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The very BEST Salted Cookie Crinkle Top Brownies. Homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, layered with homemade fudgy brownie batter for the truly ultimate cookie bar. Sweet chocolate chunks are swirled throughout the brownie batter before baking to perfection. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. There’s nothing not to love about these chocolate layered brownie cookie bars. Each bite is filled with doughy chocolate chip cookies and fudgy molten brownies…with an extra crinkly top. The best of both worlds.
These brownie cookie bars may not be my most creative recipe yet, but they’re truly one of my most delicious. I’m not sure I’ve met a cookie bar that’s better. A soft delicious cookie layer on the bottom and extra fudgy, molten brownies on top. Two most loved desserts combined into one.
So. Very. Good.
And perfect for these last days of February. Yes, the month flew by, but I’m excited to welcome in March on Sunday. February wasn’t the easiest month, but that’s life. The bad months help you appreciate the good ones! You just keep pushing forward. And I have a really exciting week ahead of travel…plus an insanely delicious dessert to talk about today…all very good things!
Now, these bars? They took me almost no time at all to get just right. They were oddly one of those recipes that worked pretty well the very first time I made them. I knew instantly that I would be sharing the recipe as soon as possible. Of course, while the recipe is delicious, the photos gave me some trouble. In an effort to get the photos just right, I’ve now made these brownies more than a handful of times over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully these brownies are delicious and I’ve been sharing them with everyone who turns up. It’s probably safe to say that I have this recipe pretty much perfected.
Which is great, because you absolutely need to make these, preferably tonight as an end of the workweek celebration treat. We all deserve a little indulgence every once in a while throughout the week.
The details…start with the cookie dough.
These bars start with the cookie layer. This is my go-to cookie base. Made with the classic list of ingredients…butter, sugar, an egg, lots of vanilla, flour, and plenty of chocolate chips. Very much the classic recipe, and so delicious!
Once mixed, press the cookie dough into a square brownie pan.
Let’s talk about the brownie batter.
Now, move onto the brownie batter, which I find to be extra special.
This is the brownie recipe I shared in the HBH Super Simple cookbook, it has only five very simple ingredients.
The secret lies in a generous amount of chocolate hazelnut spread, better known as Nutella. The Nutella is mixed with a couple of eggs and a touch of melted butter, then whisked until smooth. Then just add the flour and chocolate chunks. The Nutella keeps the brownies sweet and chocolatey without having to add any additional sweeteners or cocoa powder. SIMPLE, but SO GOOD.
If you don’t enjoy Nutella I’m still going to urge you to give this a try because the hazelnut flavor doesn’t really come through. On the other hand, if you simply can’t eat Nutella due to an allergy, I provided an additional brownie recipe in the notes sections of the recipe.
Once the batter is made, spread it directly over the cookie dough….
Now bake the bars.
There are a couple of things I want to note while baking. First, these brownies take longer than your average brownie to bake up since they’re thicker than your average brownie. They’ll need to bake for about thirty minutes. I then tent them with foil and continue to bake for another ten to fifteen minutes, until the brownies are just barely set in the center.
Using foil prevents the tops of the brownies from becoming too brown and preserves their beautiful crinkled top. And yes, I do think that crinkle top is beautiful, it’s what I strive for in a brownie. I love a crinkle top…with sea salt on top…of course.
Let the bars cool off a bit, then lift them out of the pan. At this point, you should really let the bars cool completely before cutting. Trust me I do understand if you need to steal a corner or two while the bars are still warm. They’re warm, gooey, and very messy, but SO very GOOD.
My only suggestion? Bake these salted cookie crinkle top brownies as soon as you get home from work today. Enjoy them just a smidge warm, maybe while snuggled up on the couch, and in full on weekend mode.
Hey, I’m convinced. Happiest (sweetest) Friday to you all – ENJOY!
A few of my favorite bar recipes.
Fudgy Avocado Brownies with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
5 Ingredient Triple Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Lastly, if you make these Salted Cookie Crinkle Top Brownies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Crinkle Top Brownie Cookie Bars
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 272 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crinkle Top Brownies
- 1 cup Nutella
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (optional)
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add the egg, beating until combined and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and saltbeat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. 3. To make the brownies. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Nutella, eggs, butter, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour and mix until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes more. Fold in the chocolate chunks (if using). Evenly spread the batter over the cooker layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then cover the pan with foil and continue baking another 10-15 minutes, until the brownies are just set. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let cool.4. Eat warm (a little messy, but delicious) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. ENJOY!
Notes
Alternative Brownie Recipe: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crinkle-top-brownies/
Is the crinkle top recipe the same proportion as the Nutella brownie recipe? Seems like the crinkle top recipe is a lot more batter and to cook all the way through, would cause the cookies to overcook!
Hey Jess,
No, those are two completely different recipes:) xTieghan
Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.
Thanks so much!
Awesome post.
Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I’ve tried this recipe and let me tell you, I’m not a sweet tooth and I really like this!! Just wondering, if I decide to use your other Crinkle Top Brownies recipe for this one, should I halve it or just make it as is?
Thank you so much!
Hey Nadine,
I am so glad you have been enjoying the recipe! I would just use half of the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Omg i really want to make these brownies!! Though can u give substitute for eggs as i am allergic to them.
Hey Nisha,
I am so sorry I have not tested this recipe without the eggs. You could certainly try a chia or flax egg, but again I am unsure of the results. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just took mine out of the oven and oh my goodness!!!! These are DELICIOUS! Thank you Tieghan for helping me get comfortable in the kitchen making delicious recipes! I feel a lot more confident in taking on recipes your recipes are so easy to follow. My brownies didn’t crinkle like yours on the top but they were amazing nonetheless. Thank you!
Aw that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Lucy! xTieghan
These were a hit! First time making a “layered” cookie/brownie/cake. Easy and fantastic!
Thank you Abby! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Looks like you have solved my problem for my baby girl’s birthday. I am going to suggest my wife make these brownies and will share her experience.
Amazing! I hope you love these brownies! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I have made these a few times now, and each time I get so many compliments and requests to have them again! I’m not a baker by any means, but these were easy to make and SO worth it. They have become a staple in my family!
I am so happy to hear that, Natalie!! Thank you so much for trying these brownies! I hope you continue to love these and other recipes of mine! xTieghan
I didn’t have any nutella, so I used peanut butter. Still amazing! can’t wait to try the recipe with nutella next.
I am so glad you loved these! Also, hope they turn out even better with the nutella haha! Thank you Emma! xTieghan
Takes brownies to the next level, so so good
Thank you so much! xTieghan
Just finished eating my first piece. I’m slightly disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly. My brownie didn’t look set so I added another 5 minutes and they weren’t much better but I was okay with that. I did not get that beautiful crinkle, mine just looked puffy. After cutting them, you can see my cookie bottom is a little overcooked. They tasted yummy, but definitely more cake like that fudgy. Definitely agree the Nutella does not overpower the brownie flavor. I don’t hate them, I mean, I’m certainly eating the rest of them, but might not make again.
Thank you Kelly! Is there anything I can help you with? Or anything that may have gotten changed on accident? xTieghan
These were a huge hit with my Nutella-loving husband. I saved this recipe for his birthday, and he was so happy! I went the extra step and added those chips to the brownie layer as well. Totally worth it.
Thank you so much Jen! xTieghan
Hello 🙂 I think I found a possible reason why some other reviews may have had faulty brownies? There’s no step indicating when to add the salt for the bottom layer. Maybe other reviewers missed the salt due to that? I know I missed it until I tasted the batter and noticed it was missing. Delicious brownies, mine turned out perfect! 🙂
Thank you so much for catching that, Lindsay! I will add it in to make sure it gets added! I am really glad these turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
I baked these yesterday and they turned out brilliant, I followed the recipe exactly an didn’t have any issues, they were super quick and easy! The crinkle top came out great and it was perfectly cooked. Will definitely be doing them again! Thanks for an excellent recipe!!
Amazing!! I am so happy these turned out so well for you, Reigan! Thank you! xTieghan