These are the best Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies: rich, fudgy brownies swirled with peanut butter and topped with edible peanut butter cookie dough, mini chocolate chips, and chopped peanut butter cups. Decadent and irresistible.
What makes these peanut butter cookie dough brownies special?
- Easy to make. Just a few common ingredients and about 25 minutes in the oven for the brownies.
- Flexible. If you prefer a different flavor or have an allergy, swap peanut butter for Nutella, almond butter, cookie butter, or sunflower seed butter. The brownie base also stands on its own or can be topped with frosting.
- Rich and indulgent. Dutch-process cocoa creates a deep, fudgy brownie. The peanut butter swirl and edible cookie dough add creamy, crunchy, and chocolatey layers for maximum indulgence.
How to make Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies
Make the dark chocolate brownie base
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs. Whisk vigorously for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light in color and slightly aerated—this helps create a crackly top since the recipe doesn’t use baking powder. Stir in the vanilla and melted butter until combined.
Fold in the flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Gently warm 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter until pourable (about 20–30 seconds in the microwave), pour it over the batter, and swirl with a toothpick or knife. Bake at 350°F for 25–27 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before topping.
Make the edible peanut butter cookie dough
While the brownies bake, prepare the cookie dough. First, heat-treat the flour so it’s safe to eat: spread flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, then let it cool. You can do this ahead of time if preferred.
In a medium bowl, melt 4 tablespoons salted butter and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter together. Whisk in 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Stir in the cooled, heat-treated flour and 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add heavy cream 1–2 tablespoons at a time until the mixture reaches a cookie dough consistency (about 4 tablespoons total).
Assemble
When the brownies are fully cooled, use a small scoop (a 2-tsp mini cookie scoop works well) to place scoops of the peanut butter cookie dough on top, spacing them randomly but leaving a few gaps. Sprinkle additional mini chocolate chips and slice a handful of mini peanut butter cups to tuck into the gaps. Chill the pan for 20–30 minutes to firm the dough and make slicing easier.
Cut into 16 squares. For an extra treat, warm a brownie for 10–15 seconds in the microwave and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- Dutch-process cocoa powder. Gives the brownies a deep chocolate flavor and fudgy texture.
- Salted butter. Balances sweetness; it’s what I prefer for most baked goods.
- Creamy peanut butter. Use regular creamy peanut butter (not the natural, oil-separated kind) for both the swirl and the cookie dough.
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Small chips work best in edible cookie dough for texture and bite.
Tools
- 8 x 8-inch baking pan. An 8×8 yields the ideal brownie thickness; a 9×9 will produce thinner bars.
- Mini cookie scoop. Helpful for portioning the cookie dough topping evenly.
- Parchment paper. Makes it easy to lift the brownies from the pan.
- Large whisk. Useful for aerating the eggs and sugar to create a silky batter.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies
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- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 Brownies
Description
Rich, fudgy brownies with a peanut butter swirl, finished with edible peanut butter cookie dough and sliced peanut butter cups for texture and extra flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the dark chocolate brownies
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115 g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (for swirling)
For the peanut butter cookie dough
- 4 TBSP salted butter
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) heat-treated all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling
- 4–5 TBSP heavy cream
- 8–10 mini peanut butter cups, optional
Instructions
For the dark chocolate brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and both sugars for about 3 minutes until silky and light.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla, stirring to combine.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Warm the peanut butter until pourable, pour over the batter, and swirl with a toothpick or knife.
- Bake at 350°F for 25–27 minutes. Cool completely.
For the peanut butter cookie dough
- Heat-treat flour by spreading it on a parchment-lined sheet and baking at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool.
- Melt the butter and peanut butter together in a bowl.
- Whisk in the granulated and brown sugars and vanilla.
- Fold in the heat-treated flour and chocolate chips.
- Add heavy cream 1–2 TBSP at a time until the mixture reaches cookie dough consistency.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the cooled brownies with a mini scoop, leaving some gaps. Sprinkle extra chips and sliced peanut butter cups over the top.
- Chill 20–30 minutes to make slicing easier, then cut into 16 squares and enjoy.
Notes
Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
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