These Brown Butter Brookies are the ultimate dessert combo! They are rich, fudgy and gooey bars made with brown butter brownie batter and brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough. They are easy to make and the perfect choice for when you can't decide between brownies and cookies (in fact, I prefer them over both individual desserts!).
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
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What are brookies?
Brookies are dessert bars (or squares) made by combining brownie batter with cookie dough. They have a fudgy and chewy texture, with a delicious chocolatey, buttery flavor, and are a great way to combine and enjoy the two popular desserts.
Why you should try this recipe
These brookies combine my favorite brown butter chocolate chip cookies with my perfect fudgy brownies, with slight adjustments made to both recipes to achieve the perfect flavor and texture. Here's why you need to try them:
- They taste decadent, chocolatey and expensive - not sugary! I find most brookie recipes to be too sweet or vanilla-y, but these brookies do it just right! They have the perfect amount of sweetness which lets the chocolate flavor shine
- They are taken to the next level with brown butter and espresso. A small amount of espresso in both batters adds a wonderful depth of flavor, while the use of brown butter instead of regular butter adds a lovely nutty, caramel flavor and aroma
- They are the perfect combination of textures. Think crispy on the edges, gooey in the brownie parts, chewy in the cookie parts, and fudgy all over with lots of melted chocolate. Sounds like heaven, right!?
- They're easy to make. Sure, they need a bit more work because you're making two different kinds of batter, but each batter on its own is fuss free and does not even require a mixer!
Tips to perfect this recipe
A few important tips to get this recipe just right:
- Weigh the dry ingredients! This will give a lot more accurate results, and will make sure you don't accidentally add too much flour which can make the brookies dry
- Use Dutch Processed cocoa powder for the brownies. It is much more chocolatey in flavor! This one is my current favorite
- Use good quality dark chocolate in the brownie batter. I recommend 60-70% cocoa; this is important in getting the right depth of flavor
- Avoid overmixing both batters. When adding in the flour and dry ingredients, fold gently and only until combined
- Do not skimp out on the salt and espresso. Both of these add a wonderful depth of flavor to this recipe
- Use a mixture of milk and dark chocolate for the chunks. This adds a lot more depth of flavor vs using just semi sweet chocolate. I also highly, highly recommend using chopped chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips, as they melt more and add more texture. My favorite chocolates to use in this recipe are the Lindt dark chocolate and Lindt milk chocolate. For a more expensive version, I love Valrhona Caraibe and Jivara
- Do not overbake! Remember, the brookies will continue to cook and set after coming out of the oven, so let them be slightly underdone (with a toothpick coming out with a little gooey, sticky batter). If you want a more chewy, crumbly texture, you can definitely bake for longer, though!
Video tutorial
Here is a short video tutorial for this recipe that I recommend watching:
Process with photos
The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
1. Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough batter
For more detailed instructions and FAQs on my brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough, I highly recommend checking out this blog post! It covers common mistakes and will help you get this mixture just right.
Brown the butter, then stir in the sugars:
Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and espresso until smooth and caramel-y:
Sift in all the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate, and fold gently until combined:
2. Prepare the brownie batter
Pour brown butter over the chocolate and mix to combine:
Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso:
Separately, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and ribbony:
Whisk in the chocolate mixture:
Lastly, fold in the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate:
Assembling brown butter brookies
In a lined 9x9" square pan, first spread a thin layer of the brownie batter. Then dollop on both batters in an alternating fashion, and top off with more chopped chocolate:
Bake, serve & enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
No, I do not recommend using regular butter in this recipe. It has specifically been developed for brown butter, and browning reduces the amount of moisture in butter. Using regular butter will alter the outcome.
Check with a toothpick inserted in the middle; it should come out with moist crumbs and a small amount of gooey batter (it should be sticky, not wet). This is a great point to take the brookies out of the oven, as they will continue to cook as they cool down. When in doubt, I recommend leaning towards underbaking vs overbaking!
Store the brookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, and reheat in the microwave to eat.
I don't recommend making brookies in advance, because their texture is the best and fudgiest when they are freshly baked. They become dry with time.
Related recipes
Brown Butter Brookies Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 brookies
Description
Fudgy brownies meet chewy chocolate chip cookies in these delicious, gooey and decadent brown butter brookies!
Ingredients
Cookie dough batter:
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g)
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp instant coffee + 1 tsp water
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour (163g)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 6 oz chopped chocolate, mix of milk and dark recommended (170g)
Brownie batter:
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g)
- 4 oz high quality dark chocolate (113g), between 60-70% cocoa, chopped
- 1 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (35g); Dutch processed preferred
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup all purpose flour (65g)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 oz chopped chocolate (85g); milk and dark combined
Instructions
Cookie dough batter:
- Place the butter in a non-stick pan and melt it on medium-low heat. Keep stirring for a few minutes until the butter starts to look brown and develops a caramel-y nutty aroma
- Turn the heat all the way to the lowest setting, and add the brown and white sugars. Whisk on the lowest flame for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat. The mixture may look somewhat grainy, don't worry
- Remove from heat and cool the mixture for 5 minutes. It should be warm, but not hot anymore
- Add the egg and yolk, and quickly whisk to incorporate. Add the vanilla and instant coffee dissolved in hot water, and whisk for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes very smooth and creamy like caramel
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Add the chopped chocolate and mix everything together
- Make sure the wet ingredients aren't hot (they shouldn't be). Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 batches and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix!
Brownie batter:
- Pre-heat your oven to 350F (conventional, no fan) and prepare a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper
- Melt and brown the butter in a saucepan just like you did for the cookie dough batter
- Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot brown butter on top. Let rest for 2-3 minutes, then stir until the chocolate melts and a smooth mixture forms
- Add the instant coffee dissolve in hot water, and sift in the cocoa powder. Whisk them into the butter and chocolate mixture until smooth
- In a separate bowl, add the eggs and sugar , and whisk for a few minutes until the mixture becomes really light in color (almost white) and thick and fluffy in texture
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk until combined
- Sift in the flour and salt, and gently fold until just combined
- Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate
Assembly and baking:
- Spread a thin layer of the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepare 9x9 pan (about ~⅓ of the batter)
- Dollop on chunks of the cookie dough batter in a haphazard way, with some brownie batter still showing through (you can flatten it with your hands a bit if needed). Then spoon on dollops of the brownie batter, with some cookie dough batter still showing through. Repeat and alternate until all the cookie dough batter and brownie batter are used up. The idea is to have alternating brownie and cookie batter in every bite, so you're trying to layer and alternate them without mixing them too much (see pictures in blog post above)
- Flatten the batters lightly with a spatula. Optionally, sprinkle some more chopped chocolate on top
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for ~35 minutes
- Let the brookies cool down in the pan (outside the oven) for at least 20 minutes. Then carefully remove and cut with a sharp knife. Serve & enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
Notes
- Make sure not to overbake the brookies. Check with a toothpick around the 32 minute mark, it should come out with some gooey batter (not wet but sticky). If it's wet / raw better, bake for a few more minutes
- Read the tips in the blog post above to get the best results from this recipe!
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Steph says
As soon as I saw this recipe, I had to make it because I have tried and loved your brownies and cookies. And this is yet another winner! Absolutely delicious, and your instructions with pictures were very helpful. Thank you as always 🙂
Azgeri says
oh my, this is the best brookie I've ever tasted. I've made it thrice since you posted it last week. Its been a big hit with my fussy family. This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you for sharing your great recipes.
CALLY MERKS says
hello. could you please help me what to do if i only have a fan oven..
Dana says
Quite a bit of work since you’re making two batters, but oh my was it worth it. The best of both brownie and cookie worlds!
Susan Eid says
Amazing recipes so delicious
Atrooba Ahmed says
Tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out yummm!
Tintu says
best recipe
Ayesha Sharif says
Hey Zoha!
Thanks for the amazing recipe! This was the first time that I ever baked and I feel so happy that it turned out so good. I followed the recipe including the weight measurements to a T and it was perfection! For context, I’m currently a medicine Resident and don’t usually have time to bake so I feel so happy that it turned out so well. I shared it with my friends and they loved the brookie!!
emaan says
the idea of mixing sugar in warm butter ruined everything for me.... nah it did not work for me