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Peanut Butter Brownies are everything you love about a fudgy homemade brownie crowned with a cloud of sweet, fluffy peanut butter cream cheese topping. I made a pan for my girls on a rainy weekend and they declared it better than any bakery brownie, hands down. If you love a chocolate and peanut butter combo, they are a cousin to our chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels.
A rich, from-scratch fudgy brownie base topped with an airy peanut butter cream cheese layer and a chocolate drizzle gives you the ultimate chocolate-peanut-butter dessert in every square.
Peanut Butter Brownies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 bars
- ⚡ Calories: 637kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fudgy chocolate brownie with a fluffy, sweet peanut butter cream cheese topping
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a fun layered treat like our chocolate pretzels
Quick Answer
To make peanut butter brownies, melt butter with chopped chocolate, then mix it into a batter of flour, sugars, cocoa, and eggs and fold in chocolate chips. Press the thick batter into a pan and bake until set, then cool completely. Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla, fold in whipped topping, and spread it over the cooled brownies. Chill at least 4 hours, then cut into bars and drizzle with melted chocolate.
Jump to:
- Peanut Butter Brownies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Peanut Butter Brownies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Peanut Butter Brownies FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Dessert Recipes
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A truly fudgy base. Melted chocolate plus cocoa powder and chocolate chips gives these brownies a dense, fudgy texture and deep chocolate flavor.
- Fluffy peanut butter topping. Folding whipped topping into the cream cheese and peanut butter makes the top layer light, airy, and irresistible.
- Cream cheese balance. The slight tang of cream cheese keeps the sweet peanut butter topping from being too rich.
- The chill sets it up. Chilling at least 4 hours firms the topping so the bars slice cleanly into neat squares.
- Foil sling for easy bars. Lining the pan with foil lets you lift the whole slab out to cut perfect, clean-edged brownies.
- Chocolate drizzle finish. A drizzle of melted chocolate on top adds a pretty finish and one more hit of chocolate.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They combine fudgy brownies and fluffy peanut butter topping into one irresistible layered bar.
- They are an easy make-ahead dessert that feeds a crowd, like our no bake peanut butter chocolate pie.
- The chocolate and peanut butter combination is a guaranteed hit with kids and adults alike.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for peanut butter brownies. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Baking chocolate and cocoa: Melted chocolate plus cocoa powder give the brownie base its rich, fudgy chocolate flavor.
- Butter, sugar, and brown sugar: The fats and sugars create that classic dense, chewy brownie texture.
- Chocolate chips: Folded into the batter for melty pockets of chocolate throughout.
- Cream cheese and peanut butter: Beaten together for the tangy, nutty topping. Use creamy peanut butter for a smooth layer.
- Whipped topping and powdered sugar: Lighten and sweeten the peanut butter layer into a fluffy cloud.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These peanut butter brownies are easy to customize. Here are a few ideas.
- Use a box mix: Short on time? Bake your favorite boxed brownies and add the homemade peanut butter topping.
- Add Reeses: Press chopped peanut butter cups into the topping or sprinkle Reeses Pieces on top.
- Make it crunchy: Use crunchy peanut butter or sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top.
- Swap the drizzle: Drizzle with melted peanut butter or white chocolate instead of dark.
- Turn them into a sundae: Serve warm with a scoop of our fried ice cream.
How to Make Peanut Butter Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 pan with foil. In a bowl, microwave the butter and chopped chocolate in short bursts, stirring, until melted and smooth, then stir in the vanilla.
- In a stand mixer, combine the flour, both sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then beat 2 minutes. Slowly stream in the melted chocolate until combined.
- Mix in the chocolate chips until just incorporated. The brownie batter will be very thick.
- Press the thick batter evenly into the lined pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is set and no longer glossy, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Fold in the whipped topping until smooth with no streaks.
- Spread the peanut butter topping over the cooled brownies. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, then lift out using the foil, cut into bars, and drizzle with melted chocolate.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cool the brownies completely. Spreading the topping on warm brownies will melt it, so be patient.
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Softened cream cheese beats up smooth without lumps.
- Fold, do not stir, the whipped topping. Gentle folding keeps the peanut butter layer light and fluffy.
- Chill before cutting. At least 4 hours in the fridge sets the topping for clean, neat squares.
- Wipe the knife between cuts. A clean, warm knife gives you bakery-neat bars.
- Make them ahead. These keep well chilled, like our no bake peanut butter pie.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Peanut butter brownies are rich, so cut them into smaller squares for a party tray. Serve them chilled straight from the fridge for a firm, fudgy bite, or let them sit a few minutes for a softer topping.
They are perfect for potlucks, bake sales, and holidays alongside our chocolate covered pretzels and a batch of caramel corn.
For another chocolate and peanut butter favorite, try our no bake peanut butter chocolate pie next.
Peanut Butter Brownies FAQs
Peanut butter brownies are a layered dessert with a rich, fudgy chocolate brownie base topped with a fluffy peanut butter cream cheese layer. They are usually chilled, cut into bars, and finished with a chocolate drizzle, combining brownie and peanut butter pie in one treat.
Yes. To save time, bake your favorite boxed brownie mix in a 9×13 pan, cool it completely, and add the homemade peanut butter cream cheese topping. The topping is what makes these brownies special, so it works great over scratch or boxed brownies.
Because of the cream cheese topping, store these brownies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep them chilled until serving so the topping stays firm. They are delicious cold straight from the fridge.
Yes. Freeze the cut bars in a single layer until solid, then wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving for the best texture.
A runny topping usually means the cream cheese was too warm or the whipped topping was overmixed. Use softened but not melted cream cheese, fold the whipped topping in gently, and chill the assembled brownies for at least 4 hours to firm everything up.
Creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy works best for a smooth, stable topping. Natural peanut butter that separates can make the topping oily and loose. For a crunchy version, use crunchy peanut butter for added texture.
Craving more chocolate and peanut butter? Try our no bake peanut butter chocolate pie next.
For another sweet treat, try our butterscotch cookies made extra tender with instant pudding mix.
Craving chocolate? Our ding dong cake is a crowd-pleasing 9×13 cake with cream filling and ganache.
For another loaded bar, try our oreo brownies with whole Oreos in the middle and on top.
Try our tiramisu cheesecake, a creamy mascarpone cheesecake with layers of espresso lady fingers.
Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter sliced into tablespoons
- 6 ounces semi-sweet baking bar chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the topping:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces whipped topping
- ¼ cup melted chocolate bark optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 with foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl add the butter and chopped chocolate. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, stir. Start microwaving at 15-second intervals stirring in between until the mixture is melted. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, stir to combine. At low speed add in the eggs one at a time until mixed in. Turn the mixer on medium and let it mix for 2 minutes, scrape down the sides.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly stream in the melted chocolate mixture until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and just mix them in so they are incorporated through the batter. This mixture will be very thick.
- Press the brownie batter into the bottom of the baking dish, I find using my hands to spread it out easiest. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is set, no longer glossy, and the edges slightly puff up. You can take an internal temperature, if the brownies are 165°F they are done.
- Let cool on a wire rack completely.
- Once the brownies are cooled, make the topping by placing the cream cheese in a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer, beat it until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and mix until smooth. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, mix until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping until smooth and there are no streaks left, this can take a couple of minutes.
- Smooth the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownies. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use the foil to help lift the brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars and drizzle with optional melted chocolate bark.
- Serve as is or with your favorite toppings such as whipped cream, chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, or Reese’s pieces!
Notes
- Make sure you let these set up for at least 4 hours.
- You can substitute a boxed mix if you must, but I highly recommend making from the recipe below.
- The chocolate drizzle is optional.
- You can add other toppings to this such as more chocolate chips, chopped Reese’s, Reese’s pieces, etc.
- Make sure brownies are fully cooled before putting the peanut butter topping on.
Nutrition
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