Peanut Butter Protein Brownies

Peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven. But what if there was a better way to combine the 2? Let me introduce you to my recipe for Peanut Butter Protein Brownies.

Adding protein powder is a great way to balance out dishes by adding more protein. Take these overnight oats with protein powder. Oatmeal is almost all carbs, but throw in the protein powder and it helps to balance this.

For me, the perfect brownie is a really fudgy one. It is thick and chocolatey, and in this case, loaded with peanut butter.  They are fairly simple to make. Follow along and let me show you just how to make these show-stopping brownies. 

Ingredients

• Eggs- This recipe uses plenty of them!
• Granulated and brown sugar- you can also use sucanat if you prefer or even monk fruit sweetener if you like. I prefer the granulated and brown for my brownies though. It is still quite a bit of sugar, but it is reduced.
• Vanilla- Pure vanilla is a must for this recipe. 
• Whole Wheat flour- I used whole wheat pastry flour. It is my favorite to use for cakes, cookies, brownies, etc as it is a lower protein flour. This matters to texture mostly, it will still produce a tender, chewy brownie. 
• All-purpose flour- I like to use a combo of both in my recipes. 
• Chocolate protein powder- I used Domination Chocolate, this is sold at our local gym and the family loves it. Use whatever kind you like. It can be a vegan protein (plant-based) protein if you prefer. 
• Cocoa Powder- this will help give you that rich dark chocolate flavor. 
• Salt- it only takes a touch but is a must.
• Dark Chocolate chips- you could also use semi-sweet or milk chocolate.
• Butter- It is really hard to make a great brownie without it. 

How To Make

• Start by melting your butter with your chocolate chips. I like to microwave for 30-second intervals, mixing in between until the chocolate is melted. This can also be done on the cooktop, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Set this aside. 
• Add eggs to a medium-sized bowl. Mix on high for about 1 minute. Then add in your granulated and brown sugar. Continue to mix until the mixture is light and fluffy. Towards the end of that time, add vanilla and mix in as well.
• Sift in your flour, protein powder, cocoa, and salt. Fold this in to combine.
• Then pour in your melted butter/chocolate combo. Again, mix to combine. Pour into your prepared pan. I like to line mine with parchment to easily remove once it is baked and cooled. 
• Bake for 40-50 minutes. Now, the toothpick test won't work here, as you want them to come out underbaked slightly. Mine were baked for exactly 40 minutes. If you want to go longer, I wouldn't do more than 50 minutes. These will continue to cook even after you remove them from the oven in a process called carry-over cooking.

Notes

• These brownies aren’t hard to make, but let me share some tips that will help you get the perfect brownie the first time!
• One of the biggest things I can tell you is, don’t overbake. These brownies are so much better if they are fudgy, and one of the easiest ways to keep them that way is not to overbake. 
• If you don’t have chocolate protein powder, you can always use vanilla powder too. It will give a slightly different texture, but it is still good. 
• If whole wheat flour is not your thing, you can easily sub out the whole wheat flour the recipe calls for with all-purpose flour. 

• Bars & Brownies
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour