Fudgy Cookies & Scream Brownies
Thick and fudgy brownies full of chocolatey flavor and layered with white chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and chopped Oreos!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for cookies & (s)cream brownies! There’s no better way to celebrate the Halloween season than with this recipe—the brownies are so indulgent and rich, with an added layer of crunch from the Halloween-themed Oreos!
Cookies & Scream Brownies Ingredients
Chances are, you probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients for these brownies in your pantry! Here’s what you need:
- Unsalted butter. Butter keeps the brownies moist and contributes to their rich and chewy texture.
- Granulated sugar. If you want a richer brownie, substitute half of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
- Eggs. Eggs provide moisture and structure.
- Egg yolk. Since the egg yolk has more fat than the white, adding an additional yolk makes the brownies extra chewy and fudgy.
- Vanilla extract. Like most baked goods, vanilla enhances the natural flavors of the other ingredients.
- Melted chocolate. The recipe calls for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, but you could also use a milk or dark chocolate as well. We’re using both melted chocolate and cocoa powder in this recipe to get a perfect, decadent brownie, so be sure to use a good-quality bar if you can!
- All-purpose flour. Flour absorbs water in the batter and will hold the brownies together.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. For another layer of chocolate flavor—using a combination of melted chocolate and cocoa powder gives us the perfect balance between softness and fudginess.
- Kosher salt. To balance the sweetness and enhance the chocolate.
- Halloween Oreos. If you want to make plain cookies and cream brownies, just use regular Oreos!
- White chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips. Using chocolate chips in addition to Oreos results in melty pools of chocolate all throughout the brownie.
- Flakey salt (optional). In my opinion, there is no better compliment to a chocolate dessert than a generous pinch of flaky salt.
Tips for Perfect Brownies
Though pretty simple to make, there are some key tips and tricks you should use to level up your brownie game. Here are my top tips:
- Make sure the butter and sugar are hot. Mixing the sugar with hot butter is what gives you the trademark crackly top of a brownie—you’ll know if the mixture is right if the butter and sugar form a very smooth, almost ribbon-like batter.
- Add espresso powder. Adding a teaspoon or so of espresso powder will compliment the chocolate and add more complexity to the brownies.
- Use a chopped chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips. Most chocolate chips have a coating that prevents them from fully melting and changing shape. If you want pools of melty chocolate throughout your brownies, use a chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips!
- Don’t overmix. If you stir the brownies too much, you’ll produce too much gluten in the batter and your brownies will become cakey.
- Don’t overbake. The brownies will be done once a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (not any raw batter). Taking the brownies out at this point allows them to cook more in the pan as they cool while also retaining a chewy texture.
- Clean your knife in between cuts. If you want picture-perfect brownies, clean your knife off with hot water between every cut. This way, you won’t have any sticky brownie residue on the knife that gives you an uneven slice.
Make Ahead Instructions
These brownies are the perfect treat to prepare ahead of time—if anything, the resulting brownies are better! Once the batter has been made, just pour it into the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 48 hours before baking. You can bake the brownies straight from the fridge (no need to let them come up to room temperature), but they’ll most likely need a longer bake time.
Wishing you a Halloween of no tricks and all treats—happy baking!
xoxo
Fudgy Cookies & Scream Brownies
Thick and fudgy brownies full of chocolatey flavor and layered with white chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and chopped Oreos!
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Servings: 16 brownies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar, can substitute with ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar for added richness and chew
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate*
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 13 Halloween Oreos
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×9 square baking pan with butter or baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside. Place the Oreos into a large Ziploc bag and roughly crush them. Alternatively, you can chop them on a cutting board. Reserve about 1 cup of Oreo pieces for topping.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter in 30 second increments until melted and very hot (be careful not to let the butter pop or explode). Add the granulated and light brown sugar (if using) to the butter, whisking until well incorporated and very smooth, around 2 minutes.
- Crack the eggs in one at a time, then add the vanilla. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and has lightened slightly in color.
- In a small bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then pour the melted chocolate into the egg and sugar mixture and whisk well.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add in the Oreos and chocolate chips, then fold everything together until just combined.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and top with the reserved Oreos. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- The brownies are done baking once puffed and set in the middle; if you insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie, a few moist crumbs should stick to it, but not raw batter (it will continue cooking in the pan as it cools).
- Remove the pan from the oven and top the brownies with flakey salt, if desired. Let them cool completely before lifting out of the pan, slicing, and serving.
Notes
*You can also use a good-quality milk or dark chocolate for a sweeter or richer brownie.
