Classic Peanut Butter Brownies

The classic peanut butter brownies recipe from a vintage American cookbook!  Simple ingredients and easy instructions to make perfect peanut butter brownies.

I happen to have a large pile of vintage cookbooks from the sixties and seventies that were published by Better Homes and Gardens.  This isn’t the first time I’ve used a time machine to find a recipe; a few weeks ago I flipped through and chose Triple Layer Oatmeal Brownies.  Since this is a brownie blog, after all, I needed another brownie recipe for this challenge.  So, I wrote down a numbered list of all the brownie recipes and used some dice to generate a number.

And the winner is…  Better Homes and Gardens Cooking For Two Peanut Butter Brownies!  This peanut butter brownie recipe is featured in the chapter entitled “Desserts … On Call.”  I checked to see if the recipe included a beeper or pager, but alas- they did not.  Check out the cover; it’s classic 60’s Americana!

Classic American food styling from the 60s

You might notice that these brownies have a milk chocolate taste; that’s due to the slightly reduced amount of chocolate.  They also have less butter, too; that’s because the peanut butter contains enough fat to compensate.

I’ve lowered the salt a bit because the 1/4 cup of peanut butter already contains about half the salt of a typical brownie recipe.

Interestingly, these peanut butter brownies come out quite chewy, most likely due to the unsaturated fats from the peanut butter and a slightly higher proportion of sugar to chocolate.

Tips for Making Perfect Peanut Butter Brownies

• In simple recipes, good ingredients make for good flavor.  Choose a good peanut butter and good unsweetened chocolate.  I’m even picky about good quality butter (I spring for a name brand, to be honest).
• Brownies taste better after they cool.  It gives the flavor time to develop.
• Don’t forget to line the pan for easy cleanup!
• If you like brownies, you don’t want to miss my favorite brownie recipe.

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Classic Peanut Butter Brownies

The classic peanut butter brownies recipe from a vintage American cookbook! Simple ingredients and easy instructions to make perfect peanut butter brownies.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 9

Calories 242 kcal

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter creamy
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and prepare an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan by lining it with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a microwaveable bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth.
3. Blend in sugar and peanut butter. Add salt and vanilla and stir until smooth.
4. Stir in eggs gently until incorporated.
5. Stir in flour until just incorporated.
6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs attached.
7. Cool completely on a rack.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition facts are approximate.  Please consult a nutritionist if you have specific dietary needs.

Nutrition Facts

Classic Peanut Butter Brownies

Amount Per Serving (59 g)

Calories 242 Calories from Fat 118

% Daily Value*

Fat 13.1g20%

Saturated Fat 6.3g39%

Cholesterol 50mg17%

Sodium 116mg5%

Potassium 121mg3%

Carbohydrates 30.9g10%

Fiber 1.7g7%

Sugar 23.1g26%

Protein 4.6g9%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.