I love brownies. I love peanut butter cookies. I LOVE Peanut Butter Cookie Brownies!!! AKA Polka Dot Brownies :0)
We’ve got an easy homemade brownie batter studded with globs of peanut butter cookie dough for a chocolate peanut butter lovers dream come true.
These little squares did NOT last long my friends. My husband barely even got to taste them because the boys and I scarfed them up so fast. He’s learning that he has to be quick if he wants to get in on the good stuff. Otherwise it’s like, “Um, didn’t I see a pan of brownies on the counter a few days ago?” Sure did buddy, you snooze you loose around here!
You should probably make these too, it being the start of the weekend and all! Happy Friday!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen
Can't get enough?
Subscribe and I'll send all my recipes right to your inbox! You can also keep up to date by following me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Print
Peanut Butter Cookie Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the Cookie
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 9 by 9 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over the sides for easy removal later.
Brownie Batter
- In a small pan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in sugar.
- Remove from heat and stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Stir the butter, sugar and eggs into the dry ingredients until just mixed. A few lumps are okay.
- Pour the brownie batter into the pan and set aside.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vegetable oil and sugar. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and peanut butter and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt and then add to the wet ingredients to form a dough.
- Drop 25 scoops of peanut butter cookie dough (about 1 TB each) onto the brownie batter.
- Bake for 27-30 minutes, then cool completely before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Calories: 214
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 170mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Tina says
I used extra crunchy peanut butter and special dark cocoa powder. Waiting for them to cool off eat. Hope they taste as good as they look.
Julie says
I bet that dark chocolate makes them extra good! Hope you enjoy Tina. Let me know how they taste!
Mara says
Would this recipe work if I make it in a 9×13 pan? or would I have to double the recipe?
Julie says
I think you might have trouble with the baking time if you were to double this recipe, and it may be too thin if you did not double it. I think it might just be best to stick with the pan size suggested this time. Thanks for your question!
Jenny says
Do I need to use regular creamy peanut butter or will natural creamy work?
Julie says
Jenny, I think it should be okay to use either kind of peanut butter. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Brittany says
Hi, would ai be able to sub the 9×9 for an 8×8? Thanks so much!
Julie says
I would be a little careful about that just because the brownie part might be hard to bake through if it’s too thick. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Deborah says
Can I use natural unsweetened cocoa?
Julie says
Yes, that is the right kind to use for this recipe. Thanks Deborah.
Anne says
The recipe for the brownies and for the cookies are delicious! I read the comments and these were my tricks. I doubled the recipe to make it in a 9×13 pan. My pan was stoneware. Then I cooked the brownie base for 15 min. Then I added the cookies on top, I had extra dough, which I froze for next time. Then I cooked the rest together for 15-20 min. It was delicious and done. Thank you for a great recipe!
Julie says
Thanks for your feedback and great tips!
Lisa Watson says
Rated Do OVER
Talithia says
I’m making these tonight!! I want more of a fudgey peanut butter cookie. Should I use less flour or more peanut butter or both?
Thanks..they look so good in the photos
Brittany says
Saw a previous comment where it said the cookie ingredient had been changed from baking soda to powder-but it still says powder. Which should it be?
Brittany says
I’m sorry, I meant to say that it still says soda
Julie says
Hi Brittany – I totally see how this is confusing! I think it is written correctly as it is. There is baking powder in the brownie batter and baking soda in the peanut butter cookie dough.
Brittany says
Thank you. Was in the process of making them as I submitted this question. Made them as written with soda in the cookie dough. I ate maybe 3 bars myself 🙈
Julie says
Oh good! That sounds like my kind of Friday night!
Teresa says
Hey Julie these are in my oven as I post with 15 mins. left I will let you know how they turn out . It’s a sweet Sunday evening & my sons best friend is over who loves anything peanut butter 😀 But omg he also weighs over 270 😲Just hope unlike your hubby, Pray I don’t miss out on what’s smelling so “delicious ” right now! 🙏🙏🙏
Kait says
Is it ok to use a 9 by 13 inch pan?
Julie says
If you use a larger pan they will be very thin and will bake faster – not sure if it would work.
Alyssa says
Hi Julie, I’m a professionally trained chef (retired) and totally obsessed with food, particularly desserts and recipe development. I try to eat healthy and avoid sugar, so I’m constantly testing and adapting rich recipes to be a little lighter but still satisfying, as I love butter!
I’m puzzled by one aspect of your recipe and hoping you can explain it to me: the chocolate batter calls for butter, but the peanut butter batter calls for oil. Why oil, and not butter? In what way does the use of oil affect the flavor/texture?
If I use oil in a recipe, I usually opt for organic coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil with butter flavor. So, if oil works better in the peanut butter batter, which “healthy” oil would you recommend using? I’ve never made peanut butter brownies, but I am anxious to give it a try. Please help me out here!
Many thanks,
Alyssa
Julie says
Great question Alyssa. I need to go back and remake this recipe and tweak it so it makes more sense. I made this one a while back and was simply combining a brownie recipe and a cookie recipe that I liked! Let me know if you try it, what changes you make and how it works out! Thanks for your question!
Rachel says
I made these and ate WAY too many of them. They were so good and not too sweet.
Julie says
I’m glad you liked them! Thanks so much for letting me know, Rachel!
Sharon says
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa
Julie says
I used unsweetened cocoa.
Regina says
My peanut butter dough just kinds of stayed in globs, not swirled like the pictures show. I’m sure the brownies will taste good. They just look different than I expected.
Kayla says
Made these last night! They came out perfectly and everyone loved them! I added a little salt to the top while they were still hot and that added extra flavor! Might try adding dark chocolate chunks to the brownie batter next time. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★