This caramel brownies recipe brings caramel and chocolate together for the gooiest, fudgiest, and most decadent treat you won’t be able to get enough of. The caramel layer takes the brownies to a whole new level! I tested this recipe using store-bought caramel candies and found that they are the key to making a thick ribbon of gooey caramel set perfectly in the center of the brownie. More on this below! This crowd-pleasing dessert is so easy to make, too. You don’t need any special equipment— no mixer or candy thermometer, just a whisk and spatula!
A reader, T. Cobb, says: “Amazing! These have the perfect balance of chocolate and gooey caramel, and are so easy to make. I could eat the entire pan!” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients For Salted Caramel Brownies
These are the main ingredients you need to make caramel brownies. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Cocoa powder — I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for this recipe. It gives a deep, rich chocolate flavor to the brownies. You can also use natural unsweetened cocoa powder if you’d like. The color will be slightly lighter, and the flavor won’t be quite as deep, but the brownies will still be delicious! If the cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it before adding it to the melted butter.
Sugar — this recipe uses both granulated sugar and brown sugar. The white sugar gives the brownies a crisper edge, whereas the molasses from the brown sugar makes the brownies fudgy and chewier.
Butter — use unsalted butter to control the flavor of the brownies. Different brands of salted butter contain different levels of salt, so I typically bake sweet recipes with unsalted butter and add a measured amount of salt for consistency.
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 semisweet 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 layer. Evaporated milk is usually right beside it on the shelves at stores, and is far too runny and not sweetened, so double-check you’ve grabbed the correct can.
Caramel candies — you must use chewy 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 and never set up. I like Werther’s chewy caramels, but Kraft or pretty much any brand of classic chewy caramel candies should work. You can even use homemade caramels!
How My Easy Caramel Works
When I developed this recipe, I wanted the brownies to have a substantial layer of caramel running through the middle that didn’t ooze out when sliced. I found that melting chewy caramel candies with sweetened condensed milk produced the best results!
Why? It’s essentially a cheat— the caramel candies have already been cooked to a stage where they are soft but chewy at room temperature. (This means you don’t have to boil sugar to make your own caramel!) The added sweetened condensed milk keeps the layer thick and sweet, but softens it just enough that the brownies slice and eat well without being too chewy.
Readers have asked me if they can skip making the homemade caramel layer and just use a jar of store-bought caramel sauce. I don’t recommend this. Store-bought caramel sauces vary so much in texture by brand. They are typically runnier since they are generally served over a very cold/frozen dessert, which thickens the texture.
Why Did My Caramel Sink?
If you’ve made these brownies and your caramel sank into the bottom of the brownie, it’s likely because the bottom brownie layer had gaps. The caramel layer can seep into any holes in the batter and push the brownie batter up. Make sure you spread the batter evenly over the bottom before adding the caramel.
Pro Tips For Making Fudgy Caramel Brownies
Room temperature eggs will mix more effortlessly into the batter than cold eggs. Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time. Or, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to quickly warm them up to room temperature.
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 for measuring flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
Avoid over-mixing the brownie batter, as it’ll lead to a batch of tough brownies. The more you mix the batter, the more gluten will develop and the denser the brownies will be. For this reason, do not use a mixer; instead, combine the batter by hand with a spatula.
Lining the pan with parchment paper will make removing the brownies easier. The caramel will get quite sticky on the edges. If you don’t line the pan, it can bake onto the sides, causing the brownies to stick. Plus, the lining makes cleaning up the pan so much easier.
For a twist, swap the chocolate chips for chopped toasted pecans, toasted walnuts, or roasted peanuts.
How To Make Caramel Brownies
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making caramel brownies. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
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.
Caramel Brownies Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 8″ square baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Small saucepan
- Wire cooling rack
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 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (11-ounce) package caramel candies* unwrapped
- Flaky sea salt optional
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 on 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 flaky salt if desired. Cut into squares. Brownies can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Do not cut into these brownies when they are hot from the oven. The caramel layer is not set until the brownies cool, and the chocolate chips will still be melty, so it’ll be very messy to slice. Be patient and wait so you get nice, clean slices and the brownies don’t fall apart.
- 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 vanilla ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, apple pie, apple slices, and more!
Nutrition
Storing and Freezing
Storage: Brownies can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze the caramel brownies for up to 3 months. Wrap slices individually with plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. You can also freeze the entire pan. Let them thaw at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.
More Dessert Recipes To Try
If you like these brownies, try one of my other dessert recipes featuring chocolate and caramel!
Millionaire’s shortbread is a rich caramel bar made with three layers– crisp shortbread, gooey caramel, and rich chocolate ganache.
A fudgy chocolate brownie base is topped with cream cheesecake for the perfect cheesecake brownies! The tangy cheesecake and fudgy, rich chocolate are the perfect flavor pairing.
Swirl peanut butter into brownie batter for these easy peanut butter brownies. Be sure to use a no-stir peanut butter for creamy swirls and the best texture.
You can’t be a classic brownie! My popular recipe is super fudgy and packed with extra chocolate chips for a gooey, decadent brownie.
Flex your baking skills with a homemade caramel cake. The frosting is made from scratch and makes the best caramel coating for three layers of fluffy vanilla sponge cake.
If you’ve tried this caramel brownies recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Grace says
Omg! Best brownies everrrr! I’ve never attempted to make them from ‘scratch’ and so with this recipe, they turned out so well, I just made them again for my MIL for Mother’s Day! Thank you so much!
Elizabeth Jordon says
John is so endearing, he is natural on camera and makes me smile. I love when he includes “things gone slightly wrong” his reaction is so funny! Cant help but love him.
Oh, and his recipes are fantastic.
tcobb says
Amazing! These have the perfect balance of chocolate and gooey caramel, and are so easy to make. I could eat the entire pan!
Jenn says
These brownies turned out good! Really rich! The bottom half got a little cake/dry but if you warmed them in the microwave they were so yummy!
José Cardoso (Portugal) says
Simply Magic, Divine! Bravo!!!