Two dessert icons join forces in this best-ever recipe for soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies (Brookies).
Peanut butter and jelly. French fries and ketchup. Cheese and wine. Some foods were just meant to be together forever. I’d argue that cookies and brownies are an essential, albeit less popular, addition to the culinary marriages list.
What else is one to do when they can’t decide between fudgy brownies and chewy chocolate chip cookies?
There’s only one logical answer: Enjoy both in a single sliceable sweet. Welcome to the dessert mashups party, brookies (a.k.a. chocolate chip cookie brownies or cookie brownies)! Instead of layering the batters, I drop dollops of chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter all over the pan. As the bars bake, the two batters settle into each other and create pockets of cookie and brownie in every bite.
I’ve been making this brookies recipe for years and they never last more than a day in my house. Once you make them, you’ll understand why.
What Makes These Brookies The Best?
There are a lot of brookie recipes out there, but this one checks every box:
- Alternating dollops of cookie dough and brownie batter create a gorgeous marbled swirl in every slice
- Oil AND butter in the brownie batter for the fudgiest, richest result
- Two kinds of sugar in the cookie dough for the perfect chewy texture
- No layering, no chilling, no swirling. Just scoop, bake and slice
- Finished with flaky sea salt to balance out the sweetness and make all the flavors pop
What feels like an eternity (but is really only 25 to 30 minutes) later, the dessert bars emerge from the oven in all their chocolate chip-studded glory. I like to serve these warm with a scoop of everyone’s favorite ice cream (looking at you, no-churn vanilla ice cream!).
Make the cookie dough first. Cream the butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. Set the cookie dough aside while you prepare the brownie batter.
In a separate bowl, make the brownie batter. Whisk together the oil, melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk in the egg until smooth, then stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt just until combined.
Assemble and bake. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out cleanly. Grease with cooking spray. Drop alternating scoops of cookie dough and brownie batter across the pan.
Don’t overthink it, the more random the better. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
The hardest part? Letting them cool completely in the pan before slicing. I know. But warm brookies fall apart, and you want clean, beautiful slices. (My guide on how to cut brownies cleanly has all my best tips!)
And if you love this recipe, you have to try my red velvet brookies next.
FAQs
Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a greased 9×13-inch pan. The bake time will be similar, around 25 to 35 minutes, but start checking at the 25-minute mark. The bars will be slightly thinner than the 8-inch version but just as delicious.
Absolutely. Chopped walnuts or pecans work well in either the brownie batter or the cookie dough. Stir in about ½ cup if you enjoy a little crunch in your dessert bars.
Sure! Prepare your favorite box brownie mix and use it in place of the homemade brownie batter. The cookie dough layer is still worth making from scratch, though; it comes together in minutes and tastes so much better than store-bought cookie dough.
Ingredients
For the cookie batter:
- Cooking spray
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
For the brownie batter:
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Sea salt flakes, for topping
Instructions
Make the cookie batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over on two sides. Grease it with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
- Add the flour and baking powder and beat just until combined then beat in the chocolate chips. Set the batter aside.
Make the brownie batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk in the egg.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Alternately add scoops of the cookie batter and brownie batter to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
- Bake the bars until the bars are set, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Kelly’s Notes
- Storage: Store brookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They stay surprisingly soft and fudgy.
- Freezing: Slice first, then wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour or microwave for 20 seconds for that fresh-baked warmth.
- Adding nuts: Stir about ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the brownie batter, the cookie dough, or both.
- 9×13 pan: Double all the ingredients and bake in a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake time is similar, around 25 to 35 minutes, but start checking at the 25-minute mark. The bars will be slightly thinner than the 8-inch version but just as delicious.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Best brookies I’ve ever made. Adding to my regular baking rotation! Thnx.
So glad you enjoyed it, Carla!
These are amazing!!! My daughter made them for a school project and they were a huge hit. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Stephanie!
I have no idea what went wrong. I made them exactly as listed, and they have been in the oven for 45 minutes and still aren’t cooked. They were supposed to be for a bake sale, and there’s no way I can use them. The batter for the cookies seems way too sweet.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Sydney. Did you use the amount of sugar that was listed?
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I have to make a dish to pass out work and a dish for home.
I hope you enjoy it!
Advice on what to use in place of vegetable oil? Avocado? Coconut?
Thanks!
Avocado, coconut or even extra-virgin olive oil would work as substitutes!
Can’t wait to make this receipt….my husbands two favorite things. LOL Can you double the receipt using a 9×13 pan and cook about the same temp? Please advise.
Thank you
That should work, Rachel! The temp will remain the same but you may need to increase the baking time so keep a close eye on them. Looking forward to reading your results!
This was my first time ever making brookies and, WOW, so good! My husband went crazy for them. I’ll definitely make this again!
I’m thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the recipe!