Decadent Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

Cookies

When I’m short on time (which seems like always!), brownies are definitely the easiest and tastiest cookies to make from a box. I like Trader Joe’s double chocolate brownie mix since the ingredients are free of all the preservatives and additives you find in some of the other brands. But where’s the creativity if you just bake them as is? To elevate these a bit, I like to embellish them and dress them up so they’re worthy as gifts to my clients!

Some of my favorite toppings have included walnuts and marshmallows (rocky road), crushed candy bars, peppermint candies, or even just a nice frosting. For this most recent batch, I decided to go with a savory-sweet-crunch theme and crushed up some of those fabulous off-the-shelf peanut butter filled pretzels and swirled in peanut butter to create some truly decadent chocolate wonders! Give these a try for a quick and easy cookie that you can have for breakfast (peanut butter counts as protein, right?).

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

Preheat oven according to the Brownie package directions.

Ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix plus the ingredients for making the brownies
½ cup chopped peanut butter filled pretzels
⅔ cup powdered sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup smooth peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat oven..
Cut parchment to fit the sides of a 8×8 baking dish with a little extra so that it goes a little over the side edges for easy lifting out of the dish.
Lightly spray the 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray and place parchment paper on top then spray again.
Follow recipe instructions for making the brownies and pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Mix powdered sugar, unsalted butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Add dollops of this peanut butter mixture over the brownie batter, then swirl throughout the batter with a knife. Don’t mix, you’ll want good sized streaks throughout the batter, making sure to get it deep into the batter and not just the surface.
Sprinkle the chopped pretzels over the batter.
Bake according to the brownie mix package directions.
Cool in the baking dish so that the brownies set, then lift out of the dish and place onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a flat surface and cut into squares.

Janet Souza

Hello! I'm Janet Souza, lifestyle blogger and REALTOR® at Christie's International Real Estate Sereno. I live and work in Silicon Valley and love everything our wonderful area has to offer. If you live in Silicon Valley or are thinking about moving here, you've come to the right place! Stay up to date with local events, theater, concerts, Real Estate and more!