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!
JUDIE
How would these turn out in a 13×9 pan? I don’t have a 9×9 I do have 8×8. Thanks
Celebrating Sweets
You should be able to make them in an 8×8. They will be a bit thicker, so they will take a little longer to bake. Just watch them closely so that they’re not overdone. Enjoy!
Kim
I have made these twice to rave reviews. However, the next time I make them I am definitely going to use a 13×9. I have a new stove and getting these cooked in the center gives me a brownie that is overcooked at the edges.
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy! 🙂
emma
Yes same, these were not cooked in the middle at all for me but cooked on the top and sides. Maybe the temperature of the oven should be changed? I followed the directions exactly.
AC
Why does recipe say peanut butter “not natural”? I have jiffy natural pb. Does that work? Well, trying it now anyway!
Celebrating Sweets
Hi! Yes, the Jif “natural” will work . I meant the kind of natural peanut butter that is only ground peanuts and has a layer of oil at the top (it could separate in the brownies), and that type of peanut butter is not good for baking. Hope you enjoyed them!
Eira Jimenez
I made this recipe but it didn’t come out good at all. I followed every single step and at the end after it cooled down it was all hard from everwhere. I was really looking forward to these brownies especially because they had great reviews but it was a let down.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m sorry to hear that. If they were hard they were likely overbaked. Did you use the pan size recommended? Were your ingredients fresh?
Jennifer
If you make them again and they come out hard, put them in a container and drop a piece of bread in the container and they’ll be fine
Mimi Dang
Is the 3/4 tsp salt supposed to be in there? It’s not in the video. The brownies definitely came out salty.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Mimi. Yes, the salt should definitely be there (it was added in with the flour in the video). Since there are nearly 2 cups of sugar, the salt balances the flavors. If your peanut butter was salted, that could contribute to the saltiness, especially since it is swirled into the batter.
Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Zara
Can I use butter instead of the half cup vegetable oil? If so, how much butter should I use?
Celebrating Sweets
You can swap melted butter for the same amount of oil. The brownies might be a touch less moist, but should should taste just fine.
Marie
My family LOVED these brownies! I did add an extra egg (because they were a little smaller from our own chickens) and did a little less chocolate chips and added 1/3 cups peanut butter chips. I baked it in my brownie pan- which is about a 6×10, and they came out thick and the perfect, soft, almost cake-like texture (probably from the extra egg). If your brownies didn’t turn out, it’s because you messed something up somewhere along the way- this recipe is perfect! Oh, I also used gluten-free flour mix, so you know that’s an option for those who need it!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks for the kind review. I’m so happy that you enjoyed them 🙂
Jonathan
If I were to double the recipe in a 13x 9 pan should I bake longer? Thanks
Celebrating Sweets
Yes, you’ll likely need to increase the bake time a bit. I would add 5 minutes, then check it every additional 5 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without raw batter on it. It is ok if there are fudgy crumbs on it. Be careful not to overbake.
Sian
Hi
I’d really like to try this recipe out but not sure how to convert the cup measurements into grams etc. Is there anywhere that I can find this easily so I can give this a go?
Celebrating Sweets
You can try this: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/cup-to-gram-conversions/
Gifty
Don’t have peanut butter cups can I make them without it?
Celebrating Sweets
Sure! Enjoy!
Mesha Pesha
I made this recipe and loved it! I did however make a few revisions due to lack the of ingredients in my kitchen. I didn’t have peanut butter cups so I made it without it which was totally fine. Also, I didn’t have vegetable oil so I substituted with melted butter. Additionally, I used an 8×8 baking dish that was perfect! Definitely will make these brownies again! They tasted gourmet….like something you would get from a bakery. The only think I question, why the powdered sugar? I watched a video of a similar recipe where they added powdered sugar to the peanut butter along with a little butter before adding the scoops to the brownie batter. It appears to make the peanut more creamier and easier to spread so I may try that method next time around. Using a cookie dough scooper, I added 4 scoops of peanut butter. Prior to that, I added a few extra chocolate pieces.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you enjoyed them! The powdered sugar helps with the texture and chewiness of the brownies. You can add some to the peanut butter next time, too. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂