Description
These ultra-fudgy peanut butter brownies feature rich chocolate brownie batter marbled with sweet, creamy peanut butter swirls. Dense, intensely chocolatey, and studded with gorgeous peanut butter ribbons, they’re easy to make, impressive to serve, and absolutely irresistible. Perfect for chocolate-peanut butter lovers!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Brownies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the Peanut Butter Swirl:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment with butter or cooking spray.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until well combined and slightly glossy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder directly into the wet ingredients (or whisk together first in a separate bowl). Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix—stop as soon as you don’t see any more dry flour streaks. A few small lumps are fine. The batter will be thick and fudgy.
- Spread brownie batter: Pour the brownie batter into your prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread it evenly into all corners and smooth the top. The batter will be quite thick, which is exactly what you want for fudgy brownies.
- Prepare peanut butter mixture: In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. The powdered sugar will thicken the peanut butter so it holds its shape when swirled.
- Create the swirl: Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture over the top of the brownie batter in 8-10 dollops, spacing them evenly across the surface. Use a butter knife, wooden skewer, or toothpick to gently swirl the peanut butter through the chocolate batter. Make figure-8 patterns, swirls, or zig-zag motions—don’t overmix or you’ll lose the distinct swirl pattern. The goal is visible ribbons of peanut butter throughout.
- Bake: Bake for 28-32 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not completely clean either). The edges should look set and the center should no longer look wet or jiggly. Don’t overbake—slightly underdone is better than overdone for fudgy brownies!
- Cool completely: Remove from oven and let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This takes at least 1-2 hours. This step is crucial—cutting warm brownies will result in a messy, gooey situation. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate the cooled brownies for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Cut and serve: Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the entire brownie slab out of the pan onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 squares (4×4 grid). For the cleanest cuts, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Serve and watch them disappear!
Notes
- Room temperature matters: Make sure eggs and peanut butter are at room temperature for best results.
- Don’t overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined to maintain fudgy texture.
- Underbake slightly: Brownies continue cooking from residual heat after removal from oven. Slightly underdone = perfectly fudgy.
- Cool completely: Patience is key! Warm brownies fall apart when cut. Fully cooled brownies slice beautifully.
- Clean cuts: For bakery-perfect squares, refrigerate before cutting and wipe knife between cuts.
- Pan size matters: 9×9 makes thinner brownies; 8×8 makes thicker ones. Adjust baking time accordingly (8×8 needs 5-7 minutes longer).
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (1/16 of recipe)
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 125mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg