Learn how to make the best peanut butter brownies with this easy recipe. These gluten-free brownies start with a one-bowl brownie recipe made with millet flour and have a swirl of natural smooth peanut butter creating the most delicious, fudgy brownies!
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Ingredients
- butter—I used unsalted butter to make these brownies, but if you want to use salted butter, you can, but you may prefer to reduce the salt added to avoid making these too salty
- chocolate—use 70 % dark chocolate to make brownies (bittersweet), not chocolate chips as these have more fat and sugar. I used 70 % dark chocolate Cacao Barry brand
- sugar—I like to bake brownies with granulated sugar. Sometimes I use superfine sugar that dissolves faster and can help get a shinier brownie top
- vanilla—pure vanilla extract is optional but I always add a little to brownies to enhance the flavour of the batter
- eggs—use large eggs (50 grams per egg after cracking)
- flour—I have tested this brownie recipe with regular bleached all-purpose flour and also millet flour for gluten-free brownies. Both work great
- cocoa powder—I tested this recipe with Extra Brute cocoa powder from Cacao Barry, which is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder with a reddish tint and a higher fat content (a little over 20 %). You can use any Dutch-processed cocoa powder but if it has less fat, the texture of these brownies may be more chewy
- salt—I tested this recipe with Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If you use regular table salt, add half the amount
- peanut butter—I used natural smooth peanut butter (the kind that separates), very well mixed (so that the separated peanut oil is incorporated) and warmed slightly to be able to drizzle it.
Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ways to vary this recipe
- Salt—I tested this recipe with Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If you use regular table salt, add half the amount. You can also sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before baking to give a little salty crunch to these!
- Peanut butter—any peanut butter should work here (whether regular or natural), but I used natural smooth peanut butter (the kind that separates), very well mixed (so that the separated peanut oil is incorporated) and warmed slightly to be able to drizzle it.
- Espresso—you can add a shot of hot espresso to brownie batter to help enhance the chocolate flavour. Use this instead of the vanilla!
- Flour—this recipe works with regular all-purpose flour and also I have tested it with millet flour for a gluten-free version. Both work beautifully. The regular flour leads to a more chewy brownie, whereas the gluten-free version is more fudgy.
- Add-Ins & Extras—you can add peanut butter chips to the brownie batter after mixing, or even mini Reese's Pieces. Use about 175 grams (1 cup).
How to Make Peanut Butter Brownies
These peanut butter brownies start with an easy one-bowl brownie batter that you can make in the bowl you melt the butter and chocolate in!
Step 1: Combine the butter and dark chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water (image 1). Gently heat the mixture until it is smooth and glossy, with no lumps (image 2).
Step 2: Whisk in the granulated sugar and vanilla (or espresso if using) (image 3), then whisk in the eggs one at a time (image 4).
Step 3: Sift the cocoa powder if it's lumpy (image 5) then add the dry ingredients to the bowl of brownie batter (image 6). Once mixed, transfer the chocolate brownie batter to a buttered and parchment paper-lined 9x9 brownie pan, smoothing it out from edge to edge with a mini offset spatula (image 7). Drizzle the top with the peanut butter and use the spatula or a butter knife to swirl it gently (image 8). Do not overmix at this stage or you will lose the swirl!
Step 4: Bake the brownies until the surface is set, the edges begin to pull away from the pan, and the inside is still a little fudgy (test with a cake tester) (image 10).
Brownie Baking Tips
When you bake brownies, use a metal pan, which is a better heat conductor, allowing the brownies to bake quickly and cool faster so that they don't overbake. The edges and surface should be set and the centre will still be a little fudgy.
Serving Suggestions
If you want to live your best life, serve these brownies with homemade ice cream! Try this classic vanilla bean ice cream or dark chocolate ice cream. Or chop up the leftover brownies into small pieces to make homemade brownie ice cream!
When cutting brownies that are fudgy, don't use a metal knife because the brownies will stick to it. Instead, use a plastic knife or a plastic bench scraper to make clean cuts. The brownies won't stick to the plastic!
Brownie Baking FAQs
This recipe works very well with both gluten-free millet flour and regular bleached all-purpose flour. I have tested both. You can use either. Replace one for the other, gram-for-gram.
Take this brownie recipe. I did a lot of research, investigating what had been done in the past, observing what the crumb of the brownies on the internet looked like, calculating the ratios of those recipes, calculating the ratios of my personal favourite brownie recipe and the ratios behind these classic peanut butter cookies. I can spend hours researching a recipe and breaking it down to its bare bones to understand it, like a chemist.
Other Brownie Recipes
If you love chocolate brownies and want to get creative, be sure to try these raspberry brownies with white chocolate and the classic walnut brownies, which are a personal favourite of mine.
If you tried this recipe for the best peanut butter brownies (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- 115 grams unsalted butter
- 115 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content) chopped
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 2.5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 3 large egg(s)
- 95 grams millet flour
- 45 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
- 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 80 grams all natural, unsweetened smooth peanut butter slightly warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Butter a 9x9 brownie pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
- In a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth and glossy.
- Take the pan off the heat, and whisk in the sugar and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well with each addition, then sift in the millet flour and the cocoa, and add the salt. Stir well.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing it out from edge-to-edge.
- Drizzle the peanut butter on top. You can use a butter knife to swirl it slightly but don't overmix it!
- Bake the peanut butter brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the middle of it comes out mostly clean and the edges are set.
- Let cool completely before cutting.
- To neatly cut these fudgy brownies into squares, use a plastic knife or a plastic bench scraper (my preferred tool).
Notes
- Salt—I tested this recipe with Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If you use regular table salt, add half the amount. You can also sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before baking to give a little salty crunch to these!
- Peanut butter—any peanut butter should work here (whether regular or natural), but I used natural smooth peanut butter (the kind that separates), very well mixed (so that the separated peanut oil is incorporated) and warmed slightly to a pouring consistency so you can drizzle it. If you leave natural peanut butter at room temperature for 30–40 minutes, it should be the right consistency.
- Espresso—you can add a shot of hot espresso to brownie batter to help enhance the chocolate flavour. Use this instead of the vanilla!
- Flour—this recipe works with regular all-purpose flour and also I have tested it with millet flour for a gluten-free version. Both work beautifully. The regular flour leads to a more chewy brownie, whereas the gluten-free version is more fudgy.
- Add-Ins & Extras—you can add peanut butter chips to the brownie batter after mixing, or even mini Reese's Pieces. Use about 175 grams (1 cup).
- Bakeware—please bake these in a metal brownie pan, not a glass baking pan for the best brownie texture.
- Baking time—make sure to bake your brownies just enough, but not too much. I like to bake them until the edges and surface are set. This took about 30 minutes in my oven.
Courtney @ The Fig Tree says
Hello from the FBC group! 🙂 These look incredible! I'm a sucker for peanut butter chocolate anything! Beautiful photos!
Our Fresh Kitchen says
So much chocolate love!!! This is not good to be reading on a friday, or maybe it's hahaha. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. Kudos on your amazing photograph. They are mouth-watering.
Chelsea @ Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen says
Baking, and even often times cooking, really is a science! I love reading about food science in my university textbooks (I studied nutrition) and of course Alton Brown's books - it's so fascinating!
These look delicious. 🙂
Elizabeth says
They look so good. I'm always looking for new treats to make my g-f pals.
Jo-Anna says
I love your approach to baking - it really is a science! And a delicious one at that! These brownie bites look amazing - I love that you added peanut butter to them.
Laura @ porch&table says
With the rescue I volunteer with, I'm always looking for new recipes to make for our bake sales, we had one that was a gluten-free bake sale and I was completely stumped.
Now, i'm equipped!
Stephanie says
I looove making recipes using ratios!And I love your blog for the photos, the banter, but most of all the scientific side that you bring to it. It makes for a very interesting read
Bake Bellissima says
I appreciate your approach to recipes, baking is a science, I totally agree! I would love to try this recipe and will let you know as soon as I do, the brownies look amazing!