Oreo Brownies

These Oreo brownies are dense, fudgy, and loaded with chunks of Oreo in every bite, with a simple vanilla icing drizzled over the top that sets just enough to make them look as good as they taste.

I made these for a bake sale and they sold out before anything else on the table. The Oreos on top stay a little crisp at the edges and get soft and chewy in the center, such a good texture contrast!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Priya

Brownies are my go-to when I want something chocolatey without a lot of fuss, and this version with Oreos has become one of my favorites to bring to gatherings. I’ve made them for potlucks, school events, and more than a few weeknight “I just need chocolate” situations, and they disappear fast every single time.

If you’re someone who likes brownies with extra mix-ins and a little visual flair, these are worth keeping in your back pocket alongside something like my Cherry Brownies and this Brookie recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: It deepens the chocolate flavor alongside the chopped chocolate bar. Stick with unsweetened here since both sugars are doing the sweetening work.
• Semisweet Chocolate Bar: Melting chopped chocolate directly into the butter creates a smoother, denser base than cocoa powder alone could produce.
• Granulated Sugar: It sweetens the batter and, when beaten with the eggs, helps create that slightly crackly top you want on a brownie.
• Light Brown Sugar
• Large Eggs: They bind the batter and, when beaten with the sugars on medium-high speed for several minutes, create the lift and pale, thickened texture that signals you’re on the right track. Don’t skip the beating time, even if it feels like a lot. That step is where the brownie texture is built.
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour: It provides just enough structure to hold the brownies together without making them cakey. These brownies use a small amount intentionally, so if you’re looking for a wheat-free option, my gluten free brownies are a great alternative.
• Salt
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips: They’re stirred into the batter along with the first portion of Oreos and melt slightly during baking, creating little pockets of extra chocolate throughout. Bittersweet chips work well here too if you want a less sweet bite.
• Oreo Cookies: Half goes into the batter and the other half goes directly on top before baking, so you get Oreo flavor throughout and a crunchy, visible topping.
• Powdered Sugar: It’s whisked with milk to make the simple drizzle icing that finishes the brownies. Sift it first if it’s been sitting in your pantry for a while to avoid lumps in the icing.
• Milk or Heavy Cream: It thins the powdered sugar into a smooth, drizzleable icing. Heavy cream makes it slightly richer and thicker; milk keeps it lighter and easier to drizzle.

Variations for Oreo Brownies

• Double Stuffed or Thins: Whether you want extra filling in your cookie or less, you can use either in this recipe!
• Mint Oreo: Swap the regular Oreos for Mint Oreo cookies to add a cool, minty edge to the chocolate base. And you can add some mint to the glaze! It’s a flavor combination that works especially well for holiday baking, like alongside my Peppermint Mocha Brownies.
• Peanut Butter Oreo: Use Peanut Butter Oreos instead of classic and swirl a few tablespoons of creamy peanut butter into the top of the batter before adding the cookie layer. The peanut butter bakes into ribbons that cut the sweetness and add a salty, nutty contrast. Don’t forget to add some peanut butter to the glaze too!
• Brownie Bites: Press the batter into a greased mini muffin tin and reduce the bake time significantly, checking around 12 to 15 minutes. You get individually portioned bites that are easy to serve at a party without cutting.

Professional Tips for Perfect Oreo Brownies

• Beat the sugars and eggs long enough. The instructions call for 3 to 4 minutes on medium-high speed for a reason. You’re looking for a pale, noticeably thickened mixture before you add anything else, and if you stop early, the batter won’t have the structure it needs for that fudgy, slightly lifted texture.
• Let the chocolate mixture cool before adding it. If the melted butter and chocolate are still hot when you pour them into the egg mixture, you risk scrambling the eggs. Give it a few minutes off the heat so it’s warm but not steaming before it goes in.
• Use a gentle sawing motion to cut. A sharp knife pulled straight down can drag the Oreo pieces and compress the brownie. A slow, back-and-forth sawing motion keeps the edges clean and the cookies where they landed.

How to Make Oreo Brownies

Use these step-by-step instructions to make rich, fudgy brownies loaded with chopped Oreos and finished with a simple vanilla drizzle. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prep the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and spray the parchment as well. The parchment overhang gives you handles to lift the whole slab out cleanly once the brownies are cooled, which makes cutting them so much easier. Set the pan aside while you make the batter.

Make the Brownie Batter

Step 2: Melt the chocolate mixture. Combine the butter, cocoa powder, and coarsely chopped chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula as it melts, which takes about 3 to 5 minutes. You’re looking for a glossy, completely smooth mixture with no lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly before it goes anywhere near the eggs.

Keep the heat at medium the whole time. High heat can cause the chocolate to seize and turn grainy, and there’s no recovering from that once it happens.

Step 3: Beat the sugars and eggs. Add both sugars and the eggs to a large bowl and beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer, or use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture turns pale, noticeably thickened, and reaches the ribbon stage.

Step 4: Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture. Stir the vanilla extract into the egg mixture, then add the cooled butter-chocolate mixture and stir gently until everything is just combined. The batter will deepen to a dark, glossy brown at this point.

If the chocolate mixture is still warm rather than fully cooled, give it another minute or two in the fridge or actively stir it over an ice bath before adding it so you’re not scrambling the eggs.

Step 5: Stir in the flour, salt, and mix-ins. Add the flour and salt and stir until just combined, meaning you no longer see dry streaks but you haven’t kept going past that point. Fold in the chocolate chips and half of the chopped Oreo cookies until evenly distributed. The batter will be thick and dense.

Fill and Top with Oreos

Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula. Scatter the remaining chopped Oreo cookies evenly over the top, pressing them in just slightly so they sit into the surface rather than falling off when you cut the brownies.

Bake

Step 7: Bake at 350°F for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. You’re looking for moist crumbs, not wet batter. If the toothpick comes out with a lot of wet batter, give it another 2 minutes and check again, but pull them on the early side if you can since overbaking is the most common reason brownies turn dry. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before doing anything else.

Make the Icing

Step 8: Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until a smooth, pourable icing forms. It should fall easily off the spoon in a thin, steady stream. If it feels too thick to drizzle, add a small splash of more milk and whisk again.

Step 9: Drizzle and set. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle the icing over the fully cooled brownies in whatever pattern you like, like I do in loose zigzags right across the top. Let the icing set for a few minutes before cutting so it firms up slightly rather than smearing.

Step 10: Cut and serve. Use the parchment paper handles to lift the slab cleanly out of the pan onto a cutting board. Slice with a sharp knife using a gentle sawing motion rather than pressing straight down, which can compress the layers and drag the Oreo pieces. Wipe the blade clean between cuts for the neatest squares.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope these Oreo brownies become your new go-to for every chocolate craving and last-minute bake. Browse our Dessert Recipes or make this Oreo Ice Cream Cake with those leftover cookies!