Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe

I perfected Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies that tuck a gooey cookie-dough core and crushed Oreos into every bite, leaving you curious how such textures come together.

I first spotted these in a tiny bakery in Maine years ago and couldn’t stop thinking about them. Back home I tinkered until I landed on my own Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies, a weirdly perfect mashup that tastes dangerously like trouble.

Imagine fudgy brownie underneath, pockets of semisweet chocolate and a soft cookie dough topper that refuses to behave. Some will whisper Cookie Dough Oreo Brownie Recipe level indulgence, though it ain’t an Oreo cake exactly.

I don’t preach perfection, just a warning, you’ll get sticky fingers and regret, in the best possible way. I swear I didn’t expect it to be this addictive, but it is.

Ingredients

• Semisweet chocolate: Adds deep chocolate flavor, some antioxidants, and simple carbs for quick sugar hits.
• Butter: Provides richness and moisture, mostly saturated fat, helps fudgy texture and mouthfeel.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients, add protein and moisture, also give brownies structure and lift.
• Sugars: Granulated and brown sugars sweeten, brown adds molasses notes and chewiness.
• Flour (heat treated): Provides carbs and structure, heat treating makes it safe to eat raw cookie dough.
• Cocoa powder: Concentrated chocolate flavor, low fat, gives depth and slight bitterness balancing sweetness.
• Chocolate chips: Extra chocolate bites, add texture, and extra sugar and fat for decadence.
• Vanilla: Adds aromatic sweetness, amplifies chocolate flavors without adding sugar.
• Salt: A pinch enhances all flavors, balances sweetness, flakes add crunchy pop.

Ingredient Quantities

• 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour, heat treated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (135 g) semisweet chocolate chips or mini chips
• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment leaving an overhang and spray it lightly so the brownies lift out easy.

2. Melt 4 oz chopped semisweet chocolate with 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring till smooth. Let cool a little.

3. Whisk 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate, then beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, then 1 tsp vanilla extract until glossy and combined.

4. Stir in 1/3 cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour and 1/4 tsp salt until just mixed. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are set and the center is just slightly gooey when you jiggle the pan. Dont overbake, you want fudgy brownies. Cool completely in the pan.

6. If your flour is not heat treated, spread 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 5 minutes to kill any bacteria, let it cool before using.

7. For the edible cookie dough, cream together 1/2 cup (113 g) softened unsalted butter, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar until light. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp milk.

8. Stir in the cooled, heat treated 1 cup (125 g) flour and 1/2 tsp salt until a soft dough forms, then fold in 3/4 cup (135 g) semisweet chocolate chips or mini chips. Chill the dough briefly if it’s too soft.

9. Spread the cookie dough evenly over the completely cooled brownie layer. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if you want that salty pop.

10. Chill the whole pan at least 30 minutes to firm up, then lift out with the parchment, slice into bars and serve. Store in the fridge for best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment leaving an overhang and a light spray so the brownies come out easy
2. Mixing bowls (at least 2) one for brownie batter one for cookie dough
3. Heatproof bowl or microwave safe bowl to melt the chocolate
4. Small saucepan for a simmering water bath if you dont use the microwave
5. Electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon for creaming butter and beating eggs
6. Whisk and a rubber spatula for stirring and scraping the batter smooth
7. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you have one
8. Baking sheet for heat treating flour, cooling rack and a sharp knife for slicing

FAQ

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Semisweet chocolate (4 oz): swap with an equal weight of bittersweet or dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent) for a richer less sweet brownie, or use milk chocolate for a sweeter result. If you go darker you can shave off 1 to 2 tbsp sugar.
• Unsalted butter (melted or softened): use equal weight coconut oil for similar richness, or use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil 1 to 1 by volume for the melted butter (brownies may be fudgier). For the softened butter in the cookie dough a stick of vegan butter works 1 to 1.
• Eggs (2 large): make flax eggs for an egg-free option 1 flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, so for 2 eggs mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 6 tbsp water, wait 5 minutes. You can also use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for both eggs but expect a slightly cakier brownie.
• Heat-treated all purpose flour (1 cup in the cookie dough): swap with a 1 to 1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for gluten-free, or use oat flour (start with 3/4 cup and add a bit if the dough seems dry) but the texture will be softer and chewier.

Pro Tips

Tip 1: Let the brownie layer cool completely before you put the cookie dough on it, otherwise the dough will soften and slide all over. If youre impatient pop the pan in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes so the top firms up first, makes spreading way easier.

Tip 2: Melt the chocolate and butter really gently and chop the chocolate small so it melts evenly. Microwave in 20 second bursts stirring each time or set the bowl over barely simmering water. If the chocolate feels a little hot cool it a bit before adding eggs so you dont accidentally cook them.

Tip 3: Aim to slightly underbake the brownies so they stay fudgy, the edges should be set and the center still have a little jiggle, theyll finish as they cool. A toothpick will lie to you sometimes so watch the edge color and the jiggle not just the stick.

Tip 4: Treat the flour for the cookie dough if youre eating it raw, and keep the dough chilly so it holds its shape when you spread it. Also use good quality chocolate for the brownie base and save chips for the cookie layer, it really boosts the flavor. Sprinkle flaky sea salt right before serving for a nice salty pop.