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!)
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!
My dad’s old college roommate, my Uncle P, flies out for the poker night too, and I always try to drive home to see him. He’s 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. However…
These Healthier Cookies ’n Cream Brownies almost disappeared before they even dealt the first hand! “These are SO good!” “No way are they healthy!” I probably should’ve baked a double batch… It turns out even adults have a hard time resisting anything with Oreos!
These start with one of my favorite brownie recipes. It’s 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 you’re done!
That’s some serious fudgy factor going on… They’re basically a cross between fudge and brownies—exactly the way they should be! Cakey brownies are just cake without the frosting. Moving on…
Now comes the fun part! Nine entire Oreos, chopped up with the cream filling included, go into these brownies. You’ll put about 6 into the batter and 3 pressed into the tops. That makes for a really temping presentation, doesn’t it? No wonder the poker players couldn’t resist!
If you’re like me, you’ll 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 they’ll be!), and then your chocoholic’s dream is ready to eat. And if you can figure out a way not to hoard the entire pan… I’ll be incredibly impressed!
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 I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your brownies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthier Cookies 'n Cream Brownies | | Print |
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ 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
- ¼ 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 8”-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}
HI Amy!!! love your recipes!
would you be able to help me with a substitute for the eggs in this recipe???
Thank you so much for your sweet words about my recipes Saranya! I’d be happy to. 🙂 My brother is allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite egg replacer for him! It works perfectly in nearly all of my recipes, including this one. It’s a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. For my recipes, you’ll need 1½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil for each egg yolk. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these brownies!
Who doesn’t love oreo brownies??
I made these tonight and couldn’t wait until the morning to slice into them. In a bid to restrain myself, I convinced me that Iwould just cut away the edges to maximise fudginess in each piece.
So of course I tasted the edges. And the texture was gummy ? so I had to slice the rest and try a piece
The farther in the centre the fudgier they looked, but the outer pieces send to good the gummy consistency.
I followed the recipe exactly – but for using coconut oil instead of butter and not using room temperature eggs because I’d forgotten to take them out and had already started making the batter. I’m guessing that was the problem?
Otherwise, the piece I did taste was fudgy and so yum!
I really appreciate your interest in my brownie recipe Mary! 🙂 The brownies continue to turn fudgier the longer you let them sit, which is why I require waiting at least 3 hours before slicing. Overnight is actually best! If you slice into them as soon as they’re done baking, then you’ll end up with an off texture. The cold eggs will make a slight difference in texture, but not a lot. (My favorite tip: Microwave 1 cup of water for 30 seconds, and put the two cold eggs in it for 5-10 minutes. They’ll be up to room temperature then!) Did you eat an edge brownie after waiting at least 3 hours? Was the texture still gummy then?
You’re an evil genius, Amy.
They definitely got waaay fudgier – now about 24 hours later. The edges are slightly gummy but all the middle parts are super fudgy. Will try this again over the weekend and leave them overnight before cutting into them and use room temo eggs. Hopefully that will completely eliminate the gumminess
Yay!! I’m glad they continued to turn fudgier as they rested! 🙂 I’d love to hear whether those two tips make a difference when you bake these again Mary!
Take 2: you are an evil genius indeed! I used room temp eggs and left it a full 24 hours before slicing into them and YUUUUUUMMMMMM. That fudge is insane. I’ll be posting a photo on insta in the morning (with good lighting) xx
YAY!!! I’m so glad that made a big difference Mary!! Hopefully being an evil genius is a good thing in your book! 😉 I can’t wait to see your brownies!!
Hi!
Just made these and they look fabulous! They spent slightly longer in the oven though (about 20 mins total cooking time), but I’m hoping that will not affect their texture too much… Should I leave in or out of the fridge overnight to ensure fudginess?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Claire! They should be fine on the counter overnight, but the fridge works too. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how they taste!
Woah these photos look stunning ??. I was wondering how many mini Oreos I should use in place of the regular sized Oreos?
You’re so kind — thank you for your sweet words about my photos Ivy!! 🙂 You’ll need about 30 mini Oreos! The nutrition information will be slightly different, but the taste and texture of the brownies should remain the same. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!
Hi Amy! May I know how many days can the brownies be stored in counter and fridge respectively? Am I able to freeze them and defrost to eat when I want to? Same goes for the small catch banana chocolate chips- are they freezer-friendly and how long can I store them etc? I really hope to hear from you! Have been tryig your recipes for 2 weeks consecutively and I must say, it fights off my cravings for those calorie-laden and high in fat cakes from the bakery! Thanks for the recipes too ??♀️☺️
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes Cherrie — that means so much to me! 🙂 These brownies will last at least one week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container, and they’ll keep for at least three months if frozen. (Possibly longer!) The small batch chocolate chip banana bread is the same way, although I recommend slicing it before freezing to make it easier to grab a serving to defrost and enjoy. I can’t wait to hear what recipe of mine you try next!
Hey Ams.
What can one replace Greek yogurt with?
I’m searching but can’t seem to find Greek yogurt in my country for now, except plain yogurt & I’m afraid of using it then it all goes north.
Plain (non-Greek) yogurt is perfectly fine to substitute in this particular recipe! Your brownies will still have the same taste and texture. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
Hi could you use Oreo thins instead of low fat Oreos if yes what would the macros be x?
Yes! You can definitely use Oreo thins if you’d prefer. This is the free nutrition calculator that I use, if you’d like to know what the macros would be! It’s easy to use and really user-friendly. While I wish I could go back and provide the nutrition information for every single possible substitution for my recipes, it’d take months to do… And I’d much rather focus on creating new recipes for you to try! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these brownies, Sanah!