Use this peanut butter brownie recipe to make decadent, chewy chocolate peanut butter brownies with peanut butter swirl. They're so tasty, and easy to make in one bowl!
Whether you prefer them chewy, fudgy, or cake-like, brownies from scratch are a simply delicious dessert. When you top them with a swirl of peanut butter, they taste out of this world!
If you have a peanut butter lover in your life, this brownie recipe is a must-make!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy, one-bowl recipe. No electric mixer is needed, and the ingredients are just basic pantry staples.
- Freezer friendly dessert. Save time by making a double (or triple!) batch of chocolate peanut butter brownies at one time. They freeze well for up to 4 months!
- The best brownie texture. This sweet treat has a chewy, gooey texture and crisp, crackly top.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make this peanut butter brownie recipe, you'll need:
- Creamy peanut butter: To prevent the dessert from being greasy, use a no-stir variety. I like to use either creamy Jif or Skippy peanut butter.
- melted butter: If you can afford it, I recommend using European butter rather than American-made. The extra butterfat adds a lot of additional flavor!
- white granulated sugar
- large egg and extra egg yolk: The additional egg yolk is the secret to creating desserts with a chewy texture. It's how I make my chewy double chocolate chip cookies!
- vanilla extract
- unsweetened cocoa powder: Be sure to use unsweetened powder, not hot cocoa mix.
- all-purpose flour - I use unbleached flour- it's less processed than bleached flour.
- dark chocolate: Because the chocolate is going to be melted, you can use dark chocolate chunks, chips, or melting wafers.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: To make this peanut butter brownie recipe gluten-free, substitute the AP flour with a cup-for-cup variety of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- unsweetened cocoa powder: I use regular unsweetened cocoa for this recipe, but Dutch process also works.
- white granulated sugar: Feel free to substitute with any cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option.
- butter: Either salted or unsalted butter is fine. However, if you use unsalted butter, I suggest adding a small pinch of coarse kosher or sea salt to the brownie batter.
I haven't made this peanut butter brownie recipe using plant-based or dairy-free butter. For a dairy free, vegan, and gluten free option, check out this vegan brownie recipe. - eggs: The egg yolks are important for creating the perfect chewy texture, so I don't recommend substituting them.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence. If you need or want to leave out the extract, that's fine.
- creamy peanut butter: If you want to use crunchy peanut butter, just be sure that it's a no-stir variety.
Optional Mix-Ins for Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
You can include up to one-half cup of mix-ins without it affecting this peanut butter brownie recipe. Stir them into the batter or sprinkle them over the top before baking.
Good options include:
- chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips
- chopped peanuts or walnuts
- Reese's Pieces
If you need a brownie recipe without peanut butter, make some dark chocolate brownies.
How to Make Peanut Butter Brownies
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Combine all the wet ingredients, except for the peanut butter.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Spread chocolate brownie batter into the pan.
- Make the peanut butter swirl, then bake the brownies.
- Let the dessert cool completely before cutting it into squares.
Liz's Recipe Tips
- Line your baking pan with parchment. If you cut the pieces long enough, you can use them to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Warm the peanut butter for the swirl. The best way to swirl the peanut butter into the batter is to add it to a Ziploc bag and microwave it for about 10 seconds.
Cut a hole in a bottom corner of the bag and drizzle the peanut butter on top of the brownies in one direction. Take a butter knife and gently swirl the peanut butter back and forth in the opposite directions. - Avoid over mixing the peanut butter swirl. Use the tip of a butter knife to swirl the creamy peanut butter into the batter, but don't overdo it. Otherwise, it can disappear into the chocolate brownies.
- Tap the pan on the counter: Just in case, after you’ve leveled out the batter in the pan, give it a few taps on the counter in order to settle the batter and remove any air bubbles.
- Avoid over baking. It's better to underbake the peanut butter brownies then to bake them too long. Keep in mind that they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove them from the oven.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the baked brownies. When you remove it, you shouldn't see a lot of wet batter, but a few moist crumbs is fine.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storing: Store the chocolate peanut butter brownies in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 4 days. They'll last for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Freezing: You can freeze the baked brownies for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Thaw completely before enjoying.
Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe FAQ
Brownies are delicious with oil or butter. Both oil and butter add fat, which helps the brownies have a rich texture. Butter does usually have salt added which helps add flavor to the brownies.
Fat makes brownies chewy. Whether it's oil, butter or egg yolks, fat adds a rich, chewy texture to brownies.
Other Peanut Butter Desserts
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Easy Peanut Brittle Recipe
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted (1 stick)
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate melted
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add melted butter and melted chocolate to a large mixing bowl, whisking well to combine. Add sugar and whisk again, until ingredients are fully incorporated and batter is shiny.
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to create a thick batter. Using a large spoon, incorporate the cocoa powder and flour, stirring just until there are no visible streaks of flour in the batter.
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan, and use an offset spatula or back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer.Using the tip of a butter knife, swirl the peanut butter into the batter.
- Set pan on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out without any wet batter.
Rene Kingfisher
Can I substitute iodized salt for the sea salt?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
I haven't tried that but I'm sure it would work.