Why I Won’t Be Making TikTok’s Christmas Cookie Brownies Again (They’re EVERYWHERE!)

When I first watched the many, many (many, many) videos of the viral Christmas cookie brownies, I had my suspicions. I love a good treat, but eating a Pillsbury sugar cookie, an Oreo, and a box-mixed brownie in the same bite all seemed a bit much! (I should also note that I wasn’t allowed to eat these kinds of foods growing up, so maybe my skepticism should really be pinned on my parents.)

But I digress, because I decided to give them a chance nonetheless! I mean, they’re all over social media. So, I got to the task of assembling these double cookie brownies and seeing if they really were worth all of the TikTok and Instagram hype.

Christmas cookie brownies truly are simple to make, especially if you buy all store-bought ingredients like everyone on social media is doing. All you need to assemble them is a package of Pillsbury sugar cookies in one of the holiday patterns (I went with the Christmas trees), a package of Oreos (I got plain, but I’ve seen people using the Oreo Joy! variety with red stuffing), a batch of brownie batter (I made mine with Betty Crocker Favorites Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix. Another option is the much-loved Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix), and holiday sprinkles to decorate.

After prepping my brownie batter with two eggs, vegetable oil, and water per the box’s instructions, I followed the steps that most TikTokers seemed to be using: First, plop a holiday-themed Pillsbury sugar cookie on the bottom of each spot of a muffin tin. (On TikTok, many people are lining their tins first with festive cupcake liners, but I skipped this step because I believe in the power of my nonstick tray.) Next, add an Oreo on top. And then, cover the whole thing with brownie batter and top with festive sprinkles. Full disclosure: I forgot to decorate with sprinkles and remembered to add them halfway through baking — oops!

I let my creations bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, and voilà, I had myself Christmas Cookie Brownies.

Okay, I can see some of the appeal now — Christmas cookie brownies definitely are very cute and festive looking, especially when you flip them over to see the holiday cookie pattern or cut them in half to reveal the sugar cookie and Oreo inside.

I was right about the sugar levels, though: Even after the first bite, my Christmas cookie brownies did in fact taste extremely sweet. I could only eat two bites before feeling like I was going to enter a sugar-induced coma.

I do think if your target audience is a bunch of 8-year-old cousins, you would be met with admiration and joy if you arrived with a platter of these at your family Christmas party. I just probably wouldn’t serve these too close to kid bedtime!

If you’re baking for yourself or other adults, though, I’d recommend making good old homemade chocolate chip brownies (they’re not much harder than preparing a mix!). Or, if you’re really into the idea of baking up something with everything but the kitchen sink as an ingredient, consider Christmas Cowboy Cookies featuring chopped chocolate, holiday M&M’s, toasted pecans, shredded coconut, and toffee bits.