Chocolate peanut butter brownies that are no bake and will melt in your mouth! Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan and super easy to make.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Creamy chocolate peanut butter brownies with a fudge ganache top that are easy to make, naturally vegan and gluten-free! Each bar makes the perfect morning or afternoon energy bar. So if you are sitting around with a lot of peanut butter, here is the perfect recipe to make!
Before we dive into the recipe, I'd like to invite you to sign up for my free chocolate course. Five lessons hit your inbox with detail on how to create your own simple healthy chocolate desserts.
Okay, so back to this recipe...
Now as I went around creating these brownies, I became curious. Why is it that peanut butter tastes so good with chocolate? Apparently there is a science behind it.
Why Does Chocolate and Peanut Butter Taste Good?
The reason chocolate and peanut butter tastes so good together is called "Dynamic Sensory Contrast", according to this article. Apparently our taste buds react when these two flavors come together and literally make our emotional triggers swoon.
What Kind Of Peanut Butter Works Best?
The natural peanut butter that has only nuts in the ingredients works best here. You are building a nutritious brownie, so don't ruin it with Jif or other commercial peanut butters that are actually more sugar than peanuts. Sorry if you actually like Jif, my daughter does so it's a constant battle which you are seeing play out here, lol.
What You Need to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
For equipment, you'll need a loaf pan with parchment that hangs over the long sides so you can lift the loaf of bar up and out.
For ingredients, you'll need nut or seed butter, coconut flour and almond flour, cocoa powder, walnuts, maple syrup, chocolate chips and a can of coconut milk.
If you don't want to use two flours, almond flour alone is fine.
How Healthy Are These Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies?
The chocolate in this recipe is an important source of nutrition so choose carefully. You'll want a chocolate chip or chocolate bar that has at least 60% cacao to reap the benefits of dark chocolate which include boosts to digestion, sleep and mood, as well as fiber. I use Enjoylife chocolate chips because they are dairy-free and free of allergens. And the cocoa powder here is equally important both for flavor and nutrients. Hershey's, Valhrona, even 365 brand are terrific.
I mentioned earlier the importance of using a nut or seed butter that has only nuts or seeds in the ingredient list. That's because the nut or seed butter you choose will provide loads of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc and vitamin E. Both are so important for the immune system, blood healthy, muscle repair and beauty restoration.
I sweeten this recipe with maple syrup, but you can choose the liquid sweetener you like best.
Why You Need To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
There are so many reasons to love this recipe!
1. The bars can be made easily and store for weeks.
2. They are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free.
3. Each bar is loaded with protein and mood-boosting magnesium to push you through your day.
Ingredients in These Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Nut Butter: I have used both seed and nut butters. Make sure your version is naturally with just nuts or just seeds.
Coconut & Almond flour: These flours provide a cake-like quality to this no bake bar. These flours are packed with protein and fiber.
Cocoa powder: Necessary of course to make the brownie chocolate flavored. You can use cacao powder to boost the nutrition higher; I have begun using cocoa powder in my treats lately because cacao powder is becoming so expensive and hard to find.
Walnuts: Not really necessary, but they are such a brain food, I love to toss them in where I can.
Maple syrup: Just a touch to sweeten.
Dark chocolate ganache: A thick creamy fudgy top created by mixing canned coconut milk and melted chocolate chips.
How to Make These No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Step 1. In a food processor, mix all ingredients. The crust should be like a cross between a cookie dough and a batter. Lessen the water if you want the crust to be more crumbly. You might want to taste-test at this point. Depending on the cocoa you use, it might need more sweetening with maple syrup.
Step 2. Press into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 3. Melt the chocolate chips, heat the coconut milk if needed, pour the two together and stir until creamy. Pour the chocolate over the nut butter layer and freeze until set.
Tips To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies Perfectly.
1. Do not refrigerate the can of full fat coconut milk before using it to make the ganache. And be sure to shake it up well before opening the can for this recipe.
2. The amount of chilling depends on what you want to do with them. If you want a perfect slice, you might want to chill up to 30 minutes in the freezer. But no longer than that. Store them refrigerated for best texture.
3. Before you ask, no, I wouldn't bake this batter. It won't be as fudgy.
Store in the refrigerator, they last a week or longer.
Other Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (or any natural nut or seed butter)
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour (or just use almond flour here instead)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup walnuts (optional)
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup water (reduce to 2 tbsp to make the crust less fudgy and more crumbly)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Chocolate ganache top
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk (from a can, not refrigerated, shaken)
Instructions
Prep
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
Make brownie
- In a food process, mix all ingredients. The crust should be like a cross between a cookie dough and a batter. Lessen the water if you want the crust to be more crumbly.
- You might want to taste-test at this point. Depending on the cocoa you use, it might need more sweetening with maple syrup.
- Press into the lined pan. Fold the two sides of over-hanging parchment down and press to flatten the crust with a spatula or your hand.
- Set in freezer while you make the ganache top.
Make ganache top
- Add the chocolate chips to a pyrex measuring cup. Microwave the chips for 1 minute. Stir them until most chips are melted.Meanwhile, open the can of coconut milk. If the milk has separated, set the open can into a pot of hot to boiling water and stir the contents of the can until the coconut milk is smooth.
- Pour ½ cup of coconut milk into the melted chips and stir until velvety smooth.
- Pour the chocolate over the crust, and smooth with a spoon.
- Freeze uncovered for 15-30 minutes. You can slice them pretty quickly but if you want perfectly square slices, freeze for the full 30 minutes.
- Store in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and another immunity-boosting smoothie shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices , due out in January 2021. On this blog you'll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism, editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow. More about Dee Dine here.
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