Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

5 from 3 ratings

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

These fudgy and chewy peanut butter swirl brownies are one of our favorite homemade brownie recipes! Lots of tips for making peanut butter brownies at home - like making them fudgier or chewier, plus freezing them for later. We also tested this recipe multiple times and found it makes AWESOME gluten free brownies!

Prep Time15

Cook Time33

Additional Time30

Total Time1 18

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brownie mix with peanut butter swirl, from scratch peanut butter brownies, gluten free peanut butter swirl brownies, peanut butter marbled brownies, peanut butter swirl brownies

Servings: servings

Author: Beth

Equipment

Ingredients

¾ cup (90g) properly measured all purpose flour OR gluten free flour I recommend King Arthur’s GF Measure for Measure Flour
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup (28g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter 1 stick, cubed
1 ¼ cups (248g) sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup (59ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut butter swirl

⅓ cup (84g) creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the properly measured flour, salt and cocoa powder. Stir together with a spoon until mixed. Set aside.
3/4 cup (90g) properly measured all purpose flour OR gluten free flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/3 cup (28g) unsweetened cocoa powder
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chopped unsweetened chocolate and cubed butter. Stir occasionally until it’s fully melted, about 5 minutes.
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
Meanwhile, in a larger mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs plus additional egg yolk with an electric mixer for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale yellow and doubled in volume.
1 1/4 cups (248g) sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk
Once the chocolate is melted, pour it into the egg mixture. Then add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Stir with a spatula to combine.
1/4 cup (59ml) vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Spoon the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula just until combined. Do not continue to mix the batter once you can no longer see flour.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth. Set aside.
Heat the peanut butter for 15-30 seconds until it’s more liquidy. Mix in the powdered sugar. Transfer the peanut butter mixture to a piping bag or ziplock bag with corner cut off.
1/3 cup (84g) creamy peanut butter, 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
Pipe the peanut butter filling in a grid pattern, then use a butter knife and drag it across the grid to create swirls.
Bake for 33-35 minutes (glass pan) 30-33 minutes (metal pan) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a chewier, less fudgy brownie, bake for 36-40 minutes in a glass pan or 34-38 minutes in a metal pan.
To get really nice clean brownie squares, I like to refrigerate my brownies for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Then I use a long 8 inch chef’s knife to cut them. But here’s the MOST IMPORTANT TIP: wipe the knife CLEAN between each cut. Yes, it’s annoying, but it works!

Notes

I found it’s best to pipe the peanut butter layer over the brownie batter. That way you end up with nice, beautiful swirls instead of big blobs. Caution: DO NOT over swirl! If you mix the batter too much, it will become muddled and not have defined swirls.

Want more peanut butter in these brownies? Increase the amount of peanut butter to 1/2-3/4 cup. Add all but 1/2 cup of brownie batter to the pan. Pipe in the peanut butter layer, then go back and add in the remaining brownie batter. Swirl and bake.

Can I make brownies ahead of time and freeze? Yes! Make the brownies and allow them to cool completely. Cut them into squares, wrap 4 at a time in aluminum foil (wrap well) and store in a freeze ziplock bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge over night.

Nutrition