You never again need to choose between brownies or chocolate chip cookies! These Brookies are thick, fudgy, ooey gooey, and solve all your dessert time decision dilemmas! The brownie layer is rich, glossy, ultra chocolatey, and packed with melty dark chocolate, while the cookie topping bakes into golden puddles of soft-centered perfection. Every bite has crisp edges, gooey centers, crackly brownie tops, and pools of melted chocolate throughout.
These Brookies combine my viral fudgy dark chocolate brownies with my most perfect chocolate chip cookie dough for the ultimate dessert mashup. They’re indulgent, dramatic, deeply chocolatey, and absolutely worthy of a center of attention moment all their own.
One of the best parts? You only use HALF of the cookie dough recipe for the Brookies themselves. The cookie dough recipe is too good to scale down, so rather than changing the ratios, you’ll simply save the extra dough for later (or bake off a tray of cookies immediately). Future you will be very happy about this decision.
Perfect for holidays, parties, bake sales, birthdays, or those nights when you can’t decide between brownies and cookies, these Brookies truly give you the best of both worlds.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Important Recipe Note
This recipe makes a FULL batch of cookie dough, but you will only use HALF for the Brookies.
The cookie dough is incredibly delicious exactly as written, and I didn’t want to alter the texture or ratios by creating a smaller batch. Simply store the remaining dough in the refrigerator, or freezer, for another day, or bake a fresh batch of cookies while the Brookies bake.
You’re essentially getting two desserts in one recipe.
What ingredients do I need?
- Cookie Dough Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Room temperature butter creates a creamy, smooth cookie dough with rich flavor and soft texture.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: The combination gives the cookies crisp edges while keeping the centers soft and chewy.
- Egg: Adds richness and structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor and adds warmth.
- Whole Milk: A small amount of milk keeps the dough extra soft and smooth.
- All Purpose Flour: Provides structure while still allowing a tender cookie texture.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: The combination helps create cookies with soft centers and lightly golden edges.
- Sea Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Dark Chocolate Chips and Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Using two sizes of chocolate creates pockets of melty chocolate throughout every bite.
- Brownie Batter Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter gives the brownies their signature fudgy texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Heating part of the sugar with the butter helps create that glossy, crackly brownie top.
- Eggs and Egg Yolk: Adds richness, chewiness, and structure.
- Vanilla Bean Paste, or vanilla extract: Adds incredible flavor depth and bakery-style richness.
- Cocoa Powder: Creates intense chocolate flavor throughout the batter.
- All Purpose Flour: Just enough to hold everything together without making the brownies cakey.
- Espresso Powder (optional): Enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor without making the brownies taste like coffee.
- Melted Dark Chocolate: Makes the brownies extra rich and luxurious.
- Chopped Dark Chocolate: Creates puddles of melted chocolate throughout the brownies.
- Flaky Sea Salt (Optional): Highly recommended for balancing sweetness and enhancing flavor.
Recipe Variations
- Nutty version: Add toasted walnuts or pecans to the cookie dough
- Oreo version: Add crushed Oreos to the brownie batter
- Milk Chocolate version: Use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter Brookie
Pro Tips
- Heat the butter and sugar properly. Cooking the butter and sugar together until glossy and syrupy helps create that signature shiny brownie crust on top.
- Beat the eggs until pale and thick. Whipping the eggs and sugar until pale and ribbon like creates structure and contributes to the crackly top.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can make brownies dense and less fudgy.
- Flatten the cookie dough. Flattening the cookie dough into small discs helps the cookies bake evenly on top of the brownies rather than staying too thick in the center.
- A slight jiggle in the center is good when removing them from the oven. The brownies will continue setting as they cool.
- Cool the Brookies completely before slicing. This is the hardest part, but cooling completely gives you clean slices and the ultimate fudgy texture.
- Use good quality chocolate if possible. Since chocolate is the star here, high-quality dark chocolate makes a huge difference.
- Line the pan with parchment paper before baking. The parchment overhang makes removing and slicing the Brookies much easier.
Can I Substitute?
Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.
- Dark Chocolate: Replace with semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter flavor
- Vanilla Bean Paster: Vanilla extract may be used instead
- Cocoa Powder: Dutch process cocoa powder may be substituted for regular cocoa powder.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter may be used instead, just reduce the added salt slightly
Dietary Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
Leftovers and Storage
- Room Temperature: Store Brookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: For extra fudgy texture, refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze sliced Brookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm slightly before serving.
- Extra Cookie Dough Storage: Store unused cookie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze pre-scooped cookie dough balls for up to 2 months.
But, I Still Have A Few Questions…
Can I use all of the cookie dough?
You technically can, but the brownie-to-cookie ratio becomes much heavier and thicker. Using half gives the perfect balance while saving extra dough for cookies later.
What should I do with the extra cookie dough?
Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, freeze scooped cookie dough balls for future baking, or bake cookies right away!
Why do I heat the butter and sugar together for the brownies?
Heating the butter and sugar together first will help to dissolve the sugar and creates that beautiful glossy, crackly brownie top.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes. These are actually even fudgier and more flavorful the next day.
How do I know when the Brookies are done baking?
The edges should look set, the cookie tops lightly golden, and the center should jiggle slightly but not look wet.
Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Yes, though the overall dessert will be sweeter and slightly less rich.
Do I need espresso powder?
No this is completely optional, but it enhances the chocolate flavor beautifully without tasting like coffee.
Why are my Brookies dry?
They were likely overbaked. Pull them from the oven when the center still has a slight jiggle to it. It will continue baking as it cools.
Can I freeze Brookies?
Yes. Slice and freeze individually for easy desserts anytime.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s engage!
Make sure to tag @thehomechefmomma on Instagram or Facebook, and leave a review or comment if you make these. I always get so excited to see your creations, variations of the recipe, and feedback! Just remember to be kind in your comments, there is still a person behind this screen! 🙂
Brookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough (you will only use HALF)
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Brownie Batter
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 ounces melted dark chocolate 72% cacao
- 6 ounces roughly chopped dark chocolate 72% cacao
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix again, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. Set aside.
Make the Brownie Batter
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar.
- Stir until melted and glossy, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1–2 minutes until syrupy and the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 230°F. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and remaining ¾ cup sugar on medium speed until pale, thick, and creamy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Mix in the vanilla bean paste.
- Slowly drizzle the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture while mixing on low speed.
- Mix in the melted dark chocolate until glossy and combined.
- Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, and sea salt. Mix just until combined.
- Fold in the chopped dark chocolate.
Assemble and Bake
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Flatten pieces of cookie dough into small discs and gently press them into the brownie batter, spacing evenly across the top. Use only HALF of the cookie dough.
- Top with additional chopped chocolate or chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the edges are set, the cookie tops are lightly golden, and the center jiggles slightly but is not wet.
- Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean edges and maximum fudginess.
Notes
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Nutritional Content Disclaimer
I choose not to include nutritional information with my recipes, as these values can be calculated from the ingredients provided. With my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and my own family experience with disordered eating, I understand how focusing on numbers can affect our relationship with food. My philosophy is that all foods have a place—sweet, savory, nourishing, or indulgent. I aim to share recipes that support a healthy, joyful approach to eating. My hope is that this space also encourages a balanced, healthy relationship with food for you and your family too.