I made these cookies and cream brownies a couple weeks ago, but have been waiting to share the recipe. I sincerely apologize for holding out on you, because these brownies are super yummy! They’re dense and chewy, with the perfect balance of sweetness and rich dark chocolate. A layer of Oreo cookies in the middle really takes these treats to the next level!
I love this recipe because it’s a great simple and basic base for all sorts of brownie creations. The batter is easy to whip up – the most complicated step is melting together unsweetened chocolate and butter. After adding sugar, eggs, and flour, I poured half into the pan, then nestled in a layer of cookies before spreading the remaining batter atop. But you could also fold chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, or M&Ms in with the flour, or switch out the Oreo cookies for peanut butter cups or another type of candy. The options are endless!
I first made this cookies and cream variation a few years ago, while celebrating the Fourth of July weekend with my college girlfriends. We convened at a friend’s house in Orange County for a middle-of-the-summer-vacation reunion, and spent our three days together swimming, sunning at the beach, chatting the night away, and eating all sorts of summer treats. One night, we cooked up a feast of a dinner from scratch, making these brownies for an epic and decadent dessert.
I’ll always remember sitting outside in the sweet summer heat, watching the sunset and enjoying these brownies with some of my very best girlfriends. Ever since that trip, I always seem to crave this particular dessert in the summer – and I’m not sure I’ve ever made it during any other season! This year, I brought these cookies and cream brownies to a Memorial Day potluck, but I think that they would also make a lovely addition to a barbecue spread or picnic on the beach!
Cookies & Cream Brownies
Makes 16 brownies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 12 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 Oreo cookies
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
- Melt chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over simmering water or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until smooth and combined.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine. Whisk in vanilla.
- In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to chocolate mixture and fold until just combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with cookies, pushing each cookie down into the batter. Spread remaining batter on top.
- Bake until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.
Glitter & Grace 