These Cookies and Cream Brownies take my eggless brownies to the next level! They have gluten free/vegan chocolate sandwich cookies inside the brownies themselves. They are then topped with cookies and cream buttercream, chocolate ganache and then more cookies and cream cookies! They’re unbelievable! Best part is they’re gluten free, nut free, egg free Andean easily be vegan!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.Make it long enough so there is about a ½ overhang on each side so that you can lift the brownies out easily once they have cooled.Do not grease.There is enough oil in the brownies that greasing would be too much.
Chop all the chocolate into tiny pieces. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Add the butter and vegetable oil to the bowl. Heat in 15 second increments and stir after each time. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and silky smooth. Set aside.
Pour the milk and vinegar into a small bowl. Stir and let sit 5 minutes. Stir again. It will appear chunky and that's normal. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Into the melted chocolate and butter, mix in the cornstarch water until fully combined.
Into the chocolate mixture, whisk in the sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt until combined. Add in the milk vinegar mixture and whisk till combined.
Using a spatula, mix in the cocoa powder and flour. Stir until everything is just mixed together and combined. The batter will be super thick and sticky.
Spoon the batter into your baking dish and use your hands to press it down into the shape of the pan. You should end up with a smooth even layer of batter.
Gently press 16 gluten free/vegan chocolate sandwich cookies into the batter.Then take the other half of the batter and press it on top of the chocolate sandwich cookies, covering all of them. You should end up with a smooth even layer of batter.
Bake the brownies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter or vegan baking stick until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.With the mixer on very low speed, slowly add in the confectioners' sugar. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined. While the mixer is on, slowly add in the water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need to use all the water.Using a spatula, gently fold in the 6 broken chocolate sandwich cookies until just combined. If you overmix them the frosting will become grey instead of white.
Once the brownies have completely cooled, keep them in the pan and frost the top completely with all of the buttercream frosting.Pop the brownies (still in the pan) in the fridge for at least 15-20 minutes. You want the frosting layer to become hard for the next step.
Make the Ganache
When the brownies are ready to come out of the fridge, make the ganache. Place the chocolate chips and the butter or vegan baking stick in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring after each time, until the melted and silky smooth.
Take the brownies out of the fridge, and pour the liquid ganache on top of the frosting while still in the pan. Quickly break up 3 more chocolate sandwich cookies and scatter them over the top of the brownies while gently pressing them into the ganache so they stick. Pop the brownies back in the fridge until the ganache hardens.
Thaw the brownies on the counter for at least 10 minutes prior to cutting. Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment overhang and slice the brownies into big squares, tiny squares, large rectangles or small rectangles...whatever your heart desires.
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Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks, non dairy milk, vegan baking chocolate and vegan chocolate chips.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 1 ¼ cups packed AP flour (210 grams) and 5 packed tablespoons of cocoa powder.Storing: Keep the extra brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or wrap extras in aluminum foil for up to 2 days. If desired, warm each brownie in the microwave for 5-10 seconds prior to eating; be careful, not to burn your mouth.If storing in the fridge, leave the brownies out for 1-2 hours prior to eating to bring to room temperature otherwise they will be rock hard and break your teeth. Do not eat them cold!Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.