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Sliced peanut butter ganache brownies on parchment, bowl of peanut butter on the side

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Brownies

A rich milk chocolate brownie topped with layers of creamy peanut butter frosting and a luxurious chocolate ganache. If you can bear it, let the brownies chill overnight for the cleanest cuts and the fudgiest texture.
Yield: 16 brownies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For Brownies:

  • 2 oz / 56 g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2 oz / 56 g milk chocolate, chopped
  • 6 tablespoons / 85 g unsalted butter
  • ½ cup / 110 g brown sugar
  • ¼ cup / 50 g granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup / 63 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons / 14 g dark or Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For Peanut Butter Layer:

  • 6 tablespoons / 85 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup / 140 g creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup / 90 g powdered sugar, sifted
  • pinch sea salt, slightly more if using unsalted peanut butter

For Ganache Layer:

  • 2 oz / 56 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 oz / 56 g milk chocolate, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup / 60 g heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon corn syrup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two edges.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a medium-large bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in sugars and stir until dissolved and mixture has cooled slightly.
  • Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Sprinkle flour mixture over top and fold in to chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until just incorporated. Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  • For peanut butter filling, cream butter on medium-high speed; add peanut butter and beat until smooth and evenly incorporated. Add powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in salt to taste. Spread on top of cooled brownies. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
  • For ganache, place chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer (careful not to let it scald, this small of a quantity of cream it is easy to do so). Pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, starting in small concentric circles in the center of the bowl and slowly working outwards as the mixture emulsifies. Continue to gently whisk until smooth. Pour over peanut butter layer, spreading into an even layer (don't overwork it or it will start to pull up the peanut butter layer below). Return to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 30 minutes, or overnight if possible (brownies will slice the cleanest when chilled overnight).
  • Remove brownies from pan using the edges of the parchment paper to lift the entire block out of the pan. Cut into 16 even squares (for the cleanest cuts, run a large sharp knife under warm water, pat dry and then slice in one single, smooth motion, sliding the blade out of the brownies instead of lifting it back up. Rinse/wipe off the blade after each cut.) Brownies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.