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Just because it’s Friday…Crinkle Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies. You don’t need to be a skilled baker to bake up these deliciously EASY skillet blondies. These giant blondies require just one skillet, use pantry staple ingredients, and take almost no effort to make. There are hints of browned butter, swirls of peanut butter, puddles of melted chocolate, and every bite is insanely gooey. Enjoy this giant blondie warm, right out of the oven, with a scoop of ice cream…wow!
If there’s one good thing that’s come out this quarantined time at home, it’s everyone’s newfound love for baking. I’ve truly never seen so many cookies, breads, cakes, buns, and brownies (oh the brownies…so many brownies) being made in such a short amount of time. I thought the month of December was quite the baking season, but this special period seems to have topped things by far!
Apparently, when we’re all holed up at home, we bake. Which, of course, makes me happy. Baking is fun, it’s relaxing, and when it involves a good amount of chocolate,
all is right with the world. Well, at least for a short time. Which probably explains all the baking. It’s a nice distraction that provides you with a pretty delicious outcome.
Especially today. I have so much to say about these giant skillet blondies. It’s what our Friday night NEEDS right now. It’s what our weekend needs. And if you’re still looking for an Easter dessert, it’s what your Easter needs as well.
Dramatic, but true.
The story.
Like with most of my favorite recipes, this skillet blondie happened at the end of a long day. It was not planned, but instead just kind of created out of the ideas running through my head at the time.
I wanted to share something easy that was also mouth-watering in every possible way. I wanted it to be something simple and classic but with an elevated twist that made it better than any other recipe out there.
And then I had an idea. Everyone has been loving my crinkle top brownies, which got me thinking, “what if you created a crinkle top blondie? Wouldn’t that be so good?” Oh and what about peanut butter? Could I swirl that in?”.
These were the thoughts going through my head. And if you were in my brain you’d be exhausted, but it’s how I work. Instead of overthinking the recipe, I just started to create it. In less than an hour later I had this skillet blondie in front of me. It was perfect. Not one adjustment was needed.
YES. My day was made, and all was good at that moment in time. Twas’ a nice feeling.
To make these blondies…
The process is pretty effortless. Start out by browning salted butter on the stove. Browning the butter really adds a rich nutty flavor to these bars and makes them just a touch cozier. Remove the skillet from the stove and mix in the peanut butter and sugars. At this point, let the mix cool off. That way the heat won’t cook the eggs once you’re ready to add them in.
Now, the eggs. The eggs are KEY to creating that crinkly top. Whisking the eggs prior to mixing them into the batter creates air that helps to shape that crinkly top. It might seem like an unnecessary step, and a waste of a clean bowl, but just trust me on this, it’s what makes that delicious crinkly top. Don’t skip this step.
Once you add the eggs, simply stir in the flour and baking powder. Then add those chocolate chips and swirl in the peanut butter.
And now you bake.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake. I like to bake these exactly twenty-three minutes. I found this to be the perfect time for the texture I was going for, but the time will depend on the size of your skillet.
Here’s what I will note, these blondies are meant to be extra gooey in the center. They should be slightly undercooked and never over baked. If you want fully baked cookie bars, you’re probably better off going for something like one of these… 1 or 2 or 3. This recipe is all about the crinkly top, chewy edges, and gooey center. If you love these brownies, you’ll love the blondie peanutty skillet version too.
How do you serve this skillet blondies?
Warm, right out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream and a spoon…or maybe a few spoons depending on who you’re quarantined with.
It’s really the only way to do it. Perfect for yet another Friday at home. Hey, got to keep things exciting and delicious. I hope you all enjoy this one guys…it’s a true favorite.
See you all tomorrow for another quarantined Cocktail Saturday post.
watch the how to video:
Lastly, if you make these crinkle top chocolate peanut butter skillet blondies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crinkle Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 399 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2-3 ounces dark chocolate chunks (or just handful more of chocolate chips)
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Add the butter to a 10-12 inch oven safe skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter, the sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Let this cool until no longer hot, about 10-15 minutes. 3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 2 minutes until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the peanut butter mix. Add the flour and baking powder. Gently stir in the chocolate chips and swirl the remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter into the dough, don't worry about making it perfect. Push the chocolate chunks into the dough. 4. Transfer to the skillet oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, just until set around the edges, but gooey in the center. Remove from the oven, let cool 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt (if desired). DIG in, preferably with a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
Leftovers: can be stored, covered in the skillet or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This post was originally published on April 10, 2020
Made this for an Easter dessert. They were a hit. Gooey, melt in your mouth, with a chewy crust. And a perfect combination of flavors.
Thank you so much Kim! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this recipe with cup4cup flour and it came out great!
Thank you so much for sharing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you Liam! Thank you! I hope you are staying well! xTieghan
Made this last night and its so yummy! Baking this was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made during qaurentine so far. SO DELICIOUS! Thanks Tieghan ?
Thank you so much Lindsay! I am so glad these blondies turned out so well for you! xTieghan
You call for creamy peanut butter. Do you mean a traditional peanut butter with sugar added or a natural peanut butter with no added sugar? Thank you!
Hi Pam! I try to go for a natural PB, but either should work great! xTieghan
Thank you, thank you, thank you for such a deliciously devine recipe. It’s just hit the spot, the sweetness, saltiness gooey chocolaty all rolled into one. This will definitely be making and appearance in my kitchen for a long time ??????
Thank you so much Lorena! I am so glad you enjoyed these blondies! I hope you are staying well! xTieghan
I made this today and it came out super crumbly. I couldn’t even remove it from the pan without it falling apart. Any idea what I did wrong? I did use peanut butter with oil that separates. Could that be the problem?
Hi Sarah,
So sorry you had issues with this recipe. The peanut butter could definitely be the issue, it also sounds like you may have over baked it. Next time I would use a creamy peanut butter and just check on it while it is in the oven because all ovens are different. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So easy and so delicious!! I used mini chocolate chips and then large chocolate chips since I didn’t have chocolate chunks, so good!
I am really glad you liked these!! Thank you Rachael! xTieghan
Hi! Just made this today but the middle looks basically uncooked. It was in the oven for 25 minutes. So is this just gooey like you said it should be or should it be more set like a real blondie?
Hi Anna,
So sorry you had issues with this. Did you bake in a skillet or another pan? They should definitely be gooey but not undercooked. Please let me know how I can help. xTieghan
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet can you use a pan?
Hi Maria,
I personally haven’t tried this but I have had other followers have success using another baking dish! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing! I’d like to make it but just have one question about the peanut butter. The recipe calls for creamy peanut butter…all I have is natural peanut butter, would that work?
Hi Tobi! Do you mean crunchy peanut butter or a natural kind of PB? Please let me know, I would love to help! xTieghan
These look delicious! Can I leave out the peanut butter tho?
Hi Amanda,
Yes you can do that. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks great! I’ve been making so many of your recipes the past month and a lot of them call for this skillet. Do you have a favorite one with a link?
Hi Tory! Yes, my favorite skillet is Staub. I will link it below! xTieghan
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/staub-fry-pan/
I think I might try this for our Easter dessert, but it is just my husband and me this year for the quarantine. We have a 9″ cast iron pan, what changes would you recommend? Cutting the ingredients? Less baking time? Also, do you grease the pan or is it easy to remove?
Hi Sarah,
I used a 10 inch skillet so you may just have to increase your baking time a little for a 9-inch skillet. Since you are starting with melted butter in the skillet there is no need to grease it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I love your recipes! I am new to the baking world, but figure why not try now? I just had a few questions…could you substitute almond butter if you don’t have peanut butter? Also, if I don’t have dark chocolate chunks, could I add more chocolate chips? If not, I am willing to make the trip to Whole Foods because this looks delicious!
Hi Maddy,
Yes, you can use both aloud butter and chocolate chips as substitutes for the peanut butter and chocolate chunks. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan…this looks like it’s gonna make my teeth ache..lol…Mmm! I was wondering…is there any way to make this in something other than a skillet? The reason being to give as a gift to someone? Any type of pan or dish (pie plate maybe?) , do you think? This whole corona situation is so sad and frightening. I’m holding up fairly well where I live. Lots of open spaces to get out and move around without coming into contact with anyone. Don’t know how people will cope once the warm weather arrives…I also had it all planned out what I would be making for our Easter dinner, but now, it,s just hubby and I , so it won’t be too extravagant this year. Hope your day is special no matter what!
Hi Colleen,
I have had some other readers have success with baking this in an 8 inch baking dish! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan