Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
These chocolate chip cookie dough brownies start with my favorite basic brownie recipe, and are topped with an egg-free cookie dough.
I posted a version of this recipe nearly six years ago, and while the concept (brownies + cookie dough!) is amazing, many of the reviewers thought that the recipe was a bit lacking, both in flavor and texture. Since this has been an incredibly popular recipe, I wanted to do it right and have updated it to include new-and-improved versions of both the brownies and the cookie dough, yummmm…
Brownies are sort of like cheesecake, aren’t they? There’s nothing better than the perfect dense, fudgy brownie, just like not much can beat a classic piece of creamy cheesecake. Yet with both of these desserts we’re always fiddling around with different versions, swirling things in and layering things on the top and the bottom (incidentally, peanut butter goes well with both!). It’s an endless merry go round of dessert experimentation, where there really can never be a bad result. I mean, chocolate chip cookie dough brownies? Nothing but good comes from these babies.
Hello beautiful bowl of cookie dough I can eat guilt-free with a spoon…
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When I first saw these chocolate chip cookie dough brownies years ago on RecipeGirl I stopped in my tracks. Aside from looking amazing, they were pure genius. I had done the whole chocolate chip cookie/brownie combo, but chocolate chip cookie dough?! SO much better! The topping for these brownies is very similar to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip that a friend passed along to me years and years ago, which is always a huge hit. The cookie dough is egg-free, so no raw egg consumption. (Your mom just breathed a sigh of relief.) This cookie dough is a little stiffer than the dip, so it holds up well to slicing and eating with your hands – no fork needed!
For this revised version, I turned to a combination of favorites – the better-than-box-mix brownies, which are fabulously simple and my favorite brownie recipe to dress up with other flavors. On top I used the cookie dough from my chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which hails from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook (written by Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil). The combo is a total home run – dense and fudgy brownies with intense chocolate flavor, along with the best edible cookie dough money can buy!
You know how milk and cookies go well together? How it’s great to wash down a rich brownie with a glass of milk? Yeah, you’re going to need at least one glass of milk after one of these babies – they are sweet and rich, and everything that is right with the world.
One year ago: Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa
Two years ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Main Dishes
Six years ago: Crunchy Good-For-You Granola Bars
Seven years ago: Raisin Bran Muffins
Nine years ago: Cheesecake Truffles
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownie
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa
- ½ cup (125 ml) + 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (109 ml) + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (180 g) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the Brownies: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about a one-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk cocoa powder and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the melted butter and oil (the mixture may look curdled at this point, that’s okay!). Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Combine the butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream, vanilla and salt, and mix for another minute or so, until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about an hour. Transfer the brownies to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the brownies into squares. The brownies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on July 21, 2011.
These turned out horrible. They were dry and tasted like flour. Followed the recipe exactly. And the “cookie dough” was the farthest thing from cookie dough.
Maybe its you sya it turned out horrible but brownie mix turned out excleent for me but cookie dough part taste like sugar all around and brownie mix sank in middle after cool down phase I use correct size pan that was called in recipie
Typo maybe its us
My boyfriend is in the Navy and packages take about four days to deliver, these egg-less cookie dough brownies are the perfect thing to send my sweet toothed fella! Thank you
I just made these ! AMAZING. AMAZING.
I did a few things like using salted butter for the cookie dough part – because i was running out of unsalted, but it turned out great, and my mum really liked it because it wasn’t too sweet because of the amendment I made ! GREAT RECIPE. So impressive as well !
Made this same recipe from a WQED cook book and they are fabulous! Cut them in small squares, for they are very rich! And they weigh a ton – a ton of deliciousness!
Woops!!! My fav recipe is the cookie dough Brownies! I was looking at your cheesecake recipes before I commented. Lol. ;)
Would it be possible to make this recipe using unsweetened coco powder instead of the melting chocolate?
Hi Samantha, I would recommend making the recipe as written to ensure it comes out correctly, but if you must substitute, there are instructions for cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate substitutions here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/
Your recipies do dreadful things to my waistline, and that’s just looking at them! I had to make this first, it looks so amazing. The only glitch was that the dough was quite firm and hard to spread, but maybe that’s because it’s quite cold in my kitchen. I’ll try warming it ever so slightly next time. And there will be a next time because I’ve just tasted it and it’s FAB!
(took me ages to translate the measures to UK weights!)
My brownie mix was very light – almost like a mousse – and baked to a cake-like consistency instead of the dense fudgy brownie that I was hoping for. The finished product still tastes good, but the texture just isn’t right. Any idea’s on what I could have done wrong?
Hi Lauren, The batter may have been whipped too much in the mixture; that would cause a more mousse-like texture, specifically when the eggs are beat in.
I LOVE YOUR SITEEE!! very well organized and great recipes! xx
Wow these are totes amaze, I will actually make these for real xox
These are like CRACK!! So yummy, I used a boxed brownie mix for the bottom layer and they were delicious :)
These bars combine two of my favorite things! Can’t wait to make some!
Needs salt – for sure!!
I knew these would be a hit with my 12-year-old daughter and her friends, but I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed when I first made them. However, I discovered, they are MUCH better when thoroughly chilled and served the next day! In fact, I just ate two for breakfast. :) A fun, unique take on a traditional brownie.
One of my favorite recipes and is fun to make something different than just brownies or chocolate chip cookies. Many positive comments from friends and family.
these look perfect! so yummy and pretty at the same time!
Is the batter for the brownie suppose to be the consistency of mousse? I have it in the oven with fingers crossed..
Hi Heather, From what I remember (I haven’t made these in a little while) the batter isn’t too light, but it will probably still be delicious!
My son is a raw cookie dough kind of guy. So when he turned 17, I made this for his birthday cake. SCORE!!! He proclaimed it to be THE best birthday cake he’s ever had!!! Thanks for making me look good! :)
Holy awesome! These look SUBLIME. Do they have all of the required nutrients and minerals a growing girl needs because I’m about to live on these and nothing else!
I made these today and they are cooling in the fridge so I haven’t “officially” eaten one yet. I did taste the layers separately and both are fantastic, so it can only get better, right?
The only problem I ran into is that I did not have enough cookie down to even cover 3/4 of the pan of brownie with a scant 1/2″ layer of dough, never mind the thick layer pictured. I’m not sure why this is (I used all the correct quantities and the correct pan size), but next time I make them I will simply double the quantities in the cookie dough part.
Oops, I meant scant 1/4″ layer.
My bad. lol Now that I’ve cut the squares, I see the layer of cookie dough is quite thick. I didn’t realize the brownie part was “compressing” so much while I was putting the dough topping on.
i was wondering why mine always stick does anyone know how to avoid that?
These are absolutely finominal. The brownie is so moist and soft, the base is very thick, topped with perfectly rich cookie dough. These blew me away!! Probably best brownies I’ll ever make.
i think i just had an orgasm in my mouth… these are a m a z i n g. <3
Raw flour may actually not be entirely safe, one example here: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/09/news/la-heb-cookie-dough-e-coli-20111209
However, I will probably be making these anyway!
I just want to ask if the recipe for cookie dough, is all purpose flour really raw. no need to bake it. thanks
Yes. You are correct – no need to bake. Flour does not need to be cooked. No different than eating oats in granola, etc. Flour is just ground up very fine. I hope that comparison makes sense for you. Enjoy — these are awesome. My 21 year old son even makes these!!
I have this cookie recipe that I am including and it is really smooth — like a shortbread almost. I’m thinking that people aren’t beating the butter and sugars and milk together long enough to reduce the granulation of the sugar. It needs to be creamed more and the top will stick more and be smoother. I’m including my recipe so people can compare. This recipe below is quite similar and has no eggs. We love eating this dough with it’s smoothness. We’ve been making this for over 25 years and I think that is the trick for you all.
Choco Chip Pan Cookies(Van Ee)
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 c. butter
2 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c walnuts
1 c. br sugar
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
Cream butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add flour and mix well. Stir in nuts. Pat into ungreased, small cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Push into top chocolate chips. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees or until lightly browned. Cut while hot. Shortbread like taste.
I tried this recipe and it was a hit!!!!! omg so yummy! :) thank you!
These were a BIG! BIG! HIT!
Delicious, light, and not too sweet, Just right!
A handful of people mentioned the only thing they were disappointed by was that it didn’t have the actual texture of a brownie, other than that no one spoke a word besides mmmm… and I’ll have another piece.
These look great! I am wondering if I could use boxed brownies? I have a bunch I got a good deal on & it would be a $$ saver for me? Just curious, thank you! I found this on Pinterest
Hi Claire, Sure, I don’t see why not! Just make sure the box mix makes enough for a 9×13 pan.
In reference to the question back in July, about separating layers from brownie and topping- Just a thought; perhaps if you do not wait until the brownie (or bottom of any other like recipe) is not completely cooled before you put the top layer the warmth will act as a “glue”. Of course not warm enough that the top layer would slide off.. lol.