Brookies are a combination of 2 of the best bar desserts: brownies and cookies! My quick and easy brookie recipe is a combination of homemade, plus a shortcut. Because while I’m picky about chocolate chip cookies being homemade, I don’t balk at a boxed brownie mix. I’ve had lots of fantastic brownies out of a box and I think in a recipe like this, the box does the trick for me. So to make this recipe amazingly delicious, but still quick and easy, I use a boxed brownie mix and then top it with a one-bowl easy chocolate chip cookie dough. It results in a 9 x 13 pan full of soft and fudgy brownies layered with buttery chewy chocolate chip cookie. Perfection!
Ingredients Needed
- Ghirardelli Boxed Brownie Mix (Pictured below) – I prefer this brand because I think it’s the best boxed brownie. It’s also the one I use and test in this recipe so I know it works! Boxed brownie mixes are not created equal and require different baking times, etc. If you use a different mix (especially one meant for a larger pan) you’ll just want to be aware that baking time may vary.
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Egg + a yolk
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
How to Make Brookies!
This is just an overview, keep scrolling for detailed quantities and instructions!
- Make your Brownie Layer by just preparing brownies according to the package instructions and pop it in a parchment lined 9×13 pan.
- Next Prep your cookie dough. This is a one-bowl recipe that uses melted butter, so it couldn’t be easier. I just make it in the same empty bowl as I made my brownie in, and you don’t even need a mixer!
- Use your hands to drop flattened pieces of cookie dough onto the surface of your brownie batter- it doesn’t need to be perfect. I actually like them when they’re a little rugged!
- Bake them up. Since you can’t see your brownies underneath, you’ll want to check with a skewer to confirm when they’re done. These are best when they’ve cooled completely since warm brownies will just fall apart and probably not hold the weight of the cookie! Unless you want to eat them over ice cream and then just scoop away.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! I just can’t promise if the timing will work out for both layers to be done at the right times, so you’ll have to eyeball that a bit and check!
You bet! Feel free to mix up the chips with white or peanut butter. You can also add extracts to your brownie batter.
I’ve experimented with this because logically it seems like the cookie being the sturdier dough should be on bottom! It does work, but I found I had to cook them much longer, resulting in a bar that wasn’t quite as moist and chewy. I also really like the craggy tops of the original. But if you’re using a brownie that’s incredibly soft and worried about it holding up to your cookie dough, feel free to swap layers! Here’s a couple of photos of my experimenting (I saved a bit of cookie dough to sprinkle on top as well)
Brookies
Ingredients
Brownie Layer:
- 1 box Ghirardelli brownie mix See note
Cookie Layer:
- 12 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled until warm
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed light or dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 additional egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour 260g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment for easy clean-up and cutting.
- Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions and pour into prepared pan. Do not bake yet.
- In your empty brownie bowl, add melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and yolk, and vanilla an stir to combine. Add flour, soda, and salt and stir. Finally fold in chocolate chips until just mixed.
- Use your hands to drop flattened pieces dough onto the top of the brownie batter, it's okay if some brownie batter shows through and your cookie layer can be rough and lumpy!
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until cookie part looks set and evenly cooked. Poke a skewer or tooth pick in the middle to ensure you don't have wet batter on your brownie layer- moist crumbs and melted chocolate are okay though! This can be a tricky step when you can't see the brownie layer. In my oven, with a Ghirardelli brownie mix, my bake time is always between 35-40 minutes (usually right at 40). All ovens bake differently so be sure to keep an eye on your pan and test with a toothpick in the center before you pull them.
- For best results, cool completely before cutting and serving. (Unless you're serving over ice cream, in which case, by all means scoop them up warm!)
Notes
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
Made these for my daughter’s birthday. She loves brookies and these are now her favorite. These were a solid hit! Easy and delicious. Make sure not to miss the that the cookie dough is to be flattened out by hand before placing on the brownie batter.
Do these brookies freeze well?
Yes, they freeze beautifully!
I brought these into work, and I was told by multiple people it’s their favorite dessert I’ve ever made! Had to bake for about 35 minutes probably, and they were perfect.
These were delicious! I made them in a cupcake pan to have individual servings. We ate some and froze some after baking and they are just as good thawed weeks later in the microwave or on the counter :).
I followed everything absolutely exactly. Were raw in the middle burned on the outside. This was a total waste of time.
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you! It may have been your specific brownie mix, or perhaps a mistake when measuring. So sorry it wasn’t a hit!
Unsalted or salted butter?
In general recipe reading, you can always assume salted butter unless otherwise specified. That’s the standard. Hope that helps!
What flour do you use?
All purpose flour
VERY GOOD!!!!
A million thanks to you! 🌟
Made these for a bake sale, they were delicious. 🤤
I have made this recipe so many times! It is easy and comes out perfectly every time. I do use the brownie mix (Ghirardelli) that is for the 8 x8 or 9x 9 in a 13 x9. I like this recipe to make and send to all my college kids…it travels great! Thank you so much.
PS. the pantry reveal was hilarious!!
yummy in my tummy 🙂
These were a HUGE hit when I made them for my son’s baptism. People really went crazy for them and so did I!
So good, so gooey and the taste was buttery and delicious!
Next time I will either bake the brownies for a few minutes first or put foil on the top so the cookies aren’t done before the brownies.
I used Ghirardelli brownie mix from Costco.
I took them out at 30-35 mins bc they looked done and the cookies were golden, but the brownies were still goo. I didn’t notice until I tried to cut them so I had to put them back in the oven.
Some trouble shooting advice:
I used glass pans and the brownine took a full 40-45 minutes to cook. The following is advice from King Arthur on using glass baking pans.”The standard advice for baking in glass is to lower the oven temperature by 25°F from what the recipe calls for, and bake up to 10 minutes longer. The hard edges we see here are more pronounced in high-sugar, high-fat recipes; your casserole or bread pudding are less likely to be adversely affected.”
Some ideas for the previous comments.
1. Which level shelf did you bake your Brookies? If the brownine is gooey try a lower level in your oven. It will slow down the cookie from overbaking and speed up the brownine.
2. Did you buy the Brownie mix with the chocolate syrup? I have not tested this recipe yet, but perhaps that variety is too moist for the double layer. Just a thought.
These turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing all of your fantastic recipes! Never a bad one!
I have made this recipe countless times for potlucks, holidays, birthdays, and “just because”. They’re an elevated dessert yet extremely easy to make. Definitely a 5 star recipe for me. P.S. Splurge and use the Ghirardelli brand that calls for 8×8 pan, it’ll save you so much time & trouble.
Can you flip the layers? I think that it would bake better with the brownie mix on top. Your thoughts?
You could certainly try that, but it would most likely bake up in 2 distinct layers instead of being somewhat marbled like this.
About to make this for the 2nd time! We are a dairy free family and not all cookie recipes bake well with dairy free butter. But this is so delicious. I’ll be making them again for a cookie exchange later in the week!
Hello!
I made these and they were delicious but the bottom brownie layer wasn’t done at all. I used a brownie mix for an 8×8 but put it in the 9×13. I cooked it for 35 mins. The cookie was perfect but the brownie wasn’t done at all. Any suggestions? I don’t want to burn the cookie.
All ovens and brownies will cook differently so I would just keep testing and bake until done. You can cover with foil if you feel like your cookies are getting too done!
How many servings does this AWESOME recipe make?
However many you cut 🙂 It’s a 9×13 pan so cut them as you like!
I love that you give recipes with shortcuts like this! Still tastes homemade, but the brownie mix makes it so much easier to whip these out. I made these with the Betty Crocker Fudge brownie mix (recommended for 9×13 pan) cause that’s what I had on hand. I cooked it for 33 minutes and the cookie top and corner piece I sampled were perfect. Took them to a church barbecue, and they were the first dessert to go! I tried a center piece at the party, and the brownie bottom was a little on the gooey side, so next time I will bake a few minutes more.
These were delicious! And easy to make!
This looks great – Aldi have the best box brownie!
I cannot *wait* to make this for our next potluck!!! Thank you for sharing. I do have a favorite brownie recipe, but I think I’ll use a box this time, as it would be that much easier 🙂
So I had the same issue. My brownies were the ghirardelli ones from costco. They are supposed to cook 45-50 mins in a 8×8 pan. I tried it with the brookies in a 9×13. After 30 mins the brownies were still total goo. I kept cooking, but the cookie part was getting overcooked. I ended up taking them out and just eating the cookie top. The edges of the pan were a little more done, so I did get some brookies and they were really yummy. Next time I’ll probably cook the brownies for 20 mins before adding in the cookie part.
Yum this looks delicious!! Our brownie box says to bake the brownies for 50 minutes. In this recipe, bake time is only 30. Will my brownies bake before my cookie layer burns? Or should I bake them a little beforehand?
Is it 50 minutes for a 9×13 or an 8×8? Usually that bake time is for an 8×8 so in a 9×13 it’s about half that time. You’ll honestly have to experiment, mine have always turned out great!
So you said to start the cookie dough In the empty brownie bowl. So do you mean to not wash it?
correct!
These sound AMAZING!! I will definitely have to make them and SOON!