Salted caramel brownies are gooey, chewy, chocolate bars filled and topped with rich salted caramel. This decadent dessert is best served with a glass of milk!
Looking for a delicious, fudgy, and insanely rich brownie? Look no further - you must make these salted caramel brownies.
Not only is salted caramel sauce drizzled on top of these brownies, but it's also baked inside for rich caramel flavor throughout. Plus, the batter base comes together in a single bowl with simple pantry ingredients, making them easy to whip up in a moment's notice.
You'll love this recipe because it's a crowd pleasing favorite. They're perfect for your next potluck, picnic, or family gathering at home.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter - Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter if needed. Your butter should be melted, not cold or room temperature.
- Sugars - We're using a combination of granulated and brown sugars for the perfect chewy texture and sweetness. Granulated sugar helps give these brownies a crunchy crust and chewy texture, while the molasses in brown sugar adds depth of flavor and makes them more fudgy.
- Vanilla - Adds depth of flavor to your brownies.
- Eggs - Add moisture and structure.
- All-purpose flour - Adds stability and balances with the wet ingredients in the recipe. I have only tested this recipe with AP flour, so I can't say for sure how other flours would turn out. Instead of making substitutions and potentially wasting ingredients, I recommend searching for a recipe written with the type of flour you'd like to use.
- Cocoa - Adds a rich chocolate flavor to the brownies. I used natural cocoa powder, but Dutch cocoa powder would also work since there are no leavening agents involved.
- Soft caramels - I used half a bag of Kraft wrapped caramel candies for this recipe. If desired, this recipe can be doubled and prepared in a 9x13 pan to use the entire 11 ounce bag of caramels (baking times included in the recipe card below).
- Heavy cream - Necessary to create a caramel sauce along with the soft caramel candies.
- Sea salt - Optional, for sprinkling on top.
Tips and tricks
Use melted butter and room temperature eggs - Room temperature ingredients combine evenly to create a homogenous batter. If one ingredient is cold it can seize up and create streaks throughout the batter.
To bring your eggs to room temperature quickly - Add the eggs (in the shell) to a small bowl and cover with warm tap water. Allow it to sit for about ten minutes.
Don't overmix the batter - There's no need to mix the batter for a long period of time. Stir only until the ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing batter once the flour has been added overworks the gluten, resulting in tough brownies.
Use parchment paper - There's nothing worse than making a batch of brownies only for them to stick to the pan! Line your loaf pan with parchment paper for best results. I don't recommend greasing your pan for this recipe because the caramel can get very sticky. Parchment also makes it easy to lift the entire batch of brownies from the pan before slicing.
Allow your brownies to cool before slicing - Slicing into warm brownies creates messy, crumbly edges. For smooth cuts, allow your brownies to cool most of the way first. Use a sharp chef's knife, wiping off between cuts, to make clean, even slices.
Use cooking spray - For perfectly clean cuts and less fuss, spray your knife with cooking spray first.
Frequently asked questions
Homemade caramel brownies will keep for 4 to 5 days at room temperature in a tightly sealed container.
Brownies can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of an event and stored in a tightly sealed container. For best results, leave your brownie slab whole until just before serving - this helps retain their moisture.
If your brownies sunk in the middle after removing from the oven, it sounds like they weren't done baking. To prevent sinking, test the center of your brownies with a toothpick. If it comes out with wet batter, they're not done yet. Keep baking until the toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs.
A fudgy brownie is the result of the ratio of fat to flour. Too much flour and not enough fat results in a cakier brownie. As written, this recipe makes a fudgy, rich, and dense brownie. Reducing the sugar or butter can cause them to turn out less fudgy.
Want that warm, fresh out of the oven feeling? Reheat individual squares for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.
Yes, brownies are freezer-friendly and will keep in a tightly sealed container for up to three months. Make sure your brownies are cooled to room temperature before storing.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (80 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (42 g) cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces (142 g) soft caramels, unwrapped
- 2.5 tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture - flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir until combined. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add soft caramels and heavy cream. Microwave in 30 second increments and stir until caramels are melted and fully combined with cream, creating a caramel sauce.
- Pour ⅔ of brownie batter into prepared 8x8 pan and spread to edges. Top with half of caramel sauce. Add remaining brownie batter on top and spread to edges. Drizzle with remaining caramel sauce.
- Bake for about 22-24 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean (or with crumbs, not raw batter). Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt (optional). Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Scaling: This recipe uses half of an 11 ounce bag of Kraft Caramels. If you'd like to use the entire bag, this recipe can be doubled and made in a 9x13 pan instead. Your brownies will be slightly thicker and will take an additional 5+ minutes of baking time.
- Storage: Brownies will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature in a sealed container.
- Make ahead: If making brownies a day or two ahead of time, leaving the pan of brownies whole will help retain their moisture. Slice just before serving.
- Reheating: To reheat brownies and serve warm, microwave for 10-15 seconds for that fresh-out-the-oven feeling.
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