Caramel brownies

These thick and fudgy caramel brownies are rich and decadent. A fudge-like brownie is filled with a gooey layer of caramel and topped with a caramel drizzle and flaky sea salt!

caramel brownies

My family and I were at the grocery store a week ago to do our weekly shopping. Yes, we like to go together because we like to see all the new products and surround ourselves with food.

Every week, I like to browse the bakery section because I often get inspired with the baked goods. However, this particular week, I was astonished and slightly offended. I happened to see a container with TWO (2) brownies that were being sold for $9.09! Granted, these were caramel brownies, but 1) the brownies were not that big, and 2) they were selling for $9! That’s $4.50 per brownie!!!

caramel brownies

I was outraged at this ripoff and vowed to make my own batch at home. As luck would have it, I already had all the ingredients on hand. I had a difficult time melting the caramels with the cream in the microwave, so I highly recommend melting them over a small saucepan on the stove (do this over medium low heat and don’t stop stirring!).

My husband wasn’t a fan of the instant espresso powder and claimed that he could taste it. So if you have people who aren’t coffee fans, you can leave that out. But, I do think that it helps bring out the intensity of the chocolate flavor in the brownies. My caramel topping also got a bit too firm so I wasn’t happy with that. The next time, I’d make a batch of caramel filling and save some of it aside for drizzling on top of the brownies. I think it will save a step in the instructions and make the caramel more uniform throughout.

caramel brownies

Regardless, I am thrilled to have not paid $9 for two brownies. Instead, I got a batch of 16 for about $4 total!

Husband’s rating: 4 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4 out of 5

Caramel brownies

These rich and fudgy brownies are filled with a layer of soft and gooey caramel and topped with another layer of caramel drizzle!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bars, Brownies
Servings: 16
Author: Eva Bakes

Ingredients

Brownies

  • cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional but recommended
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel filling

  • 25 unwrapped caramel candies I used Brach's but prefer Kraft
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream can substitute with half and half

Caramel topping

  • 6 unwrapped caramel candies
  • 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

Make the brownies

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease or line a standard 8"x8" baking pan and set aside (I used a silicone baking pan and did not line or grease it).
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, flour, espresso powder, and chocolate chips.
  • Add in the eggs, oil, water and vanilla and mix well. The batter will be thick.
  • Transfer half of the batter into your prepared baking pan.

Make the caramel filling

  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt the unwrapped caramel candies with the heavy cream in 25-30 second bursts. Mix well until the caramel is smooth and lump-free. I found that it was harder to melt the caramel properly in the microwave. I prefer leveraging a small saucepan and heating the caramel and the heavy cream over medium low heat (stir constantly so it doesn't stick to your pan).
  • Pour the caramel filling on top of the brownie layer. Then transfer the remaining brownie batter on top of the caramel layer and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. Do not over bake the brownies.

Make the caramel topping

  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt the unwrapped caramel candies with the heavy cream in 25-30 second bursts. Mix well until the caramel is smooth and lump-free. I found that it was harder to melt the caramel properly in the microwave. I prefer leveraging a small saucepan and heating the caramel and the heavy cream over medium low heat (stir constantly so it doesn't stick to your pan).
  • Drizzle the caramel topping over the cooled brownies. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  • Slice and serve.

Notes

Brownies are best when they are still slightly warm (but be aware that they will be harder to slice into). I do not recommend refrigerating these because the caramel will harder up and be more difficult to eat. You can always microwave them for a few seconds to soften them up. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for several days.
Source: Celebrating Sweets

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