Salted caramel brownies: There is not a more perfect brownie combination out there. Except, maybe, if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of these gooey, warm, and delicious brownies!
Is there not a more amazing combination of flavors than in salted caramel? Don’t agree with me?
Uhh, have you tried these salted caramel brownies yet??
Like these sweet and salty cupcakes and these turbo-charged brownies, this brownie recipe brings together rich chocolate and salted caramel, a topping I don’t ever see myself tiring of. And rather than being sandwiched within the brownies (like these peanut butter caramel filled brownies), the caramel seeps into the batter, distributing the goodness throughout and keeping the brownies utterly and perfectly fudgy.
After adding a sprinkle of fleur de sel and coarse sugar, which melt onto the warm brownies after baking, these salted caramel brownies are elevated to a completely different level. Like, heaven has arrived on earth level.
Like Joanie loves Chachi level. Like…well, after that last one I hope you get my point. And if you don’t know who Joanie and Chachi are, please don’t point out how old I am.
ANYWAY! As my first official baked goodie in the new kitchen, these brownies were a smash hit and whether you top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a glorious drizzle of the leftover caramel sauce (or both!), you will not be disappointed – we certainly weren’t!
Salted Caramel Brownies
Salted caramel brownies should be a staple in every baker's kitchen. This brownie recipe is layered with an easy homemade salted caramel sauce but you could definitely use your favorite store-bought salted caramel sauce too.
Ingredients
For the salted caramel sauce:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ¼ tsp fleur de sel or another flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
For the brownies:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
- 11 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (preferably 60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- splash of Kahlua (optional)
- 1 tsp fleur de sel or another flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp coarse sugar
Instructions
- To make the caramel: Combine the sugar and corn syrup with ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Carefully stir them together, trying not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 350° F on an instant read or candy thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes. It should be dark amber in color, but keep a close eye on it, as caramel goes from perfect to burned and ruined in no time flat.
- Remove the caramel from heat, and carefully stir in the cream. It will bubble up, so be ready! Whisk in the fleur de sel, vanilla extract, and sour cream or Greek yogurt; set aside to cool.
- To make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder; set aside.
- Combine the butter and chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl and cook at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until the chocolate and butter have melted. Add both sugars and whisk until combined. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Add three of the eggs and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the remaining two eggs, vanilla, and Kahlua (if using), and whisk just until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the brownies and use a spatula to fold it into the wet ingredients, until there are just small traces of the flour visible.
- To assemble and bake the brownies: Pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan. Drizzle ¾ cup of the caramel over the brownie batter, being careful not to let the sauce come into contact with the edge of dish. Use and offset spatula to gently spread the caramel evenly over the brownie layer, then drop the remaining brownie batter over the caramel by the spoonful. Again, use the offset spatula to gently spread it in an even layer.
- Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with the salt and sugar Cool completely before cutting and serving.
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Salted Caramel Brownies
- Prep Time: 30min (caramel) + 15min (brownies)
- Cook Time: 30min
- Yield: 12-16 servings
Ingredients
For the salted caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
1 ¼ tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
For the brownies:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (preferably 60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
splash of Kahlua (optional)
1 tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp coarse sugar
Instructions
-
01
To make the caramel: Combine the sugar and corn syrup with ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan. Carefully stir them together, trying not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 350° F, about 6 to 8 minutes. It should be dark amber in color, but keep a close eye on it, as caramel goes from perfect to burned and ruined in no time flat. Remove the caramel from heat, and carefully stir in the cream. It will bubble up, so be ready! Whisk in the fleur de sel, vanilla extract, and sour cream or Greek yogurt; set aside to cool.
-
02
To make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder; set aside.
-
03
Combine the butter and chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl and cook at 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until the chocolate and butter have melted. Add both sugars and whisk until combined. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Add three of the eggs and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the remaining two eggs, vanilla, and Kahlua (if using), and whisk just until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the brownies and use a spatula to fold it into the wet ingredients, until there are just small traces of the flour visible.
-
04
To assemble the brownies: Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Drizzle ¾ cup of the caramel over the brownie batter, being careful not to let the sauce come into contact with the edge of dish. Use and offset spatula to gently spread the caramel evenly over the brownie layer, then drop the remaining brownie batter over the caramel by the spoonful. Again, use the offset spatula to gently spread it in an even layer.
-
05
Bake the brownies for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with the salt and sugar Cool completely before cutting and serving.
adapted from Baked: Explorations via Pink Parsley
I agree taste of salted caramel is really incredibly good! These brownies look awesome!
Those fudgy brownies look delicious!
These are seriously making my mouth water. Love it!
These are Joey’s all-time favorite brownies. Anytime I ask him what dessert I should make, he requests these. So so good! And I’m dying to try the cupcake counterpart too 🙂
Salted caramel is *so* one of those magical foods! I haven’t tried the Baked brownies but I have them bookmarked. One day… one day.
What isn’t salted caramel amazing on? Seriously, these must be awesome!
How can I not have tried this yet? Holy macaroni! I thank you, but my waistline is flipping you “the bird”. They look great, Tara!
o yum! I can never resist caramel brownies, these look ridiculously good! I’ve never used greek yogurt in a caramel sauce? I’ve got a container of it in the fridge, need to try!
Happy Mother’s Day to me! I know what I’m making 🙂
Hope you enjoyed them!
Can’t wait to try the salted caramel sauce, but can you clarify what to do with the 1 ¼ tsp. fleur de sel and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract that are listed in the sauce ingredients? I’ve re-read the directions several times, but don’t see what to do with those 2 ingredients. Thanks so much for your help.
Hi! So sorry about the missing piece of the caramel instructions and thanks for letting me know about this! I’ve gone back and added the fleur de sel and vanilla where they were missing. Hope you love this caramel sauce as much as I do!
Thanks so much for your speedy reply, Tara! I really appreciate the clarification. Have a great day!
Sure thing! 🙂