Nope, no typos here! These brownies are a double dose of one of the happiest unions in the dessert dynasty! Chocolate and peanut butter were always meant to be, but these brownies take that one wonderful idea and make it twice as nice! It’s deep chocolate brownies studded with chocolate chunks and sugared peanuts topped with a lovely layer of thick peanut butter frosting! And that my friends is how peanut butter and chocolate lived happily ever after!
Chocolate, Chocolate, Peanut, Peanut Butter Brownies!!
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The brownie recipe is one I got from AllRecipes.com and embellished upon. The recipe on it's own is an excellent base for all sorts of fun and fabulous variations. The peanut butter frosting is purely imagination based on what I think peanut butter frosting should be like! Hope you enjoy!
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 16 - If you're only gonna eat one! Who does that?
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup peanuts - I like to use honey roasted or toffee coated, but plain roasted are just fine!
- 2 oz Dark chocolate bar chopped - I like to use 72% cacao or above, but that is purely preference, use the chocolate you like! I like to use chocolate bars as opposed to chocolate chips as many chocolate chip varieties add fillers and wax - yikes!
- Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients:
- ¾ cup peanut butter - I use the all natural creamy variety
- 4 Tbs butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar - you may need more or less depending on how your frosting is thickening up
- 1-2 Tbs milk, almond milk, half/half, soy (whatever you have around) NOTE: I didn't need to use milk at all as the oils in the all natural peanut butter were enough to keep the frosting from getting too stiff. This is only to be used if your frosting doesn't have a spreadable consistency after you mix together the first three ingredients.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan. I like to spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line it with parchment. I then spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray as well. This will make life SO much easier when it's time to frost, cut, and clean!
- In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in ⅓ cup cocoa, ½ cup flour, salt, and baking powder. At this point mix in the peanuts and chopped chocolate bar.
- Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
- While the brownies are baking cream together the peanut butter and butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar. If the frosting is stiff add the milk until it becomes a spreadable consistency.
- Let the brownies cool slightly. Then frost. I like to pull the brownies out of the pan before frosting. At this point you can you dive in head first or...add to the chaotic goodness by drizzling on some melted chocolate or sprinkling it with more peanuts. For a different fun twist try sprinkling it with crushed pretzels or better yet crushed peanut butter filled pretzels. Go crazy and enjoy!
- Tip: If you're going to go for the melted chocolate, cut the brownies first, then drizzle with chocolate. That way when the chocolate hardens you won't mess up the design by dragging a knife through it!