Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

These easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies have two layers! A rich peanut butter brownie bottom layer and a chewy fudgy brownie top layer.  Made from scratch goodness that will have your sweet tooth singing your praises!  Makes 9 irresistible brownies.

Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! These amazing brownies are an easy one pan dessert.  There's just something magical about that tasty combination of chocolate and peanut butter. The chocolate layer is made with cocoa powder; not chocolate chips, but you could throw some in the batter if you're feeling it!

Why You'll Love These

Rich and indulgent! These chocolate peanut butter brownies are super moist and fudgy! The texture of the chocolate brownie layer compliments the smooth, creamy texture of the peanut butter brownie layer that makes your mouth very happy!

Easy Bake and Take! Dessert bar recipes are a great idea when you need to bake and take.  I like anything you can bake in one pan and then cut into squares and pop into your mouth lol.  Plus, dessert bars and squares can easily be individually wrapped and placed into lunch boxes, purses, and picnic baskets.

Let the Kids Help! This is a great recipe for beginners and kids, too.  Learning how to carefully measure ingredients, mixing them up, and following directions are essential kitchen skills.  Baking can be lots of fun and rewarding with a sense of accomplishment! Eating the finished recipe is the best part! 

Ingredients You'll Need

First, we have the peanut butter brownie layer which has a sweet and creamy nutty texture. This is the bottom layer.

Peanut butter - use regular, creamy peanut butter, and the store brand is fine. However, I don't recommend the natural peanut butter because of how the oil sits on top; you'd have to be diligent about thoroughly stirring it.

White and Brown sugar - adding light brown sugar to the peanut butter brownies gives them a delicious caramel flavor! It also provides extra moisture, keeping them from being cake-like.

Egg - if you have time, let the eggs come to room temperature before using them. That way, the cold eggs won't try to firm up the melted butter.

All purpose flour - don't use self-rising flour because the texture won't be the same!

Butter - you can use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, you can leave out the salt in the recipe card.

Vanilla extract - for the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract although the imitation vanilla will do in a pinch.

Next, we have the chocolate brownie layer which is made from these ingredients which give the brownies a rich fudgy flavor and deep dense texture. This is the top layer.

Cocoa powder - cocoa powder tends to be less expensive than baking chocolate, and easier because you don't have to take the time to melt it in order to use it.

Sugar - sugar not only adds sweetness to the brownies, it melts while baking creating that soft melty texture.

Egg - like I mentioned above, for the best results, let the eggs come to room temperature first.

Butter - we use butter instead of oil. Why? Because butter gives these brownies incredible flavor and texture.

The remaining ingredients (flour, butter, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract) are pretty common for baking brownies 🙂

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Step 1 - Mix all the ingredients for the peanut butter brownie layer.

Step 2 - Mix all the ingredients for the chocolate brownie layer.

Step 3 - Spread the peanut butter brownie layer into an 8" x 8" pan.

Step 4 - Then spread the chocolate layer on top of the peanut butter layer.

Step 5 - Bake and let cool for a few minutes. Slice into squares (I like 9 big squares but you could slice them into smaller squares).

Tips for Success

Follow these easy tips for the best chocolate peanut butter brownie experience!

Use quality ingredients - Fresh, good quality ingredients can make a big difference in the taste and texture of these brownies.

Follow the recipe - For the best brownies, it's important to follow the recipe carefully, especially in terms of measurements, timing, and temperature.

Don't overmix the batter - Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in dry, cake-like brownies. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined.

Use parchment paper - Line the bottom of an 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  This makes for super easy removal of the brownies.  You can find this pre-cut parchment paper for square pans on Amazon.

Don't overbake - Brownies are best when they're slightly underbaked, so keep an eye on them and take them out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Ingredient Substitutions

You can use oil instead of butter, but butter and oil have different moisture levels, so the texture and flavor of your brownies may be slightly different.

Try Mexican Vanilla Bean Paste instead of the vanilla extract for a deeper vanilla flavor!

Use your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour instead of regular flour. Just note that the texture could be slightly different.