Have you heard of brookies? If you’re unfamiliar, fear not, because we are going to get down to the nitty gritty in today’s #monthofchocolate installment. Brookies are essentially brownie cookie bars, a treat that is equal parts chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter. Both components are baked into one ultra-rich and satisfying dessert, the ultimate treat for the chocolate lover who refuses to choose between chocolate chip cookies and brownies.

The Story Behind Brookies

My experience with brookies began as a kid. Growing up, my Nana and I took day trips to the next town over where we shopped for books and ate lunch. We spent hours thumbing through stories and magazines, acquiring stacks of paperbacks and colorfully illustrated pages to take home for keeps. Any vacation to visit my Nana was incomplete without an outing to that bookseller, and I firmly believe that my love for reading and writing began in the quiet corners of that store.

Shopping always came before lunch, and we chose the same restaurant each time. In keeping with our tradition, dessert came first, and we filled our bellies on slices of banana cream pie and brookies. Occasionally, we would save room for lunch, but the beauty of those meals was the space to do something that felt out of the ordinary and special. That act of eating dessert first became like a sacred right, a privilege reserved for meals spent across the table from my Nana.

Fond Memories

A sidetone on this: do you guys have memories like that? Are there people in your life who have created those moments for you? I think some humans have a knack for making ordinary days and places and moments sparkle. They thrive on creating magic for others and have the seemingly innate ability to make the everyday memorable. In a long list of qualities that I hope to inherit from my Nana, this is one: I want to create meaning from the mundane. I want to be a person who can polish life’s simple moments until they become someone’s treasure.

In retrospect, the brookies we enjoyed all those years weren’t that great. You could kinda tell it was one of those mass-produced desserts that was microwaved at the last minute and served a la mode. But the prospect of greatness is still there- a brownie and cookie combined?! Could anything in the world be more tantalizing?

These brookies are made from a simple cocoa powder brownie batter that is topped with an equally easy chocolate chip cookie dough. The recipe can be prepped in ten minutes flat, yet has that “OH MY GOSH, WHO BROUGHT THESE?” kind of a effect on the people who eat them. They’re just that fab.

Making Brookies

To make them, we start with the brownie batter. First, melted butter combines with sugar before we add egg and vanilla. Secondly, add the flour, leavening and cocoa powder, and fold in the chocolate chunks. Lastly, spread the brownie goodness into the bottom of a 9″ baking dish.

Afterwards, we get started on the cookie dough. Again, melted butter and sugar stir together before egg and vanilla adds in. The dry ingredients and chocolate chunks stir in next, and the dough spread on top of the brownie batter. A sprinkle of salt finishes the bars, and the whole pan bakes in the oven until puffed and baked through.

Fresh from the oven, the brookies have a cookie texture and an ultra-chocolatey flavor. They store terrifically in the freezer, but my guess is that they won’t last that long. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Next week is our very last week of #monthofchocolate (BRB, I’m actually crying real tears). How about we celebrate with two desserts?! Don’t worry, I’ve totally saved the best for last. Happy Tuesday and Happy Baking!

If you like these brookies, you should check out:

Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies

Derby Pie Bars

Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Blondies

Peppermint Bark Brownies

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

These brookies are brownie cookie bars- a layer of brownie batter topped with a chocolate chip cookie dough! This simple one-bowl recipe is perfect for the person who just can’t choose. 

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the brownie:

• ¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) sugar
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup (65 gm) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (30 gm) dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (85 gm) semisweet chocolate chips

 

For the cookie:

• 6 tablespoons (85 gm) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup (130 gm) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• ½ cup (85 gm) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

To prepare the brownie layer:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 or 9” square baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the bottom with baking spray.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat until just barely melted. Pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk in the sugar and brown sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until the ingredients are well incorporated. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. You can use lightly moistened fingers to pat it out evenly.

 

To prepare the cookie layer:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat until just barely melted. Pour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk in the sugar and brown sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt and stir with a wooden spoon until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until the ingredients are well incorporated. Spread the mixture on top of the brownie layer. Sprinkle the top of the cookie with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and then bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just barely comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes before pulling the aluminum foil and bars out. Once cooled, slice into squares.

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