There are so many baked goods to satisfy a sweet tooth in New Zealand and a much lesser known one is this Peanut Brownies recipe which is less like a brownie and more like a solid little cocoa biscuit with peanuts throughout the dough. With a moist and chewy texture, these peanut brownies are perfect for any occasion, whether it's a family gathering, a potluck, or a cozy night in.
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Though most of the time youโll find them in the cookie/biscuit aisle made by a beloved company called Farmbake that is synonymous with so many gatherings, but most frequently was something you'd purchase whilst hanging with friends.
What really makes these particular peanut brownies so good is that they are both so incredibly like the ones I grew up with in New Zealand, but also like a modern version in that they are less cookie and more brownie cookie, but trust me, these are addictive!
Ingredients and substitutions for Peanut Brownies
- Butter: Butter helps create that silky texture we love about brownies whilst also helping them rise. You could sub with non dairy butter, though I have not tried this. I do not recommend subbing oil in equal measure as it will likely make your brownies denser.
- Brown sugar: The brown sugar helps to make the brownies fudgy, however, you could substitute in equal measure with superfine or caster sugar which will result in a chewier final brownie. This also helps give your topping a caramelized flavor that wouldnโt be the same with superfine or caster sugar.
- Eggs: As well as adding structure to the brownies, the eggs bind everything together so are essential. You could substitute with vegan ingredients such as chia eggs or apple sauce, however, they have not been tested so might impact the dense texture of the brownies.
- Plain flour: Plain flour or all purpose is best because it helps give the brownies their texture without making them cakey or firm like bread if you use cake or bread flour. You also donโt want to overwork the dough so you donโt make these too stiff so only mix until you can see no more dry portions in your bowl.
- Salt: Without salt the chocolate flavors will be dull so it is essential to adding dimension to the brownies. Sea salt is best, but rock or kosher salt also works well.
- Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient here so youโll want a nice high quality cocoa powder for a truly chocolate packed flavor. I do not recommend substituting melted chocolate in equal measure here as this can be quite dense, however, chocolate chips or chunks would work well as an addition.
- Dry roasted peanuts: The dry roasted peanuts adds a complimentary flavor to the chocolate cookies that would not be the same with plain peanuts.
See recipe card for quantities.
What people are saying about these!
'Thank you for this recipe. When I first made these, someone had taken my peanuts so I substituted with chocolate drops and added a spoonful of peanut butter. Amazing! Then I purchased more peanuts and got the honey roasted by mistakeโฆ I think this mistake was a great one!'
How to make Peanut Brownies:
Step 1: Creamed butter: Cream the butter and sugar until beautifully pale.
Step 2: Add the eggs: Beat the eggs until combined.
Step 3: Dries: Add the dry ingredients in and combine until smooth.
Step 4: Roasted peanuts: Add those dry roasted peanuts and stir until well combined.
Step 5: Scoop: Scoop out a portion of the cookie dough and place on your baking tray.
Step 6: Bake: Place in the oven and bake.
Step 7: Cool: Allow to cool fully before serving.
Step 8: Serve: Serve alongside a glass of milk.
FAQ's for the best Peanut Brownies
By using dry roasted peanuts there is minimal other flavors added which means you control the flavor whilst also upping the intensity of your peanuts, if using sweetened and roasted peanuts these cookies will be significantly sweeter.
While peanuts are the star ingredient in our Peanut Brownies, you can certainly experiment with other nuts like almonds or cashews if you prefer. However, keep in mind that it may alter the overall flavor and texture of the brownies.
Absolutely! If you have any leftover Peanut Brownies or want to make a batch in advance, you can freeze them for later enjoyment. Simply wrap them tightly in foil or store them in an airtight container before freezing. They can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Just thaw them at room temperature before serving.
More classic cookie recipes youโll enjoy
Peanut Brownies
Ingredients
- 180 grams / 6.3 ounces butter room temperature
- 100 grams / ยฝ cup caster/superfine sugar
- 70 grams / โ cup brown sugar
- 90 grams / 2 medium eggs room temperature
- 73 grams / โ cup cocoa powder
- 267 grams / 1 โ cups plain flour
- 3 grams / ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยพ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- 120 grams / 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl until pale and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes with a hand beater.
- Add the egg and beat until all well combined, approximately 2 minutes.
- Toss in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, soda and salt and beat on low until just combined.
- Add the peanuts and fold through the dough until combined.
- Scoop out cookie amounts (a large tablespoon amount) and place on your baking tray.
- Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes or until brown on the edges.
- Remove and allow to cool on the tray for 2 minutes.
- Slide onto on a cooling tray to cool completely.
- Serve with a glass of milk.
- Dig in!
Video
Notes
- Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient here so youโll want a nice high quality cocoa powder for a truly chocolate packed flavor. I do not recommend substituting melted chocolate in equal measure here as this can be quite dense, however, chocolate chips or chunks would work well as an addition.
- Dry roasted peanuts: By using dry roasted peanuts there is minimal other flavors added which means you control the flavor whilst also upping the intensity of your peanuts, if using sweetened and roasted peanuts these will be significantly sweeter.
- Scoop used here: The scoop used here is about 2.3 inches / 6 centimeters which produces large biscuits/cookies so you could absolutely get up to 18 biscuits from this batch with a smaller scoop.
- Scoop used in video: The scoop used in the video is 1.97 inches / 5 centimeters which means the smaller cookies bake in 10 minutes versus the 14 minutes mentioned in the recipe.
Nutrition
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Made it and loved it?
If you have made this recipe, it would mean so much to leave a review below to help more people find this.
Aroha
Have been missing my nana a lot recently and she used to make these for us kids all the time. Had to give them a go and though they didn't taste exactly like nana's (think she added a special ingredient or two), they're so nostalgic and did not realize how much comfort baking these would bring. Thanks so much,
Sylvie Taylor
What a privilege to hear this brought you some comfort Aroha. Thank you so very much for leaving a review and I hope these bring back a few lovely memories as you enjoy them
Violet
Have been craving these and this recipe hit the spot. Better than storebought!!
Sylvie Taylor
Happy to hear you agree they're better than storebought.