Hamdi Saidani These Pioneer Woman Oreo Brownies are so loaded with crushed cookies, chocolate chips, and Dutch process cocoa that you’ll need a glass of milk just to get through one. Melted butter, brown sugar, and a hit of espresso powder make the batter fudgy and dark, and then you fold in three-quarters of a bag of crushed Oreos before it even hits the pan.
Forty minutes at 350°F for fudgy, closer to 50 if you want them chewy and cakey. Either way, bake them a day ahead if you can. They slice so much cleaner once they’ve cooled completely overnight.
Why Dutch Process Cocoa Matters Here
Dutch process cocoa has been treated with alkali, which strips out the sharpness and leaves you with a deeper, darker chocolate flavor. It’s the reason these brownies taste rich instead of just sweet.
Regular unsweetened cocoa works if that’s what you’ve got, but the color won’t be as dark and the flavor will be a little sharper. For the best Pioneer Woman brownie recipe result, Dutch process is worth tracking down.
Which Oreo Flavor To Use
Classic Oreos are the safe bet, but mint Oreos turn these into a completely different brownie. Peanut butter Oreos are great too. Any of the holiday-themed flavors work because the chocolate batter is strong enough to stand up to whatever you throw in.
Crush them by hand or in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. You want chunks, not powder. Visible cookie pieces in every bite is the whole point of an Oreo brownie.
Oreo Brownies Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 30 Oreo sandwich cookies, lightly crushed and divided
- Baking spray with flour
How To Make Pioneer Woman Oreo Brownies
- Melt the Butter and Sugar: Microwave the cubed butter in a large microwave-safe bowl until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in both sugars until combined, then microwave for 1 more minute. Whisk again until shiny and slightly dissolved. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
- Build the Batter: Whisk the eggs into the cooled butter mixture one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and three-quarters of the crushed Oreos.
- Fill the Pan: Spray a 13×9 inch pan with baking spray. Pour the batter in and spread it evenly. Scatter the remaining crushed Oreos over the top and press them in gently.
- Bake and Cool: Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes for fudgy brownies or up to 50 minutes for chewier, more cakey brownies. A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool completely in the pan before slicing into 24 squares.
Fudgy or Cakey, Your Call
The bake time is the only thing that separates a fudgy brownie from a cakey one in this recipe. Pull at 40 minutes and the center stays dense and moist. Push to 50 and the crumb dries out just enough to get that lighter, chewier bite.
If you’re not sure, go with 40. You can always put them back in for a few more minutes, but you can’t undo an overbaked brownie.
Can You Swap the Chocolate Chips
Semisweet is the default here, but milk chocolate chips make the whole bar sweeter and a little more like a cookies and cream candy bar. White chocolate chips are another option if you want contrast against the dark cocoa batter.
Keep the total at 1 cup regardless of what you use. More than that and the batter gets too heavy to hold the Oreo pieces in place.
How To Store
Keep these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze them for up to 1 month. Wrap individual squares in plastic before freezing so you can pull out one at a time. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.
Nutrition
- Calories: 346 kcal
- Total Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 47 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 34 g
- Protein: 5 g
Try More Recipes
Pioneer Woman Oreo Brownies
Description
These Pioneer Woman Oreo Brownies are so loaded with crushed cookies, chocolate chips, and Dutch process cocoa that you’ll need a glass of milk just to get through one. Melted butter, brown sugar, and a hit of espresso powder make the batter fudgy and dark, and then you fold in three-quarters of a bag of crushed Oreos before it even hits the pan.
Forty minutes at 350°F for fudgy, closer to 50 if you want them chewy and cakey. Either way, bake them a day ahead if you can. They slice so much cleaner once they’ve cooled completely overnight.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the Butter and Sugar: Microwave the cubed butter in a large microwave-safe bowl until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in both sugars until combined, then microwave for 1 more minute. Whisk again until shiny and slightly dissolved. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
- Build the Batter: Whisk the eggs into the cooled butter mixture one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and three-quarters of the crushed Oreos.
- Fill the Pan: Spray a 13×9 inch pan with baking spray. Pour the batter in and spread it evenly. Scatter the remaining crushed Oreos over the top and press them in gently.
- Bake and Cool: Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes for fudgy brownies or up to 50 minutes for chewier, more cakey brownies. A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool completely in the pan before slicing into 24 squares.
