Halloween Fudgy Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies
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If you love peanut butter cups — you’ll adore these Halloween Fudgy Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies.
A decadent treat for sure, perfect for Halloween, or even rooting for your favorite “black and orange” team at a tailgate.
These brownies are dense, fudgy, peanut buttery… and oh my — so good!
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They bake in a 9×9 inch pan and will make 16 brownies if you’re careful. I mean, my guys tend to want to cut them into large squares — and that’s okay too.
How to Make the Peanut Butter Swirl
Swirling the peanut butter is as easy as dropping spoonfuls of brownie batter and peanut butter in random dollops in your baking pan. Use a knife to spread the brownie batter into the gaps. Then, using the same knife, run it up and down the pan vertically and horizontally until you see a swirl pattern. That’s it!
The Orange Swirl
The orange swirl is actually peanut butter with red and yellow food dye mixed together to make orange. Easily eliminated if you prefer to make the swirl without the dye.
Cutting the Brownies
I can’t tell you how many knives and spatulas I’ve tried that were specifically branded for brownies. But guess what… the “perfect” knife turns out to be a plastic knife from a picnic utensils set. It just works every time. Be sure the brownies have cooled completely before cutting them into squares.
How to Tell if the Brownies are Done
This brownie recipe should take about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven. But be sure to watch the brownies, not the clock. You’ll know when the brownies are done when the top looks set. Using a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies, test to see if it comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached. If there is wet batter, the brownies are not done. Be careful not to overbake.
More Halloween Recipes to Try
- Easy, Fun and Spooky Halloween Treats
- Healthy Halloween Treats Your Trick-or-Treaters Will Love
- 6 Incredibly Easy Halloween Treats and Tricks
- Leftover Halloween Candy? Here are 21 Easy Ideas!
Halloween Fudgy Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Peanut Butter Swirl
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- red food coloring
- yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with overhanging layers of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup butter and chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second increments, whisking after each, until completely smooth. Then mix in the granulated sugar until completely combined; whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
- With a spatula or spoon fold in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- For the Peanut Butter Swirl: Melt butter in a medium-size bowl and add a few drops of yellow and red food coloring, until the butter has a nice orange color. Add the peanut butter and confectioners sugar and mix together until smooth.
- Drop big spoonfuls of the chocolate brownie batter randomly into the prepared pan. Top with spoonfuls of the peanut butter batter. Using a knife, swirl the batters together. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely; about 1 hour. For 16 brownies, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
