A sweet treat that is easy to throw together, packs well in a lunch and great for an impromptu gathering! Peanut Butter + Chocolate Brownies are an affordable treat that is guaranteed to curb your peanut butter cup cravings.
Oh, hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It surely was a quiet summer on the blogging front but I am happy to say I am back with new equipment after a much too quick summer that was full of hiking, camping, swimming, great food and friends!
August 2018 also marks a pretty big milestone for me! This month I celebrate Peppers & Pennies 3rd birthday!
Brownies for a celebration is a familiar treat here at Peppers & Pennies. You may remember my first blog birthday where I served Small Batch Brownies in these exact plates. Well, two years later a few food blogging (and life!) lessons learned, I thought I would improve upon my tried-and-true brownies and publish a recipe that isn’t meant for two. Let’s face it, the more brownies the better.
These brownies were inspired by my first ever visit to Trader Joe’s in a whirlwind California trip a few weeks ago (more on that one later). I foolishly only bought one small bag of the delicious dark chocolate and peanut butter cups which I proceeded to eat in one sitting the first morning back from my trip. I then had a hard-to-beat craving that lasted a week before my stroke of genius to turn those flavours into brownie form. Plus, this treat is a bit more acceptable for breakfast than peanut butter cups, right?
True to my style, these brownies are affordable by forgoing butter for Canola Oil and using a delicious mix of peanuts and a little bit of dark chocolate chips. Peanuts are cheap, tasty and a great mix-in for brownies. Sure, I could have added more chocolate but with showing a bit of resistance I can make that pricey bag of dark chocolate chips last a few brownies batches. Woo hoo!
The peanut butter swirl on top of these brownies definitely steal the show. It’s a super easy way to elevate this easy dessert. Simply take a few small spoonfuls of your favourite peanut butter and splatter it on top of the raw brownie batter in your pan. Natural, Crunchy and Smooth, it really doesn’t matter. Then, gently and shallowly, run a butter knife through the batter making swirl patterns. Ta-dah! You made some fancy swirl-y brownies.
Peanut Butter + Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Canola Oil
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 dash Salt
- 2 Eggs (medium)
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Peanuts (chopped)
- 1/3 cup Peanut Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix canola oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Once well mixed, add eggs and mix until just incorporated.
- Add flour and mix. Fold in dark chocolate chips and peanuts.
- Transfer brownie batter to an 8X8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Dollop peanut butter in random spots on top of brownie batter and run a butter knife in circular pattern to create peanut butter swirl.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle of pan is removed with a little batter (they will continue to cook as they cool, but you don't want to toothpick to come out too wet). Cool and then serve.
Pssst.
You’ll also notice a few changes here around the blog. I upgraded my logo thanks to the talented Kristin G in Winnipeg. If you are wanting fun, bright and affordable logos, reach out to her on instagram at @itsagoblin.
Did you make Peanut Butter + Chocolate Brownies at home?
If so, take a picture and tag it with #PeppersAndPennies! I love seeing your creations and will gladly share your photo!
