If you love brownies and you love peanut butter cups, then these peanut butter cup brownies are about to change your life! Fudgy brownie cups are baked in a muffin pan and stuffed with peanut butter filling before being covered in a layer of chocolate ganache and topped with chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt. It's an easy-to-make but not-so-basic take on one of our favorite candies!
I brownie-ified my favorite Halloween candy!
And to put it simply, these peanut butter cup brownies are over-the-top indulgent (in the best way)!
Sure, you could simply press peanut butter cups into brownie batter to create a quick and easy batch of peanut butter cup brownies. But with just a little bit more effort, you can make these epic brownie peanut butter cups that are stuffed with creamy peanut butter and overflowing with rich chocolatey flavor!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe uses my easy, one-bowl fudgy chocolate brownie batter, baked in a muffin pan to create deeply chocolatey, fudgy brownie cups.
Each brownie cup is then packed with a smooth and creamy peanut butter filling and topped with a rich and creamy chocolate ganache.
The chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt on top are entirely optional, but the garnish elevates these peanut butter cup brownies into a truly elegant indulgence.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Chocolate Baking Bar - You'll need a chocolate baking bar for both the brownie batter and ganache. Use a nice quality bar (I like Ghirardelli's or Baker's brand), and choose semi-sweet or bittersweet depending on your flavor preference. Do not substitute chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that will not yield the ideal texture for both the brownies and ganache.
Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder works with the chopped chocolate to gives these brownies their rich chocolate flavor. Use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a deeper, smoother chocolate flavor or natural unsweetened cocoa powder for a more robust, slightly bitter chocolate flavor.
Sugar & Brown Sugar - Using both white and brown sugars adds just the right amount of sweetness, structure, and moisture. I used light brown sugar, but dark brown will also work (dark brown will add a bit more molasses flavor to the brownie batter).
Creamy Peanut Butter - Peanut butter is of course a must in these brownie cups. I prefer the smoothness of traditional peanut butter for its creamy texture, but natural peanut butter can be used if you prefer it and don't mind a thicker textured filling.
Heavy Whipping Cream - For the ganache, you'll need cream that's labeled 'heavy cream' or 'heavy whipping cream'. Don't substitute whipping cream or whole milk, which don't have quite enough milk fat for making ganache.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A standard muffin pan, for baking the brownie cups.
- An electric hand mixer, for mixing the peanut butter filling.
- A small saucepan, for heating the cream.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the brownie batter. Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave and whisk until smooth. Add both sugars and whisk until combined. Then add vanilla and eggs and whisk until combined.
Step 2: Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold into the sugar mixture.
Step 3: Spray 6 wells in a standard muffin pan with cooking spray and spoon 3 Tablespoons of batter into each well.
Step 4: Bake the brownie cups at 350°F for about 18 minutes. Immediately after removing the brownies from the oven, use the back of a Tablespoon to press an indent into the center of each brownie. Let the brownies cool completely.
Step 5: Make the peanut butter filling. Beat together peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until well blended.
Step 6: Scoop 1 Tablespoon of the peanut butter filling into the center of each brownie cup.
Step 7: Make the chocolate ganache. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan just until it begins to simmer. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Step 8: Spoon 1 Tablespoon of ganache over the top of each brownie cup.
Optional: Sprinkle chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt over the ganache to garnish the brownies.
Allison's Top Tips
Right after you remove the brownies fro the oven and press the indents into them, use a thin cake tester or knife to separate the sides of the brownie cups from the pan. Then spin each brownie to fully loosen its bottom and sides from the pan to avoid sticking.
If you have one, a small cookie scoop (1 Tablespoon size) is helpful for neatly scooping the peanut butter filling into the brownie cups.
Don't worry if a little bit of the ganache drips down the side of the brownie cup. It doesn't need to be perfect, and the drips make the cups looks especially enticing!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Special Equipment
- standard muffin pan
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- 4 Tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter
- ¾ ounce (21 grams) semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (40 grams) light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 (50 grams) large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (28 grams) cocoa powder (Dutch processed or natural unsweetened)
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) salt
Peanut Butter Filling
- 6 Tablespoons (101 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons (14 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5) vanilla extract
Ganache Topping
- 1 ½ ounce (43 grams) chocolate baking bar (semi-sweet or bittersweet), finely chopped
- 1 ½ ounce (43 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons (18 grams) roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
Make the brownie cups.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 6 wells of a standard muffin pan with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments. Whisk until smooth.
- Add both sugars and whisk until combined.
- Add vanilla and eggs and whisk until combined.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold into the sugar mixture.
- Spoon 3 Tablespoons of batter into each of the greased wells of the muffin pan.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a brownie comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Immediately after removing the brownies from the oven, use the back of a Tablespoon to press an indent into the center of each brownie. Use a thin cake tester or knife to separate the sides of the brownie cups from the pan and spin each brownie to loosen its bottom from the pan to avoid sticking. Let the brownies cool completely.
Make the peanut butter filling.
- In a small bowl, add peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the mixture on medium speed until well blended.
- Scoop 1 Tablespoon of the peanut butter filling into the center of each brownie cup.
Make the chocolate ganache topping.
- Place finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat just until it begins to simmer.
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
- Spoon 1 Tablespoon of ganache over the top of each brownie cup.
- Optional: Sprinkle chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt over the ganache to garnish the brownies.
Natalie S. says
These are delicious and decadent, and pretty easy! I doubled the recipe for a full dozen since I was feeding a larger group.