If you love the classic peanut butter and chocolate combo, these Buckeye Brownies will quickly become your new favorite dessert. Rich, fudgy brownies are topped with a creamy peanut butter layer and finished with melted chocolate for the ultimate indulgent treat. They're easy to make, incredibly decadent, and perfect for parties, holidays, or whenever a chocolate craving hits.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 25 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 16 brownies
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Rich, chocolatey, sweet, peanut buttery
- 🍚 Best Served With: Vanilla ice cream, milk, or coffee
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, they store well and taste even better the next day
Summarize and Save This Content On
These soft brownies are inspired by classic Buckeye candy, the famous peanut butter and chocolate treat everyone loves. The rich, fudgy brownie base with a creamy peanut butter topping and smooth chocolate finish adds that signature Buckeye flavor. Every bite is perfectly balanced between chocolate and peanut butter.
This was inspired by my peanut butter cookie pie and mini peanut butter cheesecakes on this site, and pairs well with these caramel cookie bars.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Classic chocolate peanut butter flavor: The iconic Buckeye candy flavor combination is turned into an irresistible brownie dessert.
- Perfect for parties and holidays: These brownies cut beautifully into squares and look impressive on dessert trays with our caramel cookie bars.
- Kid and adult approved: The peanut butter and chocolate combo is universally loved.
Ingredients
This Buckeye brownie recipe uses simple baking ingredients that are easy to find at any grocery store.
- Salted butter: Helps create a moist, fudgy brownie.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the brownies and helps make them soft and chewy.
- Eggs: Provide structure and richness to the brownie batter.
- Egg yolk: Makes the brownies even more fudgy.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the brownies their structure while still keeping them tender.
- Baking powder: Helps the brownies rise slightly so they stay soft.
- Cocoa powder: Delivers deep chocolate flavor throughout the brownie.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Melt slightly during baking to create pockets of chocolate throughout the brownies and balance the sweetness of the peanut butter layer.
- Peanut butter: Creates the creamy Buckeye-style layer that pairs perfectly with chocolate. Yes, crunchy peanut butter works well if you want a little extra texture in the peanut butter layer, though creamy peanut butter gives the smoothest finish.
- Powdered sugar: Thickens the peanut butter layer and makes it smooth and spreadable.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- More Indulgent: Include chopped peanut butter cups, a mixture of white, peanut butter or milk chocolate chips into the brownie batter.
- Nutty buckeye brownies: Add chopped walnuts, pecans or peanuts to the batter for extra crunch.
- Caramel buckeye brownies: Drizzle caramel sauce over the chocolate layer and add caramel chips to the batter.
- Espresso brownies: Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the brownie batter to intensify the chocolate flavor.
- Mini buckeye brownies: Bake in a muffin tin for bite-size brownie cups.
How to Make Buckeye Brownies
These brownies are the ultimate layered dessert and come together easily. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Step 1: Prepare the brownie batter. Melt your butter and then add it to a large mixing bowl along with the granulated sugar.
Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk. Once the eggs are thoroughly incorporated, whisk in the cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour.
Gently fold in one cup of chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the brownie batter.
Step 2: Add to Dish: Spread your batter into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake your brownies for 25 minutes. Cool before adding topping so it doesn't melt.
Step 3: Add peanut butter. Whisk the peanut butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spread the peanut butter mixture over your brownies.
Step 4: Blend with chocolate. Melt remaining chocolate and pour it over the peanut butter mixture. Gently fold the peanut butter and chocolate together. Allow brownies to cool before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- Storage: They can stay at room temperature for about two days in an airtight container, but refrigerating them will keep them fresh for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap brownies individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Melt the butter first and let it cool slightly: Warm butter mixes easily with the sugar, but if it is too hot it can start cooking the eggs when they are added.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added: Stirring too much after adding the dry ingredients can make the brownies tougher instead of soft and chewy.
- Fold in the chocolate chips gently: This keeps the chips evenly distributed without overworking the batter.
- Use an 8x8 baking dish for thick brownies: A smaller pan gives you taller, richer brownies.
- Do not overbake the brownie base: Pull the brownies out when the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the slightly soft center comes out with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter) to keep them fudgy after cooling.
- Let the brownies cool before adding the peanut butter layer: Spreading the peanut butter mixture on hot brownies can make it melt too much and become messy.
- Use creamy peanut butter for the smoothest topping: Creamy peanut butter blends best with powdered sugar and creates that classic buckeye filling texture.
- Melt the top chocolate slowly: Heating the chocolate chips in short intervals and stirring well prevents the chocolate from seizing or burning.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy my brownie ice cream cake with peanut butter and this peanut butter brownie ice cream.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with vanilla ice cream, Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream or whipped cream and chocolate sauce or Snickers sauce for a classic brownie sundae.
- Pair with a glass of cold milk for a comforting dessert.
- Pack into lunchboxes for a sweet afternoon treat with our peanut butter cookie bars.
- Always the first to disappear on dessert platters with our coconut brownies and magic cookie bars.
Recipe FAQs
Buckeye brownies are a layered dessert inspired by classic Buckeye candy. They feature a rich chocolate brownie base topped with a creamy peanut butter layer and finished with melted chocolate.
Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade clean between slices. Chilling the brownies slightly also helps create clean cuts.
Yes, you can bake a boxed brownie mix in an 8x8 pan and then add the peanut butter and chocolate layers to create a shortcut version.
Give these white chocolate brownies a try if you love brownie recipes like this as much as I do.
More Brownie Recipes
Do you like brownies? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Buckeye Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups chocolate chips divided
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Melt your butter and then add it to a large mixing bowl along with the granulated sugar.
- Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk. Once the eggs are thoroughly incorporated, whisk in the cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour.
- Gently fold in one cup of chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the brownie batter.
- Spread your batter into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake your brownies for 25 minutes. Allow brownies to totally cool before adding peanut butter chocolate topping or it will totally melt.
- Whisk the peanut butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Spread the peanut butter mixture over your brownies. Melt remaining chocolate and pour it over the peanut butter mixture. Gently fold the peanut butter and chocolate together.
- Chill cooled brownies for 30 minutes before slicing for cleanest slices. Serve.
Notes
- Storage: They can stay at room temperature for about two days in an airtight container, but refrigerating them will keep them fresh for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap brownies individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Melt the butter first and let it cool slightly: Warm butter mixes easily with the sugar, but if it is too hot it can start cooking the eggs when they are added.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added: Stirring too much after adding the dry ingredients can make the brownies tougher instead of soft and chewy.
- Fold in the chocolate chips gently: This keeps the chips evenly distributed without overworking the batter.
- Use an 8x8 baking dish for thick brownies: A smaller pan gives you taller, richer brownies.
- Do not overbake the brownie base: Pull the brownies out when the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the slightly soft center comes out with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter) to keep them fudgy after cooling.
- Let the brownies cool before adding the peanut butter layer: Spreading the peanut butter mixture on hot brownies can make it melt too much and become messy.
- Use creamy peanut butter for the smoothest topping: Creamy peanut butter blends best with powdered sugar and creates that classic buckeye filling texture.
- Melt the top chocolate slowly: Heating the chocolate chips in short intervals and stirring well prevents the chocolate from seizing or burning.
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