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Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe: Fudgy Brownies with Edible Cookie Dough

These cookie dough brownies combine a chewy fudgy brownie base, an edible chocolate chip cookie dough middle, and a smooth chocolate topping. The cookie dough tastes like the real thing but is safe to eat — no raw eggs and the flour is heat-treated. Rich, decadent, and perfect when you can’t decide between cookies or brownies.

Stack of three cookie dough brownies

This post was updated September 7, 2025 with a slightly revised recipe that includes a chocolate topping, new photos and updated tips.

A Note from Fiona

Why you’ll love these Cookie Dough Brownies

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Cookie dough is irresistible, and these brownies deliver that familiar flavor in a safe, indulgent form. The brownie layer is fudgy and chewy while the cookie dough layer — based on my edible cookie dough recipe — tastes just like the original without raw eggs. The flour is heat-treated, so the middle layer is safe to eat. The finished bars get a glossy chocolate topping that completes the three-layer look.

The recipe requires a bit more effort than a single-layer bar because of the three components, but each step is straightforward and worth the result.

Brownie with edible cookie dough layer and chocolate topping on a cooling rack

Ingredients

For the brownie layer:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or use salted butter and omit added salt)
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (about 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cookie dough layer:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (heat-treated)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (mini chips make slicing easier)

For the chocolate topping:

  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon shortening or unsalted butter

Recipe Tip

Use mini chips for the cookie dough layer to help with slicing. For the brownie base and topping, regular chips or chopped baking chocolate work fine — chop larger pieces before melting for faster, even melting.

Method – With Photos

Brownie layer:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. Melt the butter and chocolate together (microwave in short bursts on medium power, stirring, or use a double boiler). Let cool slightly.
  3. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 22–25 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs. Cool completely.
Bowl of chocolate and butter, and bowl of melted chocolate and butter with sugar and eggs.

Cookie dough layer:

  1. Heat-treat the flour: spread it on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 minutes. Cool, then use 1 1/4 cups for the dough.
  2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy. The butter should be very soft but not greasy; short bursts in the microwave can help.
  3. Beat in the vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk.
  4. Mix in the heat-treated flour and salt. If the dough is very stiff, add the extra tablespoon of milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
  5. Fold in the mini chocolate chips and press the cookie dough into an even layer over the cooled brownie. Chill in the fridge to set.
Bowl of edible cookie dough, and pan with edible cookie dough pressed into an even layer

Chocolate topping:

  1. Gently melt the chocolate chips with shortening or butter (microwave in 30–35 second intervals on medium power, stirring between each, or use a double boiler). Do not overheat.
  2. Quickly pour the warm chocolate over the chilled cookie dough layer and smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  3. When the chocolate is about 80% set, score lines where you plan to slice to prevent cracking. Once fully hardened, lift the slab from the pan using the parchment overhang and slice with a sharp knife.
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Recipe Tip

Scoring the chocolate when it is mostly set makes cleaner slices and reduces the chance of the topping cracking. Chill to speed up setting, then slice with a sharp, warmed knife for best results.

Two cookie dough brownies on top of one another, with a bite taken out of the top brownie

Doubling the Recipe

To double, use a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan and double all ingredients. The brownie bake time will increase to about 28–33 minutes. The thicker bars are equally delicious.

cookie dough brownie with glass of milk

Related recipes to try:

  • Slutty Brownies (brownie with a chocolate chip cookie layer and Oreos)
  • Edible Cookie Dough
  • Edible Double Chocolate Cookie Dough
  • Triple Chocolate Brownies

Cookie Dough Brownies

Fudgy brownie base, a thick layer of edible chocolate chip cookie dough, and a glossy chocolate topping — safe to eat and utterly decadent.
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Cooling: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 16 brownies

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), cut into pieces
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (56 g), about 1/3 cup
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (62.5 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cookie Dough Layer

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk (45 ml)
  • 1 1/4 cup heat-treated all-purpose flour (156 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (about 90 g)

Chocolate Topping

  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (about 140 g)
  • 1 tablespoon shortening or unsalted butter

Instructions

Brownie Layer

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
  2. Melt butter and chopped chocolate until smooth. Cool slightly, then whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in cocoa, flour, and salt until no dry streaks remain. Pour into the pan and bake 22–26 minutes. Cool completely.

Cookie Dough Layer

  1. Heat-treat flour on a baking sheet at 350°F (180°C) for 8 minutes. Cool.
  2. Beat butter with brown and granulated sugars until creamy. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk.
  3. Beat in 1 1/4 cups of the cooled heat-treated flour and salt. Add a third tablespoon milk if needed for spreadability.
  4. Fold in mini chips and press the dough over the cooled brownie. Chill in the fridge.

Chocolate Topping

  1. Melt chocolate with shortening or butter gently until smooth. Pour over the cookie dough layer and spread evenly.
  2. When the chocolate is nearly set, score where you plan to slice. Once fully hardened, lift from the pan and cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Notes

  1. Chocolate: Semi-sweet works well; 50–70% dark chocolate is also fine.
  2. Flour: Heat-treat about 1 1/2 cups of flour to ensure you have enough after transfer; the recipe uses 1 1/4 cups.
  3. Mini chips: Mini chocolate chips help keep slices neat compared to full-size chips.
  4. Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  5. Nutrition: Estimated per serving when the pan is cut into 16 pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 349 kcal; Carbs: 45 g; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 18 g; Saturated fat: 11 g; Sugar: 33 g. (Estimates per brownie.)