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These Gooey Brownie Cookie Bars recipe taste just like your favorite gooey brownie except they’re formed into GOOEY bars! These are so rich and chocolatey and they start with a box brownie mix!
Gooey Brownie Cookie Bars
I am OBSESSED with gooey bars – I’ve made them with every flavor cake mix you can imagine. But one day I thought to myself: can gooey bars be made with BROWNIE mix? You betcha they can!
What is a gooey bar? My gooey bars are two layers of cake mix or brownie mix sandwiched with sweetened condensed milk. The bar layers are more like cookies in texture and the center is sweet and gooey and perfect.
These are chocolate to the extreme with just 5 ingredients – you’re going to LOVE them.
Ingredients Needed
- Brownie mix: I start with a store bought brownie mix. Make sure to use one designed for a 9×13-inch pan.
- Egg: for chew and moisture.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter so it won’t overpower the taste of our batter. I leave a stick of butter out to warm up to room temperature, that way it’s easier to mix in with the sugar.
- Sweetened condensed milk: my regulars know how much I love this stuff. It’s a foolproof way to get a gooey and incredible dessert.
- Chocolate chips: I’m using semi-sweet chocolate chips but feel free to use any kind you please. You can also add nuts!
How to make Brownie Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your baking dish.
- Add brownie mix, egg, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can use a hand mixer but it takes a long time to mix it! Beat until a thick mixture forms. Should be thicker than chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Press half the thick brownie mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Top with your favorite chocolate chips and pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top. Try to not let the milk touch the edges of the pan though. If you do, it will cause it to bubble and brown.
- Break pieces of the remaining dough and drop them evenly over the top of the bars, then press gently to compact.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top starts to lose the glossy look.
- Cool to room temperature. You’ll probably be impatient at this point because your kitchen will smell incredible. But just let it cool down to cut into bars.
Expert Tips
- Store at room temperature for maximum gooeyness.
- Serve this chocolate brownie bar with your favorite ice cream!
- Sprinkle the top with sea salt for a perfect salted chocolate finish.
- Instead of chocolate chips, use chunks of your favorite candies: Reese’s, M&Ms, Butterfingers, Rolos, Almond Joy, Kit Kat, etc., or use or add chopped nuts.
FAQs
If stored in an airtight container, these cookie bars last up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Yes. If stored in an airtight container, you can freeze these brownie cookie bars for up to 1 month.
Brownie Gooey Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box (approx 18 ounces) brownie mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , softened
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray for easy removal.
- Add brownie mix, egg, and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until at thick mixture forms (thicker than cookie dough). You can do this with a hand mixer but it will take a really long time!
- Press half the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate chips and pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top, but try to not let the milk touch the edges of the pan. (That will cause it to bubble and brown.) Break pieces of the remaining dough and drop them evenly over the top of the bars, then press gently to compact.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top starts to loose the glossy look. Cool to room temperature before cutting.
- Store at room temperature for maximum gooeyness.
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Last Updated on August 8, 2023
Hello – rather than buy a brownie mix from the store, do you have a recipe where I can make this component of the recipe from scratch? Thanks!
Camile
Any tips for working with the dough. I think I’m going to like these but it was SO HARD to get the dough to stick to the greased tin foil. And then I didn’t have enough to cover the top, so I just left a big hole!
Oh boy, I was so much in a hurry to eat this delicious looking brownies to notice I needed condensed milk, NOT whole milk. They are currently in the oven and I was a little weary when I was in the process. I will have to see how these turn out. Hopefully not to horrible. *Not to self, next time read instructions throughly and carefully* I will however have to give this recipe another try the correct way! ??
It wasn’t really enough to do 2 layers in my 9×9 pan, but they’re in the oven anyhow! 🙂 Maybe I’ll try an 8×8 next time. I’m looking forward to them anyhow!
The mixture for this recipe was so thick it nearly broke my mixer ! I’ve got the brownies in the oven now so i’m hoping all the work that went into these brownies pays off.
Yes it’s a very thick batter! Was it a hand mixer? When in doubt, get your hands in there!
Do you melt the butter? Or softened?
Room temperature/softened is perfect.
I have two teenage boys and two of their best friends who live with me and my other half. I think that I will make this with triple the brownie mix ingredients, so I can make a 9×13 pan, and have plenty to cover the top with, prolly have to double the chips and SCM. Oh shucks! This is the only way that I get more than one. Must think of yourself when feeding that many teenagers, especially when we are talking about brownies!
I bet they eat you out of house and home! Hopefully you get at least a bite. 🙂
Amazing Gooey Chocolate Brownies. Best Brownie recipe I have ever made and so easy! They stay moist for days and hold a really nice shape once cooled so you can have fun with them around the holiday season!
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for your comment Melissa!
I’m going to try this brownie receipe this weekend it looks so good and I’m sure that it is going to be delicious, I may keep this all for myself hee !!!hee!!!
The ooie gooie goodness is SO GOOD!! I’ve made some variations, and it tastes amazing every time. (9×13 pan, adding Heath bits) Thank you for dreaming this up and for sharing!!
Did you double the recipe to fit ina 9×13 pan?
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