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 | halfbakedharvest.com
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3.75 from 512 votes

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

The Recipe

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Package for gifting, or serve for Christmas dessert...simple to make and guaranteed to be hit!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 16 Brownies
Calories 304 kcal

Ingredients

Peanut Truffles

  • 2 (3.2 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 (3.2 ounce) milk chocolate bar, chopped

Caramel Brûlée

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. 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.

side angle horizontal photo of Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies