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
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!
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.
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.
More delicious desserts
- Vanilla Cheesecake Bars with a berry topping
- Carmelitas oatmeal caramel and chocolate bars
- Gluten Free Brownies with a fudge topping
- Caramel Cookie Bars with a shortbread crust
- M&M Cookies soft and chewy
Cookie Brownie Bars
Equipment
- Sheet pan 9 x 13-inch
- Parchment paper
- Medium pot
Ingredients
Brownie, Chocolate, and Caramel Layer
- 1 (16.3-ounce) package fudge brownie mix plus ingredients called for; see note 1
- 1 (10.8-ounce) bag unwrapped soft caramels see note 2
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 (11.5-ounce) package milk chocolate chips 2 cups
Oatmeal Cookie Layer
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper (not foil). Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, prepare brownies according to package instructions. Bake for 21 minutes at 350℉. They won’t be fully cooked through at this point; don’t worry—they’ll go back in the oven soon!
- While brownies are baking, combine unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Gently stir until melted and smooth, about 5–8 minutes. Once smooth, remove from heat and set aside.
- As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Immediately pour and gently spread caramel layer on top.
- Melt butter and allow to cool back to room temperature. Adding hot butter to this mixture will make it all greasy! In another large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Once butter has cooled, add it to the mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer until you have a thick, crumbly oatmeal mixture.
- Crumble cookie mixture evenly over melted caramel and bake for another 13–16 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Remove from oven and allow bars to cool and set up for at least 1 hour before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can these bars be frozen and if so,
For how long?
Yes! To freeze, wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
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
Yay! So happy these bars were a hit! Thank you for the comment 🙂