Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
These peanut butter brownies start with a fudgy homemade brownie recipe that is elevated with a peanut butter layer swirled on top and throughout! Every delicious bite will leave you wanting more. Chocolate and peanut butter are always better together, and I can’t wait for you to try these incredible brownies! I have SO many chocolate peanut butter desserts on the blog that you’ll love. From this tasty fudge to these classic peanut butter bars. And you can never go wrong with the buckeye balls for the holidays!
Ingredients For Peanut Butter Brownies
Homemade brownies are easy to make and even better than a boxed brownie mix! They are made with staple pantry items you probably already have! You can be enjoying these delicious desserts in less than an hour!
Brownies
Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter keeps the brownies from being too salty. Vegetable Oil: You can use canola oil as well. Granulated Sugar: The sweetness in the batter! Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature! I take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before I make the batter. Vanilla Extract: Adds sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor. Cocoa Powder: Regular unsweetened cocoa or natural cocoa works best here. Avoid using Dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe. Cornstarch and Baking Soda: Adds fluffiness to the brownies and gives them the best texture! Salt: A little bit helps to balance and enhance the sweetness
Peanut Butter Swirl
Creamy Peanut Butter: Creamy is best for swirling, not chunky! Unsalted Butter: Melted butter helps the mixture swirl easily. Powdered Sugar: Adds a little sweetness to balance the peanut butter flavor. Vanilla Extract: Everything is better with vanilla flavoring.
Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe
There are two parts to making these peanut butter swirl brownies, but it is definitely worth the extra step! They are so fun to make, and my kids love to do the swirling!
Brownies
Peanut Butter Swirl
Sugar: It’s a lot of sugar, but don’t reduce the amount! The sugar in this recipe not only balances out the bitterness of the cocoa powder, it also is what gives brownies their chewy, fudgy texture. If you reduce the sugar in this recipe, the texture of the brownies will end up drier and more cakey. You might also find the bitterness of the cocoa quite strong. Avoid Natural Peanut Butter: I recommend using peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, which don’t require stirring. The brownies will turn out oily if you use natural-style peanut butter. Metal Pan: Use a metal pan to bake your brownies if you can. Metal tends to heat faster, allowing the edges of the brownies to set quickly and the entire pan to bake more evenly. Additionally, glass and ceramic take longer to cool down, so the edges of your brownies will be overbaked when the center is baked and the brownies cool completely. Don’t Over-Swirl: Don’t over-swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter. The more it is swirled into it, the more the two will combine for one batter instead of the distinct chocolate and peanut butter swirls. Pan Size: You can use a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan instead, just reduce the baking time by 4-5 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick to ensure the brownies aren’t over or under-baked. For a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, double the recipe and bake for 5-8 additional minutes before testing the center for doneness.
Room Temperature: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. In the Refrigerator: Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 days. In the Freezer: When freezing, I recommend slicing into individual brownies and placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they are not touching each other. Freeze for 2 hours before transferring to an airtight container and layering pieces of parchment paper between them so they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months!
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