When I posted my homemade Twix recipe and listed my absolute favorite candies list, I noticed that many of you have a deep love for Peanut Butter Cups. Do you know how tempted I was to write “OH MY GOODNESS have I got a recipe for you?! My Frosted Peanut Butter Cup Brownies will make you weak in the knees and get your heart racing!” But I decided to keep my recipe top secret until now. So may I present to you the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate lover’s brownie. It’s completely packed with chopped up peanut butter cups and frosted with a thick layer of creamy peanut butter frosting. If you want to get all fancy, (like I attempted to do) drizzle some chocolate over the top and this Frosted Peanut Butter Cup Brownie will be sure to make you drool.
First, you’ll need to chop up 12 regular sized peanut butter cups. I cut them into 4′s because you want to have big chunks of peanut butter cups, not tiny bits.
Now sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Set it aside. Sorry but I don’t have an exciting picture of sifted ingredients for you.
In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, (handheld mixer works fine) mix together 1 cup of melted unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons of vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar. Once that’s mixed up, add the 4 large eggs. When you add the eggs, add one at a time and let each one get incorporated.
Now add in the dry ingredients on low speed and slowly. If you don’t add them slowly and on low speed, you’ll look like you’ve been through a cocoa powder snowstorm. Mix until just almost combined.
Then take a spatula, like I’m doing in this lovely picture, and fold the ingredients together. You’ll notice that the ingredients aren’t mixed together very well and there’s melted butter on the bottom. Don’t panic, it’s supposed to be that way. Just keep folding the ingredients together! 🙂
Now comes the part that makes me drool. Throw in the chopped peanut butter cups and fold them in. OH MY, that looks so tasty.
Spread the batter in a lightly greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Bake the brownies at 350 F for about 30 minutes. Let them cool completely.
While the brownies are baking in the oven or cooling, let’s move on to the next tasty step.
If there’s anything better than a peanut butter cup brownie, it’s fluffy peanut butter frosting!! This frosting is beyond amazing and I eat it by the spoonful. I suggest you do the same! 🙂
In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works fine) cream together 7 Tablespoons of softened unsalted butter, 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
After it’s been mixed together, it should look like this delicious picture. I know you want to eat that! Don’t worry, I do too.
Slowly add in powdered sugar on low speed. Careful now, remember what I said about powdered sugar tornados! Mix it up and then once it’s mixed, increase the speed for a couple of minutes.
Add in 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat the dickens out of it for a couple of minutes. I could seriously eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Once the brownies have cooled completely, frost them with a thick layer of peanut butter frosting. Don’t be wimpy with the frosting! Cut into squares and enjoy!
Frosted Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Ingredients:
Brownies:
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 12 peanut butter cups, each one chopped into 4 pieces
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly greases a 9 by a 13-inch baking pan.
Sift together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works fine), mix together the melted unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla. Once that’s combined, add the eggs, one at a time.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients until the batter is almost combined.
Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together in order to incorporate everything together.
Take 12 peanut butter cups and chop each one into four pieces.
Add in the chopped peanut butter cups and fold them into the batter.
Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Once the brownies are done, allow them to cool completely before frosting with the peanut butter frosting.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- Sift the powdered sugar. Set aside.
Directions:
Mix together the peanut butter, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract at medium speed.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar at low speed. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed for about a minute.
Add the heavy whipping cream and increase the speed. Mix for a couple of minutes until the frosting is smooth.
Frost the peanut butter cup brownies with a thick layer of frosting! Cut into squares and enjoy!
