Buckeye Brownies, AKA Your New Favorite Brownies
These buckeye brownies are like no other brownie you’ve had before! We start with a chewy brownie base, add a layer of creamy peanut butter fudge, then finish with a two-ingredient chocolate topping. Personally, I think this is the best way to eat buckeyes, but I might be biased 😉 Despite all the decadence and impressive layers, these brownies are actually quite easy to make. Each component takes just a few minutes to prepare with no fancy tools needed.
Why make my recipe:
Amazing flavor: If you love chocolate and peanut butter desserts, these buckeye brownies were made for you. Fun textures: Chewy brownie base, fudgy peanut butter, and firm chocolate topping. Fast: Only 1 hour from start to finish! Great for parties: One batch makes 24 buckeye brownies, but you could get even more if you cut them into bite-sized treats!
Fun fact: I used to make these buckeye brownies as a potluck staple when I worked at Johns Hopkins doing pharmacology research. Every time I brought them in, they flew out of the Tupperware container before any other dessert. Co-workers used to offer to pay me to make them batches, but instead I gave them the recipe (it was one of the first on the blog). So I have a pretty good feeling you’ll love them too!
What You Need
This recipe uses just 12 ingredients between all three layers (which is actually less than my buckeye cookies!). Here are the most important ones.
Cocoa powder. Stick with natural cocoa powder here for best results. While you could technically use Dutch cocoa (since we are using baking powder instead of baking soda), it will give a deeper, darker chocolate flavor. Is that a problem? Nope, not at all, but I prefer the milder chocolate to complement the peanut butter and ganache, rather than something more intense that vies for so much individual attention. Egg + egg yolk. Adding an extra egg yolk to the brownie base makes it super tender and chewy. I do this with my cosmic brownies too! Salted butter. Unlike most of my recipes, I actually recommend using salted butter here instead of unsalted. Feel free to substitute unsalted and add a pinch of salt, I’ve just been making it this way for so long I don’t see any need to switch things up here. Peanut butter. You could use crunchy peanut butter if you like, but I prefer to use creamy. I’m not sure how the natural variety would work here; if you try it, please let me know how it goes for you! Chocolate. I prefer to use semisweet chocolate for the topping, but if you’d like to use milk or dark chocolate, feel free! Just note that milk chocolate will yield a sweeter overall result (and will have more of a reese’s peanut butter cup feel).
SAM’S TIP: Adding the cocoa powder to the hot butter allows it to “bloom” much like steeping tea or coffee. This enhances the chocolatey flavor and makes a big difference in the final result! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Buckeye Brownies
Brownie Layer
Peanut Butter Fudge Layer
SAM’S TIP: The fudge layer is foolproof! If it turns out too stiff, just add more milk (by the teaspoon) until it thins out. If it’s too soft, add more powdered sugar (by the tablespoon) until it thickens up. It should be spreadable but still stiff enough to form into a ball.
Chocolate Topping
SAM’S TIP: Use a hot knife to cut your buckeye brownies for gorgeous, precise squares. To do this, just run your knife under hot water, dry it off, and then slice straight down. This is even easier to do if you line your pan with a parchment paper sling! If you’re looking for more gourmet brownie options, try my rocky road brownies or Oreo brownies next! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter and make sure to follow along on Instagram, YouTube (over 500 free videos!) and Facebook 💜
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