If you’ve been looking for show-stopping brownie recipes, look no further. These incredible cookie dough brownies combine the irresistible flavor of chocolate chip cookie dough with rich chocolate brownies and a decadent chocolate topping.
If you are a chocoholic, you’re likely to fall in love with these brownies that have two layers of decadent chocolate. The bottom layer is a chewy and fudgy brownie base while the top layer is a thick, velvety ganache.
Cookie dough lovers can rejoice, too. In between those luscious layers of chocolate is egg-free cookie dough that takes these brownies to the next level.
Don’t sleep on making these mouth-watering brownies — they’re bound to become one of your new favorite desserts.
Why You’ll Love Cookie Dough Brownies
This rich fudgy brownie combines two popular favorites — what’s not to love?
- Delicious – These bars are the perfect balance of chocolatey brownie and sweet cookie dough.
- Impressive – This dessert is perfect for parties and gatherings — get ready for everyone to ask for the recipe.
- Customizable – Add different types of chocolate chips or even sprinkle some sea salt on for salty and sweet flavor.
- Easy – There are a few different elements of these brownies, but the recipe doesn’t require any complicated techniques or equipment.
Ingredients
Placing all of these simple ingredients before beginning baking will help to make it easier to transition between each step.
Brownie Layer
- Unsalted butter: Butter adds rich flavor to the brownie.
- Chocolate chips (divided): The chocolate chips provide the perfect texture and flavor.
- Large eggs: The eggs act as a binder, helping to keep the ingredients together.
- Brown sugar: This ingredient adds moisture to the brownies, helping to make them extra ooey-gooey.
- Vanilla extract: Just a little bit of vanilla extract is all you need to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients and balance the flavors of these brownies.
- Cocoa powder: This gives the brownies even more chocolatey flavor.
- Flour: This leavening agent helps to give the brownies structure and make them thick.
- Salt: Salt brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Cookie Dough Layer
- Flour: Flour is a key component of this layer, helping to give the cookie dough structure.
- Butter (softened): Butter helps to develop the flavor and texture of this layer.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar imparts molasses flavor. Use light brown sugar for a less pronounced molasses flavor or dark brown sugar for more.
- Salt: Makes all the other flavors in the cookie dough layer pop.
- Milk: Full-fat milk is ideal — the fat helps to create the perfect texture.
- Mini chocolate chips: These are a key ingredient, too — you can’t have cookie dough without the chocolate chips!
Chocolate Layer
- Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips are the star of the show in this rich layer.
- Butter: Butter helps to create just the right consistency of the chocolate layer.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Anyone who tries this sweet treat will be shocked to learn how absolutely easy they are to make.
Brownie Layer
- Melt butter and chocolate chips. Microwave the butter and chocolate chips in intervals in a microwave-safe bowl or use a double boiler method to melt the chocolate.
- Whisk eggs and brown sugar. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar.
- Combine. Stir the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, followed by the vanilla.
- Dry ingredients. Add the remaining dry ingredients (sifted cocoa powder, flour, and salt). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are incorporated.
- Bake and cool. Pour the brownie batter into a prepared baking pan and bake until it passes the toothpick test. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow to come to room temperature.
Cookie Dough Layer
- Heat treat flour. Prepare the cookie dough layer by first spreading flour on a baking sheet and heat treat it for the recommended time. This step is optional.
- Beat butter and brown sugar. While allowing the flour to cool, beat together the butter and brown sugar.
- Mix in vanilla, salt and milk. Once the brown sugar mixture is creamy, mix in the vanilla, salt, and milk.
- Add flour. Add the cooled, heat-treated flour, then use a wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips.
- Press onto brownies. Press the cookie dough topping on top of the cooled brownies in an even layer.
Chocolate Layer
- Melt chocolate chips and butter. Microwave the remaining chocolate chips and butter in intervals until melted.
- Pour over cookie dough. Spread the chocolate ganache over the cookie dough layer and refrigerate until set.
What to Serve with Cookie Dough Brownies
There are already so many flavors and textures in these rich, decadent brownies, you hardly need anything to go with them. However, you can always drizzle them with caramel sauce or add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to add nuance to these amazing brownies.
- Nuts – Before refrigerating, sprinkle crushed nuts over the top chocolate layer, or fold them into the brownie mixture.
- Chocolate chips – Change up the chips by using different types of chocolate from dark chocolate or milk chocolate to white chocolate chips.
- Flour – Use your favorite flour alternative.
Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing
You can store these fudgy brownies both frosted with the chocolate topping or unfrosted.
Make Ahead: The brownie batter can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cookie dough can also be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Refrigerator: Store frosted brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze brownies for up to 2 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
Common Questions About Cookie Dough Brownies
Cookie dough brownies are a decadent sweet dessert that combines brownies and cookie dough. They are made by baking brownie batter and topping it with a layer of edible cookie dough before finally topping it all with a creamy, fudgy layer of chocolate.
There are many different recipes for cookie dough brownies, but the basic steps include making the brownies and the cookie dough. Whether or not they are both baked depends on the type of cookie dough in the recipe — raw cookie dough made with eggs will need to be baked while eggless cookie dough will not need to be.
We recommend always using high-quality ingredients for the best results. Also, avoid overmixing the batter or overbaking the brownies so that they turn out moist.
Other Sweet Handheld Treats
- Frosted Brownies (Lunch Lady Brownies)
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Thin Mint Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Brownies Using Applesauce
- Red Velvet Brownies
Cosmic Brownies
S’More Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
Cookie Dough Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownie
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips divided
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cookie Dough Layer
- 1 cup flour
- 5 Tablespoons butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Layer
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 3 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
Brownie Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350º degrees and line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and chocolate chips together by microwaving in a microwave-safe bowl at 15 second intervals, or gently heating over the stove in a double boiler until just melted.
- Whisk the eggs and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, chocolate chips and vanilla, and whisking until no streaks remain.
- Stir in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and bake in center of the oven for 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
- Remove and let cool.
Cookie Dough Layer:
- This step is optional. Spread the flour onto a baking sheet (a layer of parchment paper makes it super easy to funnel it into your mixing bowl later). Bake in 350º oven for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar, then add the vanilla, salt and milk, then flour. Lastly, fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Press the cookie dough mixture on top of the brownie layer.
Chocolate Layer:
- Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of the butter together in a microwave safe bowl at 15 seconds intervals until just melted. Spread on top of cookie dough layer using an offset spatula.
- Refrigerate until chocolate sets.
- Slice into 12-16 bars.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
My two favorite desserts combined!! I have never thought to make these. My kids will go nuts! Thanks for sharing.
Cant wait to try these brownies for my family. So delicious it is. Thanks for sharing
Whipped up a batch of these for an afternoon treat, and they did not disappoint! Easy, creamy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!
Absolutely delicious; thank you for this fantastic recipe!
That extra layer of chocolate is what hooked me. We are going to have our kitchen back soon, and THIS is gonna be our first baking recipe!