Peanut Butter Brookies — These brookies are soft and chewy, with peanut butter and chocolate married together in every bite. All you need is two bowls, and no mixer is required!
Peanut Butter Brookies Recipe
A soft and chewy peanut butter cookie base with a rich fudgy brownie top, what could be better? This is a special recipe for me to post not only because it involves peanut butter and chocolate, but because I got the recipe from one of my BFF’s cookbooks, Dessert Mash-Ups.
The recipe comes from Dorothy, who blogs at Crazy for Crust. Not only is she an amazing baker, but she’s also one of my best friends. We started as online friends but have become real life friends. With this online job I have, real life and online life blur together and friends like Dorothy are cherished.
We’ve met up in San Diego, Santa Monica, San Francisco, and took a crazy whirlwind trip to Nashville where we flew from California to Nashville (and back!) in 26 hours total. We ran a half marathon together over Labor Day weekend at Disneyland and brought our daughters. Our daughters are about the same age and get along fabulously.
Dorothy and I share a passion for laughing over cocktails, cheese boards, and desserts. So it was about time I made something from her cookbook and these brookie bars are a winner.
Dorothy wrote in her book that she uses her favorite peanut butter cookie base (mine too) and her favorite brownie recipe on top. I love it when brownies have a thin, crackly top and stay fudgy underneath and these peanut butter brookies are perfect.
Soft, chewy, and wonderful with peanut butter and chocolate married together in every bite. These cookie brownie bars are easy, not fussy, all you need is two bowls, and you don’t even need to use a mixer!
What’s in Peanut Butter Brookies?
To make these brookie bars, you’ll need:
- Creamy peanut butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Unsweetened baking chocolate
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
How to Make Brookies
Before making the brownie batter, you first need to make the flourless peanut butter cookie crust. To do so, simply stir together two types of sugar, creamy peanut butter, and an egg. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased and lined 9×13-inch baking dish.
Next, move onto the brownie batter top. Melt the chocolates, then whisk in the remaining ingredients. Pour the batter carefully over the cookie base. Bake the peanut butter brookies until the top is no longer glossy and is slightly cracked around the edges.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter in these Brookies?
No, you need to use a creamy peanut butter from a brand like Jif or Skippy.
Can I Add Mix-Ins?
I’ve only made this brookies recipe as written, but I’m sure you could mix some chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the brownie batter.
Tips for Making Brookies
This brookies bar recipe calls for two types of baking chocolate. I used Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Bar instead because that’s what I had on hand. You’re welcome to use another dark chocolate if that’s all you’ve got.
I prefer making homemade brownies, but I’ve had readers report success making this recipe with a high-quality boxed brownie mix when they were short on time. Just something to note!
These brookies need to cool completely before you cut into them. They need that time to properly set up.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Peanut Butter Brookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, use something like Skippy or Jif for best results, not an oily ‘natural’ peanut butter that separates
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
Brownies
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray or line with foil and spray with cooking spray for easy cleanup.
- Stir together the peanut butter, sugars, and egg in a large bowl.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. The dough layer will be thin. It helps to spay your hands with cooking spray if using your hands, or use a spatula and take your time to spread it out; set aside.
- Brownies
- Melt the two chocolates (I used 4 ounces of Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus bar instead of two types of chocolate) and butter together in a large, microwave-safe bowl on high in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until the mixture is smooth.
- Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Carefully stir in the flour and salt, don’t overmix.
- Evenly pour batter over peanut butter layer, lightly spreading it with a spatula.
- Bake for about 32 to 38 minutes, until the top is no longer glossy and is slightly cracked around the edges.
- Cool completely in pan before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Homemade Brownie Recipes:
I wrote Peanut Butter Comfort with 100+ recipes using peanut butter! And make sure to check out these 100 PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES on my blog!
Loaded Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies — Ultra fudgy brownies topped with cream cheese, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, and Oreos! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s as easy as using a mix!
The Best German Chocolate Brownies — Rich, ultra fudgy brownies topped with the best German chocolate frosting! Sinfully delicious! Easy, no-mixer recipe that’s an automatic hit with everyone!
The Best Turtle Brownies – Super fudgy and loaded with chocolate, pecans and caramel! So.crazy.good!
Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies – Fudgy brownies with a layer of cream cheese and tons of Oreos! They’ll be your new favorites!
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Brownies — Fudgy brownies with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake and topped with peanuts and peanut butter cups! Rich, decadent, and amazing! A must-make for all peanut butter lovers!
Chocolate Coconut Mounds Bar Brownies – Like eating a Mounds candy bar that’s on top of rich, fudgy brownies! Easy and oh so good!
Andes Mint Brownies – Super fudgy brownies loaded with Andes! Chocolate + mint is the best! Meet your new favorite brownies and so easy!
Salted Caramel Pretzel-Topped Fudgy Brownies – Super fudgy scratch brownies as easy as a mix and the salty-and-sweet combo is irresistible!
Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies – Easy, one-bowl, no mixer brownies with a full-size PB cup in every brownie! As fast as using mix and tastes way better!
Homemade Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies – A dead ringer for the real thing and just so good!
This recipe was simple to make and turned out well. The peanut butter layer was very easy to mix and spread. I added nuts to the brownie layer. The flavor of the brookie is really good.
For “Averie”, the bottom layer seemed to be overcooked. I cooked it at the Temperature and time suggested.
Any chance you used a pan other than a metal pan? That could contribute to the overcooked aspect at the base. Or your oven runs hot or maybe with warm summer weather, they didn’t take as long to cook as they would in the winter in a cold kitchen. Hard to say but I would simply bake them 5 minutes less next time, give or take. I am glad they turned out well overall for you.