Indulge in fudgy dark chocolate skillet brownies adorned with a decadent peanut butter swirl. They are rich, fudgy, nutty, and perfect for sharing!
Nothing beats warm, gooey, fudgy brownies fresh out of the oven. These double dark chocolate skillet brownies are the ultimate dessert. They have a lightly crisp top with a rich chocolate center, and the peanut butter swirl is a delightful bonus. The brownies are downright sinful, and you’ll love every bite. Better yet, they’re baked in a cast iron skillet which not only delivers a more rustic presentation but comes with benefits like heat retention and a nonstick surface to make baking even more effortless.
Why You’ll Love These Dark Chocolate Skillet Brownies
- Intense chocolate flavor – The brownie batter consists of melted and chopped dark chocolate, hence the double chocolate. The use of both creates an intense chocolate flavor because not only is it evenly dispersed in the batter, but the bits of dark chocolate melt as the brownies bake, resulting in fudgy pockets of chocolate throughout.
- Peanut butter swirl – This dessert is like a peanut butter cup and a fudgy brownie in one.
- They’re baked in a skillet – A skillet, specifically a cast iron skillet, allows the brownies to cook evenly. You know how sometimes when you bake brownies, one part gets crispy while the others stay a little too fudgy? You won’t run into that issue here.
- Quick and easy to make – This recipe takes a little over 30 minutes to prepare and bake, so you can have warm brownies in no time.
- No cutting required – Since the brownies bake in a skillet, it’s only appropriate to go in with a spoon. You can cut them if you wish, but if you make a rustic dessert, you may as well stick to the theme when serving.
Double Dark Chocolate Brownies Ingredients Notes
To make double dark chocolate skillet brownies, you need:
- Coconut oil: Oil makes the batter moist resulting in a tender texture. Use refined if you don’t want a coconut flavor, or go unrefined if you don’t mind it.
- Dark chocolate: Use dark chocolate from high-quality bars. Go with 70% cocoa solids for an intense chocolate flavor.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour gives the brownies structure.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients and give the brownies a fudgy texture. They also provide them with some lift.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the brownies. It also assists in achieving light crispness on the surface of the brownies.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter adds a decadent swirl to the top of the brownies. For the best result, warm it a bit so it’s more fluid and easier to swirl.
A complete ingredients list with amounts is in the recipe card below!
How to Make Dark Chocolate Skillet Brownies
To make dark chocolate skillet brownies:
- Whisk the wet: Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar to a large bowl and whisk. Although technically dry, sugar is treated as a wet ingredient to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
- Melt the chocolate: This is done in the microwave to keep things simple. Add most of the chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl with the oil, and heat until melted. Let it cool briefly (not long enough for the chocolate to start to set), then whisk into the egg mixture. Waiting to do this is crucial because you don’t want the hot chocolate and oil to start cooking the eggs.
- Sift the dry: This includes flour, baking powder, and salt. Sifting removes any lumps to prevent dense, heavy dark chocolate skillet brownies.
- Combine the wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Once you have a batter, the remaining chopped chocolate goes in.
- Bake: Divide the batter between two skillets, add the peanut butter swirl to the top, and bake the brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Add nuts – Chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, can be added to the batter for crunch. Their rich flavor and neither too hard nor too soft texture is ideal for fudgy brownies.
Use milk chocolate – If you prefer milk chocolate, you can substitute some dark chocolate with milk. Remember that milk chocolate will increase the sweetness of the brownies, so don’t use more than 4 ounces.
Use butter instead of coconut oil – If you prefer butter, go for it. It serves the same purpose as coconut oil. Any neutral oil will also do.
Go gluten-free – Most gluten-free flours are a 1:1 substitute for regular wheat flour.
Go nut free – Those with a nut allergy can use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. It has an earthy roasted flavor, much like peanut butter, but tends to be a little more intense.
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 tbs. coconut oil
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tbs. vanilla extract
- 3 tbs. peanut butter
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- To a large bowl, add the eggs, vanilla, and sugar and whisk together until well combined.
- Add about ¾ of the chopped chocolate and the coconut oil to a heat-proof bowl and place in the microwave for intervals of 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between (about 3 times).
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture.
- In another bowl, sift together (this helps add lightness) the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add to the chocolate mixture and fold together.
- Add the remainder of the chopped chocolate and fold into the batter.
- Divide into 2 skillets.
- Using a toothpick, or chopstick, place a few dollops of the peanut butter onto the brownie batter (to help make it spreadable, I microwaved mine for 20 seconds) and swirl.
- Bake for about 20 minutes (be careful not to overcook as this will dry out the brownies).
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