We’re freaking out over these Oreo-stuffed, salty peanut butter brownies

I recently brought these brownies into work and, shortly after, received a message from a taste tester: “The junk food brownie I ate contained aspects of every single pleasurable mouthfeel I have ever experienced.”

Here’s the thing about them: They’re outrageously decadent but not too sweet, thanks to extra cocoa and vanilla in the brownie mix and a hefty pinch of salt in the peanut butter. There’s crunch from the Oreos, smooth creaminess from the peanut butter, and a rich, fudgy brownie full of chewy edges from being split into two layers.

I whipped up the recipe in college and have been making them for years. They’re a good girl’s better-tasting answer to a terribly-named frankenbrownie. If your audience is silent for a few moments after they take a bite, you know you’ve done it right.

Ingredients

• 1 box brownie mix, prepared according to instructions
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 pack of Oreo cookies (single-stuff is best)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 bag unwrapped peanut butter cups

Directions

1. Prepare brownies according to instructions, and add cocoa powder and vanilla. Mix until well combined, and pour half of the mixture into a greased 13x9 pan.

2. Place cookies in well-spaced rows on the brownie mix—each brownie will contain a full cookie, so leave space between each one to guide your cuts.

   

3. In a heat-proof bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, and salt. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until the mixture is smooth and fully melted. Drizzle on top of the cookies.

   

4. Top the cookies with the remaining brownie batter. Use a rubber spatula to cover the cookies and peanut butter with brownie batter for even baking.

5. Roughly chop peanut butter cups and evenly sprinkle on top of the pan.

   

6. Bake, but take 10 minutes off the suggested cook time—the thin layers of brownie mix cook faster. Add time, if needed. Let cool before cutting.