Cookie Dough Brownies
Fudgy brownies made with a chocolate chip cookie dough layer baked right inside and topped with a safe-to-eat, creamy chocolate chip cookie dough buttercream. Perfect for when you can't decide on whether to choose a cookie or a brownie!
Servings: 16 brownies
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- 1 and ⅛ cup (135g) heat-treated flour1
- 1 teaspoon (3g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 2 and ½ Tablespoons (38g) pasteurized egg whites2 at room temperature
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (112g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
BROWNIES
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cut into 6-8 slices
- 8 ounces (227g) semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature preferred3
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ teaspoon salt
COOKIE DOUGH BUTTERCREAM
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5g) milk or cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup reserved cookie dough
Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!
Instructions
COOKIE DOUGH
- In a small bowl, sift together the heat-treated flour, cornstarch, and salt. Remove any large chunks of flour that may remain. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
- Add the egg white and the vanilla and beat again on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined, then add the chocolate chips and mix again until evenly dispersed.
- Refrigerate or freeze cookie dough for 15 minutes, or until the dough is easy to handle.
BROWNIES
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line an 8" or 9" square baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and chopped chocolate, stirring frequently until completely smooth. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Whisk sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth, then add the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir gently until completely combined.
- Pour about ¼ of the batter into the prepared pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan (use a spatula or spoon to spread it out). Set aside.
- Remove ½ cup of the cookie dough and set aside. Working with the remaining cookie dough, pull off quarter-size chunks and flatten with your fingers. Place flattened chunks randomly on top of the brownie batter until all of the batter is covered. It's ok if some spots are not covered.
- Once you have covered the batter, you can add whatever cookie dough is leftover to the reserved ½ cup. This cookie dough will be used for the frosting, and you should now have a total of about ¾ cup reserved for that.
- Pour the remaining brownie batter evenly on top of the flattened cookie dough chunks, using a spatula or spoon to gently cover all of the cookie dough. Gently tap the baking pan on the counter a few times to encourage any air bubbles between the cookie dough and brownie batter to pop. Bake brownies for 27-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.
COOKIE DOUGH BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn the mixer to high to let the frosting get light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes). The frosting will become lighter in color as air incorporates into it.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium. Divide the reserved cookie dough in half. Working with one half, break the reserved cookie dough into quarter-size chunks and add to the frosting a few at a time. Continue to mix on medium speed until all the chunks are added, then turn the mixer to high and mix until the chunks disappear and are completely blended into the frosting.
- Break the remaining half of the reserved cookie dough into quarter-size chunks, and add all of the chunks at one time to the bowl, and mix on medium speed until just incorporated.
- Remove the cooled brownies from the baking pan using the foil overhangs, peel back remaining foil, and place brownie block onto a large cutting board. Cover the brownies with the cookie dough buttercream. The buttercream is sturdy enough that you can use your hands to help spread it around. Top with more mini chocolate chips, if desired, then cut into squares. Store leftover brownies at room temperature up to 1 week. Brownies freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
Notes
- Heat treated flour: place flour on a baking sheet or in a baking pan and bake at 300ºF (149ºC), checking the internal temperature at 2 minute intervals, and looking for a uniform 165ºF (74ºC) internal temperature for safety. Alternatively, you can heat the flour in the microwave on HIGH in 30 second increments, then stir before checking for a uniform 165ºF (74ºC) internal temperature. Allow heat-treated flour to cool, then sift to remove any large chunks. It is now ready to use.
- Pasteurized egg whites: I prefer to purchase pasteurized egg whites in a carton at my grocery store (near where the eggs are sold). Alternatively, you can pasteurize the egg whites yourself– lots of easy tutorials if you search for one! If you’d rather not use egg whites at all, use 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch whisked with 2 and ½ Tablespoons room temperature milk (whole is best, but lower fat or non-dairy will work, too).
- Room temperature eggs: these incorporate into batter much more easily than cold eggs, although this is not absolutely necessary.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
