Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Gather Your Ingredients

These peanut butter cup brownies deliver MAJOR chocolate peanut butter flavor, and they magically do it with a simple ingredient list. Let’s take a look:

• Our Easy Gluten-Free Brownies (Or Your Favorite Gluten-Free Box Mix Brownies). If you have the time, I 100% recommend making the gluten-free brownie recipe we share in the recipe card below. Our fudgy brownie base is made from basic ingredients: butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, cocoa powder, and salt. That’s it! 
• Peanut Butter Cups. Next up is peanut butter cups. Using a mix of whole & chopped peanut butter cups in the brownies creates amazing textural contrast and makes each bite unique. (It’s like a happy little peanut butter surprise inside!)
• Salty Peanuts. I’m all about that crunch, and some salty peanuts break up the texture and flavor here. YUM.
• Gluten-Free Crisp Rice Cereal. Then, you’ll need some gluten-free rice krispies. Actual Rice Krispies brand is NOT gluten-free in the U.S., so we recommend one of these gluten-free brands of rice krispies. Aldi and Barbara’s are my two faves!
• Peanut Butter. You can use crunchy or smooth peanut butter, but some people prefer creamy peanut butter. I gravitate toward natural peanut butter (with just peanuts or peanuts + salt) most of the time, but feel free to use your fave.
• Chocolate Chips. Then, some chocolate chips. I recommend semisweet or dark chocolate chips as they’re slightly less sweet and we have a lot of sweetness going on in other places!

Want to use a boxed brownie mix? I get it! While we LOVE our easy brownie recipe, sometimes you just need a box mix. Our favorite gluten-free brownie mix is this one from King Arthur Baking. We did a big taste test a few years ago, and this was the hands-down winner for taste and texture.

How To Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Brownies

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whip Eggs & Sugar. In a medium mixing bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, and eggs for 3-4 minutes, or until about triple in volume, much lighter in color, and the sugar is mostly dissolved (there will still be some grains left, but the mixture should largely look smooth and glossy.)
3. Mix In Butter & Vanilla. Next, add the melted butter and vanilla extract to the egg mixture and beat to combine.
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Add the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the egg mixture and gently fold in with a spatula until just combined.
5. Layer The Batter & Peanut Butter Cups In The Pan. Pour HALF of the brownie batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Add 8-9 whole peanut butter cups evenly on top of the brownie batter, then fill in the gaps with halved & quartered peanut butter cups. Cover with the remaining brownie batter and smooth to cover the peanut butter cups.
6. Bake Brownies. Pop the brownies in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs or streaks of chocolate.
7. Cool Brownies & Prep Layers. Let the brownies cool for a few minutes on a wire rack, while you measure and prep your other ingredients, like chopping peanuts or measuring ingredients for the peanut butter crunch layer.

Assemble The Layers

1. Make The Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer. In a small saucepan (or medium microwave-safe bowl), gently melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together until smooth and glossy. (If using the microwave, melt in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval to prevent scorching.) 
2. Assemble The Layers! Sprinkle the slightly cooled brownies with the salted peanuts and crisp rice cereal. Carefully pour the peanut butter layer over the peanuts & cereal layer and gently use a spatula or offset spatula to spread into an even layer.
3. Refrigerate Until Completely Set. Chill the brownies in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or until the peanut butter crunch layer is completely set (it shouldn’t be wet, sticky, or glossy. It’ll look more matte.)
4. Slice & Serve. Cut the brownies into 16 squares (or even smaller rectangles for parties or dessert tables), and serve.
5. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. 

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies

Plan Ahead! Our gluten-free peanut butter crunch brownies are SUPER easy to make, but they do require some serious chill time to let all the layers set up properly. Make sure you have a full 2-3 hours in advance to let them set, or your peanut butter crunch layer will be gooey and slide off as you slice them.

Are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Gluten-Free? Yes! Most Reese’s peanut butter cup products are gluten-free, other than their seasonal shapes (like eggs, pumpkins, and trees, which don’t contain gluten ingredients but may experience cross-contact/cross-contamination). Formulations change all the time, but you can see their list of gluten-free peanut butter cups here. You can also use Justin’s or unREAL brand peanut butter cups, which are both gluten-free (and some are also dairy-free!).

What Size Peanut Butter Cups Should You Use For Peanut Butter Cup Brownies? It’s totally up to you! I generally use the full-size Reese’s cups to cover most of the surface, then fill in the gaps with halved or quartered peanut butter cups. You could easily use the mini cups or the snack-size peanut butter cups if you prefer. Just know if you use a smaller size, you’ll likely end up with more chocolate & a little less peanut butter in each bite.

How To Store These Reeses Brownies: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or in an airtight bag in the freezer for 1 month.