There are a million ways to spice up a brownie. You can add cookies or candy or fruit. You can frost them or add extra chocolate. It’s hard to go wrong. These peanut butter stuffed brownies combine peanut butter and chocolate which is always such a good pairing. They have a creamy peanut butter layer sandwiched between the brownie layers and are topped with peanut butter cups. I think the word we are looking for is heaven.
For the peanut butter layer, we mix powdered/confectioner’s sugar in with the peanut butter. Just putting peanut butter in with the batter, while the brownies baked the layers would just kind of melt into each other. This will give you a distinct layer, that is still creamy and soft.
The brownies themselves are somewhere between a fudgy and chewy brownie. Chewy brownies are my favorite, however the texture of the peanut butter felt like these should lean more fudgy than I generally make brownies. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more chewy my Black Cocoa Brownies, Turtle Brownies or Brownie Bites with Cookie Dough Frosting are both great options.
Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies Key Ingredients
- Peanut butter – You will want to use traditional creamy peanut butter, not natural for these peanut butter stuffed brownies. This will ensure your peanut butter layer isn’t too oily or separate.
- Peanut butter cups – You can use your favorite brand here, but the amount listed is your standard full size, not the small snack/fun size ones.
- Butter – I generally use an blend of oil and butter for brownies as I think this provides superior texture and taste. This recipe is more butter heavy than oil, to get the rich buttery taste.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer
- 175 g Creamy peanut butter ⅔ cup
- 100 g Powdered sugar 1 scant cup
Brownies
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil Vegetable, canola
- 100 g Granulated sugar ½ cup
- 100 g Dark brown sugar ½ cup
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 40 g Dutch process cocoa
- 80 g AP Flour ⅔ cup
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 8 Full size Peanut butter cups chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line an 8" square baking tin with parchment. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, measure out your peanut butter and powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer and mix until well combined.
- Scoop peanut butter onto wax or parchment paper. Either use another piece or fold over onto itself, press into roughly an 8 inch square. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, measure out flour and salt, whisk together.
- In a larger bowl add granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter and oil. Whisk together.
- Add eggs, one at time, incorporating the egg completely before adding the second.
- Add cocoa powder to your wet ingredients and combine.
- Add your dry ingredients to your flour and mix until just combined.
- Pour half of your brownie batter into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to make sure it reaches the corners and is in even layer.
- Transfer your peanut butter layer onto the layer of brownie batter. If it sticks at all, it should peel off easily if you start peeling it off with an offset spatula or bench scraper. Use the offset spatula to spread it out more if necessary.
- Pour the remaining brownie butter over the peanut butter layer, covering it completely.
- Add your chopped or broken up peanut butter cups to the top of the brownies.
- Bake your brownies on the center rack of your oven for 25-30 min. Mine took about 28 minutes for the center to be just set. The edges of the brownie will be beginning to pull away from the pan.
- Let brownies cool completely before cutting into them. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
