Half red velvet brownie, half chocolate chip cookie, these Red Velvet Brookies are the ultimate combination of two dessert favorites! They’re rich, fudgy and best of all, made with basic pantry ingredients.
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Step aside, chocolate chip cookie bars. There’s a new, soft and chewy dessert in town: brookies! But this isn’t your average brownie cookies recipe. Instead of regular ol’ brownie batter, I’ve upped the decadence factor by using my all-time favorite red velvet brownie batter.
The result is totally decadent cookie bars. Serve them with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee, or for a truly indulgent treat, warm with a scoop of ice cream. I prefer mine sprinkled with large-flake sea salt to balance out the sweetness, but a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of cream cheese glaze would be just as delicious!
Why You’ll Love ‘Em
- Brookies are the ultimate mashup of two iconic desserts: brownies and cookies.
- Perfect balance between the dense, moist consistency of a brownie and the soft, chewy texture of a cookie.
- Slightly crisp edges with a perfectly gooey center.
- Made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients.
- Great for potlucks, special occasions, average weeknights and afternoon snacking, too.
- Butter: Just like when you make chocolate chip cookies, it’s essential for the butter to be at room temp to easily cream together with the sugars.
- Sugar: You’ll need both white and brown sugar for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor. (Learn how to make DIY vanilla extract.)
- Eggs: Three eggs for the cookie batter and two eggs for the red velvet brownie batter. They act as a binding agent and provide structure.
- All-purpose flour: It’s the main dry ingredient in the recipe, providing structure and thickness for both batters.
- Baking powder: A leavening agent that helps the cookie layer rise.
- Chocolate chips: Essential for the cookie layer! Chopped pecans would also be a delicious addition.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Its responsible for the rich chocolate flavor and the deep red color in red velvet brownies.
- Red food coloring: Gel-based food coloring is my go-to choice. Unlike water-based, gel food coloring delivers exceptionally vibrant colors with just a few drops.
- White vinegar: Reacts with the other ingredients, particularly the cocoa powder and the red food coloring, to enhance the red color and deepen the flavor of the red velvet brownies.
- Kosher salt: Helps balance the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Make the cookie batter. 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 red velvet brownie batter. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, red food coloring, white vinegar, eggs and salt. Fold in the flour just until combined.
- Add the batters to a 13×9-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Alternately add scoops of the cookie batter and red velvet brownie batter to the prepared baking pan.
- Bake and devour! Bake the brookies in a 350°F oven until the cookie dough is golden and the batters are fully set, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the brookies cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Pro Tip: Love fudgy brownies that you can scoop out and serve warm with ice cream? Bake as directed and serve immediately. They’ll be warm, fudgy and totally irresistible!
- The brookies must be fully set on top or the interior will be underdone.
- It’s essential to let them cool completely in the pan, as carryover cooking will ensure the center is fully baked.
- Is the top getting too dark but they still seem raw in the center? Tent the pan with foil and continue baking until they’re set. This will prevent the top from burning before the center is cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chances are your temperature is off in your oven or your pan isn’t on the right rack. Confirm your oven is heating accurately by using a digital oven thermometer then position the rack in the center. Additionally, if your brookies are getting too dark on top, tent the pan with foil and continue baking until they are set.
Brookies will last for up to 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them. To freeze, tightly wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil, and then place in an airtight freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and let them come to room temperature before enjoying. The texture may change slightly after being frozen and thawed, but they should still be delicious.
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- No-Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
- Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies
- Cheesecake Brownie Bites
Ingredients
For the cookie batter:
- Cooking spray
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
For the red velvet brownie batter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon red food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Make the cookie batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over on the two longer 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 red velvet brownie batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, red food coloring, white vinegar, eggs and salt.
- Fold in the flour just until combined.
- Alternately add scoops of the cookie batter and red velvet brownie batter to the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the brookies until the cookie dough is golden and the batters are fully set, 30 to 40 minutes. (See Kelly’s Notes.) Remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with the sea salt. Let the brookies cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Kelly's Notes:
- The brookies must be fully set on top or the interior will be underdone. It is also important to let them cool completely in the pan, as carryover cooking will ensure the center is fully baked.
- If you prefer fudgier brookies that you can even scoop out and serve warm with ice cream, bake them as directed then serve them immediately.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Made this recipe for Valentine’s Day 2024 and it was fabulous! Chewy, decadent, and worth every calorie. Cut into 24 squares, as directed, I was skeptical about the serving size but these squares are incredibly thick and rich. I chose to save sets of 2 in baggies to gift and share with friends. HIGHLY recommend if you’re looking for a special dessert.
So glad you enjoyed it, Alison!
I was WAITING for you to post this recipe and just made them… OMG! NEXT LEVEL!!! The taste matched the texture – perfect! Next time I’m adding white chocolate chips to the brownie batter. YUMMY TIMES 50!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ariel! White chocolate chips would be an awesome addition.
Recipe looks amazing..
Can you explain what “Tent the pan with foil ” means please. A pic would be even better.
Does the foil have the shiny side up or down towards the brookie?
Hi Sha! Tenting with foil means to loosely place a piece of foil across the top. It doesn’t matter which side is facing up!