Decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies Recipe

If you’re craving a decadent dessert, these peanut butter chocolate brownies will do the trick. They’re creamy, rich, and sweet. Like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, without the mass-produced mouth feel. Just don’t make these PB&C brownies for anyone who’s watching their weight.

How to make peanut butter chocolate brownies

These brownies have three layers: a chocolate brownie, a peanut butter cream, and a drizzle of chocolate on top. Let’s walk through the process.

1. Make chocolate brownies

Set out a stick of butter to soften.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 C). Then prep your baking dish. These brownies do stick a bit, so you can either grease the heck out of your dish, sprinkling some flour over the top. Or, you can line the dish with parchment paper. I like the parchment paper route better. But that, of course, requires you to have parchment paper on hand.

To make the brownie batter, start by adding these ingredients to a small saucepan:

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• ½ oz semisweet chocolate (you can use chocolate chips if you have them)
• ½ cup butter

Place the saucepan over low heat. Stir the chocolate butter mixture until it’s melted and smooth.

Then, beat two eggs with 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Next, mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. You’ll then add:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• The melted chocolate butter mixture

Stir to mix well, but don’t overmix. Pour the batter into a prepared 9×13 baking dish. Bake in your heated oven for 20 minutes. After 18 minutes, jab a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick comes out with batter smear on it, they’re not done yet. If there are small brownie chunks on the toothpick, they’re done. If the toothpick is clean, they’re overdone.

Pull them out when done and let the whole dish cool off.

2. Make the peanut butter frosting

The peanut butter layer is made of peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. Don’t be counting calories here!

Add ½ cup creamy peanut butter to a large mixing bowl. To that, add ¼ cup of softened butter, which is half a stick. Mix those two ingredients with a hand mixer until it’s smooth. Then add 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing again between each. At this point, the frosting should be crumbly.

Mix in 2 or 3 tablespoons of cream or milk and you should have a nice, smooth frosting. Stick your finger in the bowl and give it a try.

If the brownies are cool, spread the peanut butter frosting evenly over the top. Place the whole dish into the refrigerator and leave it alone until the frosting is firm.

3. Make the glaze

Here’s where you can choose your own peanut butter chocolate adventure. If you want a chocolate swirl situation over the top of your brownies, melt 2 oz of semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons of butter.

If you want a thicker layer of chocolate over the top, double those measurements.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat while stirring. When it’s smooth, drizzle it over your chilled brownies. Swirl or spread it out gently with the back of a spoon or a frosting spatula.

Once the last layer of chocolate cools, you can cut and serve.

Why make peanut butter chocolate brownies

Here are five reasons why you’d make these decadent brownies:

1. You love the peanut butter and chocolate combo.
2. You want to treat your sweetie with special dessert.
3. It’s a rainy day and you’re bored.
4. You offered to bring dessert to the next family gathering and you want to outdo your brother-in-law’s locally famous apple pie.
5. You need a gift for a friend with a sweet tooth.

What to drink with peanut butter chocolate brownies

If coffee or milk sound too boring, try these fun drink pairings with your super sweet brownies:

• Vinepair.com recommends a dark oloroso sherry!
• Winefolly.com seconds the oloroso sherry pairing, but adds amontillado sherry and madeira wine as alternates.
• Men’s Journal says Breckenridge Aquavit goes well with Eclat Chocolate Peanut Butter Mondiant, so I say, why not?
• Greatist advises you nibble your chocolate peanut butter dessert with a glass of Lambrusco. Lambrusco is a fizzy red. This combo I have tried and, yes, 1000 times yes.

Peanut butter chocolate brownie FAQs