Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies

Nothing in this world is better than chocolate and peanut butter together and that’s why these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies are the absolute best. They’re a decadent treat that’s on the healthier side by using almond flour, coconut oil and dark chocolate. That means they’re also grain-free, dairy-free and Paleo, while still being totally delicious. 

Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies

Hello healthy Halloween treat! Let’s really get into what’s going on with these Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies. First off, they’re rich with a deep chocolate flavor. As always, we try to keep the added sugar amount as low as we can, so we like to think of these brownies as living in the dark chocolate category. Because these brownies are pretty rich, we recommend baking them until they have risen up and are puffy, which results in a more cake-like brownie. This helps keep it from feeling too rich. But don’t wory fudgy brownie fans, those middle pieces of the brownie are on the edge of cakey/fudgy brownies so there is a little something for everyone with this recipe.

The peanut butter layer really makes this stand out, making this kind of a like healthier version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup baked in a brownie. Since this recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free already, if you needed to make this Paleo friendly too, feel free to swap out the peanut butter for almond butter or cashew butter. Best part? These freeze really well, so you can bake some for now, and have a healthy homemade treat stashed away whenever you need it.

Ingredients Needed

• Almond Flour
• Tapioca Flour
• Dark Chocolate
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Baking Soda
• Creamy Peanut Butter

Substitutions

Flours: First off, we haven’t tried this with any other gluten-free flour. You’ll have to experiment if you wanted to switch those out.

Peanut Butter: We recommend sticking to a peanut butter labeled as “creamy”. Avoid using peanut butter that is really drippy and thin. Feel free to skip out on the peanut butter and use either almond butter or cashew butter here. Sunflower seed butter will not work as it will likely interact with the baking soda in the recipe and can turn green.

Eggs: We haven’t tried this without eggs. Two flax eggs might work, but we haven’t tested it!

Coconut Oil: You can swap in melted butter for this!

Chocolate: Make sure to look for dairy-free chocolate if you need this to be fully dairy-free. We’re big fans of Enjoy Life here! You could also use a different type of chocolate other than dark chocolate, such as semi-sweet or even milk if you wanted to.

Coconut Sugar: We can’t offer a subsitute for this, other than possibly light brown sugar.

Maple Syrup: You could swap this out with honey if you wanted, or alternatively you could use about 1/2 cup of organic powdered sugar, but we were looking to avoid any refined sugars here so we skipped out on it.

Our Best Tip for Making these PB Stuffed Brownies

Work quickly! Both the brownie batter and the peanut butter layer will thicken up quickly. The instructions call for making the brownie batter first, then adding half of it to the prepared pan.

It is then that the recipe instructs for the mixing of the peanut butter layer. Take care not to overmix, because some peanut butter can seize up when adding in maple syrup, so just mix it until it’s barely combined, and immediately pour it on top of the brownie layer. Spread it to an even thickness before adding on the remaining brownie batter on.

How to Perfectly Bake Them

This brownie as instructed will be more on the cakey side. Some of the middle pieces will be a bit fudgier. If you want to achieve a fudgy brownie all around, you can bake them for about 2 minutes less than the recommended time. We found the perfect time to be around 25 minutes in the oven for the perfect consistency, but depending on the heat of your oven it may be a minute or two less or a minute longer. You want the top of the brownies to be dry, and puffed up nearly all around.

How to Cut Perfect Squares

1. Use a parchment paper sling so you can easily remove the brownies in one piece.
2. Let your brownies cool close to room temperature, or place it in the refrigerator to cool down. And use a warm knife that has been run under hot water and dried to cut your brownies.
3. To get even pieces without using a ruler always cut down the middle! Make your first cut directly down the middle. Then cut each half in half down the middle. This of course only works if you are looking to make an even amount of slices.
4. Sometimes brownies have raised edges. If you wanted a very even appearance you could trim the edges of the baked good first. Then, save the scraps for yourself!

How to Store these Brownies

These brownies can sit at room temperature for up to two days but can be stored for longer in the refrigerator (about a week). These freeze really well. We suggest freezing in an air-tight container for no more than 3 months.

Watch the video here:

If you like this brownie recipe, check out these others:

• Raspberry Swirl Brownies
• Fudgy Paleo Brownies
• Avocado Brownies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies

5 from 10 votes

Nothing in this world is better than chocolate and peanut butter together and that’s why these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies are the absolute best. They’re a decadent treat that’s on the healthier side by using almond flour, coconut oil and dark chocolate. That means they’re also grain-free, dairy-free and Paleo, while still being totally delicious. 

Servings 16

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  

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For Brownie Layer:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil or grass-fed butter
• 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips divided
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup 75 grams almond flour
• 1/2 cup 60 grams grams tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup 30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt

For PB Layer:

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• ⅓ cup almond flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease an 8″ baking dish and line with a parchment paper sling.
• In a double boiler, melt together ¼ cup chocolate chips and coconut oil.
• Pour chocolate mixture into a large bowl and add in coconut sugar. Whisk together, and let the mixture cool slightly, about 3 minutes.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk together vigorously, about 1 minute until the mixture has lightened and thinned out.
• In a small separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until there are no clumps remaining in the flour.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet, along with the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips and mix together until just combined.
• Pour half of the batter in the prepared baking dish.
• Add peanut butter, maple syrup and almond flour into a small bowl and gently mix the ingredients together. Immediately pour the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownie batter, and spread it into an even layer. 
• Working quickly, add the remaining brownie batter on top in an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the brownies have puffed up.
• Let cool completely. Slice into 16 squares.

Notes

Make sure to use dairy-free chocolate to make this fully dairy-free.

We recommend sticking to a peanut butter labeled as "creamy". Avoid using peanut butter that is really drippy and thin. Feel free to skip out on the peanut butter and use either almond butter or cashew butter here. Sunflower seed butter will not work as it will likely interact with the baking soda in the recipe and can turn green.

These brownies can sit at room temperature for up to two days but can be stored for longer in the refrigerator (about a week). These freeze really well. We suggest freezing in an air-tight container for no more than 3 months.

Keyword: Gluten-free Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie

Course: Dessert

Method: Baking

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: Lexi's Clean Kitchen

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