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The holidays just got a little bit sweeter with these Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies. Homemade fudgy, crinkly brownies, baked, then layered with sweet peanut butter chocolate truffle ganache. And to finish? An extra drizzle of milk chocolate and a sprinkling of salted caramel brûlée candy. Every last bite of these indulgent brownies are melt in your mouth delicious. Package them up for gifting, or serve as your Christmas dessert. They’re simple to make and guaranteed to be hit!

overhead close up photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’m really loving the holiday baking this year. Something inside me just wants to bake up the sweetest things and share each and every recipe with you guys. It’s true what that say, tis’ the season for all things sweet!

Or is that not the saying and I just made that up? Either way, my excitement for holiday sweets is strong, but here’s what I am realizing. I only want to make the recipes that feel overly special or sound overly delicious. With limited time before Christmas arrives, I want to make sure I’m sharing only my favorite recipes with you guys. The ones I love the most. The ones my family will be asking for once they arrive. And most importantly, the ones I think YOU guys will enjoy the most.

Enter these brownies.

The truth is that I have so many other recipes I could have shared with you guys today. Recipes that require more time, recipes that are maybe a bit more creative, and recipes that I’m sure will be good. But in the end? These brownies really excited me the most. I knew they had the potential to turn out better than I pictured in my head. And I knew that my family would thoroughly enjoy these.

So after confirming with my younger brother, Kai, that yes, these indeed sounded really good. I was convinced. And here we are!

overhead photo of brownies after baking

The Idea.

This is a version of a brownie I made a while ago. I’m talking almost eight years ago, but it’s been a brownie that has been in the back of my mind for what feels like forever now.

I just loved the thought of an extra crinkly and very fudgy brownie topped with a layer of sweet, creamy, and peanutty chocolate truffle. I knew exactly what I wanted this brownie to be, so I didn’t stop testing it until these were perfect. Or as close to perfect as I could get.

side angle photo of Peanut Butter Truffle ganache being poured onto Brownies

Here are the details, these are simple.

The holiday season is always busy, but having simple recipes on hand is key.

I took my favorite crinkle top brownie, layered them with a simple…but perfectly rich and creamy peanut butter chocolate truffle ganache. Then I finished these off with homemade salted caramel brûlée candy.

These brownies are my go-to. The KEY is whisking the eggs to get that extra crinkly top. The eggs should have lots of bubble on them before you stir them into the chocolate mix.

Then just bake and patiently wait for these crinkly, fudgy brownies to bake up.

And while they bake? Make the truffle layer!

This is simple…chocolate, cream, and peanut butter. It’s rich and creamy, feels very decadent. And most importantly, it’s delish.

overhead prep photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

That extra special Christmas touch.

That final touch? Salted caramel brûlée candy, which I stole from my caramel latte that I shared the other week.

Simply melt granulated sugar on the stove until it turns deep caramel in color, then spread the caramel out over a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and let the caramel sit for a few minutes. And then? In almost no time at all, the caramel has hardened and can easily be smashed into small shards for sprinkling over your finished brownies.

It. Is. Delicious! Indulgent, and not needed by any means, but delicious.

side angled close up photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

What I love about these is that they’re easy to make, but yet they feel fancy. Everyone thinks they likely took hours to make, when they’re actually super simple.

But my favorite part? These are just perfectly crinkly on top, but also soft and gooey in the center. With an extra sweet sprinkle of caramel on top. The best kind of brownie…decadent. But it’s what we need today. Perfect for Friday night baking, holiday cookies boxes, and Christmas baking.

A little tip? If you need to impress anyone over the next couple of weeks…make them these brownies. They’ll win just about anyone over.

overhead photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Looking for other chocolate holiday desserts? Here are my favorites: 

Chocolate Hazelnut and Caramel Stuffed Brownie Cookies

Hot Chocolate Party (with 4 Hot Cocoa Recipes!)

Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars

Lastly, if you make these Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies 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!

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 16 Brownies
Calories Per Serving: 408 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Peanut Truffles

Caramel Brûlée

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
    2. In the microwave, melt together the butter and 1 cup chocolate chips (stirring at 30-second intervals) until melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, Kahlúa (if using) vanilla, and instant coffee. 
    3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Let cool.
    4. Meanwhile make the truffles. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the semi-sweet chocolate and cream until melted and smooth. Pour about half of the chocolate truffle/ganache over the brownies and smooth it out until it reaches the edge. Swirl in the peanut butter, then place the brownies in the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Once set, pour over the remaining truffle/ganache. Melt the remaining milk chocolate and drizzle it over the truffle layer. Allow the brownies to set at least one hour in the fridge or two hours at room temperature. Sprinkle with caramel brûlée, if desired. Cut into bars.
    5. To make the Caramel Brûlée. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium pot, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until the sugar has melted and turns a golden caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread in a thin, even layer and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Once hardened, crush the caramel into small pieces/shards with the back of a spoon.
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side angle horizontal photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    They are in the oven now! Do you want the brownies to be cooked through or is it okay if my toothpick isn’t coming out clean? They seem to need more then 28-30 minutes to bake.

    So excited to try the finished result. The batter was AMAZING! Kahlua was a game changer!

    Reply

    1. Hey Marisa,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. Hi Tieghan, can you clarify where the 4-5oz of chopped milk chocolate (the last item on the first list of ingredients) is used?

    Reply

    1. Hey Lauren,
      This is used in step 3, and added to the batter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    i saw these and thought, whoa, my girlfriend would love these! she’s been on a peanut butter kick lately, so i figure i’ll make these for our anniversary soon!

    cheers,
    sarah

    Reply

    1. Hey Meaghan,
      You will want to sprinkle the sea salt at the end of step 4. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I didn’t know snowboarding for a living was an option. I may need to rethink my career decisions. These brownies look insanely delicious. You can never have too much chocolatey goodness.

    Thanks in advanced

    Reply

  6. Hi there, I made these brownies a few days ago and oh my goodness they’re amazing! They’re so fudgy and yummy and the ganache does wonders too!
    Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe

    Reply

  7. These look scrumptious. I do not see in the instructions where the last ingredient in the brownie batter, the chopped milk chocolate is incorporated into the mix. It is not mentioned. Please clarify at what point this is added.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kim,
      Sorry for the confusion, this is added into the brownie batter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. Do you melt the peanut butter before you swirl it onto the top I picture a goopy messy trying to swirl peanut butter

    Reply

  9. 4 stars
    I would use a smaller pan. I might have missed it but you don’t get a good-height brownie with a 9 x 12. They taste amazing !

    Reply

    1. Hey Emily,
      I would recommend using a 9×9 inch pan. I hope this helps for next time, thanks for trying the recipe! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Sarah,
      You are going to add those into the brownie batter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Hi! Quick question, do you cut these at room temperature or is there a trick to this? I always find when a recipe calls for chocolate topping like this it ends up cracking when I cut into it.

    Reply

    1. Hey Melissa,
      You will want to pop these in the fridge for a bit before cutting, as stated in step 4. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. Can this recipe be made in a 13x 9 baking pan? I rarely use small pans for brownies. I always double the recipe if I can. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hey Lu,
      Yes, if you double the recipe this will work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Katie,
      The milk chocolate is used in step 2 as part of the brownie batter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Perri,
      Yes natural peanut butter will work. Swirl in the peanut butter with a knife:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan

      Reply