Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

I've said it a thousand times, and I'll say it again... peanut butter and chocolate are the ultimate power couple of food.  These brownies are taking a delicious, classic brownie and upgrading it. Not only is there peanut butter in the brownies themselves, but we're also swirling more peanut butter on top! So, grab a glass of milk and get ready to dig in!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL BROWNIES

For this recipe, you'll need all of your standard brownie ingredients, plus, of course, peanut butter! Here's a list of everything you need.

• All-purpose flour

• Cocoa powder

• Salt

• Unsalted butter 

• Peanut butter

• Vegetable oil

• Granulated sugar

• Eggs + egg yolk

• Vanilla extract

Is peanut butter not your thing? Not to fear! If you aren't a fan of pb and chocolate but still love brownies, I've got a recipes for Classic Better-Than-Boxed Brownies or Triple Chocolate Brownies that are out of this world good. 

ADDING THE PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL

Microwave the peanut butter for about 15 seconds to get it nice and melty. If you try to swirl peanut butter that's straight out of the jar, it will most likely be too thick, and you'll just end up with blobs of peanut butter all over the brownies (which I guess isn't a bad thing, just not what we're going for here).

Once your brownie batter is in the pan, drop or drizzle spoonfuls of the melted peanut butter over top of the batter. Using a butter knife or toothpick, drag it along the top of the batter and through the peanut butter back and forth, moving across to the other side. Do the same in the other direction. This will create a swirled, marbly affect.

TIPS FOR THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL BROWNIES

• Don't over bake your brownies! If you had to choose between under or over baking your brownies, always choose under baking them. Over baked brownies can become hard and not as chewy. When they come out of the oven, they will continue baking a bit in the hot pan, so it's always okay to pull them out a minute or two early if you're not sure.

• No fancy peanut butter needed. For this most recipes, including this one, I use peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. I have not tested this recipe using natural peanut butter, so the final product may turn out differently if it's used. 

I hope these brownies are one of the best things you'll ever eat! Enjoy, and happy baking! ♥

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Recipe by Chrissy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

• ¼ cup peanut butter (I use Jif)

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Peanut butter swirl

• 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper, if desired. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine butter and peanut butter. Microwave in 25 second increments, until the butter is completely melted. Add in the remaining brownie ingredients, and whisk for about a minute until everything is smooth and combined.
• Pour the butter mixture into the flour, and whisk together until the brownie batter is smooth. Pour finished batter into the prepared pan.
• In a small bowl, add the 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter and microwave for about 15 seconds to slightly melt it. Drop small spoonfuls of peanut butter all over the top of the brownie batter. Using a toothpick or butter knife, drag it lightly along the top of the brownies, through the peanut butter. You can do this a few times, change direction, etc. to get the swirl pattern you like.
• Pop in the preheated oven and bake for 40-42 minutes. It may take up to 45 minutes, depending on your oven. Enjoy!