To me, the only thing better than a super thick, fudgy brownie, is a super thick, fudgy peanut butter brownie! Chocolate & peanut butter is one of the best combos in the world…right on up there with peanut butter and jelly, or my other favorite, peanut butter and bananas! Notice the trend??
These brownies have plenty of peanut buttery goodness in every bite, but if for some reason you can’t have (totally understandable) or don’t like (what’s wrong with you?!) peanut butter, feel free to use your favorite nut butter instead or just omit it altogether for regular fudgy chocolate brownies.
I must admit that I’m a bit of a brownie snob. I dislike dry, cake-like brownies with crunchy tops, so if that’s your thing, this ain’t yo’ brownie recipe! I’ve made plenty of brownies in my day and it used to be that I preferred the high end boxed brownies to any from scratch because of that quintessential thin, flaky crust and fudgy interior. I’ve finally been able to accomplish that in these brownies, and the best part is, they’re made with healthier ingredients AND they’re gluten-free! Happy dance!
I make these in an 8×8 pan because I love a thicker brownie. Just remember, the baking time will depend on the size pan you use (as well as your oven.)
Whenever I get out the peanut butter, our dog, Remy, comes into the kitchen and sits next to me. He can smell that stuff from a mile away! It’s his favorite treat and he sits anxiously hoping for a taste. 🙂
Place (generous) dollops of peanut butter all over the batter and swirl it in. I don’t really measure, just use as much or as little as you like. I also prefer to use the all natural, unsweetened peanut butter (you know, the annoying oily and messy one) which happens to be much runnier than creamy peanut butter. I think it works well in this recipe because it swirls in very easily. If your peanut butter is more on the firm side, you may want to mix in a little butter or coconut oil to thin it out or break it up into smaller chunks and mix it throughout the batter instead of swirling it in.
My two children just about eat us out of house and home, so we rarely have leftovers. However, if for some odd reason you don’t eat all of these, they freeze well as long as they’re wrapped securely to prevent freezer burn. Just thaw and eat!
Do you have a favorite flavor combo? Let me know if the comments below! Enjoy, friends!
- 2 cups Semi Sweet
or Dark Chocolate Chips
, separated (I like Enjoy Life brand for dairy-free)
- ½ cup Coconut Oil
or butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Coconut Sugar
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup Corn Starch
, arrowroot starch
, or Potato Starch
- ¼ - ½ cup unsweetened natural Peanut Butter
(depending on how much you want)
, or 
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan well or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine 1½ cup of the chocolate chips, coconut oil/butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until chocolate is melted. Turn off the heat and stir in sugar until dissolved. When mixture has cooled down some, add eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in cornstarch and remaining ½ cup chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Place dollops of peanut butter about an inch apart on top of the batter in the pan. Using the tip of a knife, gently swirl peanut butter into the batter. Place the pan into the 350F oven and bake for 24-30 minutes, until center is set. Let brownies cool in the pan before cutting into squares. Makes 9-12 squares, depending on how big you cut them.
Marsha @ Marsha's Baking Addiction says
August 25, 2015 at 2:16 pmThese brownies looks so scrumptious! Stunning photography! I can’t wait to buy a DSLR and improve on mine 🙂
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
August 27, 2015 at 7:46 pmThank you so much, Marsha! It’s a work in progress for me, but practice makes perfect, right?! 🙂
Harriet Emily says
July 22, 2015 at 2:07 pmI reeeealllly wish I had the ‘heart eye’ emoji on my laptop keyboard right now, because I would insert thousands of them into this comment. These look INSANE. I love them *heart eye emoji*. I can’t believe they’re flourless too, what an amazing idea! They look sooo moist, and I’m obsessed with the chocolate peanut butter combo – it’s the best. I sooo need one of these right now! P.S. Your dog is soooo cute- my dog, Tigerlily, loves nut butter too!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 24, 2015 at 5:47 pmAww, you’re so sweet, Harriet! Thank you so much! Yes, I adore chocolate & peanut butter together and these to me have the perfect amount of both! As always, I appreciate your kind words and encouragement, friend! Have a lovely weekend! 😉
Lauren White says
July 21, 2015 at 9:03 amYes!!! I need these in my life! Too bad I’m trying to lose a few pounds, haha! 🙂 But for real, I need to bookmark this so when I have a reason to bake, I have a recipe all ready!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 24, 2015 at 5:37 pmHaha, I completely understand, Lauren! Well, when you’re in need for a treat these make the perfect chocolate fix! 🙂
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
July 21, 2015 at 2:51 amP.S. just noticed recipe asks for choc chip twice 😉
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 24, 2015 at 5:36 pmI tried to make it less confusing since some are melted and more are added to the batter later in the recipe, but I guess that didn’t work, lol! I’ll have to work on making that clearer..thanks for bringing that to my attention, Kimberly! 🙂
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
July 21, 2015 at 2:49 amThese look perfect and I love that shot of your dog waiting for its share. So cheeky.
Thanks so much for sharing this deeelish recipe. 🙂
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 24, 2015 at 5:32 pmHaha, He’s such a ham 🙂 Thanks for your kind words, Kimberly! Hope you’re having a great start to your holiday in the tropics!
Lisa @ Strum Simmer Sip says
July 20, 2015 at 6:43 pmI can’t believe how minimalist this recipe is! You’ve got my mouth watering yet again! I’m definitely going to make these after the move 😛
♥ Lisa
strum simmer sip
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 7:43 pmThanks, Lisa! I hope your move goes well! Looking forward to seeing your pics of The Windy City!
Raj says
July 20, 2015 at 6:27 pmThese look amazing! I also love your comment on your dog. Seems like he knows a great- tasting treat when he sees one!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 7:38 pmThanks, Raj! We are all a bunch of peanut butter fanatics around here! 😉
Cori from The Blog Love Project says
July 20, 2015 at 5:53 pmOMG! These look absolutely yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 7:35 pmThanks, Cori! I hope you like them as much as we did!
Gina says
July 20, 2015 at 3:55 pmOh my gosh! This recipe sounds so yummy!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 7:34 pmThanks, Gina! They were a big hit! We love our brownies around here! 🙂
Sam @ SugarSpun says
July 20, 2015 at 2:29 pmThese have got to be the ULTIMATE peanut butter brownies, I can’t believe how decadent they look! So fudgy! I love that picture of Remy, too! 🙂
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 2:36 pmHaha, thanks, Sam! Remy is a cutie pie so I typically give in to his begging, lol! Thanks for your kind words and for stopping by! 🙂
Kat | curlsnchard.com says
July 20, 2015 at 1:55 pmJoscelyn, those brownies look just amazing! I can’t believe that there is no flour in there and that it still works, such a great recipe 🙂
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 2:34 pmThank you, Kat! I know, I was so happy to find a delicious way to make brownies gluten and grain-free! They are still super thick and fudgy, which is my favorite type of brownie! 🙂
Lauren White says
July 20, 2015 at 1:28 pmThese look amazing. I love how you put dollops of peanut butter in so there are actual little pockets of it. Yum!
Question- can you taste the coconut oil at all? I despise coconut flavor so I’m wondering if it would be noticeable in this recipe. I love the idea of using a healthier oil…
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 2:10 pmThanks, Lauren! I used unrefined coconut oil and couldn’t taste it, but using “REFINED” coconut oil would ensure you wouldn’t have that coconut taste at all. Let me know how that works for you! 🙂
Francesca @The Hungry Homemaker Blog says
July 20, 2015 at 12:36 pmThese look so delicious!! I have to try these ASAP! Adorable pup, our dog loves peanut butter too!
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie says
July 20, 2015 at 1:01 pmThank you, Francesca! They were very delicious..I think I should come up with a peanut butter treat for the pups now, lol! 🙂