Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

You won’t find a more decadent, amazing brownie than these Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting. Chocolate and peanut butter perfection.

Rich, dense, chocolate brownies topped with fluffy, whipped, peanut butter frosting, what’s not to love? These brownies are downright dangerous.

Homemade Brownies from Scratch

Grabbing a box of brownie mix is so easy, I get it. However, you won’t regret taking just 10 more minutes to create these fudgy bites of heaven.

I baked them to share with another family, and yet I found myself returning to the kitchen for just one more sliver all afternoon. I seriously had to stash these fudge brownies with peanut butter frosting in the freezer to save myself.

I recommend making these when you have the chance to share them with friends. They are ultra rich and perfect for small bite size pieces.

I am a huge salty/sweet fan. Nothing hits that note quite like chocolate and peanut butter together. The smooth salty creaminess of this peanut butter frosting takes these fudgy brownies over the top.

When using softened cream cheese or butter, there are lots of different tips and tricks for softening them.

Nothing beats just setting the butter or cream cheese on the counter for a few hours. If you do this when you start, by the time the brownies cool and are ready to frost, your butter and cream cheese will be perfectly softened.

Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or line it with foil and grease it very well with butter. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add 2 cups of chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon until they have melted.
2. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine. Add the vanilla and then whisk or stir in the eggs, one at a time. When the mixture is smooth and shiny, slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the saucepan.
3. Stir in ¾ cup of chocolate chips. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick shows moist crumbs. Let the bars cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting for Brownies

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer (with the wire whisk attachment if possible) until thoroughly combined.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. The frosting should be thick, creamy, and spreadable. If it becomes too thick to easily spread, add a tablespoon of cream or milk and beat again, adding additional liquid only if necessary.
3. Gently spread the frosting over the completely cooled brownies and chill for 1-2 hours until firm. Slice into bars. Store the remaining brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes

Chocolate and peanut butter go together as good as if not better than peanut butter and jelly. From breakfast smoothies to cakes, I have you covered.

No-Bake Cookies have met their match with these Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Bites. It doesn’t get much easier than just stirring everything together and pouring it into a pan.

Tender and moist Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins are possible with just a scoop of sour cream and a couple of bananas. These muffins are moist and sweet and absolutely perfect for a breakfast treat, an afternoon snack, or even for dessert.

Much closer to a milkshake than our typical smoothies, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie is made rich and creamy by adding frozen bananas.

Last but not least, The Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is a Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze, but really? Let’s just call it the ULTIMATE chocolate cake.

Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!

Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Fudgy chocolate brownies topped with peanut butter frosting are a classic dessert that we all love. (traditional and gluten-free recipes included)

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 31 minutes mins

2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 46 minutes mins

Servings: 18 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

Brownie Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup butter
• ▢ 2¾ cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients

• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ ¼ cup butter softened
• ▢ ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk only as needed

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• ▢ ⅔ cup brown rice flour
• ▢ ⅓ cup tapioca starch

Instructions

Brownie Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or line it with foil and grease it very well with butter. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add 2 cups of chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon until they have melted.
• Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine. Add the vanilla and then whisk or stir in the eggs, one at a time. When the mixture is smooth and shiny, slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the saucepan.
• Stir in ¾ cup of chocolate chips. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick shows moist crumbs. Let the bars cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer (with the wire whisk attachment if possible) until thoroughly combined.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. The frosting should be thick, creamy, and spreadable. If it becomes too thick to easily spread, add a tablespoon of cream or milk and beat again, adding additional liquid only if necessary.
• Gently spread the frosting over the completely cooled brownies and chill for 1-2 hours until firm. Slice into bars. Store the remaining brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal · Carbohydrates: 47g · Protein: 5g · Fat: 24g · Saturated Fat: 13g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7g · Trans Fat: 1g · Cholesterol: 65mg · Sodium: 187mg · Potassium: 233mg · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 36g · Vitamin A: 389IU · Calcium: 46mg · Iron: 2mg

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{originally published 7/4/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/20/22}