Pioneer Woman Peanut Butter Brownies

These Pioneer Woman Peanut Butter Brownies sandwich a frozen slab of creamy peanut butter between two layers of dark chocolate brownie batter made with 72% chocolate, cocoa powder, and real butter. As they bake, the peanut butter softens into this gooey center that pulls apart when you break a square in half. About 5 hours total, but most of that is waiting.

The freezer trick is everything. You pour peanut butter into the pan, freeze it solid, then drop it right on top of the batter like a tile. No spreading, no mess, no mixing into the chocolate. Clean layers every time.

Why the Chocolate Needs To Be 72%

The percentage on a chocolate bar tells you how much is cocoa versus sugar, milk, and butter. At 72%, the chocolate is dark enough to stand up to all that peanut butter without getting lost.

Go lower and the brownie layer tastes more like candy than chocolate. Go higher and it gets bitter. 72% hits the sweet spot where you taste the chocolate and the peanut butter equally in every bite.

Can You Freeze the Peanut Butter Layer Ahead

Yes, and it’s actually smarter that way. Freeze the peanut butter slab a few days before you plan to bake. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to a week wrapped in plastic on a sheet tray.

When you’re ready to bake, the peanut butter layer is already done. Just pour half the brownie batter, drop the frozen slab on top, cover with the rest of the batter, and you’re in the oven in minutes.

Peanut Butter Brownies Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup salted butter
• 3 ounces dark chocolate bar (72%), chopped
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup peanut butter chips

How To Make Pioneer Woman Peanut Butter Brownies

1. Freeze the Peanut Butter Layer: Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Microwave the peanut butter in 30-second bursts until pourable, then pour it into the pan. Freeze for about 1 hour until solid. Transfer the frozen slab to a sheet tray and keep it in the freezer.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the Chocolate: Melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until smooth. Pull it off the heat.
4. Build the Batter: Beat the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Drizzle in the melted chocolate on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture on low and mix until just incorporated.
5. Layer and Top: Pour half the batter into the lined pan. Pull the frozen peanut butter slab from the freezer and place it directly on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter and spread it even. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over the top.
6. Bake and Cool: Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes until the top is puffed, dry to the touch, and set. A toothpick won’t come out clean because of the gooey peanut butter center, and that’s fine. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 3 hours, then cut into 16 squares.

Why the Toothpick Won’t Come Out Clean

Don’t panic when the toothpick has gooey stuff on it. That’s the melted peanut butter layer in the center, not raw batter. Look at the brownie surface instead: if it’s puffed and dry to the touch, it’s done.

Overbaking to chase a clean toothpick will dry out the chocolate layers and kill the fudgy texture. Trust the surface, not the pick.

Semisweet Chips or Peanut Butter Chips

The recipe uses both, scattered on top so you get pockets of melted chocolate and peanut butter in every bite. If you only have one kind, just use 2/3 cup of whichever you’ve got.

Peanut butter chips are the more interesting choice here since the brownie batter already has plenty of chocolate. They add a sweet, nutty crunch that you can’t get from more chocolate chips alone.

How To Store

Keep these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The peanut butter center stays gooey at room temp and firms up in the fridge, so store them wherever you prefer the texture. You can freeze individual squares wrapped in plastic for up to 1 month. They’re actually pretty good straight from the freezer, like a frozen candy bar.

Nutrition

• Calories: 375 kcal (estimated)

Try More Recipes

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Bars
• Cheesecake Brownies
• Brownie in a Mug