How to Make Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

If you love peanut butter and chocolate together, this brownie is going to become a favorite. It's three simple components — a brownie base, a peanut butter batter, and a homemade chocolate syrup — swirled together just before baking to create a beautiful zebra-stripe effect.

Start with Uncle Bob's Extra Moist and Fudgy Brownie Mix. Mix the batter according to the package directions and pour it into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Set aside.

Part 1: The Peanut Butter Batter

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1. Beat the butter and peanut butter together until soft and combined.
2. Add the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. Add the milk.
4. Add the baking powder and flour and beat until well combined.

Part 2: The Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix the sugar, cocoa, and salt in a saucepan. Add the hot water.
2. Cook, stirring, until it boils. Boil one minute. Remove from heat.
3. Add the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Part 3: The Swirl

1. Spread the brownie batter smooth in the pan.
2. Spoon the peanut butter batter in pools on top.
3. Drizzle the chocolate syrup in pools over both batters.
4. Hold a spatula vertically and drag it slowly through the batter to create zebra-like ribbons. Do not overmix.
5. Bake at 325°F for 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
6. Cool completely before cutting.

The zebra ribbons of peanut butter and chocolate are exactly what you're going for — and exactly what makes these so good.

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Want to go deeper?

• How to Make Perfect Brownies Every Time →
• Ramstadt Breda Rich Dark Cocoa →
• Uncle Bob's Extra Moist and Fudgy Brownie Mix →

This is different. This is the only recipe in this set that you can't build with a brownie mix. Instead, you're going to build a brownie-like peanut butter cake and then swirl chocolate through it.

If you like peanut butter and chocolate together, you're going to like this.

This recipe calls for chocolate syrup. It really doesn't matter what kind. Commercial syrup works fine, but so does homemade. At the bottom of this recipe, you'll find directions for a homemade chocolate syrup.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 cup all-purpose or bread flour

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Dust with flour or line with parchment paper.

1. With your stand-type mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter together until soft and combined. Add the brown sugar and salt. Add the extract.
   
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the milk. Add the baking powder and flour and beat until well combined.
   
3. Scrape the peanut butter batter into the prepared pan. Spread smooth. Pour the chocolate syrup onto the batter in pools.
   
4. Hold a table knife or spatula vertically and cut through the batters just until the two batters are swirled together. Do not overmix.
   
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the brownies test done by sticking a toothpick or knife into the center of the pan. The brownies will be done when moist crumbs cling to the toothpick or knife. Let the brownies cool completely before removing them from the pan.

 

Better-than-the-Store Chocolate Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix the granulated sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the water.
2. Cook, stirring frequently, until it boils. Boil for about one minute stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the butter. After the butter melts, add the vanilla. Stir until smooth.