Brownies with Cookie Dough Frosting are two decadent desserts combined into one! A fudgy chocolate brownie is frosted with a smooth, creamy cookie dough frosting. Each bite will have you guessing: Is it a brownie? Or a cookie? BOTH!
Imagine: gliding your fork through a sea of cookie dough frosting down into a rich brownie base. This dessert will rock your world.
Why KJ Loves Brownies with Cookie Dough Frosting
How can you not like two desserts in one? It’s the best of both worlds! I love how happy these brownies make people. You can’t not smile when you take in a bite of these decadent brownies. I love cookie dough and I love brownies, so putting them together was a no-brainer! Bake up the ultimate indulgence!
Brownie Base
Making homemade brownies can seem like a hassle. But compared to a boxed brownie, it is SO worth it.
Let’s break it down:
01) First, you make the brownie batter—nothing fussy here, just chocolatey goodness. Whip up the butter and sugars. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
02) Spread brownie batter evenly into a greased 9×9 pan. Smooth it out evenly with a rubber spatula. The brownie batter will be thick, but don’t worry! It bakes up to be perfectly fudgy and delicious. You can also line the baking pan with parchment paper to easily remove the brownies for slicing and serving.
03) Then, bake the brownies to perfection. Make sure to cool the brownies completely before frosting, or you will have a gooey mess!
It’s that simple.
The key to a really delicious brownie?
I swear by Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It adds the ultimate, rich chocolate flavor that I love. Plus, it makes the brownies look ultra dark and decadent. If you can’t find Dutch-processed cocoa powder, use 100% cocoa powder.
These brownies are scrumptious on their own, but you can’t say no to a cookie dough frosting!
Cookie Dough Frosting
Brown sugar, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips give this frosting the classic “cookie dough” taste. I recommend semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
This frosting also calls for flour—if you are concerned about consuming raw flour, simply spread the flour out on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for a few minutes. Then, resume the frosting recipe as normal once the flour has cooled.
Personally, I’m going to take my chances, ha! But I’m also the one who is swiping my finger through regular cookie dough when I’m baking cookies, so…it’s just in my nature!
Heavy cream gives the cookie dough frosting a light, airy texture. It will also make the frosting easier to spread! To get a nice, light, and fluffy frosting, make sure to whip it until airy.
Frost the brownies after they have cooled completely. And good luck trying to resist taste-testing. In all honesty here, I may have taken a few finger swipes through this smooth cookie dough frosting while the brownies cooled.
Slice the brownies and serve right away. Or, if you’re serving them later, store the frosted brownies in the refrigerator. Take them out a little before serving to bring them to room temperature.
Just imagine:
Setting out a delicious pan of this dessert and watching everyone’s jaw drop.
OR
Sitting on your couch late at night in your jammies, sinking your teeth into one of these chocolatey treats.
Either way, they are bound to disappear!
But don’t take my word for it. Check out the spectacular success other home cooks had with this recipe:
Brownies With Cookie Dough Frosting FAQ:
How should I store the frosted brownies?
Cover the brownies and store them in the refrigerator to get the most life out of them. Since the frosting will naturally harden in the cool refrigerator, bring the brownies back to room temperature prior to serving.
Can you make the frosting without flour?
I haven’t tried the frosting recipe without it, and it does help give the frosting the “cookie dough” feel.
Can I substitute whole milk for heavy cream?
Heavy cream adds richness and decadence to the frosting. But you can substitute whole milk if you don’t have cream on hand. Add less to begin with, as milk can thin out the frosting more.
Recipe Video:
Looking for other Brownie Recipes? Check these out!
Brownies with Cookie Dough Frosting
(350 votes, average: 3.52 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Description
Brownies with Cookie Dough Frosting are two decadent desserts combined into one! A fudgy chocolate brownie is frosted with a smooth, creamy cookie dough frosting. Each bite will have you guessing: Is it a brownie? Or a cookie? BOTH!
Imagine: gliding your fork through a sea of cookie dough frosting down into a rich brownie base. This dessert will rock your world.
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (Dutch processed preferred)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
For the brownies:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about a couple minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in one egg at a time, making sure to wipe down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt on low speed until a thick batter forms. Fold the chocolate chips in with a rubber spatula. Gently press the brownie batter into a greased or parchment lined 9×9 pan. Its ok if the batter is thick and this may take a moment to gently push it into a flat layer in the pan.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about a few minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, flour and vanilla extract and whip until smooth and fluffy, a few more minutes.
- Mix in the heavy cream until smooth. If it’s still a little too thick, add in a little bit more heavy cream until creamy enough. Fold the chocolate chips in with a rubber spatula.
- Once the brownies are completely cooled, frost with the cookie dough frosting. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are concerned about consuming raw flour in the cookie dough frosting recipe, simply spread the flour out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for a few minutes. Resume the frosting recipe as normal.
- Dutch processed cocoa isn’t required, but does really deliver a “full” chocolate flavor! It’s my favorite!
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 518
- Sugar: 31.4g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 35g
- Carbohydrates: 50.2g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4.9g
- Cholesterol: 131mg
Keywords: Brownies with Cookie Dough Frosting
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If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂
Thanks for following and cooking along with me!
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Recipe originally posted on January 17, 2020 – updated on September 16, 2022.
Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
Do these need to be refrigerated?
To get the most life out of them, I would recommend wrapping them with plastic wrap and refrigerating them! The frosting will set in the fridge, so I would bring them to room temp before eating for the best bite!
How do you think 3/4 cups Peanut Butter replacing the butter and brownsugar? Would that even work? I’m crazy enough to try I’ll get back about it!
Can you make the frosting without the flour?
I haven’t tried this particular frosting recipe without the flour! I find that it gives it the true “cookie dough” feel.
These turned out terribly for me. The middle of the brownies completely sunk in. They’re way too buttery. Also that much cream made my frosting soup.
Hey Sarah! I’m sorry your batch didn’t turn out as expected. When making the brownie batter, I recommend making sure that you are creaming your butter and sugars together until light and fluffy – this could help trouble-shoot the buttery aspect! As for the frosting, the cream is added in to achieve the desired “frosting” consistency, so you could always try a little less. I appreciate your feedback and hope that you will give another recipe a try!
Can I mix by hand if I don’t own an electric mixer?
Hey Emily! You can, but it might take a little extra work! 🙂 The main thing is getting the light and fluffy consistency.
I’m trying not to eat the whole batch of frosting before my brownies come out of the oven! 🤣 22 minutes and counting! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Self-control is the hardest part haha! So glad you like them!
Do you think these would freeze ok? In case we want to save half for later!
I’ve never frozen them before so I’m not sure! If you try it out, I’d be interested in hearing how they turn out! 🙂
If I don’t have heavy cream for the frosting can I use whole milk?
Yes you can give it a try! I would recommend adding in less to begin with as milk might thin it out more.
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda? I am not a huge fan of baking soda in baked goods. Please let me know by e-mailing me at midnight0675@suddenlink.net
Hey Heather! I do not recommend using baking powder instead of baking soda because they are two different ingredients. I have only tested this recipe with baking soda. Thanks!
Wow! Those were so rich and delicious! What a treat. I was worried that the batter was too thick, but the brownies turned out perfect. The frosting is fabulous – better than cookie dough. I loved that this is a relatively quick and easy recipe, but tastes like it should have taken lots of time and talent.
I’m so glad you liked them, Rebecca! Thank you for your kind review!
Kate would you like to make some and drop them off at my house tomorrow before the NYE party I’m going too.😜
Haha I wish I could’ve! Happy New Year! 🙂
Can I use my own brownie recipe or no?
How many days can it stay at room temperature???
Hey Katerina! I would recommend storing these in the fridge due to the frosting and setting out to room temperature to eat 🙂
YUMMMM!!! 😋 These we’re absolutely delicious!! By far the very best brownie recipe for have ever made. Thank you so much! These will be my new go-to recipe!