Brookies: Brownies and Cookies Together, Layered in One Pan

Fudgy brownie on the bottom, buttery chocolate chip cookie on top, baked in one 8-inch pan in about 35 minutes.

Brownies and cookies together are fragile while hot: cut before they’ve rested 30–45 minutes and the layers crack apart at the seam. Bake until a toothpick shows moist crumbs, not wet batter or clean.

Brookie Ingredients

Makes 12 in an 8-inch square pan at 350°F, lined with foil.

Brownie layer:

• ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
• ⅓ cup (70 g) packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup (65 g) flour
• ¼ cup (30 g) dark cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chips

Cookie layer:

• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup (70 g) brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (70 g) white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup (130 g) flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chips

Also:

• Foil to line the pan
• Flaky sea salt (fleur de sel or Maldon-style) for the top, optional

How to Make Brookies

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on two sides so you can lift the whole slab out later.
2. Make the brownie batter and press it flat across the bottom of the pan. The batter is thick, so dampen your fingers to press it into an even layer without it sticking to your hands.
3. Make the cookie dough.
4. Spread the cookie dough gently over the brownie layer. Take your time here because both layers are delicate and you want the dough to cover evenly so every piece has both textures. If you’re using flaky salt, sprinkle it over the top now.
5. Bake about 35 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. You want crumbs, not dry cake and not wet batter.
6. Cool the pan on a rack about 20 minutes, then lift the whole thing out by the foil and slice into 12 bars.

What Brookies Are

A brookie is a brownie layer topped with chocolate chip cookie dough, baked together in one pan. The two halves are roughly equal parts: brownie batter on the bottom, cookie dough spread over it.

The contrast is the whole appeal.

The bottom is fudgy and dense, almost like fudge, and the top is a buttery, chewy cookie with a little give. Each bite has both textures, and a pinch of salt on top keeps all that chocolate from tasting flat.

Both layers are rich and gooey, so cut small squares. One batch makes 12 bars, and a modest piece is plenty next to a glass of milk.

Doneness Cues

The clock is only a guide.

The boxed-mix version is listed at 350 degrees for 27–30 minutes, but your oven and pan decide the real finish. Look for a cookie layer that has set, and on mix versions, cookie pieces that have turned golden.

Then test the brownie beneath.

A tester should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter and not clean and dry. Bake past that and you lose the soft, moist brownie center that makes a brookie worth the trouble.

If the top browns too much before the middle is done, tent foil over the pan, and check halfway through the bake. Glass pans may need longer than metal, so start testing later.

Cool Before Cutting

Line the pan with a foil or parchment sling, leaving the edges hanging over the sides, so you can lift the whole slab out in one piece.

Press the thick brownie batter into an even layer with lightly dampened fingertips, then spread the cookie dough over it gently.

Pushing hard drags batter into the dough and leaves one end thinner than the other. Damp fingers also keep the dough from sticking as you smooth it.

Hot brookies are fragile, and cut too soon they crack or slide apart at the seam between layers. Leave them in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then wait at least 30–45 minutes before slicing so the layers set.

A deeper pan needs longer. Lift by the sling, then cut.

Scratch or Boxed Mix

Mixes suit a last-minute treat: 5 minutes of prep for either mix route, against 20 for the 16-piece scratch version.

With refrigerated dough you use only about two-thirds of the package. Scratch takes more bowls, and you need a brownie batter you can spread and a cookie dough thick enough to hold its shape on top.

Route	Pan	Yield	Bake time
Scratch	8-inch	12	About 35 minutes
Scratch	8-by-8 or 9-by-9 inch	16	30 minutes
Brownie mix + cookie mix (19.9 oz, 17 oz)	9-by-13 inch	20	27–30 minutes at 350°F
Brownie mix + refrigerated dough (18.3 oz, 16 oz)	9-by-13 inch	24	35 minutes

Mix-Ins and Swaps

Small changes to the batter or dough shift the flavor more than you’d expect:

• Stir nuts, extra chips, or caramel bits into either layer.
• Use semisweet and dark chips together in the cookie dough to temper the sweetness.
• With boxed mix, use milk instead of the water on the box, plus extra vanilla and a pinch of salt.
• Drizzle chocolate sauce over the bars the moment they leave the oven.
• Peanut butter or oatmeal cookie mix can replace chocolate chip.
• Natural cocoa can replace dark, but the flavor and color change.
• Light brown sugar can replace dark; the cookie layer will be slightly less chewy.
• Mix brownie batter only until combined. An extra egg or overmixing makes it cakey.

Storage and Freezing

Brookies are a good make-ahead dessert. Cool the pan completely before you wrap anything, then store them one of three ways:

• Counter: Keep them in an airtight container, or on a plate covered tightly with plastic wrap, for 4–5 days.
• Fridge: Cover them well and they last longer than they do on the counter. Use this for a batch you can’t finish within a few days.
• Freezer: Seal cooled bars in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Put wax paper between the layers so the bars don’t freeze into one block.
• Serving from frozen: Thaw the bars before you serve them.

Brownie Chunk Cookies

A brownie chunk cookie is a chocolate chip cookie with baked brownie folded in, so it bakes as a cookie and not a layered bar.

Bake a pan of brownies, cut about one-third into chunks, and freeze them until completely firm. The freezer is the step that decides the result:

That way, the brownies are firm enough to survive being folded into the dough rather than turning into chocolaty mush.

— Yahoo

Soft chunks smear into the dough and leave you with chocolate streaks instead of fudgy pockets.

Fold the chunks in gently, then refrigerate the dough about 30 minutes.

Portion it and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. You get about 2 dozen cookies with crisp edges and brownie in the middle.

Brownie Cookies Are Not Brookies

Brownie cookies are one dough: a brownie-style batter scooped into rounds, with no cookie layer and no second mix. A brookie bar stacks two batters in one pan, while these are a single chocolate batter baked on a sheet.

Beat the eggs and sugar for about 4 minutes, until light and frothy. That trapped air gives you the shiny, crackly top.

Then chill the batter for about 30 minutes. Underchilled dough spreads flat and thin.

Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, with scoops spaced 2–3 inches apart. The cookies look soft when they come out and firm up as they cool, so leave them on the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions