Peanut Butter Brookies are the marriage of fudgy brownies and chewy peanut butter cookies! This recipe features even more decadence with the addition of Reese’s peanut butter cups. This easy to make dessert blows everyone away!
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!
Why this Recipe Works
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.
- Can’t decide between a pan of brownies or a batch of peanut butter cookies? Peanut Butter Brookies are the answer!
- Both layers of this treat are moist, fudgy and chewy.
- We added peanut butter morsels AND peanut butter cups to put these over the top!
If you love today’s recipe, be sure to try our chocolate peanut butter cookies next. So fudgy and good.
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.
Easy Instructions
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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes–don’t let your lack of unsalted butter stop you! If using salted butter, you may want to reduce or omit the added salt in the cookie layer.
Once they’ve firmed up and chilled, you can store them at room temperature if you prefer. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container either way!
Using butter instead of shortening will affect the appearance and consistency of the baked brookies. Shortening helps them brown and maintain a chewy texture, so I highly recommend making the recipe as directed.
I haven’t tested peanut butter brookies with natural peanut butter. However, I have found natural peanut butter tends to make peanut butter cookies greasy and crumbly, so I wouldn’t recommend using it in this recipe.
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.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below!
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Peanut Butter Brookies
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
Nutrition
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.
I noticed you use a lot of crisco in your recipes. Crisco isn’t something I normally use, could I use butter instead?
You can definitely substitute unsalted butter for the Crisco. I occasionally use Crisco when I’m looking for a certain texture! ENJOY!
Oh my gosh! These look amazing, super indulgent 😉 I love it!
Wait – I’m confused! Did you make these with the brownie recipe and peanut butter cookie recipe you said you used, and linked to? Or is the pictured bar made with the recipe further down the page? They don’t match. I’d like to make them so they look like the ones pictured.
THANK YOU!!
Hi Dee, great question! I actually used the recipe in the recipe box, I made a few alterations to get the consistency and texture I wanted. ENJOY!!!
Ok – I see . . . I think. The recipe in the recipe box is the altered version to get the ones pictured. Thanks for your quick response! I can’t wait to make these next week.
Yummy! These look gorgeous! Thanks for the recipe!
Wow, these look so rich and absolutely divine! I definitely get the peanut butter/chocolate craving – it’s one of the best combos! This recipe is awesomeeeee!
Yum Yum Yum…
WHAT??!! You might be the smartest person in the world. I think these Brookies would solve all of the world’s problems. 🙂 (They would in my house!!)
Oh yeah! Bring it!!!!!!
Chocolate and peanut butter perfection! They look amazing!
“I like it, I love it, I want some more of it!” is the song stuck in your head now? 😉
It’s stuck in my head now, thankyouverymuch!!
Wowzers, I think I could eat the whole batch of these myself. These look so good!
Thanks Ashley, they were quite good!
Brownies combined with cookies AND PB cups?? These look downright dangerous, Aimee! 😉
They are very dangerous. Especially if left alone in a room with a plate of them 🙂
You have no idea what your pictures just did to me. Fudgy brownies, Reeses, and peanut butter cookie dough = I can’t even. Drooling and can’t stop! Oh, and a chocolate and peanut butter craving hits me about every half hour . . . maybe more when I visit your site:)
Awww, you’re too sweet! Thanks for visiting…and drooling all over 😉
How decadent! They look fantastic!
These look out of this world!
These are the perfect cure to a peanut butter and chocolate craving! These brookies look amazing!
Oh my gosh I’m in love! Where has this brookie been all my life? 😉 I have been craving Reese’s Peanut Butter cups for like the past month and my husband is getting tired of my chocolate/pb creations. Lol. This famous duo never gets old to me. Definitely going to make these!
My husband was a little tired of all the lemon and citrus, so these were right up his alley!!
I get the chocolate and peanut butter craving a lot! These look so delicious!
Clearly I’ve never thought of doing this! Wow! Reese’s have always been my favorite candy so this is a no-brainer!
Peanut butter and chocolate is my weakness!! Yes, a tall glass of milk is absolutely necessary 🙂