Peanut Butter Brownie Skillet

This peanut butter brownie skillet recipe combines fudgy brownies with a rich peanut butter cheesecake mixture in a cast iron skillet to make one of the best chocolate-peanut butter combinations yet!

Why this recipe works

This peanut butter brownie skillet has the chewy-crisp edges and a soft, fudgey center. It really has it all, plus some. The best part about it is that you get everything in one slice instead of having to choose between a middle piece or edge piece.

This recipe goes a ways back, all the way to 2011, and we’ve gotten our fair share of use out of it. I started with my recipe for brownies in a cast iron skillet, then added a mixture of sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese, and eggs to swirl into eachother for a lovely marbled effect. It came out better than I could have imagined. Instead of these being just brownies with some peanut butter swirled in, it’s more like a brownie pie with some peanut butter flavored cheesecake rippled throughout! Um, yes please.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHOCOLATE – Using an actual bar of unsweetened chocolate instead of cocoa powder gives you the richest flavor in brownies, which is exactly what we want. You can substitute with a bar of bittersweet baking chocolate if desired.

PEANUT BUTTER MIXTURE – Creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy is best for this recipe. Natural peanut butters tend to separate and aren’t typically stable enough which in turn, can affect the texture of the finished brownies.

How to Make Peanut Butter Brownie Skillet

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10″ cast iron skillet.
2. In a mixer at medium speed, cream together cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Cover and set aside.
3. Cut butter into 6 chunks. Place butter and chopped chocolate into a bowl and melt in the microwave. Add both sugars to melted chocolate and stir until everything is combined.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add vanilla, stir well. Add flour and salt and stir until there are no traces of flour left.
5. Reserve one cup of the brownie batter and set aside. Pour remaining brownie batter into prepared skillet.
6. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the brownie batter.
7. Spoon the remaining one cup of brownie batter in dollops onto the top of the peanut butter mixture.
8. Insert an icing spatula or butter knife into the batter (spatula should be straight up and down) and swirl the mixture. Do not overdo it, start from one side and finish at the other, no need to go over it again.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 55-65 minutes (mine was 63). The center will puff up a bit and the edges will pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

We used a 10-inch skillet, which makes the brownies nice and thick. You can use a larger skillet if that’s all you have on hand, but do note they will likely take less time to bake through and the brownies themselves will not be as thick. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Store any cooled leftovers covered tightly with aluminum foil, or transfer to an air-tight container. Keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Pair your peanut butter brownie skillet with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve warm, or at room temperature. I actually enjoy them best the following day! They are extra decadent with a drizzle of chocolate syrup or warmed peanut butter, but are just as divine served as-is.

More Related Recipes

• Peanut Butter Brownies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
• Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

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This post originally appeared here on May 1, 2011 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.