Description
These Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies combine the rich, fudgy texture of classic brownies with the soft, chewy goodness of chocolate chip cookie dough topping. Featuring a homemade brownie base with melted dark chocolate chunks and a generous layer of cookie dough dotted with semi-sweet chocolate chips, they offer the ultimate indulgence for chocolate lovers. Finished with optional flaky sea salt for a perfect sweet-salty balance, these bars are baked to perfection with a unique technique that ensures a dense, gooey center.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Batter
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3.5 oz (100g) 70% cocoa chocolate bar, chopped (reserve some pieces for topping)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (67g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (130g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
- Flaky sea salt (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter an 8×8 inch baking pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- Melt Butter for Brownie Batter: In a small pot, melt ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter over medium heat until fully melted and sizzling.
- Mix Sugars into Butter: Pour the hot melted butter into a large bowl. Immediately add ½ cup (100g) dark brown sugar and ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, mixing to combine. The mixture will be grainy at this point.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Whisk in 2 large room temperature eggs and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Chocolate: Add ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 3.5 oz (100g) chopped 70% cocoa chocolate bar (reserve some pieces for topping). Mix gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
- Pour Brownie Batter into Pan: Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Prepare to Make Cookie Dough: Lightly wipe out the bowl used for the brownie batter so it’s mostly clean for cookie dough preparation.
- Melt Butter for Cookie Dough: Melt 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter in a pot over medium heat until fully melted.
- Add Sugars to Butter: Pour melted butter into the bowl. Add ⅓ cup (67g) dark brown sugar and ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, mixing to moisten the sugars.
- Whisk in Egg and Vanilla: Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, whisking until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix until the dough is streak-free.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold ¾ cup (130g) semi-sweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
- Dollop Cookie Dough Over Brownie Batter: Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop chunks of cookie dough and dollop them evenly over the brownie layer in the pan.
- Press Cookie Dough: Gently press each dollop to wedge it into the brownie batter and roughly even out the top layer. Sprinkle reserved chopped chocolate pieces and additional chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake First Stage: Bake the brownies in the center of the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Bake Center Deflation Step: Remove the pan from the oven and keeping the oven door closed, firmly bang the pan 5 or 6 times on your countertop. This helps deflate the center and create a denser texture.
- Bake Second Stage: Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 8-12 minutes or until the cookie dough is evenly browned on top.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift them out and slice into 16 bars. Optionally, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before serving.
Notes
- Adding a chopped 70% cocoa chocolate bar to the brownie batter makes the brownies extra gooey and fudgy, with a perfect bitterness to balance the sweetness. You can omit it if preferred, but expect a slightly less fudgy texture.
- Giving the pan a few firm bangs halfway through baking helps remove air bubbles for a denser, fudgier texture. If you skip this, bake the brownies continuously for about 32-38 minutes; the result will be slightly cakier.
- Using parchment paper with overhang is recommended for easy removal of the brownies from the pan.
- Ensure ingredients like eggs and butter are at room temperature for best mixing results.
Keywords: Chocolate chip cookie brownies, fudgy brownies, cookie dough topping, chocolate desserts, homemade brownies, easy dessert recipe