These homemade chocolate peanut butter brownies are creamy, chewy and super chocolatey. They have creamy peanut butter swirled throughout the chocolate brownie batter. They are without a mixer, are so easy to make and are perfect for peanut butter and chocolate lovers!
These peanut butter brownies are super chocolatey and chewy. They’re also super simple to make.
This was inspired by tahini brownie recipe. I swapped out the tahini for peanut butter and added a little melted butter to the peanut butter and powdered sugar swirl mixture.
If you’re looking for more peanut butter recipes, try my Nutella and peanut butter cake, no bake peanut butter butterscotch bars, and peanut butter brownie cookies.
Jump to:
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- These chocolate peanut butter fudge brownies are made with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and creamy peanut butter!
- Is there a better combination than chocolate and peanut butter?
- The crispy edges, fudgy chocolatey middles and creamy sweet peanut butter flavor will have you coming back for another bite!
- You do not need a mixer to make these easy peanut butter brownies.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Below are some useful notes about some ingredients used in these chocolate and peanut butter brownies. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and their quantities.
- Unsalted Butter-The amount of salt can vary by brand, so I use unsalted butter. This lets me control how much salt to add. The butter is going to be melted, so it doesn’t need to be room temperature. We use butter in the brownie batter and one tablespoon of the butter in the peanut butter swirl.
- Creamy peanut butter: Use commercial peanut butter such as JIF or Skippy. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter.
- Semisweet chocolate-Use good quality chocolate baking chocolate bars from the baking aisle.
- Cocoa powder-I used regular natural cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa can also be used.
SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATIONS
- Use crunchy peanut butter to add some crunch!
- Swap in another nut butter in place of the peanut butter.
- Add some peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups to make these extra peanut buttery!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here are directions on how to make brownies with fudgy peanut butter brownies. Please see recipe card below for full instructions including measurements.
Step 1: Melt seven tablespoons of the butter and the chopped semisweet chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Whisk together the eggs and sugars for about a minute or until mixture becomes pale and creamy. Whisk in the vanilla, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and the chocolate and butter mixture.
Step 3: Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined then pour into the prepared pan.
Step 4: In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the peanut butter, one tablespoon of melted butter and the powdered sugar.
Step 5: Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the brownie batter. You can also spoon the peanut butter mixture into a sandwich bag. Snip a corner off and pipe it overtop.
Step 6: Use a toothpick of tip of a butter knife to lightly swirl the peanut butter into the batter. Bake these chocolate peanut brownies at 350 Fahrenheit for 23-28 minutes.
Hint: Bake until until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted in the middle of the brownies. Do not wait until it comes out with no crumbs.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Line pan with parchment paper. Line the pan with parchment paper and leave an overhang of paper on two sides. Parchment paper will keep the brownies from sticking to the pan. It will also make it easy for you to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Allow brownies to cool. It’s best to let these homemade peanut butter brownies cool for an hour or two. Cool them at room temperature or in the fridge. Cooled brownies they’ll hold together better when you cut them. You’ll have less of them all stuck to the knife. The flavor develops even more while they cool.
- Use a long knife to cut your brownies. If you have a long knife, you can cut straight down through the brownies instead of dragging the knife. Cut with as little motion as possible. Avoid using a sawing motion.
- Spray knife with a little cooking spray, wipe it with a damp cloth, or stick it under warm water in between cutting sections. This will limit how much the brownies stick to the knife.
RECIPE FAQs
Yes! Wrap leftover brownies tightly with plastic wrap and/or place them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Warm brownies are so delicious, but it’s best to cut brownies when they have cooled completely. You can place the brownies in the refrigerator to help them cool faster.
Brownies with more butter and more melted chocolate are more fudgy. Also, taking brownies out of the oven before a toothpick comes out completely clean gives you fudgy brownies.
STORING AND FREEZING
These gooey peanut butter brownies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
FREEZING
Freeze these pb brownies in plastic wrap or an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
MORE RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
Print
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 large or 16 small brownies
- Category: Desserts, Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These gooey, fudgy chocolate peanut butter brownies are rich, flavorful and decadent. The swirls of peanut butter and chocolate makes them extra special and delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter, room temperature, divided
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Dutch process or natural cocoa powder,
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with enough parchment paper to create an overhang of at least two inches on two sides.
- Melt seven tablespoons of the butter (reserve 1 tablespoon of the stick for the pb-powdered sugar mixture) and the chopped semisweet chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the peanut butter, one tablespoon of melted butter and the powdered sugar. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, briskly whisk together the eggs and sugars for about a minute or until mixture becomes pale and creamy. Whisk in the vanilla, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and the reserved butter/melted chocolate mixture. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined then spread batter into the prepared pan.
- Spoon the peanut butter-powdered sugar mixture into a plastic sandwich bag. Snip a corner with scissors and pipe the peanut butter mixture in swirls on top of the batter. Next, use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to make more swirls with the peanut butter mixture. Do just a few swirls in each section as you make your way across the mixture. Be careful not to over-swirl or you won’t get that cool marbled look on top.
- Bake 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs when inserted in the middle of the brownies. Do not wait until it comes out with no crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for at least 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the fridge.
Notes
Check for doneness: Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted in the middle of the brownies. Do not wait until it comes out with no crumbs.
Allow brownies to cool. It’s best to let brownies cool for an hour or two. Cool them at room temperature or in the fridge. Cooled brownies they’ll hold together better when you cut them. You’ll have less of them all stuck to the knife. The flavor develops even more while they cool.
Storage: These peanut butter brownies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. They last up to 4 days. Freeze in plastic wrap or an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Keywords: peanut butter, chocolate, brownies, swirl
I made these this evening. Great recipe.
Slightly confused though, the instructions call for reserved tahini. Not sure I understand that instruction.
Hi Theresa, Thanks for your comment. I’m so happy you enjoyed these peanut butter brownies! I apologize for the confusion. I made this recipe based on my tahini brownies recipe and must have missed changing tahini to peanut butter in the instructions. I will change that right now. I can see how that would be confusing so I appreciate your pointing that out! Have a great rest of your day 🙂 Natalie