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Every May and September, my dad and his friends spend a week backpacking through the wilderness: Utah in the spring, California in the fall. Their trips are full of hiking, fishing, campfires, and basically no technology except for gas-powered stoves and cameras. (Kind of hard for a food blogger to grasp sometimes!) Â
Dad always hosts a reunion at their house the following February or March. The guys come over for dinner; then they play poker well into the wee hours of the morning, just like on their backpacking trips. They use M&Ms as poker chips on the trail, but⌠Those magically disappear whenever someone gets hungry!
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My dadâs old college roommate, my Uncle P, flies out for the poker night too, and I always try to drive home to see him. Heâs a huge runner (as in 100-mile marathons in the mountains!) and loves healthy food as much as I do, so our family always has a blast with him around.
This year my mom, brother, and I enjoyed dinner with the guys inside before the games began, and I strategically set out lots of snacks and treats (including a few cookbook test recipes!) for the guys to munch on while they played. HoweverâŚ
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These Healthier Cookies ân Cream Brownies almost disappeared before they even dealt the first hand! âThese are SO good!â âNo way are they healthy!â I probably shouldâve baked a double batch⌠It turns out even adults have a hard time resisting anything with Oreos!
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These start with one of my favorite brownie recipes. Itâs about as easy to make as a box mix, but it contains none of the artificial ingredients or preservatives. Dry ingredients in one bowl; wet in another. Stir, stir, stir and youâre done!
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Thatâs some serious fudgy factor going on⌠Theyâre basically a cross between fudge and browniesâexactly the way they should be! Cakey brownies are just cake without the frosting. Moving onâŚ
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Now comes the fun part! Nine entire Oreos, chopped up with the cream filling included, go into these brownies. Youâll put about 6 into the batter and 3 pressed into the tops. That makes for a really temping presentation, doesnât it? No wonder the poker players couldnât resist!
If youâre like me, youâll probably set out 10-12 Oreos to chop⌠Because a few always magically disappear, just like those M&M poker chips!
Then a short stint in the oven, a longer time to cool (the longer you wait, the fudgier theyâll be!), and then your chocoholicâs dream is ready to eat. And if you can figure out a way not to hoard the entire pan⌠Iâll be incredibly impressed!
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And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees Iâll see your picture! ?) Iâd love to see your brownies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthier Cookies 'n Cream Brownies | | Print |
- ž cup (90g) all-purpose or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ž cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- Âź tsp baking powder
- Âź tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) granulated sugar
- Âź cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 7 tbsp (105mL) nonfat milk
- 9 reduced-fat Oreos, diced
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat an 8â-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the granulated sugar. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Mix in the milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in two thirds of the Oreo pieces.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and gently press the remaining Oreo pieces into the top. Bake at 300°F for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan at let the brownies rest for at least 3 hours before slicing into squares.
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies (like these) and the following gluten-free flour blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will also work, if measured like this.
Melted coconut oil, or any other oil, may be substituted for the butter.
Brown sugar or coconut sugar may be substituted for the granulated sugar.
Any Oreos may be subsituted for the reduced-fat Oreos.
For the fudgiest brownies, only bake for 15 minutes and let the brownies rest overnight before slicing and serving.
{gluten-free option, low fat}
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Amy: May I use a non-caloric white sugar replacement, such as Monk fruit with erythritol? Any other suggestions? Always appreciate it when you can give us a very low sugar option! These sound absolutely delicious!!
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe of mine too, Sharon! If you have Lakanto’s 1-for-1 monk fruit sweetener (the kind that includes erythritol and monk fruit!), then you’ll need ½ cup of that plus an additional 3 tablespoons of milk since erythritol doesn’t absorb liquids or dissolve in liquids quite the same as regular sugar. đ I’d love to hear what you think of these brownies if you try making them!
Hi Amy, I was wondering why some of your brownie recipes use 2 eggs and others use 2 egg whites when all of the other ingredient ratios are the same and there’s nothing else in the brownie batter that bleeds about of liquid. For example the cookies and cream brownies use 2 eggs, but then the chocolate chunk brownies use 2 egg whites. Which recipe would you say is better – the one with 2 eggs or the one with 2 egg whites? Which would yield a thicker, more delicious, better textured brownie?
I really appreciate your interest in my brownie recipes! Often, I’m trying to find a way to reduce the cholesterol and sometimes the calories as well — but without sacrificing taste or texture. (Some of my family members are on low cholesterol diets, so I want to make it easy for them to enjoy as many of my recipes as possible too!)
Both of those brownie recipes have the same thickness, flavor, and about the exact same extra fudgy texture. So if you’re craving Oreos, use this recipe — but if you’re craving brownies with chocolate chunks, use the other one! I may be biased, but I think they both taste fantastic. đ
I’d love to hear what you think of your brownies if you end up making either recipe!