Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

brownies with peanut butter swirl on parchment

4 from 2 votes

Rich, decadent Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies! Vanilla-spiked peanut butter is swirled into the perfect fudgy brownie batter for the perfect dessert! Enjoy these easy brownies by themselves or warmed with a scoop of ice cream.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Tiffany Azure

Ingredients

For the Brownie Batter

8 oz butter
7 oz dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 oz flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder

For the Peanut Butter Swirl

1 cup smooth peanut butter
½ tbsp vanilla

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and prepare a 9x14 brownie pan with cooking spray and baking parchment.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water, and that the water does not come to the boil.
Add the butter and the dark chocolate, allowing them to melt, keeping the stirring to the bare minimum. Remove from the heat to cool a little.
In a second large, clean bowl using a hand mixer beat together the eggs and the sugar until light and thick.
Using a metal spoon, gradually fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Then stir in the vanilla.
Fold in the flour and the cocoa until you have a smooth batter.
In a small saucepan, gently warm the peanut butter until it has reached a pouring consistency. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and drizzle over the peanut butter. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter.
Bake for 40 minutes until slightly puffed and set. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Use a very sharp knife. Brownies with a flavored swirl are harder to slice cleanly than regular brownies. For best results, use a large, very sharp knife, and wipe it clean on a piece of kitchen paper between each slice.
Add flaky sea salt. These easy, fudgy peanut butter swirl brownies are delicious just the way they are, and kids will love them! But, if you're making them just for adults and you're looking for that grown up touch, a little flaky sea salt sprinkled over the pan as you take them out the oven will take these brownies to a whole new level!
Choose a shelf-stable peanut butter. For best results choose a brand of peanut butter with emulsifiers rather than a natural one that separates in the jar.
Don't overmix the batter. Overmixing will lead to dry, tough brownies!
Underbake rather than overbake. If you're not sure if your brownies are done or not, take them out the oven. A slightly underdone brownie will still taste great, but overcooked brownies can be really dry!
These brownies will keep for up to 3 days in an air tight container at room temperature.

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