Just about everyone I know loves brownies. They truly are the perfect treat, rich and dense, chocolatey and chewy. What’s not to love about a brownie? Some days, a plain old brownie is exactly what you need. Other days, you might want to live on the edge and try something new.
Today? Today is the day you try something new. These brownies have a cream cheese frosting middle, a sprinkling of peanuts, and a topping of chocolate peanut butter rice krispies. Yum, right?
You can start out with your favorite brownie recipe or you can be a cheater like me and just use a box mix. There are times when you want a delicious homemade brownie, but in this recipe the stuff from a box will work just fine.
Bake your brownies according to your recipe (or box) and allow them to cool completely.
Whip up some cream cheese frosting and spread it all over the top. I usually prefer buttercream frosting, but I was worried it would be way too sweet for this and I was probably right. This cream cheese frosting was perfect. It’s not overly sweet like buttercream, so you (hopefully) won’t fall into a sugar coma the minute you take a bite. The cream cheese frosting is nice and tangy, almost a bit like cheesecake and, personally, I loved it. I’ll go ahead and admit that my kids thought it could be a bit sweeter, but they always think things should be sweeter. Pizza? Add sugar. French fries? Add sugar. Toothpaste? Add sugar.
Sprinkle the frosting with coarsely chopped salted peanuts. Mm, peanuts.
For the topping, grab a big pan, mix together chocolate and peanut butter until it’s melted and then stir in the rice krispies cereal. Spread it out on top of the brownies and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator and oh my word, have you got one yummy dessert. Go ahead and eat as many as you can before your husband leaves for work and then beg him to take the rest with him. You don’t want to overindulge or anything, right?
Triple Threat Brownies
For the brownie base:
- 1 box brownie mix OR favorite recipe brownies (9×13 pan size)
Mix brownies according to package directions or your favorite recipe. Bake and allow to cool completely.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
Beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fully mixed. Spread on top of cooled brownies and sprinkle with nuts.
For the chocolate peanut butter rice krispies topping:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 3 cups rice krispies cereal
In a large pan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter over low heat. Continue stirring until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted. Stir in cereal, making sure to coat all the cereal in the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
Spread the cereal mixture on top of the brownies and frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Keep covered and store in the refrigerator.
| Tags: baking, chocolate, desserts 30 comments »
September 7th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Looks so yummy!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
MMM, Looks so delish!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Oh, wow, this looks so good. I would make this without nuts, though. Maybe with toffee or Oreo crumbles. YUM! Lovely photos!
September 8th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Thank you for the vicarious through the screen sugar coma at 8:33 in the morning! I just might have to make these tonight….*sigh*
September 8th, 2009 at 8:46 am
you’re killing me.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:28 am
You are evil!!
p.s. This blog doesn’t remember me either. Your blogs are really hurting my feelings!
September 8th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Why must you torture me when I have NO KITCHEN?!
Those look yummy! I make a similar one with marshmallow in the middle instead of cream cheese. I call them my “girlfriend” brownies because a group of girls and a few bottles of wine and those things are GONE.
Hope you are well!
September 8th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
These do look amazing.
BTW- I had a dream last night about your sugar donut muffins! I haven’t even made them yet. I am taking that as an omen though and I will make them very soon, promise.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
How did you come up with that?? Looks great!
September 8th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Woman, JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO MY THIGHS.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
cream cheese frosting is my favoritest.
but NOM NOM NOM
yum.
i would do walnuts and chocolate rice krispies.. no peanut butter
September 10th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
This looks yummy. Will definitely try it out! Thanks for sharing.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I think I’m going to make these. I have three people under 20 living in my house and if the went into a sugar-coma for a few days it really wouldn’t be too terrible.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Oh, my! I think I will have to make these, and then immediately give them away. The folks in my hubby’s office will love them!
September 13th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
OMG those look so good.
September 14th, 2009 at 9:11 am
oh yum!! i need a glass of milk just looking at it!
September 14th, 2009 at 10:04 am
These look so fantastic! Sinfully delicious! What a beautiful website.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:19 am
YUMMY! Those look delicious! That topping sounds amazing!
September 14th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Wow! Those DO look delicious!
September 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Oh dear, those are must-haves for the holiday season. When it gets freezing outside and all you want to do is sit inside with a movie and hot cocoa, these bad boys must be made as well. With a hearty scooping of ice cream, to top it off. I love that combination of ice cream and melty brownies. Yum!
September 21st, 2009 at 8:10 pm
wow they look yummy!
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:48 am
Yumm!
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
I am going to make them this weekend for an outing I will be at. I always make the treat at least once before let other people eat one of my treats. This sounds too good.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Ohhhhhhh. DROOL.
September 26th, 2009 at 6:07 am
[...] Triple Threat Brownies [...]
September 27th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Thank you for submitting the beautiful photo of these delicious brownies to our site. It’s our current headline pic! You have a great site, looking forward to reading more.
September 27th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Oh. My. God. I’m pretty sure I could eat that whole pan. I have no self restraint.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
[...] Triple Threat Brownies – Lame Name, Yummy Taste September 7, 2009 [...]
February 17th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
This look amazing! I live in Colorado Springs though, not sure they would turn out well with the high altitude
March 4th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Oh heaven and I laughed out loud when you said to eat as many as you can and have your husband take them to work! I totally do that! lol Yum! I am trying these tonight! not sure if I should put them on my site though (it IS called the healthy apron), but everybody indulges now and again right? mmmm