Brownie Cookie Bars

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Delicious oatmeal and caramel Brownie Cookie Bars start with a rich, fudgy brownie base topped with chocolate chips, a creamy caramel layer, and an oatmeal cookie crumble to finish them off. These “brookie” bars (brownie + cookie)  make for a rich, indulgent, and fun treat.

Brownie cookie bars stacked, with caramel oozing out from the center layers.

Brownie Cookie Bars

Brownies, cookies, caramel, and chocolate? Yes, this is one crazy mash-up dessert! Since brownies and carmelitas are two of my all-time favorite treats I thought it would be fun to combine the two into one fun dessert bar. And fun hardly begins to describe these bars — they’re gooey, fudgy, chewy, and chocolatey. They’re rich and caramelly — these bars are the ultimate treat!

And, while considering there are four layers, it might seem like a lot of work, these bars are surprisingly easy to make. To keep things simple, we use a brownie mix for the base. The chocolate layer is simply a bag of chocolate chips and the caramel layer isn’t made from scratch either — we’re using packaged caramels. The oatmeal cookie topping is made from scratch, but I promise, it’s quick and easy!

Brownie layer being baked, chocolate chips layered on top, and caramels with cream added to a saucepan.

How to make four-layer Brownie Cookie Bars

1. Start by making fudge brownies

We begin with a boxed mix for this recipe. Brownie mixes are delicious and convenient, especially since the goal for this dessert is quick and easy. If you want to make your brownies from scratch, use your favorite brownie recipe in place of the mix in this recipe (Just make sure it fills a 9×13-inch pan).

My personal favorite mix for this recipe is Betty Crocker’s® Fudge Brownie Mix (18.3 ounces). There are different versions of that mix, so make sure to get the 18.3 ounce mix that will fit in a 9×13-inch pan. We slightly under-bake the brownies, because they’ll go back in the oven layer!

2. Chocolate chips next

Right on top of the brownies, we add an entire bag (about 2 cups) of chocolate chips. Use any chocolate you like — milk, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate for a unique flavor twist. We prefer milk chocolate, but it does make these bars quite sweet. If you prefer less overall sweetness, I’d stick to semi-sweet or dark chocolate.

My favorite chocolate chips to add to these Brownie Cookie Bars is either Ghirardelli® or Guittard® (not sponsored). 

3. Caramel layer

I’ve tried a lot of different caramels in these bars and my favorite affordable caramels are Werther’s® SOFT (not original) caramels. Here’s a visual of the bag (not sponsored). These caramels have a great flavor, melt easily, and are perfect for these bars.

The unwrapped caramels get mixed with heavy cream to keep the caramel layer soft and creamy. 

4. Oatmeal cookie topping

Last, but not least, we make an oatmeal cookie crumble topping. The crumble has fairly standard ingredients — flour, oats, butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. It’s easily prepared by stirring everything together in one bowl until it forms a crumbly topping.

Caramel layer being poured over the chocolate chip layer, making crumble topping, sprinkling it on top, and baking.

Cookie Brownie Bar tips

  • Line the 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper. This not only keeps the cleanup to a minimum but ensures caramel doesn’t stick to the sides and the bars remove easily.
  • For the oatmeal crumble topping, allow time for the butter to cool down to room temperature. If the butter is hot, it will cause the sugars to melt and become greasy.
  • For the caramel layer, make sure to use heavy cream, not half and half or milk. Otherwise, the caramel layer won’t set up properly and will be overly gooey.

Chocolate chip brownie cookie bars ready to be eaten, with caramel oozing from the center.

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Cookie Brownie Bars

5 from 1 vote
Delicious Brownie Cookie Bars with a chocolate caramel brownie base - a "brookie" (brownie + cookie) bar at its best!
Chocolate chip brownie cookie bars ready to be eaten, with caramel oozing from the center.
Print Recipe

Cookie Brownie Bars

Chocolate chip brownie cookie bars ready to be eaten, with caramel oozing from the center.
5 from 1 vote
Delicious Brownie Cookie Bars with a chocolate caramel brownie base - a "brookie" (brownie + cookie) bar at its best!
Course Dessert, Snack, Vegetarian
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookie Brownie Bars
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 24 bars
Chelsea Lords
Calories 357kcal
Cost $6.21

Ingredients

Brownie, Chocolate, and Caramel Layer

  • 1 package (18.3 oz; 519g) fudge brownie mix + ingredients called for (See Note 1)
  • 1 bag (10.8 oz; (307g) unwrapped soft caramels (See Note 2)
  • 1/4 cup (60g) heavy cream
  • 1 package (2 cups) (11.5oz, 326g) milk chocolate chips

Oatmeal Cookie Layer

  • 7 tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (86g) white flour
  • 3/4 cup (64g) old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup (115g) brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • PREP: Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper (not foil). Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • BROWNIES: In a large bowl, prepare the brownies according to package instructions. Bake for 21 minutes at 350 degrees F. They won't be fully cooked through at this point; don't worry--they'll go back in the oven soon!
  • CARAMEL LAYER: While the brownies are baking, combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy whipping cream in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Gently stir until melted and smooth, about 5-8 minutes. Once smooth, remove from heat and set aside.
  • ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS: As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips right on top. Immediately pour and gently spread the caramel layer on top.
  • OATMEAL COOKIE LAYER: Melt the butter and then allow to cool back to room temperature. Do not add hot butter to this mixture; it will make it all greasy! In another large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Once the butter has cooled, add it into the mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer until you have a thick, crumbly oatmeal mixture.
  • BAKE BARS AGAIN: Crumble the cookie mixture evenly over the melted caramel and bake for another 13-16 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  • ENJOY: Remove from the oven and allow bars to cool and set up for at least 1 hour before cutting into the bars. Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature. Bars are best enjoyed within 2-3 days.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Brownies: We usually use Betty Crocker’s® Fudge Brownies. There are different versions of this mix, so make sure to get the 21-ounce mix that will fit the 9 x 13-inch pan. 
Note 2: Caramels: I recommend Werther's® SOFT (not chewy) caramels for this recipe. If you can't find this size bag, grab 3 (4.51 ounce) bags and use 2 full bags and 5 caramels from the 3rd bag.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24servings | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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BROOKIES!! Caramel fudge brownies topped with an oatmeal cookie layer. Delicious and simple dessert!
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14 Comments

  1. Oh these bars are amazing, Chelsea! I love the brownie and cookie combo. And everything is better with caramel!

  2. Oh my goodness, these cookie bars look SO amazing, Chelsea! I love all those decadent layers! Brownies, caramel, chocolate and the oatmeal cookie sound like the best combination! Such a perfect way to brighten up a Monday! So gorgeous!

  3. These looks so very relish! Going to make them this weekend for the 4th! Great recipe 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    Absolute decadence!!! I made these bars today and shared with my neighbors EVERYONE loved them. I cut them on the smaller side so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed 😀 great recipe. Thank you

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