When I was a kid, I had the world’s worst lunches in the world. My mom would pack me warm (ok so it was room temperature) cranberry juice or cran-raspberry if she was feeling super festive and low sodium foods since I had a kidney disease. Have you ever tried salt free ketchup? Well don’t, its the most repulsive condiment in the entire universe and you’ll gag. But my best friend’s lunches included the tastiest sandwich in existence, peanut butter and jelly. I drooled at the sight of her glorious sandwich while gagging on my room temperature cran-raspberry juice. Thankfully my best friend was pretty amazing and shared her entire lunch with me except for her brownies because I couldn’t eat chocolate…at all!! Can you imagine the horror? No chocolate. Perhaps that explains my massive sweet tooth and why I feel it’s incredibly necessary to combine my favorite childhood sandwich (that I took from my friend’s lunch) and the one chocolate dessert I craved like a man child. Since I’m talking about childhood, I thought the whole swirl effect would be appropriate.
Sift together 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract. Yes I love butter and sugar.
Add in 2 large eggs, one at a time. Mix to completely combine. Oooh an egg in a bowl!
Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed until almost combined. Don’t ask me why my spatula is already in the bowl. I guess I was overly excited about my gingerbread spatula.
Then take a spatula (I’m pretty obsessed with my gingerbread man spatula obviously) and gently fold the ingredients together.
Brownie batter is one of my absolute favorites…I think more then a cookie dough.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Spray the insides of the cupcake liners with nonstick spray.
Fill an ice cream scoop halfway with batter…and put it in your mouth. Kidding! Don’t do that!
and drop it into the cupcake liners. You may need to spread out the brownie batter with your fingers. Yes use your fingers!
Place two 1/4 teaspoons of peanut butter on top of each brownie cupcake.
Then place two 1/4 teaspoons of raspberry jam on top of each brownie cupcake.
Because the brownie batter is thick, you can’t just swirl your knife around and expect to make swirls. Take a knife, move your knife through the jam and then lift your knife. Move your knife through the other bit of jam and lift up your knife. I hope I’m making sense…
Move your knife through the peanut butter and then lift up your knife. Do the same with the other peanut butter bit. (Yes I’m super descriptive with the word bit) Go back and and make more swirls throughout the brownie cupcake.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Allow the brownie cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Brownies
(makes 14)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raspberry jam (seedless)
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the brown sugar, sugar, butter and vanilla extract on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Add in the eggs, one at a time.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed and mix until almost combined. (once all of the dry ingredients are added, stop the mixer)
Take a spatula and fold the ingredients together.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Spray the insides of the cupcake liners with non stick spray.
Fill an ice cream scoop halfway with the brownie batter and place it into the cupcake liner. Continue filling all of the cupcake liners.
Place two 1/4 teaspoons of peanut butter on each brownie cupcake. Then place two 1/4 teaspoons of jam on each brownie cupcake.
Because it’s difficult to swirl through brownie batter, this is how you’ll need to swirl the peanut butter and jam:
Take a knife and move your knife through the jam. Then lift your knife. Move your knife through the other 1/4 teaspoon of jam and then lift your knife. Do the same with the peanut butter.
Go back and swirl the peanut butter and jelly if you like.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool the brownie cupcakes in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove them and let them cool on a cooling rack.
Store the brownie cupcakes in an airtight container.
Holy smokes, that looks pretty darn amazing! Now, I’d probably leave out the jelly for myself, but mmmm. What a recipe!
I want these for my birthday!…in one week! Please come over
Yum! And I love your spatula. Is that a gingerbread man? How cute!
Love pbjs and can’t wait to try your muffins. 
Too funny about your lunches growing up. Yay for sharing friends.
My heart aches for little 10 year old Lindsey! I’m so glad you get to eat as much sugar as you want now!
xo,
tina
These look sooooo tasty! I think they would be great!!
These look really good…I recall the warm cranberry juice myself..YUCK!
These are the best things EVER. I want them in my lunchbox now please. Clearly I’m a mature adult. Right.
Ooo these look absolutely sinfully delicious!!! Love them!! Annnnd I must say I TOO have that super cute gingerbread man spatula, love it!!
What a clever brownie combination – looks absolutely divine!!!
You poor thing!! I had some issues when I was younger too. I couldn’t have artificial colors OR flavors. That limited me on A TON of sweet things that I could eat. As a child that wasn’t so fun
I was able to have peanut butter and jelly and these cupcakes are just delicious looking!
Love these! What a great idea to change up a brownie!
These are wonderful!
Oh these look crazy good! I made something that’s PB & J based that I am posting in a week or so for another event…but in the meantime, I want to make these. PB & J is one of my fave combos ever!
No chocolate! You poor deprived child!
No salt-free ketchup for me. I’ll take three (or ten) of these cupcakes!
PB&J is my favorite! And now they’re in a brownie and I’m in heaven, they look insanely good!
You evil, evil person. This sounds like the perfect combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and jelly. I have to have my daily pb&j or else my lunch doesn’t feel sattifying.
richie rich! yum
I’m so glad you can indulge in your favorite things now! Getting the things we couldn’t have before is always an amazing feeling
Yum! Also, I’m loving your adorable spatula!
I love this idea!! Such a great idea for kids (or adults!)!
Oh my word! As if peanut butter and jelly wasn’t already good on it’s own, you go and combine with a brownie!
You’re right about the swirl effect. That’s what grabbed me the most about this and made me know I WILL be making these. I’m a peanut butter & jelly fanatic!
As always, something very creative from your kitchen. I’ve pinned it so I can look at it from time to time and drool And remember where to go for the recipe of course.
These look just lovely, my friend. I’m sorry about the yucky school lunches. I’m sure any lunch you packed would be pretty tasty! I hope you have a blessed weekend. It was so good to hear from you last week!
Mmmm…now I’m craving a pb&j! These sound so delicious, and I’m glad you’re able to eat chocolate now
Yum – they look so decadent. Great!
Love the swirls in these little cupcakes. Addictive I bet
Brownies + PB&J? You’re a genius girl!
My goodness these look so tempting. I love the swirl. Gorgeous cupcakes.
Yumm! They look sooooo good!
great idea… looks so good. i love anything with peanut butter and jelly.