This brookies recipe gives you the best of both worlds in one pan: a rich, fudgy brownie base with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough baked right into the top. No box mix, no tube of refrigerated dough. Both layers are made from scratch, and both of them are recipes we already knew were good before they ever met each other. Our recipe also skips the fussy step of spreading the cookie dough into an even layer. Instead the dough goes on in chunks, which bakes up with a speckled, spotty top that’s both visually appealing and way less work for you to do!
I have been baking for more than 30 years and have developed nearly 70 dessert recipes for this site, over 20 of them being cookie recipes and nearly another 20 being dessert bars recipes. Bars have always had a particular hold on me. I was the kid who asked for blondies instead of birthday cake, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Around here, showing up to a gathering with a pan of bars is simply what you do. You do not arrive empty handed, and bars travel better than just about anything else (plus, they’re easy to make!). So when I had a get together coming up with girlfriends and their families, I knew I needed to make a pan of something to share… I had thought about bringing our fudgy brownies, because they are awesome and always a big hit, but I wanted something a little different. I went looking at brookie ratios online, and partway through I realized I already had two recipes sitting on my own site that I could combine: our fudgy brownies for the base and our chocolate chunk cookies for the topping.
The math worked out to half a batch of the brownies plus a full batch of the cookie dough in a 9×9 metal pan. My friend Jen took one bite and said it was the best thing she had ever eaten, then told her daughters they had to try it. The pan was devoured that night, which is how I knew this one had to go on the blog.
What Are Brookie Bars?
Brookie is exactly what it sounds like, a brownie and a cookie combined. Most versions layer chocolate chip cookie dough over brownie batter and bake the two together so you get both textures in a single bar.
Some recipes flatten the cookie dough and patch it across the whole surface so the brownie underneath is completely covered. We go the other direction and drop chunks of dough over the batter, leaving brownie showing in between. It looks better, it is significantly less work, and you still get cookie in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Brookies Recipe
Two desserts in one pan. You do not have to choose between a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie, which is the entire appeal.
Made from scratch, not from a box. A lot of brookie recipes lean on boxed brownie mix and refrigerated cookie dough. Both of these layers come from recipes we developed and tested on their own first.
No spreading required. The cookie dough goes on in chunks. That gives you the pretty speckled top and means you are not fighting to spread sticky dough over brownie batter.
A proven crowd pleaser. The first pan I made disappeared at a get together with friends, and it has been requested since.
Ingredients for Brookies
- Salted butter. Melted and cooled for the brownie layer, softened for the cookie dough. The salt in the butter keeps all that chocolate from tasting flat.
- Granulated and brown sugar. Both layers use a combination. The brown sugar brings moisture and a molasses depth, and the granulated sugar helps with structure.
- Neutral oil. A little oil alongside the melted butter in the brownie layer is part of what keeps it fudgy rather than cakey.
- Eggs. Four in the brownie batter and one in the cookie dough. They bind everything and give the bars their structure.
- Vanilla extract. Rounds out the chocolate in both layers.
- Salt. Sharpens the sweetness. Do not skip it just because you are using salted butter.
- Baking soda and baking powder. These go in the cookie dough only. The brownie layer gets no leavening at all, which is what keeps it dense and fudgy.
- All-purpose flour. Structure for both layers.
- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Does the heavy lifting on the brownie flavor. A full cup of it in the base layer is what makes these deeply chocolatey.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips. They go in both layers, so you get melty pockets throughout the bar. Use whatever chocolate chip you like.
All measurements and the complete directions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Helpful Equipment
Use a 9×9 metal baking pan. Metal matters here more than it does in most recipes, because metal conducts heat evenly and anything brownie-like needs that. A glass or ceramic pan heats unevenly, which leaves you with overbaked edges wrapped around a center that never quite sets. Lining the greased pan with parchment is also worth doing, since it lets you lift the whole slab out and cut it cleanly on a cutting board.
How to Make Brookies
Preheat oven and prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 metal baking pan and set it aside. Adding parchment paper to the greased pan makes removal easier later if you plan to take them out for serving.
Make the brownie batter. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the melted and slightly cooled butter, both sugars, and the oil. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and salt.
Slowly mix in the flour and cocoa powder until just combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. This is a thick batter and it may not reach all the way to the edges until you top it with cookie dough, which is fine.
Make the cookie dough, starting with creaming the softened butter and sugars together in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly stir in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until a dough forms, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Top the brownie batter with chunks of cookie dough. Take 1 to 2 tablespoon sized portions of cookie dough and place them over the brownie batter, gently pressing each one in as you go. Keep going until all the dough is used. Do not try to spread it into an even layer, since the gaps are what give you that spotty top.
Bake covered, then uncovered. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Check for doneness and pull them out when they’re just set.
Let them cool in the pan before slicing. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes (1 to 2 hours if you have the time), before removing and/or slicing. The bars will finish setting up as they cool, so don’t skip this!
Brookie Bar Variation Ideas
- Change up the chocolate. Dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate, chunks, or a chopped up chocolate bar all work in either layer.
- Add nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans folded into the brownie batter, the cookie dough, or both to give you a little crunch against all that fudge.
- Finish with flaky salt. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top as soon as the pan comes out of the oven is a nice touch and brings that salty-sweet vibe to your bars.
- Make it a peanut butter brookie. Swirl a few spoonfuls of warmed peanut butter into the brownie layer before you add the cookie dough on top.
Expert Tips for the Best Brookies
Metal pan, not glass. This is the one substitution I would not make. Glass leaves you with dry edges and a center that has not set.
Save time by measuring like-ingredients at the same time! For the most efficient prep, I often have both my brownie batter and cookie dough going at the same time for these. They use the same measurements for sugars, you can use the same teaspoons for leavening agents and vanilla, you can use the same measuring cup for the flour, etc. If this dual set up works for your brain, it’s a great way to get this mixed up and in the oven quickly.
Do not overmix the brownie batter. Stop as soon as the flour and cocoa are just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and pushes the brownie toward cakey instead of fudgy.
Use the foil. Covering the pan for the first 25 minutes lets the brownie layer begin to set while protecting the cookie topping from browning too fast. Without it, the cookie dough gets dark well before the center of the brownie is done.
Pull them a little early. A toothpick with a few moist crumbs is what you want. Waiting for it to come out clean means dry bars, since they will keep baking in the hot pan after they come out of the oven.
Give them time to cool. At least 30 minutes, longer if you can manage it. You get the cleanest cuts once they have fully set after baking (waiting for this may be the hardest part of the whole recipe).
How to Store Brownie Cookie Bars
Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you are stacking them, put a sheet of parchment or wax paper between the layers so they do not stick together.
They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Cool the pan completely, then either freeze the slab whole or cut it into bars first, which makes it easy to pull out one at a time. Wrap tightly and store in a labeled freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature, or eat one straight from the freezer, which I will not talk you out of.
Recipe FAQs for Brookies
You can, and plenty of brookie recipes do. Be sure to pick a mix sized for an 8×8 pan to match the amount of brownie batter used here. That said, the from scratch brownie layer is a big part of why these are as fudgy and delicious as they are, and it comes together quickly in one bowl.
Most likely the pan. A glass or ceramic dish does not conduct heat the way metal does, and the center takes much longer to set while the edges overbake. If you are using metal and it is still wet, just give it another 5 minutes and check again with a toothpick.
You definitely can BUT you’ll need to modify the ingredient quantities (since the layers would be far too thin). I recommend doubling both the brownie batter and the cookie dough amounts for 9×13 pan, and keep an eye on the bake time (it may take a bit longer since there is more volume to bake).
I highly recommend using tinfoil to cover the pan for the first half of baking because it will give you a better final result. The cookie dough sits right on top and browns much faster than the brownie underneath bakes. The foil for the first 20 minutes evens that out so both layers finish around the same time and you’re not left with a dark, too crispy cookie top.
Love This Recipe? Be Sure to Try One of These Easy Dessert Bars Recipes Next!
Oh hey, did you make this one? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Homemade Brownie Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Medium & Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- ½ Cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- ½ Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cookie Dough
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- ½ Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 + ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 metal baking pan and set aside. If desired, add parchment paper into the greased pan for easy removal.
- Make the brownie batter. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the melted and cooled butter, both sugars, and the oil. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Slowly mix in the flour and cocoa powder until JUST combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.½ Cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled½ Cup granulated sugar½ Cup brown sugar1 Tablespoon neutral oil2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract¼ teaspoon salt½ Cup all-purpose flour½ Cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Transfer the batter to the pan. Spread it into an even layer. *Note: this is a thick batter, and it may not go all the way to the edges until you top it with the cookie dough. That's ok!
- Make the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), cream together the softened butter and both sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly stir in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until a dough is formed, then stir in the chocolate chips.½ Cup salted butter, softened½ Cup granulated sugar½ Cup brown sugar1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract¼ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon baking powder1 + ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- Place the cookie dough over the brownie batter. Take 1 to 2 tablespoon sized portions of dough and place them on top of the brownie batter, gently pressing each one in as you go. Continue until all of the dough has been added to the pan. *No need to spread it into an even layer, the gaps are what give you that pretty, spotty top!
- Cover and bake. Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking. Carefully remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
- Check for doneness. The edges should be set and beginning to pull away from the pan, and the center should be JUST set to the touch (it should not look liquidy or jiggle if you gently shake the pan). You can also insert a toothpick into the center, and it's ready when it comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan. Allow the bars to cool for at least 30 minutes (1 to 2 hours if you have time) to finish setting up before removing from the pan and slicing.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Change up the chocolate. Dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or a chopped up chocolate bar all work in either layer.
- Add nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans can be folded into the brownie batter, the cookie dough, or both to give you a little crunch.
- Finish with flaky salt. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the top as soon as the pan comes out of the oven plays nicely against the chocolate.
- Make it a peanut butter brookie. Swirl a few spoonfuls of warmed peanut butter into the brownie layer before you add the cookie dough on top.
Meredith says
These are insanely good. OMG