Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe

This peanut butter brownie recipe is so fudgy, rich, and has a peanut butter swirl on top of the brownies that you are going to love! These peanut butter brownies are 100% made from scratch and 1000% delicious!

Easy peanut butter brownie recipe

I don’t know about you but I have a weakness for chocolate peanut butter brownies. I mean chocolate and peanut butter? Come on, no contest if there are other desserts in the room.

After making the The Best Brownies I’ve Ever Had, and mixing things up with this Caramel Turtle Brownies version, I knew I had to create a chocolate peanut butter brownie recipe for the blog. Oh yes, I’m calling all peanut butter lovers on this recipe!

This chocolate peanut butter brownies recipe starts with that best brownie recipe above but gets a peanut butter swirl on top of the brownie batter before going into the oven. If you have ever made my Buckeye Balls Recipe, the peanut butter swirl basically tastes like that. So in other words, you know this peanut butter brownies recipe is going to be good.

All you’re going to need is a tall glass of milk to wash these down, or better yet turn them into the most epic brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, creamy peanut butter topping, and more chopped peanut butter cups.

Why you are going to LOVE these peanut butter brownies

• Lots of Chocolate Flavor: This brownies with peanut butter are rich, chocolatey and fudgy. They give you that perfect crackly top with the fudgy interior that every brownie should have. This recipe uses both chocolate chips and Dutch cocoa powder which yields a rich chocolate flavor.
• Come Together Easily – I love simple recipes that don’t require an electric mixer. Both parts of this brownie recipe just need a whisk and a spatula so they come together easily!
• Creamy Peanut Butter Swirl: An easy, creamy peanut butter swirl gets dolloped on top before baking. The peanut butter filling tastes like a peanut butter ball!

How to Add Peanut Butter to Brownies

I suppose you could just stir some peanut butter in the chocolate mixture and call it a day. But I wanted pockets of peanut butter goodness! So we are making a peanut butter swirl with melted butter and powdered sugar.

You will dollop the peanut butter layer on top of the brownie batter and swirl with the tip of a knife. And if you want even more peanut butter stir in some chopped peanut butter cups. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Ingredients for the recipe

For full recipe and directions, see the bottom of the post.

For the peanut butter filling:

• Peanut butter – I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter, or the kind of peanut butter you have to stir, as it can be too oily. I use like a classic creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. And if you want even more peanut butter, stir in some chopped peanut butter cups, or you could stir in peanut butter chips.
• Confectioners sugar – Or powdered sugar. If you don’t have any powdered sugar, you can make your own powdered sugar in a food processor!
• Unsalted butter – Butter is going to give our brownies great flavor! I always bake and recommend to use unsalted butter vs. salted butter in baking. Not all salted butter varieties have the same amount of salt so it can be hard to control and your brownies might end up being too salty.
• Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is best, but imitation will also work.
• Salt – I always bake with sea salt, but kosher salt or table salt will also work.

For the brownie recipe:

• All-purpose flour – For the best texture be sure to measure your flour correctly. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, do not pack it down. Or measure using a kitchen scale.
• Baking powder – To give a little lift to the brownies. Be sure to use baking powder and not baking soda – they are not the same and are not interchangeable.
• Eggs – Use room temperature, large eggs. Place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using.
• Salt
• Granulated sugar – This not only provides sweetness but will also give us that crackly top we love in brownies.
• Brown sugar – Adding brown sugar helps gives us a chewy, moist brownie.
• Canola oil – Oil will help make for a fudgy brownie that can’t be beat. Vegetable Oil will also work. I recommend using a neutral-tasting oil.
• Unsalted butter
• Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate – Use real good quality chocolate, not chocolate chips, which have stabilizers in them. I like to use either bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, like the Ghiradelli chocolate bars.
• Dutch process cocoa powder – This is what gives these brownies a wonderfully rich chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa powder will not react the same with the baking powder and is not recommended.

How to make chocolate peanut butter brownies

1- Make Peanut butter swirl

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, confectioners sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt until smooth and combined.

2 – Combine dry ingredients.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 

3- Combine wet ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla. 

4 – Melt the chocolate and butter

In a small saucepan on the stove, over low heat, melt and stir together the butter and chopped chocolate until completely melted. Stir frequently to keep the chocolate from burning. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, whisking to combine.

5 – Add chocolate and dry ingredients

Whisk the melted chocolate mixture into the brownie batter until smooth and combined. Stir, using a spatula (or wooden spoon) in the dry ingredients until just combined. 

6 – Assemble and bake peanut butter brownies

Dollop the peanut butter mixture on top and swirl with the tip of a butter knife. Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to let the brownies cool completely before cutting into bars and serving. 

How to get perfect brownie slices

Getting the perfect brownie slices means you are going to need have a little patience. Now I know this is extremely difficulty when a pan of gooey, hot brownies come out of the oven, but for perfect brownie slices you are going to need to wait until they cool completely.

Allow the brownies to cool completely, and then cut using a hot, sharp knife. I run a sharp knife under hot water, then wipe so there isn’t any excess water on it, and then cut the brownies. After each slice, I give the knife a wipe with a paper towel. Perfect brownie slices every time!

How to store brownies

I like to store my these peanut butter swirl brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (although I doubt they will last that long!). Any longer and I would recommend freezing them.

Tips for success: homemade fudgy peanut butter brownies

• Do not overmix. Once you’ve added the flour mixture, if you continue to stir the brownie batter you will incorporate too much air into your batter and result in a cakey brownie instead of a fudgy one.
• Be sure to measure your flour correctly. For that fudgy texture, be sure to measure your flour correctly. Too much flour = a cakey, dry brownie. I recommend measuring by weight using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, then be sure to stir your flour first. Then spoon the flour into your cup and level it off. Do not pack it down or you will end up with way too much flour!
• Use quality chocolate. For the best brownie flavor, you want to get the good chocolate. I recommend getting baking chocolate bars that you can chop, and not chocolate chips that have stabilizers in them that can prevent them from melting. My go to chocolate is Ghiradelli.
• Line The Pan. For easier remover I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper or tin-foil. Make sure to give it a spray with cooking spray after.
• Don’t Swirl Too Much. You want thick, noticeable swirls which will come from less swirling NOT more.
• Test With A Toothpick. To check the doneness of the brownies, test with a toothpick. You should see no raw batter but you want want a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
• Don’t Overbake. The middle may still look slightly soft and that’s OK. And when you do a toothpick test, you don’t want to wait until the toothpick is completely clean or this will mean that they are overbaked and will be dry. Be sure to set your timer, and every oven is different so be sure to check a little early!

Recipe FAQ’s

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