Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies – The Ultimate Chocolate & Peanut Butter Dessert

Rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter—a match made in dessert heaven. These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies are a magical fusion of flavors, delivering the perfect balance of fudgy chocolate and swirled ribbons of peanut butter. Every bite is pure indulgence! Whether you’re baking for a party, a game night, or a bake sale, this recipe is a crowd-pleasing winner. Stunning, delicious, and incredibly easy to make—this is the ultimate brownie recipe you’ll keep coming back to!

How To Make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

You probably have all or most of the ingredients for these brownies in your pantry. To simplify life, here is a shopping list by area of the grocery store just in case you need it.

Pantry Staples

• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

Dairy & Refrigerated

• Butter (salted or unsalted)
• Eggs

Baking & Sweeteners

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Creamy peanut butter

Additional Supplies (if needed)

• Non-stick cooking spray
• Parchment paper

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Prep your baking dish and gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F. Then lightly spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with baking spray. Then line the baking dish with parchment paper. Allow for the paper to overhang the sides of the dish. 

💡 Tip: Spraying the pan before adding parchment helps keep it in place!

Step 2: Melt the butter and chocolate together. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted. 

Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat, add ½ cup of chocolate chips, and whisk until melted and smooth.

Step 3: Pour the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

💡 Tip: Let the chocolate cool slightly before adding other ingredients—this prevents scrambling the eggs later.

Step 4: Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture and stir well to combine. Stir until the mixture is smooth and slightly glossy. 

💡 Tip: Be sure to mix well, but don’t overbeat—this can create a more cake-like texture instead of a fudgy one.

Step 5: In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir just until no dry streaks remain.

Step 6: Fold the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips into the brownie batter.

Step 7: Scoop the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish.

Step 8: Melt the peanut butter. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds on high. Pour the melted peanut butter over top of the brownie batter and use a butter knife to swirl it slightly into the batter.

💡 Tip: Don’t over-swirl! A few gentle strokes will give you that signature peanut butter ribbon look.

Step 9: Bake the brownies until the center is set.

💡 Tip: If the edges are set but the center still looks underdone, give them 5 more minutes, but avoid overbaking for maximum fudginess!