Description
Ultra-fudgy homemade brownies loaded with chunks of Reese’s peanut butter cups! These easy peanut butter cup brownies are rich, decadent, and absolutely irresistible—perfect for chocolate and peanut butter lovers!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Brownie Batter:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but recommended)
For the Peanut Butter Cup Topping:
- 16–20 regular Reese’s peanut butter cups (or 1 1/2 cups mini peanut butter cups)
- Additional peanut butter cups for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal. Alternatively, grease the pan well with butter or cooking spray.
- Melt the Butter: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter completely. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly for 3-5 minutes so it’s warm but not hot. You can also melt butter in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each.
- Mix Sugar and Butter: Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until well combined and slightly lighter in color. This step incorporates air and helps create that shiny, crackly top on your brownies.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and glossy. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again. Don’t skip the whisking—it creates the perfect texture!
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the cocoa powder over the wet mixture (or whisk it in a separate bowl first to remove lumps). Add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gently fold everything together with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Don’t overmix—stop as soon as it’s combined. The batter will be thick and glossy.
- Add Chocolate Chips: If using, fold in the chocolate chips gently with your spatula. This adds extra pockets of melted chocolate throughout the brownies!
- Prepare Peanut Butter Cups: Roughly chop about 12-14 of the peanut butter cups into quarters or halves. Reserve the remaining whole peanut butter cups for topping.
- Combine Batter and Peanut Butter Cups: Gently fold the chopped peanut butter cups into the brownie batter, distributing them throughout. Reserve a handful of pieces to press into the top.
- Pour and Spread: Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly into all corners. The batter is thick, so take your time to spread it smoothly.
- Top with More Peanut Butter Cups: Press the reserved chopped peanut butter cup pieces and whole or halved peanut butter cups into the top of the batter in a decorative pattern. They’ll sink slightly as they bake—this is perfect!
- Bake: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 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 be set and pulling away slightly from the pan, but the center should still look slightly underdone. Remember, they continue cooking as they cool!
- Cool Completely: Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack—this takes about 1-2 hours. I know it’s hard to wait, but warm brownies are difficult to cut cleanly and the texture improves as they cool. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Cut and Serve: Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire brownie slab out of the pan onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife (cleaned between cuts) to slice into 16 squares. For the cleanest cuts, wipe your knife with a damp paper towel between each slice.
Notes
- Don’t Overbake: Fudgy brownies should be slightly underdone in the center. They firm up as they cool. Overbaked brownies are dry and cakey.
- Room Temperature Eggs: Cold eggs don’t incorporate as smoothly. Set them out 30 minutes before baking, or place them in warm water for 5 minutes.
- Mini vs. Regular Peanut Butter Cups: Minis distribute more evenly, while regular-size cups create dramatic pockets of peanut butter. Use whichever you prefer!
- Chocolate Chips: While optional, they add extra chocolatey richness. Highly recommended!
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Thicker Brownies: Use an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan for thicker brownies, and add 5-10 minutes to baking time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (1/16 of recipe)
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 40mg