When I was a kid, my school cafeteria sometimes served a peanut butter and chocolate graham cracker square for dessert. You could only get them on certain days and only if you bought the lunch. They were so good that I’d specifically buy lunch on those days even if I didn’t like the lunch option. Ever since that dessert, I’ve been a huge peanut butter and chocolate fan.
These peanut butter frosted brownies take me back to when I was a kid and I adore them every bit as much as those cafeteria desserts. These fudgy brownies are topped with sweet peanut butter frosting and they are my new favorite dessert. 🙂
Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies Recipe
(About 16 servings)
Ingredients:
For the Brownie:
- 1/2 cup (equivalent to 1 stick) butter, melted
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- peanut butter frosting, see ingredients below
- sprinkling of miniature chocolate chips
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (equivalent to 1 stick) butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Directions for the Brownie:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 8 x 8 inch baking pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat for additional 30 second increments, stirring each time, until they are completely melted.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and stir using a whisk to combine. The batter will look gritty.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until just combined.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly in the greased baking pan and bake it in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Allow it to cool for about an hour.
- Spread the peanut butter frosting over the brownies. See the directions below for how to make the peanut butter frosting.
- Sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips.
Directions for the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter on Medium sped with a hand or stand mixer until it smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Add the vanilla extract and mix in the powdered sugar until it is well combined.
Store in an air tight container on the counter or freeze in a freezer friendly zip lock bag.
I’m in love with my Fudgy Brownie recipe. I have made it a bazillion times (i.e. a lot) and just by themselves they are sheer chocolate perfection. Now I’ve taken that brownie base and added some sweet peanut butter frosting on top.
This brownie recipe is as easy as box mix, but tastes better. Melt the butter and chocolate chips. When I make Fudgy Brownies, I don’t melt the chocolate chips because they melt on their own while baking which leaves little pockets of chocolate. However for today’s brownies I wanted to make sure the brownie consistency was 100% smooth and fudgy so I decided to melt the chocolate chips.
Stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. The batter will look gritty. Beat in the eggs.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until just combined. I love how you only need one bowl to mix all the ingredients.
Spread the brownie batter evenly and bake it.
Are you ready for the perfect peanut butter frosting? You only need four everyday ingredients and it’s super simple to make. Beat the peanut butter and butter until it smooth. Then add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar until it is combined well.
Make sure the brownies have cooled completely before you frost them. I sprinkled some miniature chocolate chips on top for a little crunch, but mostly for presentation points. 🙂
This brownie is so moist and fudgy. Need I say more? If you’re looking for a chocolate piece of heaven then that’s your answer…Fudgy Brownie to the rescue again.
The fudgy brownie is…well, grand in all its fudgy-ness and as I said earlier, really amazing by itself. However, the frosting makes this dessert. It’s thick, smooth, and full of peanut butter flavor. I could eat this by the spoonful (and might have). 😉
The moment your lips hit the frosting, it’s all over. Peanut butter lovers, beware. You may hear harps when you eat this sweet dessert. The sweet frosting is a perfect match with the richness from the chocolate fudgy brownie.
This peanut butter and chocolate bliss takes me back to those feelings I had when I was a kid and how my whole day revolved around those school cafeteria desserts. I look forward to every bite of this peanut butter frosted brownie with the same excitement!
Brownie layer adapted from: All Recipes
Peanut Butter Frosting Source: Averie Cooks via Joanna Goddard
Chocolate + peanut butter = delicious. 🙂
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies with M&Ms and Chocolate Chips
Skinny Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shake
Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies
Thanks for trying the frosting recipe of mine from Joanna’s site! I am glad you saw it. And thanks for linking to me 🙂 Your brownies look INCREDIBLE! And they are so neat, tidy, and orderly. As a blogger, I notice these things and know how tricky it can be to get them that way – so major kudos!
Thank you SO much Averie! That mean so much to me, coming from you. You made my day! 🙂
I can see why these are your new favorite dessert! AMAZING! Love the peanut butter frosting
Seriously in love with these! I licked the frosting bowl clean…plus some. 🙂
What perfect looking brownies, you killed it!
Thanks Pamela! 🙂
What a looker! Pinning this for sure. Thanks for the recipe Tina. Will be putting this on my to-bake list.
That’s awesome to hear! I know you will adore them. 🙂 Let me know how they turn out.
These look amazing, Tina! My school never had chocolate grahams with peanut butter. I so would’ve eaten hot lunch more if they had!
Thanks so much!
Whoa, these look amazing! Pinning so I can make them for my pb loving kids (and their mama!).
Awesome! I know you ALL will love them. 🙂
That pb frosting looks divine! And these are some of my favorite pics ever! I am craving brownies now:)
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! That makes me happy. 🙂 I’m actually craving them too. Hehe.
Oh yum! These look amazing Tina. I am a huge fan of pb and chocolate also… it’s one of my favourite combinations. I definitely echo Averie’s comment… your brownies look perfect. Thanks for the great recipe! x
Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. 🙂
These brownies look SO good!! You can’t beat peanut butter and brownies. There is nothing quite like PB and chocolate.
Thanks Sally! Peanut butter and chocolate is definitely a classic and one of my favorite. 🙂
The frosting is almost as thick as the brownies – that must make for one amazing dessert!
Oh yea! That’s one of the reasons why I adore this dessert…lots of awesome frosting. 🙂
I’m so in love with these! I noticed these yesterday but had to come back today to pin and share these. (My computer was having a virus moment..) I loved the pb bars they made at school for lunch. It’s funny how things like this remind us of elementary. (=
Thanks so much Gloria! I hope your computer is behaving better. I wonder, if I ate that peanut butter chocolate frosted graham bar now if I’d like it as much as I remember. I’d like to think so. 🙂
Beautiful brownies! So tall and so fudgy! Peanut butter and chocolate – what can be better than this combination?
I toally agree! Thansk for stopping by. 🙂
What gorgeous brownies! And of course, chocolate and peanut butter – made for each other!!
Thanks so much! I totally agree. 🙂
Oh wow, I have to try these brownies. I love anything peanut butter and chocolate!
Oh you’ll love these! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
Oh yum. I love peanut butter! I love that you put a super thick coating of the PB frosting on those brownies. Looks delish! Stopping by from the Saturday Show Stopper. Have a great weekend!
The Saturday Show Stopper is an awesome idea and I’ll definitely be back! I’m a huge peanut butter and frosting fan so the more the better. 🙂
Um.. what’s not delicious about this?? Chocolate – good… Peanut Butter – good! Great recipe tina and awesome pictures. 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Show Stopper Saturday!
Thank you so much! I am excited to be a part of the Show Stopper Saturday. I had fun meeting new bloggers and sharing my idea. I’ll definitely be back. 🙂
These brownies sounds like they need to be in my belly 🙂
Featuring you tomorrow morning at the Show Stopper Party!
Thanks so much! Sounds awesome and I can’t wait!! 🙂
I substituted almond for every occurrence of the word peanut in this recipe and the result was superb.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad to hear how you made the recipe work for you and I’m also glad that you took the time to let me know how they turned out. 🙂