Peanut Butter- Cinnamon Brownies

These peanut butter brownies skip the chocolate entirely and lean into the warm, nutty combination of crunchy peanut butter and cinnamon. The double sugar base of white and brown sugar creates a chewy, butterscotch-like crumb that’s closer to a blondie than a traditional brownie.

Stirring the peanut butter in last keeps it in distinct swirls and pockets rather than blending it uniformly into the batter. That means you get bites of pure cinnamon bar next to bites loaded with peanut butter crunch. Using extra crunchy peanut butter adds texture you can’t get from the smooth kind.

The batter is intentionally low on flour, which keeps these dense and chewy rather than cakey. Mix the dry ingredients in just until moistened. Overworking the batter develops gluten and toughens the bars.

Pro Tips

• Use melted butter, not softened. It gives a denser, fudgier texture than creamed butter would
• Pull them from the oven when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. They firm up significantly as they cool
• Let the pan cool completely on a rack before cutting for clean edges
• These store well in an airtight container for three to four days

Variations

• Fold in a handful of chocolate chips for a peanut butter-chocolate version
• Swap cinnamon for a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice during fall baking season
• Drizzle melted peanut butter over the top after cooling for extra richness