Updated 4/7/25
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Out of all the brownies I’ve ever eaten, these cookie dough brownies are one of the tastiest treats to pass my lips. Our brownies bring you three layers of deliciousness. These divinely inspired little gems are quite literally one of the BEST things I have ever eaten in my life… You have to try them!
All those delicious brownie flavor memories culminate right here at the intersection of chocolate perfection and delight. These little babies are gorgeous on a tray between scrumptious cosmic brownies and peanut butter brownies. They’re like that perfect fudge brownie recipe on cookie dough steroids.
Let’s bake these!
What You’ll Love About Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe
You’ll love everything about this recipe. Fudgy melt-in-your-mouth brownie texture, plenty of sweet creamy chocolate chip cookie dough, and a slightly crispy chocolate ganache glaze to top it all off. Capital YUM! These just might, literally, redefine your relationship with brownies altogether!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a boxed brownie mix? Absolutely! Skip the brownie part of our recipe, make the boxed brownies, and pick up our recipe at the filling!
Is the cookie dough layer safe to eat? Let me preface what I’m going to say: I’m not a food scientist and have no medical background. As I understand the science, there are two elements typical in raw cookie dough that create health issues. The first is that there is a minimal risk related to eating raw flour. Raw flour may contain E. coli bacteria. We heat treat our flour to kill bacteria. The second health issue with raw cookie dough is that it generally contains raw eggs, which can contain salmonella. We do not use any eggs in the filling, so there is no raw egg (which could contain salmonella) to be concerned with. If you have health issues, it’s always best to check with your medical professional. That said, I grew up eating raw cookie dough with flour that wasn’t heat-treated and with raw eggs!
Why is my cookie dough gritty? It’s the way it has to be. Because we use the cookie dough unbaked, the sugars in the recipe cannot melt so they retain their natural texture.
Cookie Dough Brownies Ingredients
- Eggs: I use large eggs that are at room temperature.
- Oil: Use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract, never imitation.
- Flour: All-purpose flour. I use Gold Medal.
- Cocoa Powder: I use Hershey’s, 100% Cacao
- Coffee: I add a little instant coffee. Coffee enhances and fortifies the flavor of chocolate. Your brownies will not taste like coffee at all. If you have espresso powder, add it in lieu of the instant coffee.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors in the brownies.
- Nuts: I love these with walnuts or pecans. Feel free to omit if you prefer.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter.
- Brown Sugar: We use both granulated and brown sugar in our filling. You can use either dark or light brown sugar. Just be sure to pack it firmly when measuring.
- Milk: I use whole milk for the richest flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Semisweet chocolate.
- Shortening: This is added to the chocolate topping so it’s easier to cut without cracking too much.
Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe Notes
Toast The Flour: Raw flour can contain bacteria (which could contain E. coli)! To make it safe to eat, spread it out on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. To measure its temperature, I scoop the flour into a mound and check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer after 7 minutes. It needs to reach 170°F.
Dry Stuff: When mixing these brownies, you’ll notice the directions call for you to combine the dry ingredients separately. There are two main reasons for this. First, it disperses ingredients evenly for a consistent flavor profile. Second, it requires less mixing when you add the wet stuff. Overmixing produces a tough, leathery product.
Filling: The cookie dough filling requires unsalted room-temperature butter for the creaming process. This will make it light, fluffy, and addictively delicious. Add filling in large spoonfuls to cooled brownies. I like to use a small offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
- If the butter is too soft, it won’t aerate. One last thing – using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe. In the right proportions, salt actually enhances sweetness for an Ah-ma-zing flavor!
Resting Time: Your cookie dough brownies will taste better if they’ve had a couple of hours resting time in the icebox to set up, so all the flavors have adequate time to mingle.
- However, you should let them sit on the counter and come close to room temperature before cutting. That way, the chocolate glaze will not break apart. You can also dip the knife in a glass of warm water, dry with a paper towel, and then slice the brownies.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? These little beauties will stay fresh and yummy in the fridge for at least four days. However, they need to stay in the icebox because of the milk in the raw cookie filling. You can either cover them tightly with aluminum foil or transfer them to an airtight container.
- Can You Freeze These Cookie Dough Brownies? Absolutely! These freeze really well, and it’s a great reason to make a double batch. You’ll want to let them cool completely before preparing them for the freezer. You can either freeze the entire pan or cut it and freeze individual pieces.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You have a couple of options here. Since the brownie base needs to cool completely before adding the cookie dough layer, you can bake it early and let it set overnight in the fridge. I find it best to spread the cookie batter immediately after it’s mixed.
- Of course, you can always make the whole cookie dough brownies recipe the day before you need it – if you can keep people out of it.
How To Make Cookie Dough Brownies
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In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and sugar. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, coffee, and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts.
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Pour or spoon the brownie batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the brownies are done. Cool completely.
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Make Filling: Bake the flour in the oven to kill any bacteria.
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In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Spread over brownies (works best to just press out with clean hands); chill until firm.
- Make Glaze: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening in 30-second intervals, whisk after each time, until smooth. Spread over the filling. Immediately sprinkle with nuts, pressing down slightly.
***See Full Instructions Below.
More Brownie Recipes
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Caramel Brownies
- Brownie Cookies
- Brookies
- German Chocolate Brownies
- Lemon Brownies
- Christmas Tree Brownies
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Cookie Dough Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 4 eggs large
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Cookie Dough Filling:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Glaze:
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and sugar. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, coffee, and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in walnuts.
- Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool brownies completely on a wire baking rack.
Filling
- Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread flour out in an even layer over the parchment. Bake for 7 minutes, or until temperature of flour reaches at least 160F when measured by an instant-read thermometer. Allow flour to cool completely before proceeding with filling recipe.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in cooled flour. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread filling over brownies (works best to just press out with clean hands.); chill until firm.
Glaze
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening in 30-second intervals, stirring after each time, until smooth.
- Spread over-filling. Immediately sprinkle with nuts, pressing down slightly.
Nutrition
Yes, you do taste the uncooked flour in the filling, about the same as you'd taste the uncooked flour in cookie dough . . .
Just wondering, wouldn't you taste the uncooked flour in the filling?
We LOOOOVE cookie dough at our house. And in brownies? Double yum.
I agree with Dara! Must make this now. So deliciously ooey-goey and chocolaty!
LOVE these!!! Yum~
Wow! I'm speechless, these are so awe inspiring.
Yep, I”m going to have to make these. Stat!
Oh my goodness! I need one now! 🙂
I am so happy that you loved the brownies! We ADORE them at our house and thanks for linking back, I really appreciate it!
The Farm Girl
These are just amazing!! So pretty, and tempting. Love the idea!
Bumped into your blog through foodgawker…and am so glad I did! Loved your collections here…amazing photos! 😀
These brownies are sure to die for…seriously!
OMG. These look addictive!! YUM! It's all of the best flavors in the world combined =P hehehe
These look phenomenal! I love cookie dough, and brownies. So of course I would love these!
Could these BE any more tempting! They look so naughty in the best way imaginable 🙂
The droolage is making my keyboard wet. I stumbled this post before leaving my comment. What a wonderful recipe to bump into! Well done!