Incredibly gooey and delicious, this brownie recipe has a peanut butter swirl that takes these little morsels up a million notches! They keep for days and can be frozen! And I added a variation with almond butter and cocoa nibs.
Originally posted in November 2014, this post has been updated to serve you better with video, text and some images.
Originally posted in November 2014, this post has been updated to serve you better with video, text and some images.The combination of peanut butter and chocolate never ceases to amaze me for how delicious it is.
I took them to the office and boy, were they a hit! People raved about them and at one point I had a shadow following me around the office asking for an encore, not the recipe mind you, just another batch 'whenever you feel like baking them again'.
And they are as easy to make as they look. No need for fancy equipment or complicated techniques. Just two simple mixtures baked together until gooey.
Simple steps
- Make the brownie base. This recipe is one-bowl, which means you melt the chocolate and butter and add the rest of the ingredients to the same bowl.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- For the peanut butter swirl, mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Put dollops over the brownie base (image above). Don't add a layer as it will not have the same effect.
- Marble or swirl using the tip of a knife (image below). Do this lightly for better results.
- Bake until dry but the center is still jiggly.
- Let cool and cut. I like to eat them the next day. I find the flavor is much better.
These brownies are extra fudgy, so take into account that they will need refrigeration time to set properly. I recommend eating them somewhat cold for a better consistency.Vintage Kitchen Tip
Top tips
- Peanut butter: I always make them with commercial peanut butter, the traditional type, but they do work with natural peanut butter also.
- Swirl: when marbling or swirling the peanut butter mixture do so lightly. We want two distinctive batters to appear.
- Pan size: it's very important to ensure a fudgy and gooey brownie that bakes well.
- Baking: brownies, in my opinion, should be slightly underbaked to ensure that soft and gooey bite we all love. That means the center should still jiggle when they are removed from the oven.
- Keeping: I suggest eating brownies the next day that they are baked. The flavor is deeper and the texture has time to settle. These can be frozen, well wrapped, for a month at least.
Variation
I have made this recipe as almond butter brownies (they are fantastic and a tad healthier) many times by substituting the following:
- Almond butter for the peanut butter, same amount.
- Cocoa nibs for the cocoa powder: I finely grind 2 tablespoons of cocoa nibs and substitute it for the cocoa powder.
- Coconut sugar: I use it instead of the brown sugar.
The rest of the recipe remains the same.
Other recipes you might like:
Easy Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Peanut Butter Bread with Chocolate Sauce
No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Double Chocolate Mint Brownies
The Best Dulce de Leche Brownies
Chocolate Coconut Brownies
Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake
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Fudgy Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 medium squares 1x
- Category: Brownies & Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Incredibly gooey and delicious, this recipe for Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies takes these little morsels up a million notches! They keep for days and can be frozen!
Ingredients
For the brownie base:
- 3/4 cup (130g or 4.5oz) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room tº
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Drops of almond extract
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
For the peanut butter swirl:
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons (40g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons cream (double, whipping or heavy)
Instructions
For the brownie base:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and spray the sides that aren’t lined.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large glass bowl. I do it in the microwave oven, stirring every 10 seconds, until the chocolate is smooth. You can also do it over a pot of boiling water, careful the bottom doesn’t touch the water, stirring until it's melted.
- Mix both sugars into the chocolate.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract if using and cocoa. Mix until well combined.
- Add the flour in 2 parts and mix carefully, but don't overmix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
For the peanut butter swirl:
- In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Make sure no lumps remain.
- Drop spoonfuls on top of the brownie base, then swirl lightly with a knife, making sure you leave whole chunks of peanut butter mix intact. Otherwise it all blends together and it’s not the same effect.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out with fudgy remains and the top looks dry. It's important not to overbake them.
- Let cool on a wire rack completely.
- I find that they are better the next day. I keep them wrapped in plastic.
- They can be frozen, well wrapped.
Notes
- Peanut butter: I always make them with commercial peanut butter, the traditional type, but they do work with natural peanut butter also.
- Swirl: when marbling or swirling the peanut butter mixture do so lightly. We want two distinctive batters to appear.
- Pan size: it's very important to ensure a fudgy and gooey brownie that bakes well.
- Lining the pan: I strongly recommend you only use a strip of parchment paper wide as the pan. It will only cover the bottom and two of the sides. If you line the whole with a square of paper and end up folding it in the corners, chances are the brownie will stuck in the corners because it is very fudgy.
- Baking: brownies, in my opinion, should be slightly underbaked to ensure that soft and gooey bite we all love. That means the center should still jiggle when they are removed from the oven.
- Keeping: I suggest eating brownies the next day that they are baked. The flavor is deeper and the texture has time to settle. These can be frozen, well wrapped, for a month at least.
Almond butter brownies variation:
- Almond butter for the peanut butter, same amount. Cocoa nibs for the cocoa powder: I finely grind 2 tablespoons of cocoa nibs and substitute it for the cocoa powder. Coconut sugar: I use it instead of the brown sugar. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
Keywords: peanut butter brownies
Adapted from Good Housekeeping Cookbook and Crazy for Crust
Is there really no rising agent in this recipe?
No. You can add some if you want to.
Can you use semi sweet morsels instead of chopping chocolate up?
Hi Haley, yes you can.
I will never ever buy a boxed version of brownies again after making these! AMAZING!!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you loved them Mollie!
These brownies look so dang good I have to make them! You have the best brownie selection I have ever seen! I LOVE a CHEWY brownie. What makes a brownie chewy? Which of your brownie recipes are the chewiest? Thank you!
Hey Lisa! I'm a brownie lover too! As for chewiness fudge-style, I think the mint brownies are my favorite. You can omit the mint extract and bake a great plain brownie.
These were so easy and delish! I added a teaspoon of salt to the brownie batter and some flaky salt on top because I love salty sweet and they were great!
★★★★★
That's a great idea Sarah! Glad you liked them! Stay safe.
I see that you add cream to the peanut butter swirl, what kinda cream do you use?
Maria, you can use heavy, double or whipping cream.
OK OK ok, I know it said let cool - but seriously fresh brownies still warm from the oven with peanut butter in them? I am sooo slicing these babies and devouring one as soon as they are cool enough to try. 😀
★★★★★
I think I can see how gooey these are just by looking at the images. I love that you can freeze these - that alone can save me so much time during a busy week! Delicious, practical and looking amazing!
★★★★★
Peanut butter, chocolate, swirled together in one harmonious delicious brownie?! I'm SOLD! These look so good and moist!
★★★★★
What can be better then a freshly baked batch of brownies with peanut butter! Perfectly gooey inside and chewy outside! Saving the recipe!
★★★★★
Wowza. These brownies are all of my favorite things wrapped into one - chocolate, peanut butter, gooey, fudge, deliciousness. They were incredible. So incredible that I had to pass them out to my neighbors to keep myself from eating the whole pan! Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
You got me at peanut butter. How could I not make these brownies. These were absolute delish and were gone within minutes in my house.
★★★★★
So glad you liked them!
Boy this brownie looks so moist and delicious. And, it is so easy to make. Will be making a batch of this for my son's school lunch.
This is the brownie of my dreams! It really does look perfect and satisfying for when chocolate & peanut butter is needed in my life. (which is at least once a week). Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Hmm yum! I really love brownies and these Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies are just so perfect! They are actually mouth watering!
★★★★★
I love swirl brownies and these look so moist so delicious! I will be making these with almond butter as I prefer it over peanut butter.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for adding the healthy substitutions for this recipe. I would love to try these with almond butter.
★★★★★
All the good stuff in one tasty recipe. Thanks so much for a beautiful recipe
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