Small Batch Slutty Brownies

Small Batch Slutty Brownies

These small batch slutty brownies are a small batch version of the internet-famous recipe: brownies made with layers of chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolaty brownies, stuffed with Oreo cookies in its center. Think of it as a cross between your favorite chocolate chip cookie and cocoa brownie, but with a layer of Oreos, too. It’s a LOT, I know—but that’s why the recipe is small batch! It makes only 8 brownies, enough for a small household of 2 to 4 people.

Why are they called slutty brownies?

Hold the phone—before we get to the recipe, can we talk about its problematic name, first? Because truth be told, I avoided making this recipe for so long because of its truly terrible name: “slutty” brownies. I mean, there’s just so much to unpack: the weird sexualization of the brownie, the implied shaming of the enjoyment of said brownie, and finally, just the inherent misogyny and sexist history of the word “slut.” Bettina Makalintal, one of my favorite food writers, does a great breakdown of all these issues in her Vice article, “How and Why Did Brownies Become Slutty?”

But the TL/DR is this: “slutty” brownies were first invented by a blogger named Amanda in 2011; however, she christened them with the more wholesome name of “Cookie Dough Oreo Brownies.” But they really took off when Rosie of The Londoner reposted a version of the recipe on her blog, this time with the new name of “Slutty Brownies.” How did she land on that new name? According to her post, the brownies are “oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy.” Okkkkay.

From there, it’s been a weird competition of bloggers one-upping each other with more sexualized names and descriptions for the recipe. Bettina rounds up some of the craziest ones: “like a full blown, bending over in front of your boyfriend with no underwear on, biggest slut ever brownies” and “[slutty] brownies are the equivalent of Christina Aguilera in her Xtina Dirrty days.”

Renaming Slutty Brownies

But I’m here to ruin the fun. I agree with Bettina’s finer points that there’s something weirdly misogynistic, sexist, and shaming about the name “slutty” brownies. So on Instagram, I ran a poll asking you to help me rename the recipe:

The poll went bonkers. I was flooded with responses, many of which made me laugh out loud. It seemed like many of the responses were falling into these main categories:

Renaming Slutty Brownies: The Options

• “Descriptive” Brownie Names: These names were what I was looking for! My favorite suggestions included: “Inception Brownies”, “Indecision Brownies”, “Loaded Brownies”, “Oreo Stuffed Brookie Bars”, and “Triple Threat Brownies.”
  
  
• “Smash the Patriarchy” Brownie Names: As a reaction to the misogyny of “slutty” brownies, many of you went the opposite direction and focused on a name that would instead empower women. I appreciated the energy of these suggestions. My favorites from this category include: “Empowered Brownies”, “Glass Ceiling Brownies”, “Inclusion Brownies”, “Ruth Brownie Ginsberg”, “Sexually Liberated Brownies”, and “They/Them Brownies.”
  
  
• “Missed the Point” Brownie Names: Some folks missed that I was trying to get away from the misogyny and shaming implied with “slutty” brownies. As a result, they provided other raunchy suggestions. I’m including the ones that made me laugh: “Brownies With Benefits”, “BDE (Big Double-stuf Eneergy) Brownies”, “Ménage àTrois Brownies”, “Netflix and Chill Brownies”, and “She’s An Accountant Brownies.” Although I chuckled at these suggestions, I’m sadly skipping them because I want to get away from the unnecessary sexualization of food!

Triple Threat Brownies: Slutty Brownies’ New Name?

In the end, I ran two other polls. First, I asked people to vote for their favorite category; then, I asked them to vote on their favorite name within that category. Luckily, the winning category was “Descriptive” Brownie Names by a landslide.

I narrowed down the four names that consistently popped up within that category:

• Loaded Brownies
• Triple Threat Brownies
• Oreo Bookie Bars
• Cookie Stuffed Brownies

Triple Threat Brownies won the majority vote! However, some of you were salty that “Inception Brownies” and “Indecision Brownies” didn’t make the final poll (sorry guys—Instagram only lets you have four poll options).

So what do you think? Is it official? Can we change “Slutty Brownies” to “Triple Threat Brownies”? Or should I do another round of voting to decide between “Triple Threat Brownies”, “Inception Brownies”, and “Indecision Brownies”?

Let me know in the comments! After we make our decision, I’ll officially rename this blog post from “Slutty Brownies” to the winning recipe name.

Why You Should Make Small Batch Slutty Brownies

Here are all the reasons to make this slutty brownie recipe:

This slutty brownie recipe is small batch and makes only enough for a small household of 2 to 4 people!

Most slutty brownie recipes instruct you to bake the bars in either a 9 x 13-inch cake pan, or a 8-inch square cake pan. However, since the recipe is kind of intense (how many Oreo-stuffed brownie-cookie hybrid bars can you eat, anyway?) I decided to make a very small batch version of the recipe.

What does that mean? These slutty brownies are made in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, resulting in a serving size approximately a quarter of the size of other recipes. That means 8 petite servings. It’s the perfect amount for a small household of 2 to 4 people!

This slutty brownie recipe makes both the chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter from scratch, avoiding artificial flavors.

Many slutty brownie recipes rely on ingredients like store-bought cookie dough and boxed mix brownies. While there’s nothing wrong with those ingredients (I happen to love both), I wanted to challenge myself by making the different components from scratch! Doing so enabled me to really customize this recipe.

For these slutty brownies, I used a combination of some of my favorite from-scratch recipes from my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. I used the small batch version of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. The recipe makes a wonderfully fudgy cookie that is chewy and dense in its center. I also used a small batch version of the cocoa powder brownies in my cookbook. The brownies are perfectly chewy, with a flaky, paper-thin sugar top. You can see a version of the recipe on my friend Jeanine’s blog.

Despite instructing you to make two different doughs and batters from scratch, this slutty brownie recipe comes together relatively quickly.

In general, hybrid desserts like slutty brownies tend to be Baking Projects. Why? You’re basically making two different baked goods and combining them together. That means making two different recipes—in this case, one for chocolate chip cookie dough, and another one for brownie batter—and assembling them together. Doing so takes a significant amount of time and energy!

I wanted to be mindful of that when I developed my own slutty brownie recipe. As a result, I made sure to pick chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter recipes that come together quickly. What does that mean? Both the cookie dough and brownie batter rely on melted butter—as a result, there’s no need to wait for the butter to come to room temperature.

Other shortcuts? Although I’m a stickler for using chopped chocolate in my cookies, I instruct you to use chocolate chips in this recipe. Similarly, although I prefer my brownies to be made with melted chocolate (see this recipe and that one), I use cocoa powder for these brownies to skip that step completely. Finally, both the chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie batter recipes are almost one bowl (I believe you only need two bowls to make each recipe!), and don’t require a stand mixer. I got your back!

Small Batch Slutty Brownies Ingredients and Substitutions

Now that I’ve convinced you to make this small batch slutty brownie recipe, here’s what you need to make them:

Shopping List for Small Batch Slutty Brownies

• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• kosher salt
• unsalted butter
• light OR dark brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• pure vanilla extract
• bittersweet, dark, OR semisweet chocolate chips
• Classic OR Double Stuf Oreos
• natural unsweetened OR Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• confectioners’ sugar
• Oreo minis (optional for garnish)

And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:

All-Purpose Flour

You need 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour to make the chocolate chip cookie base for these slutty brownies, plus another ¼ cup all-purpose flour to make its brownie batter.

Does a 1-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour work in these small batch slutty brownies?

I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I rarely bake with those types of flour replacements because they’re expensive and my household is fortunate not to have any gluten restrictions. However, if you replace the flour in this slutty brownies recipe with any gluten-free alternatives, please leave a comment so I can update this post accordingly!

Kosher Salt

You need ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the chocolate chip cookie base for these slutty brownies, plus another ½ teaspoon to make its brownie batter.

Why You Should Use Kosher Salt When Baking

I like to use kosher salt (as opposed to table salt) when baking. Its larger crystals make it difficult to confuse with granulated sugar. However, not all kosher salts are created equal. Some kosher salts have smaller granules than others, which will result in saltier tasting baked goods.

For consistency, I recommend sticking to one brand, and one brand only: Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It’s the only brand of salt I use when I develop recipes for Hummingbird High. Why? Diamond Crystal kosher salt is one of the few 100% pure salts in the grocery store. Other brands have additives that can add unexpected flavors to your desserts.

I can’t find Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Is Morton’s Coarse kosher salt okay?

Yes, with reservations. Morton’s Coarse kosher salt granules are much smaller, denser, and crunchier than Diamond Crystal. According to this Food52 article, the two are different shapes and sizes because of how they’re made. Morton’s is made by flattening salt granules into large thin flakes by pressing them through high-pressure rollers, whereas Diamond Crystal is formed by a patented method in which “upside-down pyramids [are] stacked one over the next to form a crystal.” You can even see a visualization of the different sizes in this Cook’s Illustrated article.

Okay, but what does that mean, exactly? 1 teaspoon of Morton’s will taste saltier than 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. Wild, right? So if you follow my recipes exactly as they are written but use Morton’s instead of Diamond Crystal, the results will come out saltier. In fact, sometimes they will come out TOO salty. So if you’re using Morton’s instead of Diamond Crystal, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.

Want to learn more about Diamond Crystal versus Morton’s Coarse kosher salt? Definitely check out the Food52 and Cook’s Illustrated articles I linked to above, as well as this Taste article.

I can’t find Diamond Crystal OR Morton’s Coarse kosher salt. Can I just use table salt?

Yes, with reservations. If you use table salt, you’ll need to reduce the recipe’s salt quantity by half.

If you read my little essay about Diamond Crystal and Morton’s, you learned that Diamond Crystal kosher salt granules are larger than Morton’s kosher salt granules. The same principle applies to table salt versus kosher salt. Table salt granules are much smaller than kosher salt granules. As a result, 1 teaspoon of table salt tastes much saltier than 1 teaspoon of kosher salt… simply because it can hold more granules! Wild, right?

So if you follow my recipes exactly as they are written but use table salt instead of kosher salt, the results will come out saltier. If you’re using table salt instead of kosher salt, I recommend reducing the salt in the recipe by half.

Brown Sugar

You need 3 Tablespoons light OR dark brown sugar to make the chocolate chip cookie base for these slutty brownies.

Light versus Dark Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is granulated white sugar with a touch of molasses to give it its signature color and flavor. Because brown sugar contains molasses, it adds more moisture baked goods than granulated sugar otherwise would.

Brown sugar is available in two varieties: light or dark. Dark brown sugar is my personal preference; because it contains more molasses, I find it to be more flavorful. However, you can use either in this slutty brownies recipe without altering its flavor too much.

Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar?

Sadly, no. At least, not if you want your slutty brownies to look and taste like mine. Why? The molasses in the brown sugar makes brown sugar more acidic than white sugar. This acidic nature makes it react better with baking soda (which is alkaline in nature), the primary leavener in this recipe.

Leaveners are the ingredients in baking recipes that responsible for making the baked goods rise. They do so by reacting with other ingredients to create bubbles in batters and doughs. The reaction is usually activated when an acidic ingredient is mixed an alkaline ingredient, and/or the heat from the oven.

Because granulated sugar isn’t acidic in the same way, it won’t react with the baking soda as effectively as brown sugar. What does that mean for your cookie base? If you use white sugar in this recipe, you’ll likely have a cookie base that’s dense and flatter than mine. It might still be tasty, but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it.

Can I use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar?

Sadly, no. The cookie base is leavened with baking soda. What does that mean, exactly? Leaveners are the ingredients in baking recipes that responsible for making the baked goods rise. They do so by reacting with other ingredients to create bubbles in batters and doughs. The reaction is usually activated when an acidic ingredient is mixed an alkaline ingredient, and/or the heat from the oven.

In the the chocolate chip cookie base recipe for these slutty brownies, the baking soda reacts with brown sugar (which is slightly acidic, thanks to the molasses in it) to give the cookies their signature chewy texture. Unfortunately, coconut sugar does not have this same acidic quality and has a neutral pH level similar to that of granulated white sugar.

Chocolate Chips

You need ¼ cup bittersweet, dark, OR semisweet chocolate chips to make the chocolate chip cookie base for these slutty brownies.

Bittersweet versus Dark versus Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Whenever I share a recipe that uses dark chocolate, many of you ask if you can use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Many manufacturers make chocolate bars and chips that are specifically for baking; these are often labeled “bittersweet”, “semisweet”, or “unsweetened”. You’ll notice that “bittersweet” and “semisweet” typically don’t include cocoa percentages. That’s because there’s no official benchmark for each designation. Specifically: it’s up to the manufacturers to determine how much cocoa to use, and cacao percentages for each type will vary greatly between brands.

For these slutty brownies, you can use the kind of chocolate chips you like best. It won’t matter too much if they’re bittersweet, semisweet, or dark chocolate chips. However, I don’t recommend using milk or white chocolate chips. It might make the already sweet slutty brownies TOO sweet! Think about it: you’re already adding chocolate chip cookies and a layer of Oreos to a pan of brownies. It’s already intense, lol.

I don’t have any kind of chocolate chips on hand, but I do have chocolate bars. Can I use chopped chocolate instead?

Absolutely! You can substitute the chocolate chips with the same amount of chopped chocolate. Chop the chocolate into ½- or 1-inch pieces. Alternatively, you can also use store-bought chocolate chunks.

Oreos

You need 8 Classic OR Double Stuf Oreo sandwich cookies to make these small batch slutty brownies, plus mini Oreos for garnish.

What are Oreos?

Oreos are chocolate sandwich shortbread cookies made with two chocolate shortbread cookies that are sandwiched together with vanilla frosting. They come in many varieties: Golden Oreos (which are made with vanilla shortbread cookies), multiple flavors, and different levels of vanilla frosting filling.

For these small batch slutty brownies, I recommend using Classic Oreos or Double Stuf (which has twice as much vanilla frosting filling than the Classic variety).

I’m feeling wild. Can I use another Oreo flavor like Fudge Covered Oreos, Chocolate Hazelnut Oreos, Java Chip Oreos, and whatever other flavor suits my fancy?

Absolutely! I recommend going with a flavor that goes well with chocolate. Think: any of the flavors listed above, plus Peanut Butter Oreos, Chocolate Marshmallow Oreos, and Caramel Coconut.

I would avoid fruit-flavored ones like these Lemon Oreos, or even this Carrot Cake variety. Lemon and carrot cake don’t really go with the chocolate chip cookie base and brownie topping, ya know?

I don’t like Oreos. Can I skip them in this slutty brownie recipe?

Not gonna lie, friend—Oreos are half the point of slutty brownies! Without them, these brownies would basically just be brookie bars. And I already have a recipe for Small Batch Brookie Bars on Hummingbird High!

If you don’t like Oreos, I suggest making that recipe instead. The recipe layers the chocolate chip cookie dough on both the top and bottom of the bars, encasing the brownies in chocolate chip cookie bites. It’s delicious!

I don’t want to buy Oreos AND mini Oreos. Can I skip the mini Oreos?

Absolutely! You can omit the mini Oreos from the recipe, no problem. No need to change Bake Time or anything!

Cocoa Powder

You need 3 Tablespoons natural unsweetened OR Dutch-processed cocoa powder to make the brownie topping for the slutty brownies.

Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder versus Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder, when used in baking recipes, often comes in two varieties: natural unsweetened, and Dutch-processed.

Natural unsweetened cocoa powder is more typical and is cocoa powder in its purest form. It is slightly reddish brown in color and results in deeply flavored chocolate goods. Because it is slightly acidic, it is often paired with baking soda in baking recipes to help create a chemical reaction that will cause the baked good to rise in the oven.

Dutch-processed cocoa powder is natural unsweetened cocoa powder that’s been treated with alkaline to neutralize its acidity, giving it a darker color and milder flavor. It is the cocoa powder that is used for making midnight-black baked goods like Oreos.

For my slutty brownies, I used natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Doing so resulted in a lighter colored brownie that made the Oreo inside really pop! But if Dutch-processed cocoa powder is all you have, go for it! It won’t make too much of a difference in terms of flavor. However, your slutty brownies will likely come out darker in color.

How To Make Small Batch Slutty Brownies

To make slutty brownies, you need to make a chocolate chip cookie dough recipe and a brownie batter recipe. Here are the basic steps to make small batch slutty brownies from scratch:

First, make the chocolate chip cookie dough for the slutty brownie base.

1. Prep the ingredients for the chocolate chip cookie dough. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Luckily, prepping the ingredients for the chocolate chip cookie dough is fairly easy. Measure out all the ingredients for the dough! That’s it.
   
   
2. Make the chocolate chip cookie dough. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Similarly, the chocolate chip cookie dough comes together easily. First, whisk together all the dry ingredients for the cookies in a medium bowl. Then, melt the butter in the microwave in a heatproof bowl. Once melted, mix in the brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Then, mix in the dry ingredients. Boom!
   
   Note that the recipe below does NOT instruct you mix the chocolate chips in with the cookie dough. You do that in the next step! Mixing the chocolate chips into the dough makes it hard to spread the dough into a thin layer for the base.

Next, start assembling the slutty brownies.

1. Make the chocolate chip cookie dough base for the slutty brownies. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
   Use your hands to press the cookie dough into the prepared loaf pan, making sure to press the dough all the way up to the edges of the pan. Doing so will create a very thin layer of cookie dough. Don’t worry if the cookie dough doesn’t quite make it all the way up to the edges—we’ll fix that in the next step! However, it should definitely be 80% to 90% of the way there.
   
   
2. Layer the cookie dough base with chocolate chips, then Oreos. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cookie dough, and gently press down on the chips to meld them into the thin layer of dough. Doing so will help ensure that the thin layer of cookie dough now reaches all the way up to the edges of the pan! Cool, right?
   
   After that, arrange 8 Oreo cookies on top of the cookie dough. Arrange them in a way to ensure that every brownie square has an Oreo in its center. The easiest way to do so is to envision slicing the loaf pan in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 8 even squares. Each square should have an Oreo in its center.

Then, make the brownie topping for the slutty brownies.

1. Prep the ingredients for the brownie batter. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
   Similarly, prepping the ingredients for the brownie batter is fairly easy. Simply measure out all the ingredients for the batter, and prep the egg yolks.
   
   If your cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar is particularly lumpy, sift them into a medium bowl. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients to that bowl. This way, you’ve already completed the first step of the brownie recipe.
   
   
2. Make the brownie batter. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Like the chocolate chip cookie dough, the brownie batter comes together really easily. First, whisk together all the dry ingredients for the brownie batter in a medium bowl. Then, melt the butter in the microwave in a heatproof bowl. Once melted, mix in the egg yolks, water, and vanilla. Then, mix in the dry ingredients. That’s it!

Finally, finish assembling and bake the slutty brownies.

1. Make the brownie layer for the slutty brownies. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
   Pour the brownie batter into the loaf pan with the cookie dough and use an offset spatula to spread it to cover the cookie dough and Oreos and smooth its top. The batter will be thick and fudgy.
   
   
2. Bake the slutty brownies. (Bake Time: 35 minutes)
   The slutty brownies need 35 to 40 minutes in the oven. It can be really hard to tell when the brownies are done. Because even when done, a skewer inserted into the center of the pan tends to come out gooey thanks to the chocolate chip and Oreo layers in the bars.
   
   So it’s better to pull the brownies out of the oven early than leave them in too long—if you over bake the brownies, they’ll be tough! They might appear underbaked, but I promise that when they’ve cooled, they will be perfect.

Small Batch Slutty Brownie Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ

FAQ: Baking Equipment To Make Small Batch Slutty Brownies

Can I bake these small batch brookie bars in an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan instead of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan?

Yes! However, your bars will likely be taller and thicker than mine. You may need to add 5 minutes to the recipe’s Bake Time as well.

I don’t have a microwave. Can I melt the butter on the stovetop instead?

Absolutely! If you don’t have a microwave, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. As I say in the baker’s notes below, be mindful when melting the butter for these cookies! I like to chop it up into 1-inch cubes then melt it in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. I stir the butter constantly while monitoring it.

FAQ: Small Batch Slutty Brownies Techniques

I don’t want to make both chocolate chip cookie dough AND brownie batter in the same day. Can I make one of them ahead?

Yes! If you don’t want to do too many dishes at once, I suggest making the chocolate chip cookie dough a day ahead.

Simply follow the recipe instructions to make the chocolate chip cookie dough. When done, cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Then, use the cookie dough in the slutty brownies recipe as instructed. There’s no need to bring the cookie dough back down to room temperature first! However, you may need to add a few minutes to Bake Time.

I’m lazy and don’t want to make the chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch. Can I use store-bought cookie dough instead?

Yes, with reservations. With store-bought cookie dough, it’s difficult to gauge how much dough you need to make a thin cookie dough base. The few times I tried it, I ended up using far too much dough. I ended up with incredibly thick slutty brownies that took ages to bake in the oven!

So try it, but let me warn you now: you need far less cookie dough than you think. You’re aiming for a VERY thin layer for the slutty brownies—think ⅛- or ¼-inch thick since it will puff up in the oven as it bakes. Anything thicker than that will result in super thick and dense slutty brownies!

FAQ: How To Store Small Batch Slutty Brownies

How To Store Small Batch Slutty Brownies

The slutty brownies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze the baked small batch slutty brownies?

Yes! To freeze the slutty brownies, individually wrap any leftover bars in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the bars from absorbing any other flavors or odors in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Rewarm in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes before serving.

More Brownie Recipes

• Almond Flour Brownies (Small Batch)
• Baileys Brownies (Small Batch)
• Better-Than-Supernatural Fudge Brownies
• Brookie Bars (Small Batch)
• Fudge Brownies (Small Batch)
• Flourless Gluten Free Cheesecake Brownies
• Supernatural Brownies

More Small Batch Recipes

• Banana Nut Muffins
• Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Funfetti Sheet Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Magic Cookie Bars
• Peach Crumb Bars
• Strawberry Sheet Cake
• Yellow Sheet Cake