Buckeye Brownies Recipe

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These buckeye brownies are made completely from scratch and are 100% irresistible. This recipe features a fudgy brownie base with a thick, creamy peanut butter layer topped with a rich chocolate ganache for a decadent dessert perfect for chocolate peanut butter lovers!

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Chilling2

Total Time2 55

Course: brownies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Brownies

Author: Laura

Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

Brownie Layer

Peanut Butter layer

¾ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup salted butter (softened)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tablespoons whole milk (room temperature)

Chocolate Ganache Layer

½ cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate (6 ounces)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line a 9x9” baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease, set aside.

Make the Brownie Layer

Mix flour, cocoa powder and sea salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl, or on the stovetop over low heat. Stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs for 1 minute.
Add sugar and beat for an additional 1 minute.
Beat in the melted chocolate/butter mixture and vanilla on low speed until fully incorporated.
Add dry ingredients, mix on low speed until just incorporated and there are no lumps. The batter should be thick.
Evenly spread the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is set and the brownies are only very slightly “jiggly”, 25 to 28 minutes.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack. You can speed up the cooling process by putting the brownies in the refrigerator or freezer.

Make the Peanut Butter Layer

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat butter until smooth.
Beat in peanut butter until combined.
Then beat in the vanilla and sea salt until smooth.
Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat until fully incorporated after each addition.
Add 1 tablespoon whole milk and beat. If necessary, add an additional 1 tablespoon milk to achieve your desired consistency.
Then, spread the peanut butter mixture over the cooled brownies. At this point you can put the buckeye brownies in the refrigerator to cool a bit. If they are cool the ganache will set faster.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

Warm ½ cup heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to bubble around the edges (but does not boil).
Then, turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
Let cool slightly, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Evenly spread the ganache over the peanut butter layer on the brownies.

Set & Serve

Let the brownies chill in the refrigerator or sit at room temperature until the ganache is set.
Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitution Notes

Semisweet chocolate. You can use chips, bars, discs, etc. because both in the brownie layer and ganache it's being melted. You can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate for a richer or sweeter flavor.
Salted butter. unsalted butter works great.
Granulated sugar. I use organic cane sugar.
All-purpose flour. Use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make these brownies gluten-free.
Creamy peanut butter. I suggest a peanut butter that is solid at room temperature. If you're using a natural peanut butter you may need to add more powdered sugar and omit the milk to make the peanut butter layer firm enough.
Heavy cream. there isn't a substitute for heavy cream in the ganache.

Store/Freeze

Store leftover buckeye brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature - do not microwave.

For Clean Brownie Cuts

Make sure the buckeye brownies are completely chilled and firm. Then dip a sharp knife in very hot water, dry it quickly with a towel then make a cut. Then, wipe the knife off and repeat with each cut.

Nutrition