These peanut butter swirl brownie cookies are fudgy, chewy, and loaded with rich chocolate flavor and creamy peanut butter swirls. They bake up with crackly tops and soft, brownie-like centers that stay gooey even after they cool. I made these for the first time last winter when I couldn't decide between brownies and cookies, and they turned out so good I've been making them ever since. The dough comes together quickly, and the swirled peanut butter on top looks impressive without any fussy decorating.
If you love chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies together like in desserts,Try these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies or Chocolate Strawberry Yogurt Clusters, these cookies will be your new favorite. They're perfect for cookie swaps, bake sales, or just keeping a batch in the cookie jar alongside treats like Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes.
Why You'll Love This Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
These peanut butter swirl brownie cookies are the best of both worlds. They're fudgy and rich like brownies but portable and easy to share like cookies. The dough comes together in one bowl with simple ingredients, and the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies makes them look bakery-worthy without any special decorating skills.
They bake in just 5 to 6 minutes, so you can have fresh cookies on the table in less than an hour and a half, including the rest time. The texture is perfectly chewy with a crackly top, and the pockets of creamy peanut butter balance out the deep chocolate flavor. Plus, they keep well for days and even freeze beautifully, so you can make a big batch and have homemade cookies whenever you want them. Whether you're baking for a crowd or just treating yourself, these cookies deliver big flavor with minimal effort.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
- INGREDIANTS Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
- How to Make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
- Ingredient Swaps and Variations
- EQUIPMENT
- How to Store These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
- Serving Ideas
- Expert Tips
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
INGREDIANTS Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
Here's everything you need to make these rich, fudgy peanut butter swirl brownie cookies.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
- Large eggs (room temperature): Help create structure and give the cookies a light, airy texture. Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly into the batter.
- White granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps create that shiny, crackly top.
- Chocolate chips: Melt into the dough to create the rich, fudgy base. Use good quality chips for the best flavor.
- Plant-based butter (or regular butter): Adds richness and helps the chocolate melt smoothly. Either type works beautifully.
- Instant coffee granules (optional): Deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cookies taste like coffee. It's a baker's secret ingredient.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the sweetness.
- Salt: Balances the sugar and enhances all the other flavors.
- Baking powder: Gives the cookies a little lift so they're not too dense.
- Dutched cocoa powder: Provides a deep, dark chocolate flavor and rich color. It's less acidic than regular cocoa.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies and keeps them from being too fragile.
- Natural peanut butter (the runny kind made with just peanuts): Creates those beautiful swirls on top and adds creamy, nutty flavor. Make sure it's at room temperature so it swirls easily.
How to Make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
These cookies come together in a few simple steps with a short rest time in between.
- Prepare the eggs: Place the two eggs in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature. This helps them blend smoothly into the sugar.
- Melt chocolate and butter: Add the chocolate chips and butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Stir in the instant coffee if you're using it, then set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix sugar and eggs: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature eggs and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light, foamy, and thick like whipped cream. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine mixtures: Gently fold the melted chocolate mixture into the sugar and egg mixture until fully combined and glossy.
- Add dry ingredients: Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently until just combined. Don't overmix or the cookies will be tough.
- Rest dough: Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This step thickens the batter so it's easier to scoop and helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Preheat oven: While the dough rests, line your baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Scoop cookies: Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough into 8 portions per baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Add peanut butter: Spoon ½ teaspoon of Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies over each dough ball. Use the small end of a chopstick or similar utensil to gently swirl the peanut butter into the dough in "C" and "S" shapes. Don't over-swirl or the peanut butter will disappear into the dough. You want some thicker pools of peanut butter for flavor and texture.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the centers are slightly wet and the edges look set. The cookies will look underdone, but they continue to set as they cool. If the cookies are lopsided, use the back of a spoon to gently press the edges into a neater shape while they're still hot.
- Cool and store: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat until all cookies are baked. Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature to keep the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies topping from transferring to other cookies.
Ingredient Swaps and Variations
This recipe is flexible and works well with a few simple adjustments.
Butter: You can use plant-based butter, regular butter, or your favorite neutral oil. Avoid using coconut oil as it can make the texture greasy.
Peanut Butter: Almond butter or cashew butter work if you want a different flavor. Just make sure it's the runny, natural kind.
Chocolate Chips: Use dark chocolate chips for a richer flavor, or milk chocolate if you prefer something sweeter.
Cocoa Powder: If you don't have Dutched cocoa, regular unsweetened cocoa powder works fine. The flavor will be slightly lighter.
Add-ins: Fold in chopped Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies, mini chocolate chips, or a pinch of sea salt on top before baking.
EQUIPMENT
Here's the basic gear that makes these cookies come together smoothly.
Stand mixer or hand mixer: Beats the eggs and sugar into a thick, fluffy mixture.
Microwave-safe bowl: For melting the chocolate and butter.
Cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon size): Helps portion the dough evenly so all the cookies bake at the same rate.
Baking sheets: Line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Chopstick or toothpick: For swirling the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies into the dough.
Cooling rack: Allows air to circulate around the cookies so they cool evenly.
How to Store These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
These brownie cookies keep well and stay fudgy for days.
Room Temperature: Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep them separated so the peanut butter doesn't smudge.
Refrigerator: You can refrigerate them for up to a week if you prefer a firmer texture, but they're best at room temperature.
Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Freezing Dough: You can also freeze the dough balls before adding the peanut butter swirl. When you're ready to bake, add the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Serving Ideas
These cookies are delicious on their own, but here are a few fun ways to enjoy them.
Serve them warm with a cold glass of milk for the ultimate cookie experience. Crumble them over vanilla ice cream for a brownie sundae vibe. Pack them in a pretty box for gifts or cookie swaps. Pair them with a hot cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon treat.
Expert Tips
Here are a few tricks to make sure your cookies turn out fudgy, chewy, and perfectly swirled every time.
Don't skip the rest time: Letting the dough sit for 30 minutes makes it much easier to scoop and helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
Use room temperature eggs: Cold eggs don't whip up as well, and you'll end up with a denser cookie.
Don't overbake: These cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out. They'll continue to set as they cool, and this is what keeps them fudgy.
Swirl gently: You want visible streaks of Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies, not a fully mixed-in swirl. A light hand is key here.
Use runny peanut butter: Thick, sweetened Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies won't swirl as easily and can make the cookies too heavy.
Press lopsided cookies: If your cookies spread unevenly, gently press the edges with the back of a spoon right when they come out of the oven to shape them.
FAQ
How do you swirl peanut butter into brownies?
To swirl Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies into these brownie cookies, spoon about ½ teaspoon of runny, natural peanut butter on top of each dough ball. Then use the small end of a chopstick or a toothpick to gently swirl it into the dough in "C" and "S" shapes. Don't over-swirl or the peanut butter will disappear. You want some thicker pockets of peanut butter for flavor and visual appeal. My grandma taught me to think of it like drawing ribbons, not mixing paint.
What are some fun facts about Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies?
Peanut butter cookies became popular in the United States in the early 1900s when peanut butter was promoted as a healthy protein source. The classic crisscross pattern on peanut butter cookies started as a way to flatten the dough so it would bake evenly, but it also became a way to signal what flavor the cookie was. These brownie cookies use peanut butter as a swirl instead, giving you that nostalgic flavor in a totally different form.
What happens if you add peanut butter to brownie mix?
Adding peanut butter to brownie mix or brownie-style dough creates a richer, more decadent flavor and a slightly softer texture. The peanut butter adds fat and creaminess, which can make the brownies or cookies even fudgier. In this recipe, the peanut butter sits on top and swirls in, so you get pockets of creamy peanut butter flavor throughout each cookie without changing the overall texture.
Why do peanut butter cookies have a crisscross pattern?
The crisscross pattern on traditional peanut butter cookies serves two purposes. First, it flattens the dough so the cookies bake evenly, since peanut butter dough is usually thicker and denser. Second, it became a visual cue to identify peanut butter cookies at a glance. These brownie cookies skip the crisscross and use a swirl instead, which looks more decorative and gives you a fun contrast between the chocolate and peanut butter.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Place the eggs in a glass of warm water to bring them to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is fully melted. Stir in the optional instant coffee granules and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room-temperature eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes thick and foamy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Gently fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture until fully combined.
- Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until fully incorporated.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to thicken, making it easier to scoop.
- While the dough rests, line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into 24 balls, placing 8 per baking sheet.
- Use a ½ teaspoon to spoon the runny peanut butter over each dough ball. Take the small end of a chopstick and gently swirl the peanut butter into the dough, creating "C" and "S" shapes. Be careful not to over-swirl, leaving some thicker pools of peanut butter.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 5-6 minutes, or until the centers look slightly wet. The cookies should remain fudgy, so avoid overbaking. If the cookies are slightly uneven, use the back of a spoon to gently press them into a round shape.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat steps 8-11 for the remaining dough.
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