Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bars with Vanilla Ice Cream

This year, Valentine’s Day is all about DECADENCE. I don’t care if you’re celebrating it with your lover or with yourself, I hope you make something that nourishes your soul. I will be making these fudgy chocolate peanut butter brownie bars with vanilla ice cream. This is the exact dessert that makes my soul sing and that is the kind of love that Valentine’s Day should bring ❤️

The fudgy brownie tastes just like the ones of your childhood with an added peanut butter swirl that takes it to another level. It’s truly what dreams are made of. Although your partner won’t always be perfect, you can count on these babes to be.

You can get everything you need to feel the LOVE this Valentine’s Day from your local ALDI.

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bars with Vanilla Ice Cream

Yields: 8-12

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 1/4 cup neutral oil (vegetable oil)

• 1/4 cup Baker’s Corner Baking Cocoa

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces, divided in half

• 4 ounces Baker’s Corner Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (about 1 heaping ½ cup)

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

• 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 cup Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Baker’s Corner Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Morsels

• 1 cup peanut butter

• 1/3 cup Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar

• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with tin foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, microwave canola oil for 30 seconds-1 minute. Add in cocoa powder and mix together. Set aside for 1-2 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-safe bowl over a double boiler, melt together 1 stick of unsalted butter and 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips until smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder-oil mixture and espresso powder until combined. Remove from the heat to cool.

Whisk in brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until smooth.

Whisk in flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until smooth. Fold in 3/4 cups mini bittersweet chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl over the double boiler, whisk together remaining butter, peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until combined. Remove from the heat and whisk in powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Add 1/2 the brownie batter to the prepared pan and dollop in the peanut butter mixture with a spoon. Dollop in the remaining brownie batter and, using an offset spatula or a butter knife, swirl the mixtures together. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips and finish with flaky sea salt.

Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops are set and the brownies feel soft to the touch. 

Cool completely, at least 1 hour, and remove from the pan. Cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter for a festive feel or cut into squares. Top with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy! 

Cook’s Note: Brownies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Thank you ALDI for sponsoring this post, you can shop everything you need from your local Aldi Store HERE!