Get ready for the BEST Peanut Butter Brownies! Fudgy brownies filled with peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips, and topped with a peanut butter swirl. Rich, decadent, over-the-top brownies that you are going to love.
This is what dreams are made of. Do you see that peanut butter swirl? Those chunks of peanut butter cups? That fudgy goodness? So much to love.
I decided that it was time to give my Peanut Butter Brownie recipe a little facelift. I made a few small tweaks and these Peanut Butter Brownies are even better than ever! I used my Homemade Brownies as the base and added tons of peanut buttery goodness.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: Loads of chocolate and peanut butter in every bite.
Texture: Chewy edges and fudgy centers with little pockets of melty chocolate and peanut butter.
Freezer friendly: Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Basic ingredients: Most of these ingredients are pantry staples. You can also choose between peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips, or both for stirring into the brownie batter.
Perfectly sized: This recipe makes an 8×8 pan of brownies. You can serve anywhere from 9-12 depending on how large you cut them.
Tips for making peanut butter brownies
- Line the pan with foil for easy removal. Once the brownies have cooled, you can lift the whole batch right out of the pan using the foil.
- Adding chocolate chips into the batter guarantees a fudgy texture.
- Use a commercial brand of peanut butter that is fully combined/emulsified. I do not recommend using a “natural” peanut butter with oil separation.
- When swirling the peanut butter into the brownie batter, less is more. Thicker, more noticeable swirls come from less swirling. Drag a sharp knife through in a figure-8 motion.
- Do not overbake them. I can’t stress this enough! If you insert a toothpick into the center it should have moist fudgy crumbs on it, but no batter. As soon as that happens, pull them out. Since all ovens bake differently, set your timer for earlier than the recipe calls for and keep checking them until they’re done.
Serving and storage
Serving: You can serve these brownies warm or at room temperature. They are best served within 3 days of being made. I like to reheat them a little in the microwave before eating.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or cool room temperature for 3 days. Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe updated March 2021. If you prefer my original recipe, it can be found HERE.
Recipe
Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and still warm
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup (total) peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups, or a combination of both
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, preferably not natural/separated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Lightly grease the foil/parchment.
- In a medium bowl combine cocoa powder, powdered sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine butter and granulated sugar, whisk briefly, then allow the mixture to sit at room temp for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, whisk the mixture vigorously for about 30 seconds. Add eggs, water, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until it is glossy and well combined. Remove ⅓ cup of brownie batter and set it aside.
- Add chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter cups to the remaining batter and stir gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Using two spoons, dollop small portions of the peanut butter and the reserved brownie batter all over the top. Use the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the brownie batter and peanut butter together*. Don’t swirl too deep; you are mostly just making visible swirls in the top layer.
- Bake for 28-33 minutes. The brownies should be underbaked just slightly, but not jiggle in the center. If you insert a toothpick into the center it should come out with moist fudgy crumbs, but no thin, raw batter. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Sara Acevedo
I made these today and as soon as they came out of the oven, I tried them. So did my boyfriend. I asked him what he thought of them. He said, “So good. Professional”. I cut them in little squares so we wouldn’t be tempted to finish them all in one day. I can’t wait to try the recipe for the coconut brownies!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂 Enjoy!
Malinda Bills
Can you tell me more about the comment of “not natural” next to the peanut better? I have Adams’s peanut better. I mix is all up in the food processor when I get it so the oil get’s mixed in. However, are you recommending I used like Jif or Skippy’s or something? Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Malinda. I usually do not use natural peanut butter for baking because of the oil separation. If you are sure it is mixed really well, and there isn’t a separate layer of oil, you can give it a try. It shouldn’t affect the taste, just how easily the peanut butter swirls into the brownies (and whether or not there is separation while baking). Enjoy!
Mahwish
Hi, this brownie looks so yummy.. thanks for sharing… I just wanted to ask u that we don’t have peanut butter cups available here. So, should I increase the quantity of chocolate chip instead… TIA
Celebrating Sweets
Sure! I’d recommend about 1/3 cup ADDITIONAL chocolate chips. Enjoy!
Teri
I’m excited to serve these brownies tonight for our company. A perfect dessert for someone who Loves peanut butter and chocolate!
Katy
I made these this morning and they turned out great! I love the look of the peanut butter swirl. I added peanut butter and dark chocolate chips instead of the PB cups. Then made chocolate ganache and served it warm with the brownies …it added extra yum!!!
Celebrating Sweets
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Teri
I made these brownies twice last month when I had company over for dinner. The second time I made them I forgot to add the chocolate chips. I was so disappointed but was pleased that they were still very delicious. I highly recommend this brownie recipe!
Ash
i was having a mental breakdown and baked these @ 10 o’clock at night and they made me feel better thank you 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
Ha! Glad they helped. 🙂 Hope you’re feeling better today. Thanks for stopping by!
Ieuan
Hiya, do you have the ingredients in grams? ??
Celebrating Sweets
Hi. Sorry, I don’t. You can try using this conversion guide: http://dish.allrecipes.com/cup-to-gram-conversions/
Marcy
I made these today and they turned out perfect! Really moist and yummy!! I used a 8×8 pan (didn’t have a 9×9) and had to increase the cook time to 45 minutes because I used a ceramic pan instead of metal or glass but checked frequently to make sure I didn’t over cook them. You will absolutely love these brownies! I used Hershey’s semi sweet chocolate chips and Jif creamy peanut butter. I didn’t add the espresso powder.
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for the kind review. I’m glad that you liked them! 🙂
Meher
Hi
Can i use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil??
Celebrating Sweets
Sure. There might be a chance of coconut flavor coming through. Enjoy!