Peanut Butter Cup Brownies (Printable)

Fudgy brownies with peanut butter cups create a rich, crowd-pleasing dessert with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins & Filling

09 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 - 16 mini peanut butter cups or 8 standard peanut butter cups, halved

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Whisk until glossy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in chocolate chips.
07 - Spread half of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
08 - Arrange the peanut butter cups evenly over the batter.
09 - Spoon the remaining batter over the peanut butter cups, smoothing the top with a spatula to cover completely.
10 - Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
11 - Allow to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into 16 squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're fudgy enough to feel indulgent but simple enough that even a distracted baker can pull them off without stress.
  • The peanut butter cups stay distinct and gooey instead of melting away, so every bite is a surprise.
  • One pan, no fancy techniques, and somehow it tastes like you spent way more time than you actually did.
02 -
  • A toothpick coming out completely clean means you've overbaked them—aim for those few moist crumbs or you'll end up with brownie cake, which is disappointing even though it sounds good.
  • If your peanut butter cups are melting into the batter before it bakes, they were probably room temperature; keeping them in the freezer until the moment you need them makes all the difference.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs and melted butter mix more seamlessly than cold ingredients, so let your eggs sit out for 15 minutes before cracking them in.
  • If your peanut butter cups start softening, the trick is to keep them in the freezer right up until assembly—this keeps them structurally distinct in the batter.
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