Description
Fudgy brownie bars with pockets of melted peanut butter cups, combining rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors in an easy-to-make dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter cups, chopped (~225g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Melt the butter and chop the peanut butter cups into quarters. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Add melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir vigorously until smooth and shiny with no streaks of flour.
- Gently fold in about 1 cup of the chopped peanut butter cups using a spatula or wooden spoon. Save the rest for topping.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining peanut butter cups on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are set but center looks slightly underbaked for a fudgy texture.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use parchment overhang to lift out and slice into 12 bars.
Notes
Use room temperature eggs for smoother batter. Do not overbake; the center should look slightly underdone to maintain fudginess. Toss peanut butter cups in flour before folding in to prevent sinking. Let bars cool completely before slicing. For gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: peanut butter cup brownie bars, fudgy brownies, easy dessert, chocolate peanut butter bars, peanut butter cups, quick brownies