Cookie Dough Stuffed Brownies: Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipe

Fudgy brownies layered with chocolate chip cookie dough inside and finished with a safe-to-eat, creamy chocolate chip cookie dough buttercream. Perfect when you can’t decide between a cookie or a brownie.

If you think a classic fudgy brownie is already perfect, think again—add-ins like peanut butter, tiramisu, or salted caramel can push it even further. This month’s Brownie of the Month takes it to a whole new level.

These brownies are the kind that convert non-brownie people into fans—our nanny literally told me, “you made me love brownies!”

Ready to meet these cookie dough brownies?

Here’s what’s inside.

THE BROWNIE BASE

This starts with a classic, homemade fudgy brownie batter—rich, simple, and intentionally unfussy so it pairs perfectly with the cookie dough layer.

THE COOKIE DOUGH CENTER

A full layer of chocolate chip cookie dough is baked inside the brownie pan. The dough is made safe to eat and also contributes to the buttercream, so part is baked and part is reserved for frosting.

The cookie dough in this recipe is adapted from Kristen Tomlan of DŌ and her book Hello, Cookie Dough. Even though part of the dough bakes inside the brownies, we use heat-treated flour and pasteurized egg whites so the raw dough that goes into the buttercream is safe to eat.

THE COOKIE DOUGH BUTTERCREAM

This is a silky buttercream (butter + powdered sugar) folded with real cookie dough chunks for that unmistakable cookie dough flavor and a sweet-and-salty finish. One half of the reserved cookie dough is blended into the frosting until it disappears, and the other half is mixed in as chunks for texture.

The result is an incredibly smooth, rich frosting dotted with bits of cookie dough—one of the most addictive frostings you can make.

WHAT IS HEAT-TREATED FLOUR?

Heat-treated flour is essential when you plan to eat raw dough. Raw flour can contain bacteria like E. coli from the field or processing. Heat-treating brings the flour to a safe internal temperature so it can be eaten without baking.

To heat-treat flour at home: spread flour on a baking sheet and bake at 300ºF (149ºC) until a uniform internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) is reached, checking frequently. Or heat the flour in the microwave on HIGH in 30-second increments, stirring between intervals, until it reaches 165ºF (74ºC). Let it cool, then sift.

USING PASTEURIZED EGG WHITES

This recipe uses pasteurized egg whites, which are sold in cartons near the eggs at most grocery stores. You can pasteurize your own at home if you prefer, or follow the recipe notes for an egg-free alternative using cornstarch and milk.

After chilling, the cookie dough is flattened into pieces and layered over part of the brownie batter. Some dough is reserved for the frosting. Once baked and cooled, the finished brownies are spread with cookie dough buttercream and finished with extra mini chocolate chips.

These are now one of my top favorite brownie remixes: unbeatable fudgy brownie base paired with chocolate chip cookie dough and cookie dough buttercream. They store well at room temperature for up to a week and freeze for up to three months.

Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 1 1/8 cup (135g) heat-treated flour
• 1 tsp (3g) cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp (38g) pasteurized egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (112g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownies

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 oz (227g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cookie Dough Buttercream

• 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp (5g) milk or cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup reserved cookie dough

Instructions (summary)

Cookie Dough

• Sift heat-treated flour, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.
• Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add pasteurized egg whites and vanilla; mix until combined.
• Add dry ingredients and stir until combined, then fold in mini chocolate chips. Chill dough for 15 minutes until easy to handle.

Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line an 8″ or 9″ square pan with foil and spray.
• Melt butter and chopped chocolate together, cool 15 minutes. Whisk in sugars, then eggs one at a time and vanilla. Add flour and salt and stir until combined.
• Pour about 1/4 of batter into the pan to cover the bottom. Flatten quarter-size pieces of cookie dough and place over the batter. Reserve 1/2 cup cookie dough for frosting.
• Pour remaining brownie batter over cookie dough, tap pan to release air, and bake 27–32 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Cookie Dough Buttercream

• Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, milk, and salt.
• Slowly add powdered sugar on low, then beat on high for at least 5 minutes until fluffy.
• With mixer on medium, add half of the reserved cookie dough in chunks and mix until blended. Increase speed to high to fully incorporate. Add remaining reserved dough in chunks and mix on medium just until incorporated so chunks remain.
• Remove cooled brownies from pan using foil overhang, spread buttercream over the top (you can use hands if needed), and sprinkle extra mini chocolate chips. Cut into squares. Store at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

1. Heat-treated flour: Spread flour on a baking sheet and bake at 300ºF (149ºC) until the flour reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC). Alternatively, microwave on HIGH in 30-second increments, stirring between intervals, until it reaches 165ºF (74ºC). Cool and sift before using.
2. Pasteurized egg whites: Available in cartons near the eggs. You can pasteurize your own or use an egg-free option: whisk 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 1/2 Tbsp room-temperature milk (whole milk recommended) as a substitute.
3. Room temperature eggs: If using whole eggs in the brownie batter, bring them to room temperature for easier incorporation.