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Hi Bold Bakers!
If you’re anything like the rest of the population, then you’re obsessed with the combination of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter. Food scientists, an analytical and delicious-sounding job, have performed a lot of research studies as to why chocolate and peanut butter go so well together. But really, who cares so long as we get to eat it, especially in this delicious recipe!
Chocolate and peanut butter are the power couple of our baking world, and my homemade peanut butter brownie recipe is the ultimate matchmaker.
What makes my chocolate peanut butter brownies different from the rest? Simple — these fudgy chocolate brownies swirled with nutty peanut butter and topped with salty peanuts on top are as easy to make as they are hard to resist!
What Kind Of Peanut Butter You’ll Need
There’s nothing wrong with cherishing your natural (and typically more expensive) jar of nut butter on top of your breakfast toast or trying your hand at making your own, but I find that when it comes to baking with peanut butter, the cheaper stuff from any old supermarket is best.
Natural peanut butter usually contains two ingredients: peanuts and salt. Meanwhile, your favorite Jif or Skippy-type brand also has sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is used to prevent separation and help enhance the spreadability of that delicious peanut butter — something that is ideal for creamy, melt-in-your-mouth baking.
But either smooth and crunchy versions of peanut butter will work! That is a debate you must have with your household.
What You Need To Make Peanut Butter Brownies
- A 8×8″ baking pan
- Bowls and whisks for mixing
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Microwave and oven
How To Make Peanut Butter Brownies
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of adding a peanut butter swirl throughout these rich chocolate brownies! It’s a super easy process. Here’s how simple it is (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, down below):
- Combine sugar, water, and chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Microwave until chocolate has melted, usually around 2-3 minutes.
- Allow mixture to slightly cool then whisk in oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until they are just combined, making sure you do not over mix.
- Swirl in 1/2 cup of peanut butter into the batter, leaving big streaks.
- Pour batter into buttered and lined baking pan and pour on the remaining peanut butter. Swirl the peanut butter over the top of the brownies. Top with chopped peanuts.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45-60, underbaking the brownies to keep them fudgy inside.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes, cut, top with some vanilla ice cream and prepare to enter peanut butter and chocolate heaven.
Gemma’s Pro Tips for Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- You can use any nut butter, but the cheaper grocery store versions work the best when baking.
- If you are using natural peanut butter, stir it very well before adding to the brownies to make sure the naturally separated oil blends in!
- Since conventional peanut butter already has sugar, use bittersweet chocolate (70%) to give your brownies a perfect balance of richness and sweetness.
- Brownies continue to cook when you take them out of the oven, so you will want to remove them when they still feel soft in the middle but have firm edges.
- If you can’t have eggs, check out my 7 Best Egg Substitutes in Baking!
How To Store Them
These highly addicting brownies can be stored at room temperature for 4 days (if they last that long!). They also freeze well for up to 4 weeks and can be defrosted in your microwave.
Sometimes we all need a peanut butter and chocolate fix to get us through the week. Don’t forget to try my Easy Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies, dipped in a healthy dose of rich melted chocolate, next!
Get More Brownies!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (20oz/565g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (4floz/115ml) water
- 2/3 cup (4oz/115g) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 4 large eggs*
- 1 cup (8floz/225ml) flavorless oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2oz/213g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (2 2/3oz/76g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (6oz/170g) peanut butter, smooth
- 1/3 cup (1 1/2oz/43g) peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line an 8x8 - inch square cake pan, which is what I used for a deep brownie. This is a big batter. You can also bake this in a 13x9-inch pan too, but the time will change to 40 minutes- judge it to keep the jiggle!
- In a medium microwavable bowl, combine the sugar, water, and chocolate. In the microwave or over a bain-marie heat this mixture gently until the chocolate has melted, roughly 2-3 minutes. Allow this mix to cool slightly.
- Into the cooled chocolate mixture whisk in the oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, do not over mix.
- Into the batter swirl in 1/2 cup of peanut butter leaving big streaks throughout.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and finish by swirling in the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter on top and scattering over the chopped peanuts.
- Bake for roughly 55-65 minutes. Always bake brownies a little under so that they remain fudgy on the inside.
- Once baked allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting them. Enjoy warm with vanilla ice-cream.
- Cover and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. They also freeze really well for up to 4 weeks.
can you lower the sugar for the brownies?
This is a great recipe. I had to use white chocolate because it was in the pantry. I also reduced the amount of sugar to 250 grams not wanting it to be too sweet and it came out perfect. I baked in the 160C with fan force for 45 minutes. Will certainly make this recipe again for sure.
O…m…g…these are amazing!!! So decadent, so chocolatey, so gooey even after cooling. My husband always leaves a little coffee in the pot, like a 1/4 cup so I threw that in because it enhances the chocolate. I also added some semi-sweet chips and sprinkled on top because I had some leftover from my last bake. I definitely think the peanuts would be an excellent plus I just didn’t have any and didn’t get any to wait to make this so will definitely add next time and I will reduce the sugar. They are unbelievably yummy! Thanks Gemma for yet another… Read more »
Hello Gemma, I am a big fan of your website and recipes. They always turn out perfectly well when followed your instructions rightly. In this brownie, can i replace sugar with honey? Also, do you have any good no-sugar dessert recipes with honey, dates, dry figs or fruits? I am on a no-sugar diet and this will help me to satisfy the sweet cravings:) Thank you for all your good work!
Loved these!
These were super yummy! Do you have the nutrition facts?
Hi Gemma I absolutely love how these brownies turn out but my partner would like to try them without peanut butter, can I use this exact recipe just not add the peanut butter? Or would I have to substitute something in place of it? Thanks ????
This is the best brownies recipe by far????thank you Gemma???? Thou I want to use a smaller (15x15cm) how to rescale everything?
Hi Gemma. Is there any way these can be made with cocoa powder instead of having to melt chocolate? I have cocoa powder at home. I would have to go buy baking chocolate. In this world where germs abound, especially in our area where no one wants to don masks,get vaccinated, or social distance (we we are democrats who live in a red area in the blue dtate of California), it just doesn’t seem worth the risk at this point. Thanks
I did make this into brownie bites. It made 74 and the bake time for me was 13 mins. I started checking at 10 and they were finally baked enough to get them out of my pan at 13. If doing this, I would suggest putting your peanut butter in three stages. The bottom did not get any. Maybe taking out a third of the batter and swirling and repeat. A little extra work but I’m going to try it the next time so there is pb all the way through. Everyone will get two and I have 14 left… Read more »