Homemade brownies with a peanut butter swirl are an irresistible treat with just the right balance of sweet and salty! These chocolate peanut butter brownies are rich, fudgy and wonderfully decadent!
You definitely can’t go wrong with the sweet and salty duo of chocolate and peanut butter! Our new favorite way to enjoy the classic pairing? A few heaping spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter swirled into our ultra chocolatey brownie batter!
And if you’re looking for more peanut butter desserts, don’t forget to try our peanut butter miso cookies!
the brownies
Let’s start with the brownie base. We use the perfect combination of chocolate, butter, cocoa powder and eggs to get the fudgy texture in these brownies. The batter can be made in three easy steps:
- Whisk together the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
- Melt the butter and chocolate pieces together and then whisk in the cocoa powder.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture along with the flour and salt.
And that’s really all there is to it! Pour your batter into an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking pan and get ready to add the peanut butter swirl!
peanut butter swirl
The peanut butter swirl is made up of just one ingredient: creamy peanut butter! But depending on the type of peanut butter you choose, you could mix in a bit of sugar or salt if you’d like.
which peanut butter should I use?
You can use either natural creamy peanut butter (where the only ingredient is peanuts) or a regular version such as Skippy or Jif. For this particular recipe I’ve had success using a variety of peanut butters including Natural Skippy (which has added sugar and salt), Trader Joe’s and Crazy Richard’s.
If using a natural peanut butter, just make sure to thoroughly stir your jar before measuring and swirling!
getting a good swirl
To get a good swirl, start by making sure the peanut butter is at least at room temperature. You can also heat it in the microwave so it has a more pourable consistency, which will make it easier to mix into the batter.
Dollop the peanut butter over the brownie batter and use a knife to swirl the mixture before baking. Make sure not to overmix or you’ll lose the bold swirls (although the taste will still be amazing)!
tips for fudgy brownies
We’ve formulated this brownie recipe specifically to be on the fudgy side. But if you really want to make sure you have the fudgiest brownies, we have a few extra tips for you:
- Don’t over-measure the flour and cocoa powder. Using a kitchen scale is definitely recommended for this recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method when measuring flour. Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then run the back of a knife over the top to scrape off any excess.
- After adding the flour, make sure not to overmix the batter. This can add too much air to the batter and create more cakey brownies.
- Check your brownie batter at the minimum bake time — about 25 minutes. If an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, don’t bake any further! Your brownies are cooked through and will firm up a bit more as they sit.
peanut butter brownies: FAQs
A metal baking pan is the best option for brownies. Avoid ceramic and glass pans if you can as it is easier to overbake the brownies.
To tell if the brownies are ready, insert a toothpick. If it comes out with wet batter, give the brownies another few minutes. When the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs you should have nice and fudgy brownies!
You can freeze your brownies for up to 3 months. We recommend wrapping the brownies in plastic wrap or foil and then placing in a freezer safe container. The brownies can be frozen individually or as an entire slab.
These brownies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
For more chocolatey goodness, make sure to check out these recipes:
- red velvet brownies
- chocolate chip cheesecake
- oreo cheesecake cupcakes
- german chocolate cookies
- torta caprese | flourless chocolate almond cake
- mini mocha cheesecakes + white chocolate kahlua ganache
- espresso sipping chocolate
chocolate peanut butter brownies
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: american
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (115 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup (80 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (130 grams) creamy peanut butter*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and grease an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking pan.
- Whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring continuously until smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the flour and salt until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Dollop the peanut butter over the brownie batter and use a knife to swirl the mixture. To make it easier to swirl, you can first heat the peanut butter in the microwave until it has a pourable (but still quite thick) consistency.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
Measuring Flour: We highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure flour. If measuring by volume, use the spoon and level method to avoid over-measuring the flour. Lightly spoon flour into the measuring cup until it’s completely full. Then run the back of a knife over the cup to gently scrape off any excess.
Peanut Butter: Both natural peanut butters (where the only ingredient is peanuts) and peanut butters such as Skippy and Jif (which generally have added sugar, salt and oil) will work in this recipe. I’ve tested this recipe with Natural Skippy, Trader Joe’s and Crazy Richard’s and they’ve all worked well. Natural peanut butters will need to be thoroughly stirred before measuring and swirling.
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