Peanut Butter Brookies

As if brookies couldn't get any better, allow me to introduce the fudgiest Peanut Butter Brookies that combine 3 of the greatest things: peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate brownies. They are soft, fudgy and slightly gooey with rich peanut butter flavor and deep dark chocolate. It features peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough baked in and around fudgy brownie batter. After baking the cookie portion is crisp on top and then stays soft like cookie dough within the fudgy brownie batter so the two textures marry beautifully. Each square is thick and indulgent with a texture you can really sink your teeth into. If you love brownies as much as I do, check out my Better Than Box Mix Brownies Recipe and my thick Best Homemade Brownie recipe. Also, don't miss out on my most popular Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy to make - this is a super easy brownie recipe that is resourceful in using only 2 eggs - one whole egg plus and egg white for the brownie, and a yolk for the peanut butter cookie dough.
• No mixer - you can make this recipe with just a bowl and a whisk plus a spatula! You don't need a mixer.
• Fudgy chocolate brownies - the brownie base has a super fudgy texture and stays fudgy for days without drying out.
• Rich chocolate flavor - expect an intense chocolate taste thanks to bittersweet chocolate and not a lot of flour.
• Soft and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies - you get two textures of cookie in this recipe with super soft cookie dough in the middle and crisp, chewy golden cookie on top.

INGREDIENTS FOR PEANUT BUTTER BROOKIES

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• All purpose flour - regular all-purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy brownies and chewy cookies. I only ever use unbleached flour.
• Unsalted butter - the best brownies and chocolate chip cookies that have a chewy texture are made with butter.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla does wonders to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these brownies moist. There is slightly less sugar than my typical brownie recipe to account for the additional sugar in the cookie dough.
• Brown sugar - you can use light brown or dark brown sugar. I like the added flavor the molasses gives with dark brown sugar.

• Egg - 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white provides majority of the structure in the brownie batter, while the reserved egg yolk is just enough to make the peanut butter cookie dough.
• Salt - don't skip this otherwise the these brookies will be too sweet.
• Dark chocolate - anything between 60 and 85% cocoa solids will work. I prefer bittersweet chocolate with 70% cocoa solids or extra dark chocolate for the brownies, and these bittersweet chocolate callets are great for the cookie dough.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE BROOKIES

• STEP 1.) Make the cookie dough. Combine butter and sugars. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is JUST melted so it is still pale yellow and creamy-looking. Basically, gently melt it until there is still some solid butter left and then stir off the heat until the residual heat gently melts the remaining solid butter. Combine melted butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter in a large bowl and mix to combine.
• STEP 2.) Add egg and liquids. Mix in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Sprinkle in flour, baking soda and salt and fold it in.
• STEP 3.) Mix in chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips and fold them through the dough.
• STEP 4.) Make the brownie batter. Combine chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth, or melt in the microwave at 50% power in short bursts with frequent stirring.
• STEP 5.) Mix eggs and sugar. Combine whole egg, egg white, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl and whisk until pale and thick. Mix in warm melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and fold it in until evenly combined.
• STEP 6.) Assemble brookies. Use a 1.25-oz cookie scoop to drop about 4 portions of brownie batter randomly into the bottom of the prepared pan and alternate with scoops of cookie dough. Repeat by scooping brownie batter and cookie dough over each other (see the video for how I do this) randomly until it is all used up. I typically do it so that some cookie dough covers some brownie batter and vise versa so you get layering, and then also some distinct areas of cookie dough and brownie. Scatter a few mini peanut butter cups on top and push them in slightly.
• STEP 7.) Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few moist stick crumbs attached. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Lift the slab out of the pan using the overhanging parchment and slice into squares.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Measure flour accurately. Too much flour leads to a dry brownie and crumbly cookie so be sure to use a scale or use the spoon and sweep method without packing the flour into the measuring cup.
• Mix the eggs with the sugar first to make glossy brownies instead of stirring the sugar into the melted chocolate. Sugar cannot dissolve in fat, but it can dissolve in the water within egg whites.
• Do not under-bake. These brookies will take longer than normal to bake since there is a lot of dough/batter in one pan, but be cautious not to over-bake as the edges will dry out and become too hard. A skewer inserted into the brownie portion should come out with a few moist sticky bits attached. If it comes out clean then the brownie portion may be over baked, and if it comes out with wet batter then they are not cooked through yet.
• Mix by hand for best results. Although you can use a mixer for this recipe, I find the best results come from mixing by hand where you can control the intensity better. This recipe doesn't require a lot of aeration to make dense fudgy brownies and soft, chewy cookie so mixing by hand with a whisk and a spatula works great.

RECIPE FAQ

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Video

Peanut Butter Brookies

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

Peanut Butter Brookies combine 3 of the greatest things: peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate brownies. They are soft, fudgy and slightly gooey with rich peanut butter flavor and deep dark chocolate.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 16 squares

Ingredients

  

Cookie dough:

• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, slightly melted
• ¼ cup (55g) packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60ml) regular smooth peanut butter
• 1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the brownie batter)
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips plus extra for topping

Brownie Batter:

• 4 oz (113g) bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg white
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (60g) all-purpose flour

For topping:

• mini chocolate peanut butter cups

NOTE: for best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
• Make the cookie dough. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is JUST melted so it is still pale yellow and creamy-looking. Basically, gently melt it until there is still some solid butter left and then stir off the heat until the residual heat gently melts the remaining solid butter. Combine melted butter with brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter in a large bowl and mix to combine. Mix in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Sprinkle in flour, baking soda and salt and fold it in. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Make the brownie batter. Combine chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth, or melt in the microwave at 50% power in short bursts with frequent stirring.
• Combine whole egg, egg white, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl and whisk until pale and thick. Mix in warm melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and fold it in until evenly combined.
• Use a 1.25-oz cookie scoop to drop about 4 portions of brownie batter randomly into the bottom of the prepared pan and alternate with scoops of cookie dough. Repeat by scooping brownie batter and cookie dough over each other (see the video for how I do this) randomly until it is all used up. I typically do it so that some cookie dough covers some brownie batter and vise versa so you get layering, and then also some distinct areas of cookie dough and brownie. Use a small offset spatula to gently smear portions of cookie dough over the brownie batter. This helps level it out a bit. Watch the recipe video above to see how I do this. Scatter a few mini peanut butter cups on top and push them in slightly.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few moist stick crumbs attached. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Lift the slab out of the pan using the overhanging parchment and slice into squares.