Rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with a layer of caramel sauce and finished with a caramel drizzle. Layers of chocolate and caramel in every sweet and sticky bite!
Who is ready for gooey, fudgy, over-the-top CARAMEL BROWNIES?! These are coming just in time for Valentine’s Day, because I’m pretty sure that brownies stuffed with caramel are the way to everyone’s heart.
I rank brownies as one of my all-time favorite desserts. I love playing around with different flavor combinations like Cream Cheese Brownies, Peanut Butter Brownies, and Nutella Brownies And now we have Caramel Brownies in all their sweet and salty, ooey-gooey perfection.
Jump to:
Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: Rich chocolate, buttery caramel, and a touch of vanilla.
Sweet and salty: These brownies get sprinkled with flaky sea salt creating the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
Texture: Fudgy and chewy brownies paired with gooey caramel.
Semi-homemade: Although the brownie portion is homemade this recipes takes a shortcut for the caramel layers by using store bought caramels. More on this below.
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Make the brownie batter. We use our favorite homemade brownie recipe as the base for this recipe.
Melt caramels with cream/half and half and layer brownie batter with caramel sauce.
Bake, cool slightly, and top with caramel sauce and flaky sea salt.
Recipe tips
- Line your pan with foil or parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
- Do not over bake. Brownies should be removed from the oven just shy of the very center being cooked through.
- Cool to room temperature before cutting and serving. The brownies and caramel both need cooling time to firm up a bit.
- Don’t skip the salt. I absolutely love the saltiness from a heavy sprinkling of finishing salt on top of these brownies. Maldon flaky sea salt is my favorite, but any finishing salt will work here.
What type of caramel to use
This recipe uses individually wrapped caramel candies that can be purchased in the baking or candy aisle of the grocery store. I’ve made this recipe with both Kraft Caramels and Werther’s Soft Caramels.
The caramel candies are melted and combined with cream to form a caramel sauce with the perfect consistency. It is thick enough that it doesn’t ooze out or soak in to the brownies, but it is thin enough to bite through without being tough and sticky.
Do not use store bought caramel sauce/ice cream topping. It will be too thin and will not create a distinct caramel layer.
Serving and storage
Serve: Serve at room temperature or slightly warm (when they are extra fudgy and gooey). You’ll most likely want to serve them on a plate with a fork. The colder these are the firmer they will be.
Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave right before serving.
More brownie recipes
Recipe
Caramel Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 8 oz caramel candies*, unwrapped, see note
- 2½ tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and still hot/warm
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Topping:
- 2 oz caramel candies*, unwrapped, see note
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or half & half
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 square pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the foil/parchment. Unwrap the 8oz of caramels needed for the brownies and place them in a microwave safe bowl along with 2½ tablespoons cream/half and half. Set aside.
- Combine granulated sugar and hot butter in a large bowl. Stir it briefly then allow it to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. The heat from the butter will begin to dissolve the sugar (this helps make a shiny/crackly crust), the sugar will not fully dissolve. After 5 minutes, whisk the butter and sugar vigorously for 30 seconds. Add eggs, water, and vanilla extract, whisking again for about 30 seconds. Tap all the excess batter off the whisk and remove the whisk from the bowl.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder, powdered sugar, flour, salt, and chocolate chips over the wet ingredients. Use a rubber/silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until it is glossy and well combined.
- Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Place the bowl of caramels and cream in the microwave and cook in 20-30 second increments, stirring occasionally, until the caramels are melted and completely smooth. Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the brownie batter in the pan.
- Add the remaining brownie batter on top of the caramel. I pour/drop spoonfuls of batter all around the pan, then carefully press/spread it into an even layer. Make sure all the caramel is covered and try not mix the caramel and brownie batter (this will ensure distinct layers).
- Bake for 28-33 minutes, until the brownies are dry on top, no longer jiggly, and the very center is still a tiny bit underdone. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes before proceeding with the topping.
Topping:
- Microwave caramels and cream until melted and smooth. After the brownies have cooled for 30 minutes, drizzle the topping over the whole pan of brownies, then immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the brownies to finish cooling completely in the pan on the cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!RECIPE UPDATED February 2023. The base brownie recipe changed slightly, the caramel portion is the same but more detailed.
Jan says
These are delicious! The perfect combination of chocolate and caramel. I used Kraft caramel bits so that I didn’t have to unwrap all of those individual caramels. (Kraft says 25 caramels equals 1 cup of bits and I used 1/4 c instead of the 6 caramels in the topping. Other than that, I made it exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Stacy says
Thanks for your reply I was just standing in the baking aisle at the grocery store wondering if I could substitute the bits!
Shannon says
How could I make this in a 9×13 pan?
Allison says
I’d assume you could double the recipe and use a 9×13. I haven’t tried it though.
josephine says
hello! so im thinking about trying out this recipe and id like to use store brought caramel sauce instead of caramel candies. may i please have the measurements for using the caramel sauce in substitute of the caramel candies?
Allison says
Hi, Josephine. I have not tried this recipe with caramel sauce because I think the sauce will be too thin.
Rachel says
Hi! Can you sub canola/vegetable oil with olive or coconut oil?
Allison says
That should work. Just be aware that the flavor might be noticeable.
Kami says
Hi Del,
Have you tried a flash baked crust of either crushed oreos or pretzels? I think that might stop your homemade caramel from reaching the very bottom of your brownies. Just a home cook/baker here, certainly not an expert by any means. 😉Good luck!
Del Cox says
I can never get this to work. I make my own caramel from sugar, butter, and cream to get the same thick, ooey-gooey consistency when cool that the author likes, but whether following these baking instructions or getting creative, the caramel sauce always, always, always sinks to the bottom during the baking process. It seems to keep some of the batter from baking correctly against the glass pan as well, turning the bottom of the brownies into a dark, gooey mess, even though the top 80% of the dessert bakes just fine, including the middle.
Alicia T says
I’m sure the recipe is good but I have no idea what went wrong. I followed the instructions to the letter and I even cooked it for 35 minutes. BUT the brownie didn’t cook at all. Especially the bottom layer beneath the caramel. The layer on top of the caramel cooked through a little bit. It was a mess. I have no idea where I went wrong or why it didn’t cook. I know my oven was hot because I was cooking a loaf of bread at the same time. I have bad luck when it comes to brownies so I won’t be making again. Glad other people have success though!