Wow Sue…these brownies were incredible! The addition of peanut butter frosting takes them over the top. ~Traci
Every now and again I need to ground my light bright summer menu plan with a good old fashioned indulgent treat, and what better than chewy chocolate brownies smothered in whipped peanut-buttery frosting to bring us back down to earth after a steady diet of fresh fruits and veggies?
The proportions here are key, so pay attention: the brownies are really just a vehicle for the insanely addictive frosting, so be generous. The recipe makes enough to slather on a nice thick layer, with a little extra for tasting…of course!
These are the Goldilocks of brownies, neither too cakey nor too fudgey ~ they’re just right. If you like yours with some structure, go for the edges and corners, but save the soft center square for me!
kitchen tool spotlight: KITCHENAID MIXER WIRE WHISK
I use my wire whisk attachment almost exclusively these days when I’m mixing up batters, creaming butters etc, and making frostings, it does a better and more even job than my paddle attachment. It does a great job whipping this peanut butter frosting to a perfect creamy consistency.
Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
frosting
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, I use Jiff
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 Tbsp heavy cream, possibly a bit more
- 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar, possibly a bit more
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper with long ends so you can lift the brownies out for easier frosting.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, and then add the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until they melt too.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugars and blend well. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and salt.
- Fold in the flour and then spread evenly in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The top should look set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out without wet batter clinging to it (fudgey crumbs are ok) Try not to over bake.
- Cool the brownies completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter together until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the vanilla and cream, then add the sugar, a cup at a time, and beat until smooth and creamy. If the frosting seems too thin, add a little more sugar, and if the frosting seems too stiff, add a little more cream. Spread generously over the cooled brownies.
Nutrition
Thanks for pinning!
If you love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in these peanut butter frosted brownies, you’ll surely want to check out some other nut butter and chocolate recipes from the blog ~
Tiger Butter has to be one of the prettiest desserts ever, with its swirls of chocolate and nut butter. The classic is made with peanut butter, but I used cashew butter in this variation.
Outrageous Almond Butter Skillet Blondies ~ what nut butter does to a blondie is truly outrageous…from the minute these came out of the oven I knew they were going to be trouble.
Peanut Butter Pie Bars ~ these no bake bars are great straight from the fridge or freezer!
Those swirls of peanut butter frosting are so dreamy!
Peanut butter and chocolate are always a winning combination, so loving this fluffy frosting!
What kind of cocoa powder do you use here? Dutch processed or just unsweetened cocoa powder ? What brand do you use ?? I love your recipes. I can’t wait to try this one too! Thank you !
I use unsweetened cocoa powder always, when baking. I do change brands depending on what I find. I like Hershey’s, Droste, and Ghirardelli. And you can use either Dutched or regular cocoa powder for this recipe.
If I don’t have dark chocolate chips could I use milk chocolate and add more cocoa?
You can swap out any type of chocolate chip you like, no need to add more cocoa.
Why have I not thought of putting peanut butter frosting on brownies!! These Look amazing!!!!
When you need that perfect comfort food, them these have got to be one of those go to bakes. The frosting sounds amazing, and goes perfectly with the gooey chocolate brownie.
Chocolate and peanut butter were totally made for each other, I think! I love your line about the brownies just being a vehicle to hold the frosting, lol! So it’s one of those frosting you should break the spoon out and eat it from a spoon? Haha!
this is definitely one of ‘those’ frostings, Beth 😉
Wow Sue…these brownies were incredible! The addition of peanut butter frosting takes them over the top.
Brownies are so interesting because for something so simple, there really are a gazillion different little variations that make such a difference in the final result. Hope you enjoy this one Traci 🙂
Peanut butter and chocolate is a serious weakness of mine! These look so amazing – I’d eat more than I should..and love it!
These brownies are sinfully decadent and so tempting with that creamy peanut butter frosting!
Absolutely heavenly! I could hurt myself on this dessert. The texture looks amazing – thanks for sharing Sue!