Is there anything better than the combination of caramel and chocolate? This caramel brownies recipe brings the two together for the gooiest, fudgiest, and moist treat you won’t be able to get enough of. The caramel takes the brownies to a whole new level. This is a decadent dessert that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
These caramel brownies are so easy to make. You don’t need any special equipment. No mixer, no candy thermometer, just a whisk, and spatula! Truly, these will be the best thing you’ll ever make. Make them for your next party, potluck, bake sale, or just as an afternoon treat. Want to make another brownie recipe? Try my cheesecake brownie recipe, peanut butter brownies recipe, or homemade brownie recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Butter — use unsalted butter as there is measured salt added.
Cocoa powder — I like to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this brownie batter, but you can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in a pinch.
Sugar — this recipe uses white sugar and brown sugar. White sugar makes the brownies chewy, whereas the molasses from the brown sugar makes the brownies fudgy.
Chocolate chips — adding chocolate chips to the batter leads to your brownies having a more intense chocolate flavor and a gooey and melty texture. While I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can also use dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips.
Sweetened condensed milk — make sure you use sweetened condensed milk to make the caramel. Evaporated milk is usually right beside it on the shelves at stores, so double-check you’ve grabbed the correct can.
Caramel candies — you must use caramel candies for the distinct caramel layer in the brownies. Store-bought caramel sauce used as an ice cream topping is too thin and will blend into the brownie layer.
How to Make Caramel Brownies
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and cocoa powder until well combined.
2. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth.
3. At the same time, in a small saucepan, heat the condensed milk over medium-low heat until warm, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the caramels and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
4. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips.
5. Spread half of the batter in an 8×8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Pour ⅔ of the caramel sauce over the brownie batter in the pan.
6. Dollop the remaining batter on top of the caramel layer. Bake the caramel brownies for 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with salt if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Be sure to use chewy caramel candies. I like Werther’s, but Kraft or pretty much any brand of classic chewy caramel candies should work.
- Room temperature eggs will mix more effortlessly into the batter than cold eggs. Take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time or place them in a bowl of warm water to quickly warm them up to room temperature.
- Avoid over-mixing the brownie batter, as it’ll lead to a batch of tough brownies. Do not use a mixer, combine the batter with a spatula instead.
- If the cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it before adding it to the melted butter.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly. If you add too much flour to the recipe, you will have dense caramel brownies. I highly recommend always using a scale to measure. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is best to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- Be patient! Do not cut into these brownies when they are hot from the oven. The caramel layer not have set, and the chocolate chips will still be melty, so it’ll be messy.
- Lining the pan will make removing the brownies and cleaning up the pan much easier.
- You can add chopped pecans to the brownie batter for extra crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store leftover brownies?
Brownies can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze this?
You can freeze the caramel brownies for up to 3 months. You can wrap the slices individually with plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. You can also freeze the entire pan. Bring them to room temperature when ready to enjoy.
What to do with leftover caramel?
If you have leftover caramel and do not want to drizzle it on top of the baked brownies, you can save it for drizzling over ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, pies, apple slices, and more!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Caramel Brownie recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Caramel Brownies
Video
Equipment
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted (227g)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (75g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (220g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (180g)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce)
- 1 package caramel candies* unwrapped (11-ounce)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and cocoa powder until well combined. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips.
- Spread half of the batter in the prepared baking pan.
- In a small saucepan, heat the condensed milk over medium-low heat until warm, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the caramels and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Pour ⅔ of the caramel sauce over the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining batter of the top of the caramel.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. (Less bake time will result in gooier brownies.) Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with salt if desired. Cut into squares. Brownies can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- *Be sure to use chewy caramel candies. I like Werther’s, but Kraft or pretty much any brand of classic chewy caramel candies should work.
- Room temperature eggs will mix more effortlessly into the batter than cold eggs. Take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time or place them in a bowl of warm water to quickly warm them up to room temperature.
- Avoid over-mixing the brownie batter, as it’ll lead to a batch of tough brownies. Do not use a mixer, combine the batter with a spatula instead.
- If the cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it before adding it to the melted butter.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly. If you add too much flour to the recipe, you will have dense caramel brownies. I highly recommend always using a scale to measure. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is best to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- Be patient! Do not cut into these brownies when they are hot from the oven. The caramel layer not have set, and the chocolate chips will still be melty, so it’ll be messy.
- Lining the pan will make removing the brownies and cleaning up the pan much easier.
- You can add chopped pecans to the brownie batter for extra crunch.
