I tend to believe that the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a good example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. I do love them on their own merits individually, but the two together is just something magical.
I’ve lost count of the number of recipes I have collected over the years featuring this flavor pairing. My decision to make this particular recipe was based solely on the fact that I had recently, on a whim, bought a package of miniature peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s. It was either bake with them or slowly eat them until the shame set in.
These blondies are a breeze to make. You can go from ingredients to oven in about 20 minutes. That’s always a plus for me. And the result is just as pleasing as you’d expect with this winning ingredient combination.
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 0.75 ounces peanut butter cups (about 4 regular size) chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan lightly with cooking spray.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs. Stir well.
Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Transfer batter into baking pan. Arrange the peanut butter cups over the batter.
Bake for 19 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
September 20th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
These look amazing! Chocolate and peanut butter are the most reliable ingredient buddies.
September 20th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups……I also bought a container of those last week and have been trying to find a good recipe in which to incorporate them! I think this is it. Your photos make them appear delicious and so decadent and then on the top of your printed recipe it says the recipe is from “Cooking Light”. How can that be? These sound anything but light! And not that I don’t believe in trying to eat healthier and cut calories, but when I personally bake, I’m more like Paula Deen – the more butter the better! I like to bake FULL fat. Do these PB Blondies taste light?
I also love the fact that they are so easy to throw together. That definitely is an incentive.
Thanks for the recipe.
Heidi
September 20th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Perfect! Thank you.
September 20th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Heidi, these didn’t taste light to me. You sound like my kind of baker!
September 21st, 2011 at 1:51 pm
chocolate and peanut butter is an amazing combination. I will be making these for sure!
September 22nd, 2011 at 5:00 am
Your site is so good (and tasty), it was the first site I saved into My Recipe Box on Allrecipes!
September 22nd, 2011 at 5:44 pm
The kiddo’s will love to make these….the hubs will love to eat these….
My hips thank you!
September 24th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Just the thought of a peanut butter cup in each bite of a blondie makes me so hungry
http://bitstreats.blogspot.com/
September 24th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
These look absolutely scrumptious. You are so right that chocolate and peanut butter together are better than the sum of its parts. Have you ever tried Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups? Those are my favorite. I don’t believe they come in mini, though, so you’d have to cut them up for baking. Anyway, thanks for the great recipe.
September 25th, 2011 at 11:58 am
I love those new mini Reeses cups, hadn’t thought yet beyond eating them plain…great idea here!
September 26th, 2011 at 8:38 am
i love the idea of baking my fave trader joe’s candies…
September 27th, 2011 at 10:24 am
These are cooling as we speak! They look fantastic! I am wondering how they cut though, I’m wanting to use a heart shaped cookie cutter instead of the typical square. Will they crumble? I don’t want to mess them up, since I’m taking them to a party! Love your blog, the photography makes me drool!
September 27th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Hi, Jordan. These weren’t terribly crumbly, but I’m not sure they’d stand up to a cookie cutter. You might try refrigerating them for a bit before you cut them. That might make them firm enough. Good luck and enjoy!
September 30th, 2011 at 9:44 am
These look absolutely delectable! Peanut butter and chocolate is always a good combination. Can’t wait to try them out! Thanks!
September 30th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Yes Please!! I will be trying them out this weekend
Always looking for new ways to bring peanut butter and chocolate together…this definitely is a welcome twist on peanut butter chips in regular brownies 
October 1st, 2011 at 3:23 am
digging your whole blog! but i wonder, how do you give away these great recipes without feeling robbed? [since i'm married to a native italian & people are always asking for recipes...this is question for someone with experience.] thx for your consideration.
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:59 am
I am so excited to try these. I have the dark chocolate PB cups from Trader Joe’s but not the minis. It will be worth the trip to go get them. Your photos are really stunning, and they sealed the deal for me.
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Hi, Rachel. There are only a handful of special recipes that I don’t share. I love sharing all of these recipes with people!
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Thank you for sharing a great recipe. I like the idea of the chocolate cups. Your blog is wonderful, I am having a great time reading your posts. Keep up the good work!
October 12th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Looks really tasty!
October 15th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
I’m very excited to give this recipe a try. It’s really nice to see a chocalate and peanut butter tandem here in your blog. Great job!
October 16th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Wowza! You just made my forties. Thank you!
Gary
October 18th, 2011 at 2:25 am
Congrats! This is really mouth watering and indulging too. Such great ideas and beautiful pictures.
October 19th, 2011 at 4:04 am
Yummy ! this is amazing recipe . Lemon pancakes is my favorite and its looking so beautiful…….
Gluten Free Recipes
October 27th, 2011 at 6:40 am
Jennifer, these blondies look so delicious! I love pb & chocolate together, too. They compliment each other perfectly.
October 27th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Great photos, great taste too I am assuming, something I have to try
shared the recipe on my blog, hope you don’t mind
October 28th, 2011 at 8:24 am
I agree with you that something magical happens when chocolate and peanut butter are in close proximity to one another. I also have to give you kudos for using trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups – those are delightful!
October 28th, 2011 at 9:42 am
These look gorgeous.Love your blog,have been reading it for a few years,but this is my first time commenting. I love peanut butter and chocolate combo too..I don’t think th emini cups are widely avaialble in the UK, ill have to try and source some! Zeinab.
October 28th, 2011 at 10:21 am
I love peanuts especially that it is healthy for the heart and a chocolate is an addition which make the food looks astounding. These two are great combinations and make the result a delightful one.
September 13th, 2012 at 1:30 am
I don’t want to fai