I'm totally obsessed with these skillet blondies with peanut butter and chocolate chips. They're gooey and fudgy, and just plain amazing. I recommend eating it family-style directly from the cast-iron skillet with some cinnamon or vanilla ice cream on top.
If I knew back then that the cast iron skillets I saw growing up would be so hot right now, I would’ve kept them. And trust me, I do keep stuff longer than needed, but you don’t lug lots of kilos of iron just because.
Finally, I bought a new one a few weeks ago at the nicest little shop, with all the right pans, kitchen towels, molds, glass jars, a perfect foodie paradise, which only needed a stove and oven and I could well believe it was my kitchen. Not because it was like my kitchen, it was a wishing moment. One day.
For now let's concentrate on these cinnamon peanut butter blondies, made in the skillet and topped with a creamy toasted cinnamon ice cream.
The spoon is mine. I did eat a lot of it, still warm, gooey, and contrasting with the frozen cream, decadence beyond the winter day outside.
Spices always take me to savory ideas first, always.
A steaming egg curry, dry rub on ribs, spicy chutney, you know salty, vinegary, fiery. Not dessert. Or so I thought.
I knew I would be making some skillet cookies, brownies, or brookies to break my new iron pan.
I played around with the peanut dark chocolate blondie recipe many times, it's so versatile and the flavor of chocolate chips cookie dough is almost like a canvas, add to it any nut or dried fruit, even a few tablespoons of sweet liquor and create a new bar.
What if we make the dough from scratch in a cast-iron skillet, add some swirls of peanut butter, salted peanuts, and swirl a little bit more to make the chunks of dark chocolate melt just the tiniest bit to stain the batter but not so much?
A few recipes had stayed anchored in my mind, black skillets, melting butter and puffy doughs coming out of the oven, banana flavored, chocolate and mint.
This spicy party deserved the best spice I had, a ground Vietnamese cinnamon I bought in a suitcase with me from a trip. Yeah, I bring oils and spices in my luggage when I travel. Totally worth it when I can't find the same here.
Get your dark chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream, and spoons ready.
This peanut skillet blondie is the stuff of rainy afternoons, friends, and mismatched spoons fighting for the center spot.
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Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies
I'm totally obsessed with these skillet blondies with peanut butter and chocolate chips. They're gooey and fudgy, and just plain amazing. I recommend eating it family-style directly from the cast-iron skillet with some cinnamon or vanilla ice cream on top.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 14 Tbs scant 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 Tbs peanut butter
- ½ cup salted peanuts
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate (cut into uneven chunks)
- Cinnamon ice cream ( see recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Heat an 8-inch cast iron skillet over low heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Add butter, and when it's half melted, add sugar and mix with a whisk.
- Add eggs and mix quickly. Remove skillet from the heat. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix carefully, and then mix in vanilla.
- Stir in peanuts, and add mounds of peanut butter and chocolate chunks. Mix it just a few times to marble, but not too much or the chocolate will all melt.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is dry but center is still somewhat wet.
- Remove from the oven. Serve with scoops of cinnamon ice cream.
Notes
You can use almond butter instead of peanut.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Anne@FromMySweetHeart says
Oh my gosh, Paula, I could cry because this looks so good! I think this is the very picture you had tempted me with a week or so back on FB, no? So glad to finally have the recipe! I actually prefer blondies to brownies and so pretty having this baked in a skillet! Beautiful photos! : )
Karen Kerr says
Oh. My. Gosh. Paula! Those photographs are sooooo beautiful! Not to mention the recipe. I must try this! Congrats on your new skillet. It took me a long time to try cast iron too, and now I wonder what took me so long.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
Oh goodness, this looks so delicious.. I love the cinnamon mixed in with the peanut butter. Some of my favorite peanut butter is cinnamon swirl, so this is going to be a winner. Can't wait to try! Thanks!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I've had blondie brownies on my mind for a week! These look incredible. And toasted cinnamon ice cream? yummmmm
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Oh my Paula, I could just dive into your awesome skillet!!
Sarah Reid says
Just when I thought blondies couldn't get any better!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
OMG I wish I had some of this right now. I think I'd eat the entire skillet!! I love blondies, and love adding peanut butter to my baking adventures. This is perfect.
Stacy says
My mother has a massive iron pot and pan collection and I guess I'll get it someday, perhaps when I am more settled and don't have to pack it up to move along every few years. She has offered me a couple over the years but with the weight allowance I could never bring them home with me.
Your cinnamon blondies look wonderful, Paula! I am imagining that peanut butter helps make them extra chewy. My daughters would adore them. Pinned to my Recipes to Try board!
Camille says
Oh my that looks delectable!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
Sounds delightful. I adore blondies and love the pairing of cinnamon and peanut butter. Pinning!
The Ninja Baker says
Sooo happy to have these 2 recipes, Paula. They absolutely look and sound scrumptious. I kept checking your site to see when this #SundaySupper contribution was up...and now I feel like a kid on Christmas!
P.s. LOL regarding the customs bit with the cookbooks and bottles =)
Deb says
Always a dessert lover, I find the gooey cookie and melting ice cream just irresistible! I am hoping my mother will let me take her cast iron skillet home one day soon. It is too heavy for her to use and languishes in her pantry just waiting for the next recipe.
Liz Berg says
Oh, yum, Paula!!! My family is in love with skillet cookies...and yours looks marvelous...especially topped with melting ice cream. And I'm so glad to see a few of us going the cinnamon and dessert route 🙂 I'm in good company!!!
PS...I have a feeling you don't fit the heroin smuggler profile!
Shannon R says
*droool* I love baking in my cast iron, it gives things such a nice crispy crust. This recipe just looks amazing... plus ice cream? I'm dying over here!
Cocoa and Lavender says
Wow - this looks amazing, and gives one all sorts of ideas on how to make brownies with no mess! I, too, discarded my mother's cast iron pan and regret it so much. I love using mine for corn bread, especially, and pot pies... ~ David
Soni says
Oh the way you describe it is making my mouth water and the pics are not helping one bit 🙂 Looks absolutely decadent and its the perfect indulgent treat after any meal 🙂
Helene Dsouza says
This looks phenomenal Paula!! I think so I ll just go and get some ice cream so that I can enjoy it now with your blondie.
If you ever come here I d make sure that you get to see all kinds of spices and qualities and then of course you would end up traveling with 10 kg spices as I do. 😉
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, cinnamon is my very favorite spice of all times and I have been trying and tasting different kinds from different companies and origins - so this recipe would be just about perfect right now to use some of this lovely spice sitting in my cupboards - pure decadence!
Have a lovely Sunday, Paula and save me some of that heavenly dessert, please!
Angie Schneider says
My..Paula, this is one of the best blondies I have seen in a long while. I don't even own a cast iron pan...need to get one!
Kathy says
Wow, These look incredibly decadent and so yummy! Anything with peanut butter is a hit in my house! Have a great week, Paula!