Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Brownies and peanut butter are one of the best combinations out there! These peanut butter-filled brownie cups are going to become your new favorite dessert!

I can’t believe how decadent and incredible brownies plus peanut butter is. I have to say that I did not expect these brownies to be nearly as delicious as they were. I thought I was going to like them, but I had no idea that I was going to be this obsessed with them!

We visited my family during the beginning of this summer and my mom was talking about how she had a recipe for some peanut butter brownies that she’d been dying to make. We love trying new recipes together. Plus, when there are extra mouths to share the calories and goodness with, it’s all the better!

So we whipped up a batch of these beauties, and I can’t even begin to describe the phenomenal experience our taste buds received! These brownies absolutely blew us away with their deliciousness!

I of course opted to give them a little dollop of chocolate frosting, which the original recipe did not call for, but I decided they definitely could not do without! 🙂

Just be really careful not to over-bake them or they’ll lose their wonderful texture! No one wants to eat a dry brownie! You’ll want to watch them in the oven and pull them out just when the center is set. Brownies are not well suited for testing with a toothpick (or at least I’ve never used that method on them), so you’ll need to just eyeball it. They will puff up in the muffin tins and the tops will crack. As they cool, the centers will sink, so don’t panic, because we’re going to fill in that space with some glorious chocolate frosting!

I’m already planning when I can make these again! They are really going to “wow” you! This is a peanut butter and chocolate lover’s dream dessert! The two collide in the most amazing way! Every bite is a complete walk in the clouds!

If you are a peanut butter cup lover, you’ve got to bolt to the kitchen and make these ASAP! And because you’re probably going to be on a brownie kick afterwards, you’ve got to add these Caramel-Drenched Brownies and these Brownies S’mores Creme Sandwiches to your list too! You’ll thank yourself!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Christine

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Ingredients

  

• Brownies:
• 3/4 c. butter
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Filling:
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/2 ounces soft cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Frosting:
• 1/2 c. butter softened
• 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 heaping spoonfuls baking cocoa
• milk for thinning

Instructions

 

• For the brownies, cut the butter into pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl with the semisweet chocolate. Place the bowl in the microwave and melt the contents in increments, stirring in between. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 18 to 20 cups of a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Combine the sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and sugar and mix with an electric mixer until well blended. Blend in the vanilla extract. Add cooled chocolate (it should still be liquid) and mix on medium speed just until evenly blended.
• Stir together the flour and salt in a separate bowl, then stir them into the chocolate mixture, about half at a time, until no streaks of flour remain.
• Prepare the peanut butter filling by adding the peanut butter, cream cheese, egg, and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and creaming them together until evenly blended. The texture should be like whipped peanut butter.
• Fill each muffin cup about halfway with brownie batter, then use a spoon to create a small indent in the center of the batter for the peanut butter filling to sit. Spoon about 2 tsp. of peanut butter filling into the center, pushing it down slightly into the batter. Cover the filling with another spoonful of batter, making sure that the cups are no more than two thirds to three quarters full.
• Bake for approximately 17 to 20 minutes, just until well risen and cracked on top. Then transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan and place them directly on the wire rack to finish cooling (the centers will sink as they cool).
• Let them cool to room temperature, then prepare the frosting by creaming together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add milk a tablespoon at a time, mixing in between, to thin to desired consistency. Mix it for at least 5 minutes on high speed to make a creamy, delicious frosting! Place a dollop of frosting in the center of each brownie cup where it has sunken. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from Family Fun Magazine May 2004

I can’t wait for you to try these! Let me know what you think!