Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

What’s chocolatey, gooey, peanut buttery and perfect for Halloween?! These Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, of course! Made with cocoa, melted chocolate and topped with peanut butter cups, these brownies will satisfy even the biggest chocolate lover’s cravings. Add some Reese’ Pieces to create fun monster faces and to add even more chocolate and peanut butter flavor!

HALLOWEEN CREATIVITY

As an elementary school teacher, my favorite holiday after Valentine’s Day was definitely Halloween. I loved seeing how excited the kids got about everything Halloween related!

BAKING WITH KIDS

Whether you make these Peanut Butter Cup Brownies with kids or for them, they will love them! Another fun recipe to make with (or for) kids are definitely these Poop Emoji Cupcakes!

BROWNIE RECIPES

I love my Brown Butter Brownies so much that I decided to use them for this recipe. I replaced the brown butter with regular melted butter and made a few other changes. These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies would also be an amazing base for peanut butter cups!

FUN HALLOWEEN BROWNIES

Luckily there are 31 days in October because the internet is full of fun Halloween brownie recipes. These Halloween Pumpkin Brownies from Barbara Bakes and Spider Web Halloween Brownies from Creme de la Crumb look are so cute!

I have lots of cute Halloween brownies ideas, but this is one of my favorites. These Peanut Butter Cup Brownies are:

• delicious as is
• more delicious with peanut butter cups on top
• fun and creative with monster faces

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP MONSTERS

PRESS THE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS ON TOP

Once the brownies are finished baking, let the pan cool on a rack. Let the brownies cool for about five minutes and then gently press the peanut butter cups on top.

You can cut or chip some of the chocolate off to make them look different. I like chipping off some of the chocolate on the bottom to make it look like a mouth! If you chip some or have pieces leftover, you can stick those on top too!

TOPPING IDEAS FOR THE FACES

Here are some things you can use to make the monster faces:

• Mini Reese’s Pieces: Their peanut butter/chocolate combo go so well with the brownies and peanut butter cups. They’re also made in Halloween colors AND they’re the perfect size for monster eyes!
• Regular Reese’s Pieces: They will be larger but they should work. If you find them too large, you can always chop them in half or in quarters/bits.
• Regular or Mini M&Ms: If you want to give your monster faces some really scary eyes, grab some red M&Ms! Blue M&Ms are also be fun!
• Sprinkles: Any color(s) would work. You can make them slanted for an angry eye look. You could also use them for eyebrows or a mouth.

These Peanut Butter Cup Brownies are delicious anytime of the year, but are especially fun in October! They will absolutely get anyone excited about Halloween. They’re gooey, rich and peanut buttery good! To do it up right, I highly recommend listening to Monster Mash while decorating them!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Natalie
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 9 large or 16 smaller brownies
• Category: Desserts, Brownies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These spooktacular Peanut Butter Cup Brownies with monster faces are as delicious as they are FUN! They’re moist, fudgy, and chocolate and also happen to be easy to make!

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch process or unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR  THE TOPPINGS*

• peanut butter cups
• Mini Reese’s Pieces (regular Reese’s Pieces or regular or Mini M&Ms can also be used)

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Instructions

1. Line and lightly butter an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper leaving enough to hang from the sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the mixture as it melts. Remove bowl from heat and whisk the sugar in. Add the eggs, whisking after each egg.  Whisk in the cocoa and salt, then fold in the flour until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the pan and use a spatula or offset spatula to evenly spread out the brownies and smooth out the top. Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean and with only a few crumbs. Keep in mind the brownies will continue to cook slightly when out of the oven, so do not over bake them. Place pan on a wire rack and allow brownies to cool. Five minutes after taking the brownies out of the oven, gently press the peanut butter cups on top of the brownies in any arrangement you like! Use Reese’s Pieces or M&Ms to create faces. 

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Notes

Other topping suggestions: sprinkles 

Keywords: brownies, chocolate, double chocolate, cocoa, Reese’s pieces, peanut butter, peanut butter cups, Halloween, kids, holidays