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These Peanut Butter Brownies are some of the best brownies in the world: They’re a rich and decadent brownie recipe topped with a gooey peanut butter topping. They’re epically fudgy and rich and the perfect brownie recipe for peanut butter lovers!

stacked brownies with peanut butter on top.


Peanut Butter, and Chocolate…It’s an obvious pairing. There really isn’t anything better than and warm and soft brownie swirled with an amazing peanut butter topping. Brownies like this one will stay at the front of your mind forever!

I have a lot of brownie recipes that I have made over the years, and this Peanut Butter Brownie Recipe is my standard brownie recipe with a peanut butter swirl layer on top.

ingredients in peanut butter brownies laid out on a white marble counter.

Peanut Butter Brownies Ingredients

  • Chocolate: I used melted unsweetened baking chocolate, and cocoa powder. You can use regular cocoa powder, or you can use Dark Cocoa Powder.
  • Butter: I always start with unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses two kinds of sugar; granulated and powdered sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and powdered sugar (or confectioners sugar) is a base for the topping.
  • Peanut Butter: The peanut butter mixture is swirled on top the brownies. Be sure to use a no-stir (not natural) peanut butter. You can use any nut butter that’s no-stir.

Variations

  • Add some chocolate chips to the brownie base.
  • You can swap brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the brownie layer.
process shot of peanut butter brownies being made.
process shot of peanut butter brownies being made.
process shot of peanut butter brownies being made.

How to make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

  • Place baking chocolate and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat and stir until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully. Spread brownie batter in prepared baking pan.
  • Stir together peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
  • Drop spoonfuls on top of the brownies then swirl with a butter knife or the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Bake until the center seems set. Let cool before cutting.
stacked brownies with peanut butter on top.

Expert Tips

  • You could add another frosting on top, like a chocolate ganache or peanut butter frosting for even more flavor.
  • I have only made this recipe with shelf stable peanut butters (like skippy and jif). If you made this recipe with natural peanut butter – there is a chance the recipe could not work so be sure to use a no-stir peanut butter.
  • You can line your pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, but I like lining pans for easy slicing and removal.
  • I recommend baking in metal pans for best results.

Storage & Freezing

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. You can freeze brownies for up to 3 months.

stacked brownies with peanut butter on top.

Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe

4.26 from 27 votes
Rich and fudgy brownies with a peanut butter swirl! These are some serious brownies!

Recipe Video

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 16 brownies
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

For the Brownies

  • 4 ounces (113g) unsweetened baking chocolate coarsely chopped
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (or regular unsweetened)
  • 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour

For the peanut butter swirl:

  • ½ cup 133g) peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter melted
  • ⅓ cup (38g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Place baking chocolate and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully. Spread batter in prepared pan.
  • Stir together peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls on top of the brownies then swirl with a butter knife or the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Bake about 28-35 minutes, until the center seems set. Let cool before cutting.
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Recipe Notes

  • You can use Dutch-process or regular unsweetened cocoa powder
  • This recipe has only been tested with shelf stable (not natural) peanut butter.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or you can freeze them.
  • I recommend baking in metal pans.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.26 from 27 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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102 Comments

    1. You can bake the brownie layer without doubling it in the 9×13 pan (I normally bake it in a 9×13 unless I want a thicker brownie) but you should double the peanut butter topping. If you want a really thick brownie, then you can double both. Baking time will be affected either way, so just check it sooner for the first option, later for the second. 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply

      1. SO I AM NEEDING TO MAKE THIS FOR A PARTY OF 12 PEOPLE. CONCERNED A 9X9 WONT BE ENOUGH. SO IF I DO IN 9X13 AND DOUBLE BOTH, HOW LONG SHOULD I BAKE FOR?

      2. I’m not sure how long it would bake for, but I know that other brownies in a 9×13 bake for about 25 minutes. That’s not doubling the brownie recipe, however. I would start checking at 20 and check every 5 until they start looking close, then every couple minutes until they’re done!

    1. Instead of foil? You can use parchment. Or nothing, I just like to be able to remove the entire brownie from the pan before cutting for pretty pictures. You can use all semi-sweet but it may be a little sweeter than normal, but they will bake up just fine! Enjoy!

      Reply

      1. THank you for replying 🙂
        SWeeter than normal, should i reduce the sugar? Or Just leave it? 😀

      2. I think you could reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup and it would be fine! Or just leave it, but the little extra sweetness in the chocolate may make them a little sweeter than what I’ve made. I need to try all semi next time and see what happens!

  5. um…that is scary!!! ski masks should just not be worn at all! these brownies would be the only thing to fix that ordeal!

    Reply