I’ve put peanut butter cups into so many recipes on my blog and in Peanut Butter Comfort.
And these fudgy brownies go from really good to get-them-out-of-my-house after adding peanut butter cups.
It’s a fast, one-bowl, no mixer recipe that’s as easy as using a mix.
The brownies are ultra fudgy, not at all cakey, ridiculously rich, boldly chocolaty, and there’s a full-size peanut butter cup for each brownie.
Peanut butter and chocolate is such a perfect combination and each brownie has it’s own peanut butter cup. No skimping here.
When you bite down through the decadent, fudgy brownie and the soft, salty-yet-sweet peanut butter cup at the same time, it’s such a perfect bite.
I like the recipe because it makes an 8-inch square pan which serves 9 generously, but if you need more, I’m sure doubling the recipe and baking in a 9×13-inch pan will be fine although I haven’t personally tried.
The brownies are guaranteed to be a hit at any party or event.
Who can resist those big peanut butter cups staring back at you?
Pin This Recipe
Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
The brownies are ultra fudgy, not at all cakey, ridiculously rich, boldly chocolaty, and there’s a full-size peanut butter cup for each brownie. Peanut butter and chocolate is such a perfect combination and each brownie has it’s own peanut butter cup. No skimping here. It’s a fast, one-bowl, no mixer brownie recipe that’s as easy as using a mix. When you bite down through the decadent, fudgy brownie and the soft, salty-yet-sweet peanut butter cup at the same time, it’s such a perfect bite.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Bar)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee (leftover or cold coffee is okay), optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional but recommended
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 9 full-size peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate, and heat on high power to melt, about 2 minutes. Stop to check and stir after 1 minute. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate has melted and mixture can be stirred smooth. Allow mixture to cool momentarily before adding the eggs so they don’t scramble.
- Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, optional coffee, optional espresso granules (neither make brownies taste like coffee and both enhance and round out the chocolate flavor), optional salt, and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, and stir until smooth and combined without overmixing.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula as necessary.
- Evenly add the peanut butter cups to the brownies using three rows of three. Using your finger, gently push each peanut butter cup down so it’s flush with the batter.
- Bake for about 26 to 27 minutes, or until center has just set and is no longer glossy. A toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow brownies to cool in pan on top of a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. The peanut butter cups will likely become very melty and messy if you slice too early. Brownies will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I prefer these brownies slightly chilled and store them in the fridge.
Adapted from The Best Turtle Brownies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 422Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 201mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 25gProtein: 7g
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I had some extra peanut butter cup miniatures left over from Christmas, so I decided to use them instead and make the brownies a bit smaller. I used 12 PB cups (3 rows of 4 each), and they still are a good size brownie. With all the recipes I’ve been baking from your site, I need to cut things down a little so I can still fit in my jeans! Thanks again, Averie!
Thanks for trying the recipe (and so many others recently) and I’m glad it came out great for you and that you were able to use up some of your mini PB cups from Xmas! Love it when I can clean out my pantry stash :)
Phew! This recipe is my kryptonite! Delicious!
These would be the most dangerous things EVER to enter my house. Not only are fudgy brownies my favorite dessert (kind of basic & lame, for a baking blogger!), but… My guy hates PB. So I’d have to eat them all myself. What a bummer that would be… Well, unless calories didn’t exist! ;)
Wow! You did all these brownies by yourself? They all look dangerously delicious!
I had a teacher in high school who used to bring in a similar type of brownie for class parties. They were the first snack to go. In fact, he’d make a double match just in case they were devoured before the party ended. I haven’t had one since, which was about 8 years ago. I’m thinking that this will have to be on the menu for dessert this week!
I’m all for all the chocolate and pb possible!!!!! LOVE these brownies
Oh my gosh these look amazing! I will definitely need to try these out.
Wonderful brownies!! Yes, peanut butter and chocolate are a perfect combo!!! xo
Ohmgosh, I would eat that whole pan for breakfast. And drink a big glass of milk for the protein ;) Reese’s are my weakness. Pinned!
Thanks, Trish, for pinning :) And Reese’s are my weakness too!
Hi,
I’m sending you a hug as this is the perfect recipe to make to send to my son and his wife for Valentine’s Day – yay! Thanks so much for your lovely blog and your never ending supply of butter and chocolate ;-)
Glad you can appreciate a never ending supply of butter and chocolate…ahhh, me too :)
I need 12 of these for breakfast!! xx
And I need 12 of your cocktails from yesterday :) Or at least a couple :)
YES to the entire normal sized PB cup! January is over no time for that healthy stuff :) Peanut butter and chocolate for the win!
Amen :)
This is awesome! You can never have too much peanut butter anything. I’ve only blogged about two things with peanut butter. Time for me to grab your book and get to work :)
If you pick it up and making anything, LMK about what you go with!
ohhhhh mahhhhh gahhhh. wow. these look awesome!!!
Having these pop up on my Bloglovin’ account is dangerous when I’m trying to stay away from sugar…
I have tried a few of the bar recipes on your blog and they have all been amazing!!!
Aww, thanks for the compliments on my recipes!
Aww these look great Averie!! So gooey!
This: really good to get-them-out-of-my-house after adding peanut butter cups.
I can only imagine. Most “plain” brownies are like that for me, so this….YEAH.
I consider Averie Cooks to be the neighborhood food bank (of desserts). Donation and paying it forward is ummm….necessary! :)
Peanut Butter and chocolate are my favorite combination of flavors. Love it!! Not any pb cup will do it must be the one with the capital R. I am so picky about that :) I love to make a chocolate cake with pb frosting and cut up pb cups on top-delish!! These brownies look so yummy. I wish I had some now. Happy Friday!
What a great combination of peanut butter cups and brownies. This is the type of dessert that I will love:)
Yummy, yummy, yummy. Definitely would satisfy my (5 months pregnant) chocolate and peanut butter cravings!!
These look so sinful. And so very delicious. WANT.
I can’t get over how insanely fudgy these look! Wish I could grab one right this second and enjoy it with my morning tea ;). Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies are a breakfast food, yes?!
The fact that you put a PB cup on top is why I love you. And with that coffee in the brownie I bet these are the richest and best chocolatey brownies ever!
I see people put just pieces or HALF of a MINI Pb cup on top…skimpy I am not :)
Ooooohhhh so fudgy Averie!! I even just love the name of these brownies. Yum!
Isn’t it illegal to tempt us with a chocolate PLUS peanut butter combo? You’re right, these would be a great event food–too bad I can’t cut a straight line to save my life … mine would look all wonky.
Just blame it on row-straightening. That thing that happens at 1am when you just need a little snack. And that row can never quite get evened out :)
Now these are definitely fit for peanut butter lovers! These brownies look amazing, Averie! And I love that there’s a pb cup in every one. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Gayle!
These would be SO dangerous in my house!!
Basically, the peanut butter cups act as cutting guidelines. (Which I’m sure was your point.) I, too, appreciate that you used full-sized cups. I mean, grow a set of lady parts and eat up, people!
Fullsize, for SURE. I see people put just pieces of PB cups or HALF of a MINI Pb cup on top…skimpy, I am not :) And yes they do act as nice cutting guidelines then. If you can cut 3 rows of 3, you’re pretty much home free on this one :) That’s provided you don’t go back and row-straighten, i.e. snack at 1am on them!
We just finished off the football shaped Superbowl brownies…so I’ll have to give it a couple of days before I bake these…I adore brownies so these just may have to be made for Valentines day…love the big peanut butter cup…
Your football brownies sound so festive and creative! Wow, wish I would have planned that out :) And yes to BIG pb cups. Fullsize all the way!
You did NOT just put peanut butter cups INSIDE brownies? Oh my goodness I kind of want to marry these! Perfect Friday snackage ;) Pinning!
Oh yes I did, and thanks for pinning :)
These do look dangerous–we couldn’t keep a pan of these around either. The brownie alone is pretty awesome but a PB cup is better than frosting!
a PB cup is better than frosting! <---- So true :)
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter. I think this is a creative recipe. I love peanut butter cups and so does my fiance. I’m a sweet monster and could eat a few by myself.
I appreciate how you used a full size peanut-butter cup in these brownies, you’re not messing around with the miniature ones. That’s the way to do it!
Nothing like sinking your teeth into an ooey gooey brownie. I love how there’s brewed coffee in this recipe, not much but still! I’m going to make sure that coffee is loaded in caffeine for an afternoon pick-me-up!
The layers of the brownies and then the PB cups, that perfect tooth-sinking bite, ahhh yes. The coffee is a great little touch in any chocolate dessert. As long as you don’t use a ton, it never makes it taste like coffee, just enhances the chocolate flavor in a nice, rounded-out way!
So the big problem here is that if I make these, I will seriously not be able to stop thinking about them all day long. I can’t resist a brownie anyway, but with a full-sized Reese’s in each one, dang. It’s impossible.
By the way, speaking of food crack, those pound-plus chocolate bars at TJs are also soooo dangerous…
Oh those Pound Plus Bars are my #1 chocolate bar for baking. In my house at all times, I have two of each: Dark, Milk, 72%. So that’s an easy 6 lbs right there…on top of my 25 bags of chocolate/milk/dark/white/butterscotch/etc chips :) Yeah. Baking blog.
Girl, your blog is dangerous! I’m craving brownies right now!
I’m posting a brownie-recipe next week, but i’m also def gonna try yours with peanutbutter!
Thanks!
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