Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

These chocolate peanut butter brownies are ultra fudgy chocolate brownies swirled with peanut butter. They are topped with extra Reese's cups and mini chocolate chips. If you are a chocolate peanut butter lover, you will love this recipe!

Happy first recipe of 2023! No better way to kick off the new year than with the best combination to exist - chocolate and peanut butter. These decadent brownies are super rich but that's what makes them so good.

These brownies include two types of cocoa powder and chocolate chips so it is extra fudgy. Creamy peanut butter is swirled into the brownies and baked to gooey perfection.

For more peanut butter recipes try White Chocolate Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookie Bars, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Why this recipe works

• Fudgy brownies- These chocolate brownies are extra fudgy with a crinkle top!
• Easy to make - No electric mixer required and the brownies come together in one bowl.
• Swirls of peanut butter- Before the brownies are baked the batter is swirled with peanut butter. It is the perfect chocolate peanut butter ratio.

Ingredients Notes

Full recipe and ingredients are in the recipe card below. Feel free to scroll through this section to view certain key ingredients we’re using!

Butter – Unsalted. This will be melted.

White sugar - Helps add that crinkle top we love so much with brownies.

Unsweetened cocoa powder - For best results, use both unsweetened cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder to give these a more rich chocolate flavour. You can substitute one for the other if you're in a hurry!

Peanut butter - Creamy must be used. This will be swirled into the batter before baking.

Mini chocolate chips - I sprinkled the brownies with mini chocolate chips after they were done baking. I like using mini because it adds small pockets of chocolate on top. You can use semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips too. I don't recommend milk chocolate chips because it will be too sweet.

Dark chocolate chips - Melted into the brownie batter. I used dark to balance the sweetness from the sugar, but semi-sweet work as well.

Step by step instructions

Here is how to make and bake this Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies. You will need an 8×8 square pan lined with parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, a spatula, and a whisk.

Step 1 - Whisk butter and chocolate. Melt the butter and whisk in chocolate and white sugar until melted together. It will look thick and grainy, trust the process.

Step 2 - Beat eggs and vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time, and vanilla. The mixture will be thick, glossy, and smooth.

Step 3 - Add in dry ingredients. Fold in cocoa powders, flour, baking powder, and salt. The batter will be thick.

Step 4 - Pour batter. Pour the brownie batter into an 8X8 inch square baking pan.

Step 5 - Swirl in peanut butter. Dollop the peanut butter into small drops on top of the batter. Then use a butter knife and swirl it in into the brownie batter.

Step 6 - Bake the brownies. Bake these gooey peanut butter brownies for 40-50 minutes. The edges will be set, and middle will jiggle but continue to bake as it cools. If you stick a toothpick in the center, it will look moist with a few dense crumbs, but not like complete brownie batter.

Cool the brownies completely before removing them from the pan and cutting into them.

Expert Baking Tips

Here are a few baking tips from my kitchen to yours

• Flour- Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled properly. If you stick the measuring cup into the flour, this will compact it. Compacted flour leads to cakey brownies. A scale will give you the most accurate measurements.
• The eggs have to be added in one at a time to help maximize the amount of air added into the batter.
• When you are making the brownies, you need to gently fold the rest of the ingredients after the eggs are beaten. Use a spatula, and not a whisk.
• Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper. Grease the other two sides. This will allow for the easiest removal from the pan.
• If your brownies are raw in the middle, bake for an extra 5-10 minutes and check them again.

FAQ

Can I just use one type of cocoa powder?

Yes. But be aware your texture will be different as they carry different moisture/acidic levels. Substitute whatever you’re not using with the one you are. (You should have 3/4 cups total cocoa powder).

How do I know my brownies are ready?

When the edges are set and the middle still jiggles. If you stick a toothpick in and it comes out with wet batter on it give it another 5 minutes of baking time and check again. If the toothpick comes out with wet crumbs but not just batter it is ready.

Why did my brownies sink?

This means that the brownies were too under done. Even if the edges look set, you have to make sure the middle is somewhat set with a toothpick. Mine took nearly 50 minutes.

My brownies don’t have a crinkle top.

This is due to several reasons. Was your sugar butter mixture dissolved well? Did you over beat your batter when adding in the dry ingredients? Did you substitute or add less of an ingredient in? These topics all work towards that crinkle top!

Can I add in less sugar?

Unfortunately no. If you know me, you know I try to use as little sugar as possible in my recipes. This one requires the full 2 cups if you want that crinkle top and fudgy texture. If you’re worried about sweetness, I would use dark chocolate chips and not add any toppings.

Check out these recipes

• 
  3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
• 
  No Bake Coconut Chocolate Oat Bars
• 
  Chewy Coconut Bars
• 
  Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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