Peanut Butter Brownies: fudgy, homemade brownies with swirls of creamy peanut butter! If you love chocolate peanut butter treats, you’re going to LOVE these!
If you’re obsessed with peanut butter desserts, be sure to try our Peanut Butter Cookie Bars too! Swirls of peanut butter never tasted better! Or give our classic Jif peanut butter cookies a try next.
Why this Recipe Works
The only way to improve a brownie recipe? Add peanut butter.
You can never have enough recipes that combine chocolate and peanut butter! The richness of these fudgy brownies is the perfect match for creamy peanut butter.
These brownies have the crackly tops I love in a classic Brownie recipe along with the beautiful swirls of peanut butter. The slight saltiness of the peanut butter adds the perfect balance to the sweet chocolate.
- Melted butter reacts with the sugar and eggs to produce the very slightly crispy tops I love.
- Mixing the batter lightly by hand helps the insides of the brownies stay soft.
- This peanut butter brownies recipe is easy to make with a simple list of ingredients–so you can make them right now!
Favorite PB Recipes: Peanut Butter Cookies | No Bake Cookies
If you love the swirls of peanut butter on today’s recipe, what do you think about cream cheese? Try our deliciously rich cheesecake brownie next! Or top them with a big dollop of this white chocolate spread for a sweet treat.
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter. Use a creamy shelf-stable peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters won’t work in this recipe. The oils will separate from the chocolate, leaving the consistency less than stellar.
- Cocoa powder. Be sure it’s unsweetened (not hot chocolate mix). I used regular dutch processed cocoa, but dark cocoa powders will work as well.
- Vanilla extract. Homemade Vanilla Extract is especially delicious in brownies!
Easy Instructions
You’ll love that you only need one dish to make these brownies. No sifting of flours. No separate bowls. Just use the pan that you melt the butter in!
First, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in chocolate chips and sugar, then the eggs one at a time and finally the vanilla extract.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to the pan. Use large, gentle strokes to mix until just combined. Be careful not to beat or over stir!
Pour the batter into a parchment lined brownie pan. Spoon dollops of peanut butter over top.
Now, my favorite part: use the flat side of a butter knife to swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter.
Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool completely before cutting.
Peanut Butter Brownies smell so good fresh from the oven. Waiting to cut them (and eat them) is the hardest part!
Tips & Tricks
- How to cut brownies. Use a plastic knife for cutting peanut butter brownies. It creates perfect even edges without tearing the brownies.
- Be careful not to over stir: Stirring vigorously or beating will incorporate more air into the brownies. They’ll end up more cake-like and less fudgy.
- Line your pan with parchment paper. A square at the bottom of your pan prevents the brownies from sticking and makes clean up a breeze!
Recipe FAQs
Brownies crumble when you cut them too early. Make sure to let the whole pan cool completely. Then use a plastic knife to create long smooth slices.
Bake these peanut butter brownies in a 9 inch brownie pan for best results
I don’t recommend making this recipe with other nut butters. Nut butters like almond and cashew butter are usually sold natural style. This means the oils will separate from te other ingredients during baking and your brownies will be crumbly and greasy.
The classic shelf stable creamy peanut butter you probably ate as a kid works best for peanut butter brownies. Make sure it is the sweetened kind that does not need to be refrigerated!
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Grahams: an easy treat that tastes fantastic!!
- White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes: from scratch cupcakes with a peanut butter swirled frosting!
- Fluffernutter Krispie Treats: chewy, delicious chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow treats!
Variations
If you love this thick brownie try these next:
- Fudgy Brownies– the classic brownie this recipe is based off of, no cake-like brownies here.
- Walnut Brownies– fudgy brownies with a delicious nutty crunch! These decadent brownies are easy to make and guaranteed to satisfy any chocolate craving.
- Salted Caramel Brownies– the same rich brownies with a swirl of caramel and a touch of sea salt flakes.
- M&M Brownies– use your favorite variety of M&M candies, or choose a holiday color.
More Easy Desserts
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Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add in chocolate chips and sugar.
- Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add in eggs, one at a time, stirring completely after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Using big strokes, stir in JUST until mixed and no longer see dry ingredients. DO NOT BEAT OR OVER STIR.
- Pour batter into dish and dollop with peanut butter. Swirl peanut butter into brownie batter with a knife.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Do not over stir after adding the dry ingredients.
- Use a plastic knife for cutting cooled brownies. Works like a charm without ripping the brownies.
- Avoid using natural peanut butters as they tend to have oils that make them separate from the chocolate.
Nutrition
Bake a batch of these easy Peanut Butter Brownies and pour yourself a glass of milk for the ultimate sweet indulgence!
Peanut butter and fudge goodness – we will make these again soon!
SERIOUSLY THE BEST. How can anyone turn down peanut butter and chocolate???
I’m allergic to all milk products. Does this recipe work well with margarine or butter flavored Crisco? Which would you recommend?
Thank you Ranchmama
Boy do these sound good. Can’t wait to make these, thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
I can’t even handle how amazingly awesome these are!
I love peanut butter but only had the natural kind so I used Lotus biscoff spread instead! It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I totally agree – how can you not love peanut butter and chocolate? Can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing!
Oh my word, these brownies are NEXT level Aimee! They look AMAZING! Pinned.
I saw your video on FB and just about died. NEED.
OHMYLAWD these brownies look insanely rich and decadent!!!
I’m running a marathon on May 15th…These will be in my belly May 16th!
I could definitely eat peanut butter and chocolate just about every day, especially it were in the form of these brownies! These look SO good! I wish I could just dig into these for breakfast!