Peanut Butter Brookies are the marriage of fudgy brownies and chewy peanut butter cookies! This recipe features even more peanut butter with the addition of Reese’s peanut butter cups. No more having to choose cookies OR brownies.
My top tips are to read the recipe all the way through before starting, and don’t forget to line your pan with parchment paper. Makes it easy to lift out of the pan and cut perfect squares for serving.
This recipe was originally published in July 2013. The photos were improved and republished in June 2022. The recipe notes were updated in February 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
- Taste & Texture – A rich combo of fudgy brownies and chewy peanut butter cookies, packed with Reese’s cups.
- Ease of Making – Simple layering and baking in one pan.
- Cooking Method – Baked in a 13×9-inch pan until golden and set.
- Top Tip – Line the pan with parchment for easy removal, and chill before slicing for clean cuts.
- Would I make again? Absolutely. I love keeping a batch in my freezer!
I don’t know a lot of things, but here’s one: people love the combo of chocolate and peanut butter!
People also love brookies–the result of adding a layer of cookie dough to a pan of brownie batter before baking.
Today’s recipe combines ALL of those favorites into one delicious and easy dessert bar.
Have you learned how to make Brookies yet? It’s no more difficult than making a pan of brownies or peanut butter bars, but the results are doubly impressive!
Featured Review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Made these this weekend. They were perfect in every way. We were a house divided… I liked them room temp but my husband like them cold. Either way, delicious!” -Candice Ray
Ingredient Notes
- Crisco. Using shortening in the cookie layer is vital for the ideal texture. We used butter flavor but plain shortening works well too.
- Unsalted butter. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the saltiness of the finished peanut butter brookies. You’ll need melted butter for the brownie layer and softened butter for the cookies.
- Creamy peanut butter. We prefer the consistency of regular shelf stable peanut butter like (Jif or Skippy) when baked into cookies. Natural styles of peanut butter have oils that separate as the cookie layer bakes, which would make it crumbly or greasy.
- Vanilla. For best flavor, use pure vanilla extract. Our homemade vanilla extract gives these brookies an incredible depth of flavor.
- Reese’s peanut butter cups. For this recipe, you will need mini peanut butter cups unwrapped. You can also use full sized peanut butter cups cut up into 1 inch pieces. Use our homemade peanut butter cups for a delicious twist.
How to Make Brookies
For the brownie layer:
Melt chocolate chips with butter and stir until smooth. Mix in sugar, flour and eggs until combined. Pour the brownie batter into a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
For the cookie dough:
Beat the shortening and butter together. Then, mix in the remaining ingredients. Fold in the peanut butter morsels and Reese’s cups.
Assemble and bake:
Smooth the cookie dough over the brownie batter layer and bake.
Let the Peanut Butter Brookies cool completely at room temperature. Then, transfer to the fridge to chill before cutting into bars.
Tips and Tricks
- It’s okay if the cookie layer still looks a bit soft when you take it out of the oven. It will continue firming up as the brookies cool down.
- These Peanut Butter Brookies taste amazing served cold straight from the fridge. You can also let them come to room temperature if you prefer. They’re delicious either way!
- Use a clean plastic knife to slice the brookie bars for a perfectly smooth cut.
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts
- Craving peanut butter and chocolate? How about some Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge?
- Maybe a batch of these Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter NO BAKE Cookies are the answer to your cravings?
- Oreo Peanut Butter Dip: a treat on a spoon, and the perfect hostess gift!
- These Reese’s topped Fluffernutter Rice Krispie treats are a delicious solution to your cravings too!
- Our peanut butter cake is stuffed with Reese’s and simply amazing.
- If you love today’s recipe, be sure to try our chocolate peanut butter cookies next. So fudgy and good.
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Peanut Butter Brookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Brownie layer:
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
For the Cookie layer:
- ½ cup butter flavored Crisco
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup peanut butter morsels
- 8 ounce bag Reese’s mini peanut butter cups cut in half
Instructions
- For the brownie layer, melt chocolate chips with butter for 1 1/2 minutes in microwave safe glass bowl. Stir until smooth. Add sugar, flour and eggs and combine completely.
- Pour into a 13×9 baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- For the cookie dough, beat crisco with butter. Beat in milk, vanilla, sugars, peanut butter and egg. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in peanut butter morsels and Reese's mini PB cups.
- Drop cookie dough onto brownie batter layer. Smooth evenly.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Refrigerate and cut into bars.
Notes
- It’s okay if the cookie layer still looks a bit soft when you take it out of the oven. It will continue firming up as the brookies cool down.
- These Peanut Butter Brookies taste amazing served cold straight from the fridge. You can also let them come to room temperature if you prefer. They’re delicious either way!
- Use a clean plastic knife to slice the brookie bars for a perfectly smooth cut.
- Store brookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze brookies for up to 3 months. Thaw on counter overnight.
Nutrition
More Brownie Recipes
Why choose between 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Brownies when you can have BOTH? Peanut Butter Brookies with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a homerun every time.
These look delicious. I’m wondering if they can be frozen?
Made these this weekend. They were perfect in every way. We were a house divided… I liked them room temp but my husband like them cold. Either way, delicious!
Thanks for sharing, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hello,
What can I use in place of Crisco?
Thanks!
Thanks!
These are absolutely delicious. I have tried a brookie before and gave up because the brownie part was gooey and the cookie was dry. So I tried this recipe and baked it in my pampered chef stone ware 9X13 pan. It tasted good, but did not look like yours. The only changes I made to my recipe was to use all butter and no Crisco and a variety of chips instead of Reeses PB cups. The brownie was slightly gooey, but the cookies was slightly overcooked especially on the edges. Do you think next time I should cook the brownie layer for about 5 min. then top it with the cookie layer? Would 350 degrees work? Should I use a glass pan instead?I really love brookies and would like to find a way to make it work so I’d appreciate suggestions. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
I too have Pampered Chef stones, and find that bars like this need a longer baking time. The crisco DOES make a difference in the cookie base, so switching to all butter will make a slight difference in the browning part too.
I baked these for a bake sale and they went over quite well. I agree that the bake time should be less than 35 min as mine were a tad crunchy on top…awesome recipe!
Hi would love to make these, can you tell me what butter flavoured crisco is? I’m in Australia and haven’t seen this before. Thanks
Crisco is shortening. Here in US they have butter flavored.
I made this recipe and it was wonderful! All of my co-workers loved them! Sinfully delish! I baked them for 35 minutes and the top got a little brown, but they still tasted great. I would just keep a closer eye on them and bake them for a shorter period of time.
These look amazing! I don’t get peanut butter morsels here in Germany, do you have an idea how I can replace it?
Wow! I want one of this pronto! So yummy!
These are out of this world!!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them!
These look so good! Just like my monkey bars! I will have to try them
I thought you’d like to know that I found these on a facebook link that wasn’t yours. I went back to look for them, couldn’t find it, googled you and arrived here. They had tweaked the recipe, but were using your photo.
I just pulled my batch out of the oven, and it smells awesome.
Oh my goodness…. these look divine!!!!!!! What a great idea!!!! They sound absolutely delicious!!!
Oh my goodness….anything with peanut butter and chocolate makes me drool! This looks amazing! I’m stopping by from Tatertots & Jello (#79 Budget Bathroom Makeover) Have a great weekend!