Adding a swirl of peanut butter takes brownies to the next level, but why stop there? Today I got a little creative and made Peanut Butter Swirled Miso Brownies. They are rich, fudgy, and perfectly balanced between sweet and savory. The deep, chocolatey brownie base gets an unexpected umami boost from miso, adding depth and enhancing the Dutch process cocoa’s intensity.
The miso is not just a gimmick or a way to make the brownies sound trendy. White miso (I haven't tested with another variety) softens the texture somewhat and brings out the chocolate’s richness without overpowering, making these brownies extra fudgy and complex.
White Miso Paste
My go-to miso is white miso paste that comes in a tub and is usually in the refrigerated section. I like it slightly mild and use a brand cold Cold Mountain Mellow White Miso. It's ideal for desserts because it is flavorful without being too salty. The Trader Joe's brand white miso that comes in a pouch also works well.
Baking Time for Brownies
There are a few thing to know before you get started. The brownies are baked in an 8-inch pan. They puff up quite a bit when baking, and they may seem underdone at first. And by that I mean the middle will be jiggly and you may feel very uncertain about pulling them out quite yet. If that's the case, use a meat thermometer. They should top out at at least 204 degrees F. Let them cool briefly at room temperature and then chill to firm. The baking time will probably vary somewhat from oven to oven, but these should be very fudgy.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
For the cocoa powder, I have only tested with Dutch process. If you use natural cocoa powder, you can try keeping the baking powder the same or perhaps cut it down to ¼ teaspoon since natural cocoa powder has some acidity. The next time I make Peanut Butter Swirled Miso Brownies I'll try natural cocoa, but the miso was just so good with the Dutch process.
Swirling Peanut Butter on Brownie Batter
For the swirl, you can use any brand of peanut butter. I used Jif for this batch and mixed it with extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil keeps it from sinking into the batter quite so much. If you use unsweetened peanut butter, you can leave it unsweetened or add a teaspoon of powdered sugar. The sugar also helps keep the peanut butter from sinking in. That said, using unsweetened peanut butter and a little oil gives you maximum peanut butter flavor and you probably won't miss the sweetness.
Keto Version
I also made a keto version and mixed the peanut butter with MCT oil. I'll post an update with the keto version if anyone is interested.
Recipe
Peanut Butter Swirled Miso Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (114 grams)
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped (114 grams)
- ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet okay)
Peanut Butter Swirl
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons oil (I use olive)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line inside of an 8-inch pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Melt the butter and the dark chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar.
- Add the cold eggs one by one, whisking until each one is blended in, then whisk in the miso paste and the vanilla extract.
- Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and whisk into the batter. Make sure it's cool, then add additional chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together softened peanut butter and oil. Drop small spoonfuls on top of the brownie batter, then gently pull a knife through to make swirls of peanut butter
- Bake for about 28 minutes or until the brownies appear set. They might still appear to be a little underdone in the center, but that's okay.
- Let cool before slicing. If you have time, you can cool, chill and cut while cold.
Anna says
Cyndi, have you tried Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Darlene, in my experience there's just no absolute certainty with brownies. Most sources say that 204 is overbaked, but these sure weren't. Maybe use the thermometer as a tool to get an idea, but go with appearance and jiggliness. Mine were still jiggly in the center to the point I thought they'd probably be underdone, but they eventually set up. I'll keep adding notes as I make them in different pans, but this batch took a good 28 minutes. If your oven runs hot are you want a more even bake, you could try 330F or use convection.
Cyndi B says
These look good! I have been on a miso kick lately, putting it in my chocolate chip cookies. Will have to try these. Thanks for all of your great recipes.
Darlene says
Would you suggest baking any chewy brownie to 204 degrees F, or is that temperature specific for this recipe? I'm always uncertain when I test for doneness in my brownies and would love just to test the internal temperature with a thermometer.