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snickerdoodle brookie bars stacked on top of each other

Snickerdoodle Brookie Bars

Yield: 24 Bars
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

  • 1 ½ cups (255 g) semisweet chocolate chips (see note)
  • ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
  • 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (21 g) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Snickerdoodle Batter:

  • ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (53 g) lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ⅓ cup (189 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Cinnamon + Sugar:

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with foil for easier cleanup (I use metal; glass will bake differently and you may want to decrease oven temp to 325 degrees). Lightly grease foil and sides of pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • For the brownie batter, in a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter and microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Don't over heat!
  • Stir in the sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined. Stir in the flour, cocoa and salt until no dry streaks remain and batter is smooth. Set aside. Making the brownie batter first gives it a chance to firm up a bit while you make the snickerdoodle batter.
  • For the snickerdoodle batter, in a large bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Mix with an electric mixer (stand mixer or handheld) until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well-combined.
  • Add the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder and mix until evenly combined and no dry streaks remain.
  • Scoop heaping spoonfuls (about 2-3 tablespoons in size) of brownie batter onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish, leaving space in between. Use about half or 2/3 of the brownie batter; set the remaining batter aside.
  • Scoop spoonfuls of the snickerdoodle cookie batter in between the brownie batter. Use all of the snickerdoodle dough.
  • Spoon the rest of the brownie batter over the top in small streaks or spoonfuls.
  • Leave the batter as is OR lightly spread with a spatula (don't press on the dough - just lightly spread so the top is evened out a bit).
  • Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle it evenly on top of the bars.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bars are puffed (the top of the bars may be bumpy and splotchy and uneven - that's perfect!). A toothpick inserted in the center may come out with moist crumbs but shouldn't have gooey batter. Add time as needed.
  • Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for an hour or so to completely chill if possible (this will make cutting the bars a lot easier). Cut into squares and serve chilled or at room temperature. Bars freeze well.

Notes

Chocolate Chips: you can use bittersweet chocolate chips in place of the semisweet but I wouldn't recommend using milk chocolate. The best chocolate chips, in my opinion, for melting and flavor are Guittard or Ghirardelli.