Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

I’ve been testing a LOT of recipes this year, and one that I wanted to perfect was a stacked bar. I really love desserts with a lot of texture and flavor variation, so I wanted to make sure each layer was really different.

For this bar, there’s a brownie base, peanut butter cream cheese filling, chopped peanut butter cookies, chocolate ganache, and peanut butter cups. You could literally take one bite and be satisfied! My kind of dessert 😉

THE STORY:

For my birthday, I got a ton of springform pans- squares, circles, different sizes, etc. One of my 2024 baking goals was to make more layered desserts. This one was such a hit- it’s gooey and fudgy and creamy…the best of everything. Stay tuned for more, I can’t get enough of these.

TIPS:

For some reason, acetate sheets used to make me nervous. Not sure why, I think it’s because they look harder to use than they are. I find that they’re so easy to use when you don’t have a springform pan and want to make a layered dessert OR even if you do and want to keep the edges clean. I made this twice and just used the pan for one and the acetate with the pan for the other. It definitely sticks to the pan more without it. Not a deal breaker, but the make things easier. I like to use these and cut them to fit.

SPRINKLE OF CREATIVITY:

I used peanut butter cookies in these because I had them made, but chocolate chip cookies would be great. Especially the ones from the bakery. You can also use leftover Easter candy (if you have it) for the topping or add nuts or chocolate sprinkles.

Stacked Brownies

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• Author: Taryn Camp

Ingredients

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• 1 box of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix + the ingredients listed on the box
• 2– 8 oz packages of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c peanut butter cookies, chopped into small pieces (soft cookies, like the ones from the grocery store bakery)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I used an 8″ square springform pan like these, but you can also use a circular springform pan or a regular square pan. Make sure to spray it generously with baking spray.
2. Make the brownie mix as directed and then pour it into the pan. Bake it as instructed on the box and then let it cool completely. 
3. Next make the peanut butter filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until you don’t see any peanut butter streaks. Spread on top of the cooled brownie layer. **Note, if you want to, you can use acetate here. Cut the sheets so that they fit around the perimeter of the brownie, in between the edge and the pan. You may need to release the pan (if you’re using a springform), add the acetate and close it again. 
4. After the peanut butter cream has been spread, top that layer with the chopped peanut butter cookies. Be sure to press them lightly into the cream.
5. Place the brownie with topping into the fridge. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it bubbles, about 1 minute. Add in the chocolate chips and let it sit for 60 seconds. Whisk until smooth. At first it looks like it won’t mix, but keep going and it’ll become creamy ganache. Let it cool for about 20 minutes or until it’s thickened and only slightly warm. Spread it on top of the peanut butter layer. It’s okay if the cookies peak through! 
6. Before it sets, add the final layer- chopped peanut butter cups. Scatter them evenly over the ganache. 
7. Place the brownie bars back in the fridge for 3-4 hours or until completely set. 
8. When you’re ready to serve them, release the sides of the springform pan. Peel off the acetate if you used it and slice them into bars.