These chocolate peanut butter brownies, sweetened with maple syrup, are a dessert you can enjoy without your blood sugar skyrocketing.
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I have nine children, and with each pregnancy I have needed to watch my carb intake. This has led me to always being conscious of what I am eating. It has also led me to adjust recipes to use maple syrup or honey, which are lower on the glycemic index, instead of granulated sugar and also using less sweetener. I also often replace some of the all-purpose flour with almond flour since it is a lower-carb flour.
These chocolate peanut butter brownies are sweetened with maple syrup, have some almond flour, and have a layer of peanut butter. As we know, peanut butter has protein, and eating protein with a carbohydrate helps prevent a sugar spike.
Ingredients Needed for Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- butter – I usually use salted butter.
- cocoa powder – I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder. You can read about the difference between cocoa powders here if you’re interested.
- maple syrup – A natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index.
- almond flour – I use half almond flour and half all-purpose flour in this recipe to decrease the amount of carbohydrates.
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
- salt – I like to use Redmond real salt.
- vanilla
- creamy peanut butter – I like to use unsweetened peanut butter but you can use whatever peanut butter you like.
- semisweet or dark chocolate chips – I prefer dark chocolate but you can use what you like!
- coconut oil
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How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Begin making these brownies by combining butter and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Set it over low heat until the butter melts. Once melted, whisk in the cocoa powder; then set it aside to cool.
In a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or just using a wooden spoon, combine the maple syrup, almond and all-purpose flour, and salt.
Pour in the butter/cocoa powder mixture and beat until well blended. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
Spread the mixture evenly into a greased 9×13″ pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
For the peanut butter layer, soften the peanut butter in the microwave if needed for about 15 seconds. Stir the peanut butter well to distribute the heat evenly. Then spread the peanut butter on top of the brownies and pop them in the freezer while you make the chocolate frosting layer.
The chocolate frosting is made by melting chocolate chips and coconut oil together with a pinch of salt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread the icing over the bars.
Let the bars sit for about an hour to let the chocolate harden. Another option is to place the pan of bars into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate just starts to firm up. Then remove the pan from the refrigerator, cut them into bars, and return to the fridge to continue hardening. Just a word of warning… If you leave the bars in the fridge too long, the chocolate will harden and then crack when you try cut them.
These chocolate peanut butter brownies are delicious! I find them to be just the right amount of sweetness and they satisfy my craving for a little dessert. I like to store them in the fridge or freezer and enjoy a bar with a cup of tea!
Peanut Butter Brownies
If you love chocolate peanut butter desserts, these brownies do not disappoint!
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
TOPPING
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
FROSTING
- 2 cups semisweet OR dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan well with cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, combine the buter and cocoa. Set over low heat until the butter melts; then whisk together with the cocoa. Set aside to cool, approximately 5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or just using a wooden spoon, combine the maple syrup, flours, and salt. Add the cocoa-butter mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla; and mix until well incorporated.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 20-22 minutes.
- For the topping, soften the peanut butter by placing it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 15 seconds. Stir the peanut butter well to distribute the heat evenly. Spread it on top of the brownies. Freeze the brownies for 15-30 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together with a pinch of salt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, 1-2 minutes. Spread the icing over the bars. Let set for about 1 hour.
Notes
When I finish making these, I'll sometimes pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes so the chocolate will set quicker, and then I cut them into bars. If you wait too long though, the chocolate frosting will crack when trying to cut them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: ~ 24 bars Serving Size: 1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 20gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 5g
If you love the chocolate-peanut butter combination like I do, you might also like these granola bars.