcelain cake pans, since these can overcook the edges while keeping the middle too wet.

Recipe variations

You can easily also add other flavorings to these brookies brownies to make them even better, and to satisfy even more of your dessert cravings!

• Oreo brookies – Add some crushed oreo cookies into the brownie layer, and also place some on top of the batter before baking.
• Peanut butter brookies – Replace 1/4 cup of the brown butter with peanut butter. Also add a drizzle of peanut butter on top of the batters and swirl it in before baking.
• Nutella brookies – Add chopped hazelnuts into the brownie batter, and swirl Nutella / chocolate hazelnut paste on top before baking.
• Biscoff brookies – Replace 1/4 cup of the brown butter with spreadable biscoff, and add biscoff cookies on top of the bars before baking.
• Caramel brookies – Drizzle salted caramel sauce on top of the bars and swirl it in before baking. The caramel drizzle will bubble up as it bakes, so you can also add another drizzle on top after baking.

Storage instructions

These brookies will last at cool room temperature for about 5 days , IF they are stored in an airtight container.

They can also be frozen in airtight containers and stored for up to 1 month (maybe a little longer, but we always manage to finish ours before that!).

You can also store these in the fridge if you’re living in a hot climate. They will last about 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container , but the fridge can also dry these out a little too. So keep that in mind.

Commonly asked questions & troubleshooting

Can I make brookies with brownie mix?

I would not recommend substituting the brownie recipe here with brownie mix, as this recipe has only been tested as written. If you want to use brownie mix, I recommend using a recipe that already uses brownie mix to make brookies. You’re welcome to try it out for this recipe if you prefer, but I can’t guarantee how they will turn out, unfortunately.

Can I halve or double this recipe?

You can halve this recipe. However, it’s kinda hard to split 3 eggs in half. So you can use 1 egg + 1 yolk instead of 1.5 eggs. This recipe can also be doubled for larger parties or crowds! Make sure to bake them in separate pans so that they bake evenly, rather than using a half sheet pan to bake one large batch.

Is it possible to use all cocoa powder to make these brookie bars?

Yes it is, with some adjustments! However, without the chocolate, the brownie layer may not always have a nice shiny crust. That’s because the cocoa powder is fairly drying and will cause the shiny layer to become more “matte”. The taste will be the same though.

Can I layer the brownie and cookie portions instead?

This recipe alternates the two layers when adding them to the pan with just a swirl in between. But, you can absolutely layer them as well. As mentioned in the post, you can pour the brownie batter first, and then dollop the cookie dough batter on top.

Why are my brookies dry and crumbly?

These brown butter brookie bars will be dry and crumbly ONLY if they are significantly overbaked. A higher oven temperature can also cause these to overbake faster. Another reason is if you added too much flour to the batter, or reduced the amount of liquid or sugar in the recipe.

More dessert bars you will love

• Snickerdoodle blondies
• Rhubarb crumble bars
• Peach crumble bars
• Apple pie bars
• No bake lemon cheesecake bars
• Pecan pie bars
• Mars bar slice

Recipe video

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Recipe

Brookies (Brownie & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars)

Ingredients

Chocolate chip cookie layer

• 226 g unsalted butter 1 cup / 2 sticks
• 2 tbsp milk powder optional
• 30 - 45 mL tbsp whiskey or rum 2 - 3 tbsp. Use water to keep it alcohol-free (this is only if you’re making brown butter)
• 350 g dark brown sugar 1 ¾ cup (see recipe notes below to make the cookies chewy)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 280 g AP flour about 2 ¼ cups, measured by spoon and level method
• 80 g chopped chocolate chunks or chips

Brownie layer

• 226 g unsalted butter 2 sticks of butter
• 150 g brown sugar ¾ cup
• 150 g white sugar ¾ cup
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coffee extract OR 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in the vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 115 g dark chocolate good quality chips or chunks, generous ½ cup (small chips)
• 56 g cocoa powder I use Dutch cocoa powder (Callebaut), ½ cup, sifted and spooned and leveled
• 90 g AP flour approximately ¾ cup, measured by spoon and level method

Toppings (optional)

• 50 g chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
• Maldon sea salt flakes

Instructions

• Preheat conventional oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line 2 - 9 x 9 inch metal square pans with parchment paper using butter. Leave an overhang of parchment paper on 2 opposite sides. Or you can use 1 - 9 x 13 inch metal pan as well.

Chocolate chip cookie layer

Making brown butter

• Place the butter in a stainless steel pan or saucepan, and heat over medium heat to melt. When the butter has melted, add the milk powder and whisk it in to dissolve in the butter. 226 g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp milk powder
• Using a whisk or spatula, frequently mix the butter to prevent the milk solids from catching at the bottom of the pan and burning.
• The butter will start to boil. Continue to heat the butter while whisking frequently. The milk solids will separate and sink to the bottom of the pan. Continue to heat and whisk, and the milk solids will start to turn light golden in color. Keep heating the butter and frequently mix it with the whisk.
• As the butter cooks, the milk solids will continue to darken in color and turn a toasty dark golden color. Immediately remove the pan from the stove and pour the butter into a heat-proof bowl. Let it cool slightly.
• When the butter has cooled down slightly, add the whiskey or water to the butter. Add this liquid slowly, since the butter will bubble up if it’s too hot when you add the liquid. 30 - 45 mL tbsp whiskey

Making the brown butter chocolate chip cookie layer

• Place the warm brown butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar well. 350 g dark brown sugar, ½ tsp salt
• Add the vanilla and the eggs, and whisk them in until smooth. Continue to mix the batter for about 3 -4 minutes on medium speed, until the batter becomes a shade lighter in color and is slightly thickened. The hotter the batter, the longer this might take, but if the batter is too cold, it won’t mix well. 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
• Add the flour and fold it in, in 2 - 3 additions. Be careful not to overmix the batter . 280 g AP flour
• Add the chopped chocolate with the last addition of flour, and fold it in. 80 g chopped chocolate chunks
• Set the batter aside.

Chocolate brownie layer

• Place the butter, chocolate, both types of sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Heat in 30 second increments in a microwave while stirring in between to almost melt all the butter and chocolate together. This can take about 30 - 90 seconds, depending on the microwave. 226 g unsalted butter, 150 g brown sugar, 150 g white sugar, ½ tsp salt, 115 g dark chocolate
• Stir to dissolve the remaining butter and chocolate in the residual heat.
• Dissolve the coffee in the vanilla, and add this to the melted chocolate-butter mixture. 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp coffee extract
• Add the eggs and whisk them in. 3 large eggs
• Using a hand mixer, whisk the butter-sugar-egg mix on medium high speed, until the batter becomes a paler color (3 – 4 minutes) and is thick.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together. 56 g cocoa powder, 90 g AP flour
• Add the flour-cocoa mix into the wet ingredients (in two batches if that’s easier) and mix it in until just combined. Do not overmix the batter. Set aside.

Making the brookies

Swirled brookies

• Using an ice cream scoop, alternate the addition of brownie and cookie dough batter into each of the pans. Make sure that each pan gets an equal amount of the brownie and the cookie batter.
• Gently drag a butter knife or small palette knife through the batter to create fairly large swirls (so that the batter doesn’t mix too much and stays separate). If you’d like to layer the two batters instead, follow the instructions below.

Layered brookies

• Divide the brownie batter in half (either by weight or with a scoop) and add it to each of the pans.
• Then divide the chocolate chip cookie batter in half. Dollop the cookie layer over the brownie layer. If the dough is stiff (it will thicken more as it cools down), you can flatten it with your hands before placing it on the brownie layer. The whole surface need not be totally covered - it’s OK for the brownie batter to peek through in some places.
• OPTIONAL - Sprinkle some maldon sea salt flakes and chopped chocolate on top. 50 g chopped dark chocolate, Maldon sea salt flakes

Baking

• Place the baking pans in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes.
• If you insert a clean toothpick into the center of the pan, it should come out with a few crumbs attached to it, and no raw batter.
• Remove the pans from the oven and let the brookies cool down. When it’s almost cooled down, gently lift the parchment paper to loosen the brookies from the pan, but not to lift them out of the pan. Let the bars completely cool down in the pan.
• Once cooled, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper and a spatula.
• Cut each brookie pan into 4 x 4 pieces, for a total of 16 pieces per pan (32 pieces total). To get nice clean slices, use a straight blade warm knife and wipe the blade clean between each cut.

Notes

To make the chocolate chip cookie layer chewy

Baking in a 9 x 13 inch pan

Storage instructions

Step by step instructions with images

Nutrition

Recipe from The Flavor Bender by Dini Kodippili

Brookies (Brownie & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars) https://www.theflavorbender.com/brookies-brownie-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/