Peanut Butter Brownies
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Get the best of both worlds with these rich Peanut Butter Brownies swirled with Hershey’s chocolate syrup and topped with chopped peanuts.
Moist and delicious, these bars have a cakey texture and the most decadent chocolate and peanutty taste.
If you’re a peanut butter lover like me, this is a great way to get your peanut butter and chocolate fix in one gooey nutty brownie recipe.
You’ll love these chewy peanut butter brownies with coffee, a big ol’ glass of cold milk, or as dessert at your next picnic — or anytime for that matter!
I normally have all the ingredients in my pantry, so I can easily whip up a batch to enjoy any time of the year.
Another great peanut butter and chocolate recipe is my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Squares. Or perhaps you would like Flourless Peanut Butter & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
Key ingredients & substitutions for Peanut Butter Brownies
- Butter — All good baking begins with butter right? Use unsalted and softened butter to get the perfect flavor and creaminess.
- Peanut Butter — Smooth or chunky work just fine here. What is your preference?
- Brown Sugar- For brownies that are softer and moister use brown sugar because it is naturally moist. No brown sugar in the pantry? You can mix sugar and molasses and make your own. See “tips” below for the ratio.
- White Sugar — White sugar aerates the dough to make thick and fluffy peanut butter brownies.
- Eggs — I use large eggs, but you can use 2 medium eggs or 2 extra-large eggs if that is what you have on hand.
- Vanilla Extract — Substitute with almond extract, or vanilla bean paste if you are out of vanilla.
- All-purpose Flour — If you prefer, replace 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- Peanut Butter Chips — Even more peanut butter taste? Yes ma’am! You can add in chocolate chips too!
- Chocolate Syrup — This is the ingredient that makes the gorgeous swirl on the top.
- Roasted Peanuts — I like dry roasted peanuts but you can use salted or other varieties.
How to make Peanut Butter Brownies
Step 1| Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
Set the oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Then get the pan ready for baking. See my “tips” for using parchment paper and clips below.
Step 2| Cream the wet ingredients
Add the butter and peanut butter together in a mixing bowl and cream together. Then add in the sugars and eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Your brownie batter should be light and fluffy.
tips
- Parchment Paper and Clips: Using parchment paper in your pan will help you remove them without portions sticking. Be sure to cut the paper larger than the pan to allow for overhang. Clip the excess paper down with binder clips!
- Mixing Brown Sugar: If you happen to be out of brown sugar, you can make some by using this ratio: one cup of sugar to one tablespoon of molasses.
Step 3| Dry ingredients
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Then add the flour mixture into the creamy mixture and stir until just combined. If you overmix, the batter will be tough. Keep it light and fluffy.
Now you can fold in peanut butter chips — and even chocolate chips if you like.
Step 4| Spread the batter
The brownies are ready for the pan. Spread the batter evenly and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Then swirl that goodness with a knife — so delish!
Step 5| The topping
Finally, you can add the toppings. I recommend the dry roasted peanuts (halved or chopped) with a sprinkling of course sea salt. And you are ready to bake!
Step 6| Bake and cool
Time to put them in the oven and fill the house with that peanut butter brownie smell! Then, when they are finished cooking let them cool in the pan or on a rack. They will be easier to cut when cool.
Easily remove the Brownies with Peanut Butter and slice them evenly when you use my expert tip below. Then they will be perfect every time!
tip
- Make cutting brownies EASY! Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang onto a cutting board. Use a dough scraper and slice the brownies straight down from the top to make easy, perfect squares.
Frequently asked questions
If you are making this for a holiday or a special party, you may want to add colored sprinkles and chips. They can be added in Step 5. If you want a fresh uncooked topping (like a sundae) add them to the top with another drizzle of chocolate syrup so they stick.
Use a toothpick, bamboo skewer, cake tester, or food thermometer to see if they are cooked through in the center. If it comes out clean from the center of the pan, they are done.
The center of the pan should get to between 170 and 200 degrees on the thermometer.
Toppings for Brownies with Peanut Butter
Want to add some extra toppings? Here are some of the delicious things I add to the top of the brownies recipe or incorporate into the brownie batter!
- Sea Salt
- Peanut Butter Chips
- Chocolate Chips
- Reeses Peanut Butter
- Reeses Pieces
- Whipped Cream
- Ice Cream
- and more!
For the Peanut butter lover in your life try these recipes:
For the consummate Chocolate lover try these:
- Homemade Chocolate Donuts
- Chocolate Chess Pie
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Souffle Recipe for Two
Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup peanut butter smooth or chunky
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup chocolate syrup
- ½ cup coarsely chopped dry roasted peanuts
- ¼ teaspoon ea salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, beating until the batter is light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Empty into the batter and mix on low until just combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Evenly spread the batter into the pan — it will be thick — and drizzle the chocolate syrup all over the top. Use the tip of a knife to swirl the chocolate through the batter.
- Evenly sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top and add a dash of sea salt, if desired.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack before cutting.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
There is something wrong with this recipe. I hardly had enough batter to fill an 8 inch square pan and there seems to way too much chocolate syrup. I have it baking in the oven now. Hopefully the end result will be ok
Terry, the batter is very thick. I spread mine carefully into a 9×13 inch pan (not a very thick layer) and then poured the chocolate all over top. And yes, it does seem like a lot, but I found the brownies to rise and fill the pan nicely. Please let me know how they turned out for you.