Peanut Butter Swirl Skillet Brownie Recipe

This peanut butter swirl skillet brownie is the perfect flavor combination. Baking brownies in a cast iron skillet is one of the best ways to bake a delectable treat. Not to mention it makes a fabulous presentation.

This cast iron skillet dessert is a family favorite. One day when I had just pulled this brownie skillet out of the oven, my daughter had just walked in. She immediately asked if I had made a cookie cake, that it smelled wonderful. Smiling, I said no it was the peanut butter swirl brownies. Her eyes lit up and she said even better! That is a compliment all in itself. I bake for those reactions!

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To really make this simple dessert decadent, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream then drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Wow is all I can say.

I use a ten inch cast iron skillet to bake these peanut butter swirl brownies. They are so pretty when presented in the skillet. I feel a bit nostalgic when using this pan and will most likely be wearing a pretty apron.

Cleaning cast iron can be a bit intimidating. Here are some tips to clean and care for your cast iron.

Whenever you add a swirl to a baked treat, it’s like magic. It boosts the flavor and the anticipation of something delicious is about to hit your taste buds. So yummy.

Adding a swirl is probably the easiest method to crank up the cuteness factor in brownies. Not that they need much help, really. It’s brownies, after all.

How To Swirl Brownie Batter

Basically, you have two different batters. One peanut butter and one chocolate. The chocolate one has added chocolate chips for extra chocolatieness(?).

1. In your greased cast iron skillet, drop spoonfuls of batter. Alternating each flavor. I got a little carried away at the end and was just looking for empty spaces to drop batter. It doesn’t have to be perfect since we are swirling the two together.

2. Taking a dinner knife, drag it through the pan. From one end to the other. Do this for all the spoonfuls of batter. Continue till you are satisfied with how pretty it looks. I will caution you to not overdue the swirling. You could run into actually mixing instead of swirling.

3. Place into the oven to bake.
4. When finished baking, you have a delicious snack or dessert.

The Perfect Baking Time For Brownies

Brownies can be a delicate balancing act between under-baking and over-baking. You want it just right. Not gooey and not dry.

So, how do you know when the brownies are done and for how long do they need to bake?

The best timing is between 20-25 minutes. Always test the brownies at the least amount of time. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the pan. The toothpick, when removed should have a few crumbs on it. Not wet batter. That’s when you know it is done.

Oops. I made the mistake of one time inserting the toothpick into a chocolate chip and thought they needed to continue to bake. Nope. I had over-baked them.

Pro Tips

• Bake the brownies on the middle rack in your oven.
  • Air circulates best in the middle of the oven which ensures your brownies will bake evenly.
• Always allow the brownies to fully cool before cutting.
  • If the brownies are cut before cooling this will result in a jagged cut. This will not help the cuteness factor. Trust me, I know.
• Use the right size cast iron skillet.
  • I use a ten inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. This gives the brownies the right thickness. If you use anything smaller, this will alter the baking time. Do not use anything larger. This will make the brownies too thin.

This peanut butter swirl skillet brownie is so delicious. I think you will be baking this again and again.

I took pictures of the brownies topped with ice cream outside when it was over 90℉. I didn’t realize ice cream could melt so fast. That was a quick photo shoot.

Here’s a recipe if you just want some plain and yummy fudgy brownies to bake.