• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers & Dips
    • Bakery Recipes
    • Bars & Brownie Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
    • Brunch & Breakfast Recipes
    • Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecakes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Cookies & Crackers
    • Desserts
    • Fruit Recipes
    • Grains & Legumes
    • Muffins and Quick Breads
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pies & Tarts
    • Readers' Favorite Recipes
  • Collections
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Heritage Recipes
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Vintage Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
  • Basic recipes
  • About this blog
    • The author
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility statement

Vintage Kitchen Notes logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • ALL RECIPES
  • Holidays
  • Seasonal
  • Vintage
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ALL RECIPES
    • Holidays
    • Seasonal
    • Vintage
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Bars & Brownie Recipes

    Published: Feb 20, 2023 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliate links 13 Comments

    Brookies (brownie and cookies)

    Jump to Recipe
    Brown and white text overlay on image of squares of brookies on a wooden board.

    Brookies are cookies mixed with brownies. Both batters are marbled to create this genius bar that is the best of both worlds in every bite. This recipe is fudgy, chewy, easy to make, and can be frozen. A crowd-pleaser dessert for bake sales, potlucks, picnics, barbecues, and even Christmas.

    Top view of wooden board with rows of brookies bars on a white surface. A knife and chocolate chips around.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Originally published in 2013, the text and images in this post have been updated to serve you better. The recipe remains the same.

    I used to know them as congo bars. But they evolved into brookies, which is a more accurate name.

    Marbled brownie batter and gooey chocolate chip cookie dough. Brownies and cookies = brookies.

    Because life sometimes gives you amazing sweet recipes.

    Table of Contents Hide
    About this recipe
    Ingredient list
    How to make brookies
    Kitchen notes
    Related recipes you might like:
    Brookies Bars

    About this recipe

    • Easy to make: both batters are simple; you only need a bowl and whisk.
    • Crowd-pleaser: if brownies and chocolate chip cookies are hugely popular, imagine the combination of both. Take them to a bake sale, potluck, picnic, barbecue, or tailgating party, and watch them disappear quickly.
    • Make ahead: they keep well for a few days and can be frozen.
    Stack of brookie bars on a white surface and background.

    Ingredient list

    • Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
    • Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
    • Eggs: fresh, large.
    • Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 
    • White, granulated sugar.
    • Brown sugar: light or dark.
    • All-purpose flour.
    • Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
    • Baking powder: make sure it isn't expired. 

    See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.

    How to make brookies

    Glass bowl with brown sugar, egg, and melted butter on a white marble surface.

    Cookie layer: ingredients are combined in a bowl with a whisk; no need to beat.

    Top view of glass bowl with blondie batter on a white marble surface.

    The batter is thick but smooth.

    Sifting flour and cocoa powder over a glass bowl. White marble surface.

    Brownie layer: make sure you sift the dry ingredients as the cocoa powder might be clumped.

    Brownie batter in a glass bowl. Close up view from above.

    You need a bowl and whisk, no need for an electric mixer. The final batter is smooth and shiny.

    Vanilla and chocolate cookie dough being marbled with an offset spatula in a glass baking dish.

    Mounds of each mixture are dropped, creating a checkered pattern that is then smoothed out with an offset spatula or spoon.

    Marbled cookie and brownie dough in a glass square dish on a white marble surface.

    The batters will be uneven, and that is fine.

    Baked two-color brookies in a glass dish on a wire rack.

    Bake brookies until dry but slightly jiggly and soft, just like you would brownies and cookies. Each bite will have different amounts of each flavor.

    Kitchen notes

    • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
    • Baking time: remember that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Storage: they keep for 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, tin, or well covered with plastic wrapped. You can also freeze them well wrapped for a month. I recommend cutting them first. Thaw at room temperature.
    • Variations:
      Nuts: add ½ of chopped walnuts or pecans to one of the doughs.
      Flavorings: add ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a teaspoon of orange zest, or a tablespoon of liquor to the brownie layer for a different flavor.
      Chocolate chips: add chips to the cookie batter, semisweet, or milk for a sweeter bar.

    Related recipes you might like:

    • Hand pouring chocolate sauce on brownie squares in white plate on wooden table
      Best Homemade Brownies
    • Easy Chocolate walnut oat bars
      Carmelitas (Chocolate Caramel Oat Bars)
    • Bars of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough on parchment paper and a wooden board.
      Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
    • Several plain fudgy Brownie squares on white surface
      Easy Fudgy Brownies (one bowl)

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
    clockclock iconcutlerycutlery iconflagflag iconfolderfolder iconinstagraminstagram iconpinterestpinterest iconfacebookfacebook iconprintprint iconsquaressquares iconheartheart iconheart solidheart solid icon
    Light colored wooden board on a white surface with four rows of brookies bars.

    Brookies Bars

    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Brookies are cookies mixed with brownies. Both batters are marbled to create this genius bar that is the best of both worlds in every bite. This recipe is fudgy, chewy, easy to make, and can be frozen. A crowd-pleaser dessert for bake sales, potlucks, picnics, barbecues, and even Christmas.

    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 12 squares

    Ingredients

    Units

    For the cookie layer:

    • 1 ⅓ cups (175g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 oz (85g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
    • 1 ¼ cups (225g) firmly packed light brown sugar
    • 1 large egg, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    For the brownie layer:

    • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) all purpose flour
    • ¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 oz (½ cup or 115g) unsalted butter
    • 4 oz (115g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
    • 1 ⅓ cups (260g) sugar
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
    2. Butter or use cooking spray to grease an 8-inch metal baking pan or a glass baking dish, and line it with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and two sides. The other two sides will be greased but not lined. This will help you remove the brookies. 

    For the cookie mixture:

    1. Mix the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.
    2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt directly on top of the mixture and stir well until no dry spots remain. Reserve.

    For the brownie mixture:

    1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl, either in the microwave (at 15-second intervals, stirring well between each), or on top of a double boiler without letting the bottom of the pan touch the water.
    2. Add the sugar and mix well with a whisk.
    3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
    4. Add the sifted dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice). Incorporate all ingredients well. 

    To assemble:

    1. Drop mounds of each dough on the prepared pan, alternating between them, creating a checkered surface. 
    2. Lightly even them out with a spatula or the back of a spoon. It will be uneven in color, in some places more of one dough than the other. That is fine. You have to smooth the surface, but the batters will not be distributed evenly. 
    3. Bake for about 25 minutes, until it’s dry on top but slightly jiggly, and a cake tester or toothpick comes out with moist (but not wet) crumbs attached. Don’t let it dry, or the bars will be tough.
    4. Let cool on a wire rack. 
    5. To remove, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bit that might be stuck, and lift the whole block with the help of the paper. 
    6. Cut into squares and serve. 
    7. Store leftovers in an airtight container, tin, or covered in plastic wrap. You can also freeze them for a month. 

    Notes

    • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
    • Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Storage: they keep for 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, tin, or well covered with plastic wrapped. You can also freeze them well wrapped for a month. I recommend cutting them first. Thaw at room temperature.
    • Variations:
      Nuts: add ½ of chopped walnuts or pecans to one of the doughs.
      Flavorings: add ½ a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or instant coffee, a teaspoon of orange zest, or a tablespoon of liquor to the brownie layer for a different flavor.
      Chocolate chips or chunks: add semisweet chips to the cookie batter, or bittersweet chocolate chunks for a not so sweet bar. 
    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Bars & Brownies
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: brookies bars

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    More Bar & Brownie Recipes

    • Couple of walnut brownie squares leaning on a light-colored wooden board.
      Walnut Brownie Recipe
    • Pile and rows of brownies oozing dulce de leche on parchment paper with a white background.
      Dulce de Leche Brownies
    • Three stacked glazed lemon brownies (or blondies) on a wooden board. Top one is bitten. White background.
      Lemon Blondies
    • Walnut Squares

    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Thank you for leaving a review for this recipe Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Subarna says

      August 13, 2018 at 4:59 am

      Thanks for sharing such a awesome blog..

      Reply
    2. TheFoodDash says

      April 21, 2013 at 9:20 am

      this will totally go into my recipe bucket list! blondies and brownies - best of both worlds!

      Reply
    3. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

      April 15, 2013 at 12:17 am

      Oh my...look at that caramel!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Person with apron and tray of scones

    Hi, I'm Paula!

    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Several colorful logos on white canvas

    Popular recipes

    • Shortbread fingers stacked on white surface
      The Best Lemon Shortbread
    • A white bowl with peach dump cake, blue spoon
      Peach Dump Cake
    • Easy No Bake Lemon Dessert
    • White plate with two wedges of roasted pumpkin, white background, herbs, forks, salt.
      Easy Roasted Pumpkin
    • Purple bowl with almond cream being lifted with a silver spoon. Grey and white surface and background.
      Frangipane (almond cream) with video!
    • Lifting a slice of ricotta cheesecake from the whole cake on a white plate with a silver knife. White background.
      Crustless Ricotta Cheesecake

    Fruit desserts

    • Serving of apple berry crumble in a white bowl. Hands holding it. Teal background.
      Apple Berry Crumble
    • Close up of chocolate cherry dump cake serving in a white bowl.
      Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
    • White round dish with peach crisp and silver spoon
      Easy Peach Crumble (or crisp)
    • White plate with square of apple crumb bar with ice cream. Green cloth in the background.
      Easy Apple Crumb Bars

    Footer

    About

    The author
    Privacy Policy
    Amazon Associate
    Cookie Policy
    Accessibility

    Contact

    Sign Up! for emails and updates
    Contact


    Copyright © 2022 Vintage Kitchen Notes