M&M Brookies

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Brownie or cookie? A decision that can sometimes seem impossible to choose. So instead of choosing, why not take the obvious route and make a bar that will give you both? These M&M Brookie Bars are going to curb your craving for both a brownie and a cookie.

This brookie recipe starts with two of our most loved recipes: our fudgy brownie batter and our chocolate chip cookie dough. A rich chocolatey brownie layer forms the base of the bars, and a thick layer of chewy M&M cookie dough, studded with M&M’s, bakes to golden perfection on top. The brownie stays dense and fudgy while the cookie layer turns chewy and slightly crisp on the edges. 

We’re not reinventing the wheel here – we’re simply taking two of our tried and true recipes and combining them into a dessert bar that will be impossible to resist. These M&M Brookies are perfect for casual baking, parties, game nights, or anytime you’re tasked with bringing dessert. Watch out, because once they’re sliced and served, they’re guaranteed to disappear fast!

Why You’ll Love These M&M Brookies

• Fudgy chocolate bottoms and crisp cookie tops. The rich brownie base is fudgy and dense, and pairs perfectly with the chewiness and slightly crisp cookie topping. Each bite is perfectly balanced!
• Easy to slice and serve. Unlike cookies, these brookie dessert bars cook in one batch and are super easy to slice and serve for a crowd. 
• Two for one! They’re perfect for those days you can’t decide on what you’re craving. Brownie or cookie? Fudgy chocolate or chewy vanilla cookies? Why choose when you can have both!

How to Make M&M Brookies, Step By Step

Step 1. Preheat the oven and prep the baking sheet. Measure out ingredients.

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F to warm to temperature while you make the cookie and brownie batters. 

Grease a cooking sheet with butter or nonstick spray and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper hangs over the long sides of the pan by about 1 inch. This piece of parchment paper will act as a sling to help you easily remove the dessert bars from the pan. 

Step 2. Make brownie batter.

We love this brownie recipe because it doesn’t require any heavy-duty equipment to make it. All you need is a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a saucepan. 

Start by melting the butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue stirring the mixture until the butter and chocolate chips are just dissolved. It should be a smooth mixture. 

Pour that chocolate mixture into a large bowl and whisk in your sugars. The sugar will decrease the temperature of the butter and chocolate, preventing the eggs from cooking. 

Whisk in the eggs, one by one, until evenly blended. Sitr in vanilla before you add in your cocoa powder and flour mixture. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Pour half of the flour mixture into the batter and stir until just combined. Add in the second half and stir again until a smooth batter comes together. The batter will be thick, but there shouldn’t be any large clumps of flour left in the batter. 

Set the brownie batter to the side while you whip up the M&M cookie dough.

Step 3. Make M&M cookie dough batter.

Instead of a regular cookie dough, we wanted to have a little fun and make a M&M cookie dough topping. It is essentially the same dough, but the chocolate chips are replaced with M&M’s. 

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, start by creaming cold butter and sugar together. Cold butter is going to give the cookie a chewy texture. Once the butter and sugars are whipped to a creamy consistency, mix in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated. 

Decrease the speed of your mixer to medium-low as you add in the flour mixture. The flour mixture consists of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually increase the speed to medium as the flour starts to blend into the dough. Once the flour mixture is incorporated into the dough, stir in the M&M’s. 

Tip: As soon as the flour is evenly blended into the batter, stop mixing. Overmixing the dough could result in a tougher cookie texture.

Step 4. Layer the bars in the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. 

Now that the brownie and cookie batters are made, it’s time to assemble the bars. These bars have two layers and start with a base of fudgy brownie batter before they’re topped with the cookie dough. Spread the thick brownie batter in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. 

You can add the cookie layer to the top of the bars in one of two ways: 

• Option 1: Roll out the dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle and gently place it over the top. 
• Option 2: Crumble the cookie dough on top of the brownie batter. As the bars cook, the brownies will show through the cracks in the dough. 

Once the bars are assembled, place them in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through. The top of the cookie dough should be golden brown.

Step 5. Let the brookie bars cool for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Remove the brookie bars from the oven and let them cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing them. This will give them some time to set before your slice and serve!

Store any leftovers at room temperature for a couple of days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tip: Top with flaky sea salt for a salty-sweet finish!

Tips for Making M&M Brookies

• Grease and line the pan. Butter the baking dish, making sure to get all the edges and corners. Line the dish with parchment paper to create a sling. This will make it super easy to remove the treats from the pan. 
• Use cold butter in the cookie dough. Cold butter will help give the cookies a chewy texture. 
• Use room-temperature eggs for the brownie batter. Make sure to set your eggs out ahead of time to get to room temperature. They will blend more easily into your batter.
• Don’t overmix the brownie batter. Over-mixing the batter can create a tough brownie. For a soft brownie, make sure you stir just until the ingredients are combined.
• If you like a doughy brookie, reduce the cooking time by 5-8 minutes. If you are someone who likes brownies and cookies slightly underbaked, we recommend baking these slightly less than recommended. 

How to store the M&M Brookie Bars

Let the bars cool completely before storing them. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Can I freeze M&M Cookie Brownies?

Yes. Once cooled, wrap individual squares tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

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