Irresistible Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

These are everything I crave in a midnight cookie: fudgy like a brownie, with that shiny crackle top, and a warm swirl of peanut butter running through the middle like a secret. They’re gooey in the center, a little chewy at the edge, and they make your whole kitchen smell like a bakery that also sells hugs. No fancy gear, no hours of chilling. Just a bowl, a whisk, and a dangerously good cookie.

My little family goes wild for these. My husband pretends he’s going to “wait till after dinner,” and then I find him in the kitchen with a spatula, “rescuing a broken one.” Uh-huh. Our kid calls them swirl cookies and will sit on the counter, swinging legs, waiting for me to poke the dough with a spoon so the peanut butter makes those little ribbons. This recipe earned permanent weekend status after a bake sale where people were actually bargaining for the last two. I had to cut them in half like we were splitting treasure.

Why You’ll Love This Irresistible Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

– The texture: brownie-fudgy middle, cookie-chewy edge, crackly top. It’s a personality cookie.
– Big peanut butter swirls that don’t disappear. You can actually see and taste them.
– No mixer needed—just a whisk, a spatula, and ten minutes of pretending you’re on a baking show.
– Short rest, quick bake, instant gratification. We’re eating cookies in under an hour.
– Flexible pantry ingredients. If you’ve got cocoa, chocolate, and peanut butter, you’re basically there.

How to Make It

Okay, here’s the vibe: melt butter with chopped chocolate till glossy. In another bowl, whisk eggs with white and brown sugar until it looks pale and a little foamy—this is what gives you the shiny tops. Stir in the warm chocolate, then your dry stuff. Batter will feel more like thick brownie batter than cookie dough—that’s exactly right. Let it sit 10–15 minutes so it puffs up a bit.

Meanwhile, stir creamy peanut butter with a smidge of powdered sugar so it’s thick but spoonable. Scoop dough onto a sheet, press a tiny divot, dollop peanut butter, and do a lazy swirl with a toothpick or butter knife. Sprinkle flaky salt if you want to be extra. Bake just till the edges set and the tops are crackly. Don’t overbake—these are meant to be a little soft in the center. Makes about 20–22 cookies, depending on how generous your scoops are and how many spoonfuls “fall” into your mouth.

Ingredient Notes

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– Dark or semisweet chocolate (6 oz/170 g): Melt with butter for that brownie backbone. Chips work, but chopped bars melt silkier.
– Unsalted butter (1/2 cup/113 g): Gives you shine and chew. Salted works—just reduce added salt a pinch.
– Eggs (2 large, room temp): Whisk with sugar till ribbony for those shiny tops. Cold eggs = meh volume.
– Granulated sugar (3/4 cup/150 g): Crackly top magic. Don’t cut too much or you’ll lose the crust.
– Brown sugar (1/2 cup/100 g): Adds chew and a butterscotchy whisper. I like light brown here.
– Cocoa powder (1/4 cup/24 g): Boosts the chocolate flavor without drying things out. Use natural or Dutch; both work.
– All-purpose flour (3/4 cup/90 g): Just enough to hold the fudge together. Don’t pack your measuring cup.
– Baking powder (1/2 tsp): Tiny lift so they don’t bake up flat as pancakes.
– Fine salt (1/2 tsp): Non-negotiable. Chocolate needs salt like fries need ketchup.
– Espresso powder (1/2 tsp, optional): Doesn’t make it “coffee”—just deepens the chocolate. Skip if you must.
– Creamy peanut butter (1/2 cup): Stir well. Natural PB is fine; see note below about thickening.
– Powdered sugar (2 tbsp): Mix with PB so your swirl stays put and doesn’t melt into the cookie.
– Peanut butter chips or chopped peanuts (1/2 cup, optional): For texture and extra peanut punch.
– Flaky sea salt (for finishing): That tiny sparkle on top. It makes people go wait, what is that?

Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Stir peanut butter with powdered sugar until thick and scoopable; set aside.
3. Melt butter and chocolate together (microwave in 20–30 second bursts or use a bowl over simmering water) until smooth; cool 2 minutes.
4. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar 2–3 minutes until pale and lightly frothy; whisk in vanilla, then the warm chocolate mixture.
5. Sift in flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder; fold until just combined, then rest batter 10–15 minutes to thicken.
6. Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds, press a small divot, add 1 teaspoon peanut butter, swirl, sprinkle flaky salt, and bake 9–11 minutes; cool on the sheet 5 minutes before moving.

What to Serve It With

– An ice-cold glass of milk or chocolate milk if you’re going for chaos.
– Hot coffee with a splash of vanilla creamer—trust me.
– A scoop of vanilla or peanut-butter-cup ice cream smashed between two cookies.
– Salty pretzels on the side for that sweet-salty-crunchy trifecta.

Tips & Mistakes

– Beat those eggs and sugars. Don’t skip it—that’s your shiny top insurance.
– Rest the batter. Ten minutes transforms it from runny to scoopable.
– Don’t overbake. Pull when edges are set and centers still look a little soft; they finish on the sheet.
– Warm chocolate mixture, not hot. If it’s scorching, it’ll scramble your eggs. We don’t want breakfast brownies.
– Natural PB? Thicken with powdered sugar or a teaspoon of cornstarch so the swirl doesn’t vanish.

Storage Tips

Room temp: Airtight container, 3–4 days, with a slice of bread in the container if your place is dry.
Fridge: They firm up and get fudgier—kind of amazing cold, especially for breakfast. Zero shame.
Freezer: Baked cookies freeze up to 2 months; rewarm 8–10 seconds in the microwave. Dough balls freeze great too—swirl first, freeze on a sheet, then bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

– Almond butter swirl: Works great—just thicken like you would PB.
– Nutella swirl: Skip the powdered sugar; Nutella holds up on its own.
– Jam riff: Little dots of strawberry or raspberry jam instead of PB for PB&J vibes.
– Chips and chunks: Peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts, or milk chocolate chunks… or all three.
– Gluten-free: A good 1:1 GF baking flour swaps in fine. Slightly shorter bake keeps them fudgy.
– Less sugar: You can shave 2–3 tablespoons off the white sugar; expect a bit less crackle.
– Maple or honey: Not ideal in the batter (it’ll loosen it). If you must, reduce by a few tablespoons of sugar and add 1–2 tablespoons extra flour to compensate.
– Dairy-free: Use a solid dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate; texture stays lovely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Irresistible Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

These chewy brownie cookies get a luscious peanut butter swirl and melty chocolate chips for the ultimate sweet-salty bite. Simple to make, bakery-level results.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• ▢ 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
• ▢ 0.75 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 2 large egg room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 0.33 cup unsweetened cocoa powder natural cocoa
• ▢ 0.5 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 tsp fine salt
• ▢ 0.5 cup creamy peanut butter warmed until pourable for swirling
• ▢ 0.5 cup mini chocolate chips
• ▢ 0.75 cup mini peanut butter cups chopped; optional
• ▢ 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt for sprinkling; optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chopped chocolate together (microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between), until smooth. Let cool 3 minutes.
• Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until thick, glossy, and slightly lightened, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and fine salt. Fold dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just combined; do not overmix.
• Fold in mini chocolate chips and chopped mini peanut butter cups (if using). Let the dough rest 5–10 minutes to thicken.
• Scoop 1 tablespoon mounds of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Spoon a small dollop of warmed peanut butter (about 0.5 teaspoon) on each and gently swirl with a toothpick.
• Bake 9–11 minutes, until the edges are set and centers are slightly soft and crackly. Do not overbake for fudgy cookies.
• Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional). Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Notes

For clean swirls, warm the peanut butter until just fluid (not hot). If the dough seems too soft to scoop, chill for 10 minutes and try again. Use a high-quality chocolate for best flavor.