Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies)

Brownies and chocolate chip cookies together as one! Brookies are the best of both worlds, so you don’t have to choose.

Have you ever had a brookie? It’s a tempting combination of chewy chocolate chip cookies and fudge brownies!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A BROOKIE?

The components are simple enough—chocolate chip cookie dough mashed together with brownie batter to make a hybrid cookie/brownie baked treat.

You usually find them in one of three forms: baked into bars like brownies, baked in mini muffin cups, or pressed together into cookies, as I’ve done here.

HOW TO MAKE A BROOKIE

For my version, I wanted to ensure that the cookie and brownie portions both maintained their integrity without one becoming too much like the other. The cookie portion remains classic and chewy while the brownie portion is fudgy and not cakey.

Chilling the dough for these may seem fussy, but both doughs are pretty soft and chilling helps make both doughs easier to work with; otherwise things can get messy, fast. They will also maintain their shape better once they are baked, yielding that ideal contrast of cookie-brownie bliss. I tried making a batch using firmer doughs that wouldn’t require chilling, but the cookies dried out quickly.

How to Assemble Brookies

Once both doughs are made and chilled, it’s time to assemble. In the spirit of efficiency, I like to break it down into a couple of steps.

First, using a small cookie scoop, I portion out all of the cookie dough and all of the brownie dough onto a tray.
Then I pair up the doughs, one part cookie and one part brownie, and press them together before rolling them into balls.

The cookies are then baked in batches, leaving the remaining dough balls in the refrigerator while they bake.

How to Store and Freeze Brookies

Baked brookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days before starting to become overly dry and crumbly.

Brookies also freeze great and you can guarantee they’ll taste great with a few tricks!

For unbaked brookies: After pressing the cookie doughs together to form a ball, freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid and then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed (from frozen), but add an extra minute or two onto the baking time.
For baked brookies: Wrap baked brookies individually in plastic wrap because freezers are dry, arid places and this allows you to cover the entire surface area of the cookie, thus trapping in the moisture and ensuring good texture. Then wrap them in foil to help keep funky freezer smells and flavors from ruining your treats! They are good for at least a month in the freezer.
To defrost baked brookies: Baked goods defrost fairly quickly at room temperature, but you could pop them into the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds to melt the chocolate and speed up the process (Be careful for hot and molten spots!)

MORE COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY!

Updated October 21, 2019 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle! No changes to the original recipe.

Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies) Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Yield: 40 to 45 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

2 cups (241g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons (143g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup (225g) packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (100g) chocolate chips

For the brownie dough:

8 ounces (227g) chopped dark chocolate (chips are okay, too)
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (100g) chocolate chips
Sea salt, to finish

Special equipment:

Small cookie scoop measuring two rounded teaspoons, or tablespoon measure

Method

1 Prep the baking sheets: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set to the side.

2 Make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until just combined.

On medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. The dough will be soft, but that’s what we want. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture all at once, until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips by hand, or with the mixer on low speed.

Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat rectangle (this will help the dough chill faster). Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3 Make the brownie dough. In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl melt the chocolate and butter together in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract.

Using a spatula, fold in the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips to form a very soft dough.

Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a flat rectangle (this will help the dough chill faster). Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4 Shape the brookies: Once both doughs have chilled, use a small cookie scoop to measure about 1 tablespoon of each dough. Using your palms, roll the two doughs gently together to form a ball and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Place all the dough balls on one of the baking sheets (it’s ok to crowd them), cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats or up to overnight.

5 Preheat the oven to 375°F for 30 minutes with an oven rack in the center position.

6 Bake the brookies: Rearrange the chilled cookie dough balls between two sheet pans so they are spaced a few inches apart. (If you have more than will fit comfortably, transfer the extras to a dinner plate and place back in the fridge).

Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter. They will keep for about 3 to 4 days before starting to dry out.