Are we ready for the Ultimate Skillet Brookies or what? Picture the most delicious brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough (inspired by my fav brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough) you’ve ever had (go ahead, imagine it) and it’s mingling right next to some rich, fudge-like brownies and that my friends, that is exactly what this ultimate brookie recipe is.
Decadent brownie batter + brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough = ultimate skillet brookie party heaven! I love cookies (and bar cookies!) so much, I even wrote a book dedicated to them, The Cookie Book, and it has an entire chapter devoted to bar cookie love. Love that for us.
Below I give you some details on browning butter if this is your first time (you can also check out my How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial if you need a refresher!), all of the ingredients you’ll need to gather, why you should bake these brookies stat (the taste! the texture! the ease! serving ideas!), a little Q&A about making these skillet brookies, plus more bar cookie AND brown butter recipes for you to bake.
Most importantly, you’ll find the recipe with both cups/spoon and weight measurements so that no one is missing out on the brookie party.
Ultimate Brookie Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make the ultimate brookie recipe! All substitutions are mentioned below; if you have additional ingredient questions, please leave them in the comment section.
Unsalted Butter
Oil (use any oil you have on hand, more oil notes are below in the Q&A)
Dark Brown Sugar (you can also use light brown sugar or light/dark muscovado in a pinch)
Granulated Sugar
Large Eggs
Fresh-Brewed Espresso or Strong Coffee (you can substitute water if you’re not into espresso/coffee)
Baking Soda
Sea Salt (I love fine sea salt in baking and use this one)
All-Purpose Flour (these ultimate brookies were tested with King Arthur Flour; for those who live outside the US, look for an all-purpose flour with 11.7% protein content for similar results)
The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour
One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!
Unsweetened Dark Dutched-Process Cocoa Powder (I love this Hershey’s Dark as it’s easy to find and yields beautiful flavor + color; you can however use any unsweetened cocoa powder you have on hand)
Dark Chocolate Chips (I’m loving these baking chips and I used them when testing this recipe); whatever chocolate you use, make sure it’s good quality and can handle melting as you’ll need to melt chocolate for your brownie dough.
Why You Should Make These
Ultimate Skillet Brookies
Right Now
FLAVOR + TEXTURE
First, let’s chat about the texture of this ultimate skillet brookies recipe! The intensely chocolate brownies are very fudge-like. I didn’t want these bar cookies to be cakey, at all. In fact, in the first three tests the brookies were delicious but indeed, too cakey around the perimeter.
That’s when I decided to add in the wee bits of oil to both doughs and juste comme ça, it was the perfect amount to keep things soft and chewy and fudgy.
Second, the flavor of these ultimate brookies is TO DIE FOR!!! The chocolate chip cookie dough is made with browned butter, dark brown sugar and mega vanilla extract for the most delicious cookie dough ever (I’m thinking of working on this flavor trio for a new chocolate chip cookie for us, stay tuned!).
The rich chocolate brownie dough dotted with big 2-tablespoon (30-gram) cookie dough balls throughout means that every bite is a little bit brownie and a little bit chocolate chip cookie — SO GOOD!
METHOD
I went back and forth on what the easiest technique would be for this. I settled on:
- Brown the butter for the chocolate chip cookie dough and set aside to cool.
- Melt the chocolate for the brownies and then throw together the one-bowl brownie dough; set aside.
- Throw together the cookie dough (also one-bowl!) with the now-cooled browned butter, this will only take a couple of minutes and then assemble the skillet brookies and bake!
- I *HIGHLY* recommend letting your ultimate brookies cool completely before trying to cut. And that’s it!
Even though we’re making two doughs, I made sure that each dough was one-bowl and that our active time was as minimal as possible. I can’t wait for you to try these brookies!
BAKER’S TIMELINE
These are mixed together in roughly 30 minutes and baked for another 25 minutes. However, in terms of serving them, you’ll need to wait hours for the brookies to cool completely. If you need to expedite cutting and serving the brookies, I suggest popping them in the freezer or fridge and checking every 30 minutes to see if they’ve cooled enough to cut.
The cast iron holds onto heat well, so make sure to allow this cool-down time in your schedule.
These are quite delicious the next day, making them a perfect make-ahead dessert.
TO SERVE
These ultimate brookies are absolutely perfect as is…HOWEVER, if I was going to suggest something to go with them it would absolutely be your favorite vanilla bean ice cream!!!!!!
Browning Butter for The Ultimate Brookies
Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Continue stirring and look for small golden bits that will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. It will smell deliciously nutty and caramel-y. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
You do not need to strain brown butter. I read this somewhere. The horror. Those brown bits hold all of the flavor…we want them. We need them.
You also don’t want your brown butter to be black as then it is burnt and the taste won’t be beautiful, caramel-y and glamorous.
Definitely do not do anything but brown butter when you’re browning butter. This isn’t the time to multitask. You’ve got this.
I have a How to Make Perfect Brown Butter Post
if you’re looking for how-to photos + video!
DH BROWNING BUTTER TIP
If you’re new to making brown butter and worried you’re going to burn the butter, here’s my hot tip: Once you start to see the golden bits on the bottom of the pan you can take it off of the heat and continue stirring. The heat from the pan will continue to cook the brown butter causing the delicious milk solids (the bits that are getting bronzed up) to turn an even deeper golden brown.
How To Make the Top of Your Ultimate Skillet Brookies Look Pretty
I finally settled on a styling that I thought yielded the prettiest baked brookies. I gently smoothed the brownie batter over the bottom of the skillet. And then I dropped heaping 2-tablespoon (30-gram) sized dough balls over the top of the brownies.
I took care not to drop the cookie dough evenly over the top and instead created clumps of dough, this is by design as I wanted pools of the brownie batter to poke through.
The finishing touch is adding more chocolate chips over the tops of the cookie dough balls + brownie dough and trust me, more is better! I added 3-4 chocolate chips per dough ball for the prettiest final baked skillet brookie!
Questions About Making Skillet Brookies
What if I don’t have a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet?
You can use a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan and bake the brookies for 20 to 25 minutes as they may bake faster.
I use a cast-iron skillet because I think these are so pretty to serve in the skillet as a decadent dessert (although they’re seriously delicious any time!).
Make sure whatever vessel you bake the brookies is oven safe.
Can I use light brown sugar for the cookie dough?
Absolutely! You can also use muscovado (dark or light) if you’re feeling it! I really wanted to draw out the caramel/toffee flavors of the chocolate chip cookie dough so it could stand boldly next to the rich brownie dough, which is why I specified the dark brown sugar. But all of those mentioned above will work beautifully.
What are your favorite chocolate chips?
I’m really having a moment with these Ghirardelli Premium Baking Ships 60% Cocoa Bittersweet. They melt beautifully, have delicious flavor…I used them for all of my brookie testing. This isn’t sponsored and I purchased these myself. I also really love this particular Callebaut which I’m currently out of.
Why is there oil in both the cookie and brownie dough and what one do you recommend?
In my initial testing of this recipe I didn’t have oil in either of the doughs. The brookies were turning out delicious, but they were a little too cakey for my taste. I like my brownies and bar cookies to have that gooey, fudgy factor. I also like them to taste just as delicious the next day. I found adding 1-2 tablespoons of oil did the trick.
I used Sunflower Seed Oil in both the chocolate chip cookie dough and the brownie dough. However, you can use whatever oil you have on hand and that you like the taste of. There is so little oil in both doughs that you won’t taste it in the final product. However, I do suggest that you like the flavor of the oil by itself so that any off flavors aren’t transferred into your delicious brookies!
For baking, I also love grapeseed oil and mild olive oil.
Why did you use the extra egg yolk in the cookie dough?
This gives the cookie dough a super soft, chewy texture!
Can I use something in place of the espresso?
Yes! Feel free to omit the coffee and just use water in its place!
Equipment for your Ultimate Skillet Brookies
10-inch Cast Iron Skillet (I have a ton of cast-iron skillets and this is by far my favorite! It comes perfectly seasoned and is just a dream)
Spatula (I had a favorite Staub spatula but I think it’s discontinued…this is a close second!!)
My Scale (this is a great recipe to use a scale with if you’re new to scale baking)
2-tablespoon (30 g) Cookie Scoop (I scoop heaping scoops, it doesn’t need to be exact so use a smaller/larger cookie scoop if that’s what you have…this is a great cookie scoop brand if you’re in the market)
Chocolate Chips (LOVE these for this!) (These are the chocolate chips I used to test these brookies; they taste delicious, melt gorgeous and are available at most grocery stores)
More Bar Cookie Recipes
Perfectly Crinkly Shiny Brownies
Not a bar cookie, but not to be missed Crinkly Fudgy Brownie Cookies and this Vegan Soft & Chewy Brownie Cookie recipe
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chunk Bar Cookies (recipe from The Cookie Book!)
Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies with Coffee Ganache
Brown-Butter Chocolate Caramel Skillet Cookie
More Brown Butter Recipes
Brown Butter Muscovado Snickerdoodles
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Butter Muscovado Banana Bread
Brown Butter Salted Caramel Brownies
Salted Caramel Brown Butter Blondies
*You can substitute brown sugar for muscovado in all of these recipes! xo
Let’s bake some ultimate skillet brookies, shall we?
Ultimate Skillet Brookies
Ingredients
To Start
- 83 grams unsalted brown butter ((about 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter before browning))
For the Brownies
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (128 g) dark chocolate, (finely chopped)
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, (cut into 8 pieces)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon oil (use any oil; see blog post for more details)
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) freshly brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) real vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (25 g) unsweetened dark (Dutch-process) cocoa powder (sifted)
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (68 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup (165 g) dark brown sugar, (packed)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) oil (use any oil; see blog post for more details)
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) real vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (203 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups (128 g) dark chocolate chips
To Garnish
- 1/3 cup (57 g) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
To Start
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 10–inch (25–cm) cast-iron skillet and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.* Set aside.
- Place 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a small, heat-safe bowl. You'll add this to the chocolate chip cookie dough in a bit. Set aside to cool. (For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)
For the Brownies
- In a medium, heat-safe bowl, add the sugar, chocolate and butter and set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water or let the water come to a boil. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Take off of the heat and whisk in the eggs, oil, espresso and vanilla. Whisk in the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Fold in the flour and set aside.
For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- To the cooled browned butter add the brown sugar and egg + egg yolk and stir until well combined and thick. Stir in the oil, vanilla, baking soda and sea salt. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined. Fold in the flour until barely combined. Add in the chocolate chips and give a couple of good stirs to evenly distribute throughout the dough.
To Assemble
- Smooth the brownie dough over the bottom of the skillet. Make it even-ish, but don't stress about it. Scoop heaping, 2-tablespoon (30-gram) balls of chocolate chip cookie dough over the top (see blog post for styling tips). Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup (57 g) chocolate chips and bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely before even thinking about cutting. I mean it. Set in the fridge to expedite. Enjoy!! xo
Notes
- SERVING SIZE. If cut into wedges, it will serve 8-10. Cut like the photos, it will serve up to 15.
- PARCHMENT PAPER. Lining the skillet with parchment paper is optional but makes it hella easier to cut and serve.
- BAKING DISH. You can use a 9×13 baking dish in place of the 10-inch skillet. You may need to bake less as this will yield thinner brookies. Whatever vessel you use, please make sure it is oven safe. Scaling up or down in the size of your skillet/baking dish will change the bake time so plan accordingly.
Can I use a square 9inch pan? I can’t wait to try these, all of your recipes are a hit!!
Hi Hanna!
I recommend a 9×13 if you don’t have a skillet. I worry a 9×9 would have a hard time cooking through. If you do use the latter, it may need to bake longer. Let me know how it goes!
xo
PS THANK YOU!!! xoxoxo
Made these as directed yesterday, sooo good! I’d say the brownie part barely cooked but we ate them anyway! Very gooey! Put a tiny bit of ice cream on top, too. I felt I had a little too much cookie dough, so actually baked three cookies. My husband ate them and loved them.
Hi Janet! I’m so glad you liked them!! The brownie part is very fudgy!! If anyone wants a cake-ier brownie part, you can omit the oil and it will bake to a firmer consistency…but still be quite fudgy in the middle. Love the ice cream addition!! Thanks for making! xox
WOW!! It’s a chocolate lover’s delight.
My grandson saw the pictures ( which look great by the way ) and is begging me to bake some. Guess what I’m doing Sunday?
Hi Catarina! They are so delish, your grandson will love them!!! Have fun! xo
My favorite! They look absolutely delicious.
Thank you Sally!! I love them too!! xo
Wow these look decadent! The photos are beautiful, I can’t wait to make some for the kids!
Hi Diana! Thank you so much!! I hope they love them!! xo
Sooo good – if you are suffering from a chocolate deficiency these will l cure that. I like them with cold milk mmmmm.
They are definitely delicious with milk and/or ice cream! xo