If Will From Stranger Things Was a Cookie… He’d Be This Swirled Brookie Cookie
A fudgy-and-chewy swirled brookie cookie inspired by Will Byers: two doughs mixed into one, just like his two worlds. Soft, warm, nostalgic, and super easy to make.
Will has always lived between two worlds. In season 1 he was literally trapped in the Upside Down, and in season 2 that connection almost killed him. After that, we all realized the Upside Down never really left him, it became part of him. So his cookie had to be something exactly like that: two parts mixed into one. Not separated. Not layered. Just blended together in one swirl.
A brookie cookie makes perfect sense for Will. Soft, warm, nostalgic, and comforting. The kind of cookie you always want around, and sometimes you forget how much you need it until it’s right there. That’s Will.
This is a completely original recipe I created from scratch so both doughs bake evenly, swirl perfectly, and give you that fudgy-meets-chewy texture without leaking or overspreading.
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
¼ cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Cookie Layer
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chocolate chips
How To Make Will’s Brookie Cookie
1. Make the brownie layer
Brown the butter and let it cool.
Mix it with the sugar until smooth.
Add the egg and vanilla.
Add cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
Stir until thick and glossy.
2. Make the cookie layer
Cream the softened butter and sugar.
Add egg yolk and vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips.
You will get a soft cookie dough.
3. Layer the cookies
Line a tray with baking paper.
Scoop brownie batter onto the tray and spread into small thick circles.
Place cookie dough on top of each circle.
Press gently so they stick together.
4. Bake
Bake at 180°C for 11 to 13 minutes.
The top should look set and lightly golden.
5. Rest
Leave them on the tray for 10 minutes.
This helps the brownie layer set without drying out.
Why This Cookie Is Will
Will is always standing between light and dark, between being a kid and carrying something he was never meant to carry. The brownie layer is that quiet darkness he holds inside. The cookie layer is the softer part of him that just wants things to be normal again.
This is the cookie you would want while watching him struggle to explain feelings he does not fully understand. Soft on top, heavy underneath. Sweet, but not simple.
Just like Will.
Troubleshooting
Brownie feels too soft when hot
That is normal. It will set as it cools.
Cookie spreads too much
Chill the cookie dough for 10 minutes before layering.
Bottom sticks to the tray
Always use baking paper.
Top looks done but inside feels undercooked
Let the cookies cool. The brownie layer firms up outside the oven.
Trust the process
This recipe gets messy. The layers look wrong before baking. The batter feels too soft. You might think you ruined it halfway through.
You did not. Let it bake. Let it cool. It comes together in the end. Just like Will.