Brookies

Homemade Brookies are half fudgy brownie and half chocolate chip cookie. This Brookie recipe is quick and easy to make, is made with pantry staples, and is the perfect combination of brownie and cookie!

Hi hi! I am just popping in here to share the recipe for Brookies! I made these a few times over the last few weeks after I developed my brownie recipe, as I wanted to play around with a few variations.

This brookie recipe is a mash up of my brownie recipe and my malted chocolate chip cookie recipe. It takes a little more effort to make than a regular brownie or chocolate chip cookie recipe, as you have to make both batters and then combine them, but I promise that the effort is so, so worth it. I love a good brownie bar recipe, and this brookie recipe is particularly good.

These brookies make a super easy make ahead dessert - we often have them plain but they are amazing served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you love this brookie recipe, check out my cheesecake brownies and my homemade cosmic brownies, along with my fudgy brownie pie, which all use the same base recipe!

What is a brookie?

A brookie is a combination of brownie and a cookie, or a cookie brownie recipe. You take two batters - a brownie batter and a cookie batter, and blob them into a pan, then pop the whole thing into the oven.

You need to make the cookie batter and the brownie batter separately for this brookies recipe, which takes a tiny bit longer, but this easy recipe makes a full 9"x13" pan of brookies, which yields 20 brookie bars.

How to make the brownie layer

I like to make the brownie batter for the brownie cookies bars first, as it sits well while the cookie layer is being made, and gives the brown butter some time to cool. I use a smaller batch of my homemade brownie recipe, which is super easy to make:

• Melt together the butter and chocolate, then add cocoa and mix well to incorporate.
• Whip together the brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs in a bowl. Whipping this mixture well until it is thick and fluffy is what helps to give a nice shiny top on the top of the brownie. I like to use an electric hand mixer but you can also do this step in a stand mixer.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix to incorporate.
• Add the flour, vanilla, and salt, and mix until combined. Set the brownie mixture aside while you make the cookie mixture.

How to make the cookie layer

I used my malted milk cookie recipe for the cookie batter for my brookie recipe, but omitted the malted milk powder (keep it in if you like!) and added a little espresso powder. I chose this recipe as it usually requires a chill time in order to allow the dough to firm up slightly, so the slightly softer cookie batter was great for layering in with the brownie.

I also used brown butter because I love making recipes using brown butter - I like to brown the butter before I start making the brownie recipe, so by the time I am ready to start the cookie dough layer, the butter has cooled. The cookies are also super easy to make:

• Brown the butter. This is an optional step - use 95g melted butter if you don't want to do the extra step of browning the butter.
• Add sugar and eggs to the cooled brown butter and whip until thickened and slightly lightened in colour.
• Add in the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix to only just incorporate. I like stopping once there are still some flour streaks showing - this will incorporate when you add the chocolate.
• Add the chopped chocolate and mix to combine. The brookies are now ready to assemble!

How to assemble a brookie

There are a few ways you can assemble your brookie bars - I like to layer mine up a little, to give a nice mixture of cookie and brownie.

You could add all the brownie batter and then dot the cookie dough on top, or add the cookie dough in clumps and then cover with brownie batter, but I like to alternate the batters so that you end up with a nice mix. I use two 2 Tbsp cookie scoops, but if you only have one you could just use the one in both batters (they get swirled together anyway)

Start with a few blobs of the cookie dough, arranged around the pan, and flatten them slightly with an offset spatula or a spoon. Add some blobs of brownie batter, then keep alternating - blobs of cookie dough, blobs of brownie batter etc. I like to swirl in the cookie dough a little as it is a little firmer than the brownie batter. Feel free to also vary the sizes of the blobs - if you want some smaller cookie dough pieces in the mixture etc.

Once all your brownie batter and cookie dough is in the pan, give it a good bang on the counter to help flatten everything out.

Why are there two measurements of butter in the cookie recipe?

When you brown butter, you cook off some of the moisture, so end up with less butter than when you started due to this. The recipe accounts for this moisture loss - so you will start with 125g butter, then use 95g brown butter in the recipe. You may have a tiny bit leftover - pop it onto some toast next time you have a snack.

The two quantities are not a typo - we are just making an accurate recipe and it is important to weigh the butter both before and after browning to ensure that you have the correct quantity for the recipe.

How to tell when brookies are done

I bake my brookie for about 22 minutes. To check for doneness, you are looking for the top of the brownie to be set and shiny, and the edges to look done. If you insert a skewer into the brownie section, it should come out with a few fudgy crumbs attached. It will still be slightly gooey. You want to lean toward under baking slightly than over baking if possible so that the brookie does not dry out.

Make sure that you leave the brookies to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing. If you want to speed up this process a little, you can pop the tray into the fridge once most of the heat has gone out of the brownies.

How to cut brownies

There are a few wee tricks when it comes to cutting brownies or bars cleanly. Here are my top tips for how to cut brownies / brookies / cookie bars:

• Chill the brookie slightly. Starting with a slightly chilled brownie or brookie really helps to give you a nice sharp cut. If you haven't chilled it, make sure it is at least properly cooled from the oven. If it is a little under baked, chilling it slightly in the refrigerator before cutting will help.
• Measure your cuts first. I use two rulers, one on either side of the brookie, to make my measurements before cutting.
• Use a super sharp knife. I use a 12" chef's knife to cut my brookie bars or brownie bars. Using a long blade means you can do a single cut at once without any overlap.
• Wipe the knife blade between cuts. Wiping the blade between cuts will give you a nice clean blade to start with each time you make a cut, and help to cut the bars super cleanly.

How to line a rectangle pan with parchment paper

The best way to line a rectangle pan with parchment paper is to use a single sheet and cut four slits, in line with the edges of the pan. I lightly grease my pan first to help the parchment stick, then press the parchment paper in, folding in the tabs. This gives you nice clean corners and gives you something to hold onto when removing the brookies from the pan

Frequently Asked Questions

What tools and equipment do you use?
You can see a full list of all the tools I use here. I use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to portion out the batters.

Which pan is best for brookies?
I made my brookies in a non stick 9"x13" pan, lined with parchment paper. I find that metal pans are best for baking things such as brownies and bars, as opposed to a glass or ceramic baking dish which are poor conductors of heat.

Can I add malted milk powder to the cookies?
Yes, if you would like to, you can add 45g malted milk powder to the cookie part of the recipe, as I did in my malted Nutella chocolate chip cookies. Add it in with the flour - it is a flavour enhancer rather than a thickener so can be easily added or removed.

How do you store brookies?
I store the brookies in an airtight container at room temperature - they keep for up to four days. You can also store them in the fridge if you prefer to eat your brookies chilled.

What is a good sub for espresso powder?
Finely ground instant coffee is a great sub for espresso powder.

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes - if you want to make these brookies ahead of time you can make them and store them in the pan until ready to serve, either at room temperature or in the fridge lightly covered with plastic wrap.

Can brookies be frozen?
Yes, this recipe freezes well - freeze in an airtight container once sliced and then remove from the freezer when ready and defrost at room temperature.

Is Dutch cocoa powder compulsory?
No - if you don't have dutch cocoa powder you can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder.

For more brownie recipes, check out:

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