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Home » Brownies & Bars » Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

Published: Feb 5, 2020 · Modified: Sep 27, 2021 by Allison · 29 Comments

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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!

Two Caramel Brownies on a piece of parchment paper on a wooden board.

Who is ready for gooey, fudgy, over-the-top CARAMEL BROWNIES?! These are coming at ya 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, Nutella Brownies, Strawberry Brownies, Zucchini Brownies, M&M Brownies, and Coconut Brownies. And now we have Caramel Brownies in all their sweet and salty, ooey-gooey perfection.

Jump to:
  • How to Make Caramel Brownies:
  • Recipe Tips:
  • What Type of Caramel To Use?
  • How To Store Caramel Brownies:
  • Recipe
A square pan of brownies topped with caramel drizzle.

How to Make Caramel Brownies:

My easy one-bowl Homemade Brownies are the base of this recipe. I add a layer of caramel in the middle of the brownies and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. Here’s how to make them:

  1. Start by making the brownie batter: Whisk cocoa powder, sugar, salt, flour, and chocolate chips. Stir in eggs, oil, water, and vanilla. Spread half of the brownie batter into the bottom of an 8×8 pan.
  2. Melt caramel candies with heavy cream until you have a smooth caramel sauce (I do this in the microwave). Pour the sauce over the brownie batter in the pan.
  3. Add the remaining brownie batter on top of the caramel sauce, spreading it into an even layer.
  4. Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, until the brownies are cooked through but still fudgy.
  5. Drizzle the top of the brownies with more caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt.
How to make Caramel Brownies - brownie batter in a white bowl and square baking pan.

Recipe Tips:

  • Do not over bake. Brownies should be removed from the oven just shy of being cooked through. I usually recommend testing brownies by inserting a toothpick into the center, but this recipe is a little tricky because there is a layer of gooey caramel in the center. I recommend checking the top brownie layer only with a toothpick, it should come out with a few fudgy crumbs (and maybe a bit of caramel sauce), but no raw brownie batter.
  • Cool completely before cutting and serving. Do not cut into these brownies when they are hot. The caramel sauce will be thin and the chocolate chips will be melted, so it will be quite messy. I recommend allowing them to cool to room temperature before cutting them. My favorite way to serve them is just a little bit warm. I heat each serving in the microwave for just a few seconds right before serving.
  • 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 aisle of the grocery store. The caramel candies are melted and combined with cream to form a caramel sauce. If you try to use store bought caramel sauce (like ice cream topping) it will likely be too thin and will not create a distinct caramel layer.

By melting the caramel candies with cream, it creates the ideal caramel sauce consistency. It is thick enough to be cut without oozing out, but it is thin enough to bite through without being too thick and sticky.

Two Caramel Brownies on a piece of parchment paper on a wooden board.

How To Store Caramel Brownies:

You can store these at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I recommend warming individual servings in the microwave for a few seconds right before serving. They are best served slightly warm when they are extra fudgy and gooey (as pictured)! You’ll most likely want to serve them on a plate with a fork. The colder these are, the firmer they will be.

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Recipe

Two caramel brownies on a piece of parchment paper.

Caramel Brownies

Rich and fudgy brownies stuffed with a layer of caramel sauce and topped with caramel drizzle.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 305kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Brownies:

  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips , I prefer milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 25 unwrapped caramel candies**
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half

Topping:

  • 6 unwrapped caramel candies**
  • 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 (this will allow you to lift the whole tray of brownies out of the pan for easy removal). Lightly grease the foil/parchment.
  • In a large bowl combine cocoa powder, sugar, salt, flour, espresso powder, and chocolate chips. Whisk until combined. Add eggs, oil, water, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until combined (it will be fairly thick).
  • Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
  • Place 25 unwrapped caramels and 2 tablespoons cream in a microwave safe bowl. 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 drop spoonfuls of batter all around the pan, then carefully press/spread it into an even layer.
  • Bake for 35-42 minutes, until the brownies are baked through, but still fudgy. 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 on the cooling rack.

Notes

* The brownies pictured were baked in an 8×8 square pan. You can also use a 9×9, just note that the brownies and filling will be slightly thinner. Also, you will need to reduce the bake time by 5-10 minutes. 
**I purchased one 11-oz bag of Kraft individually wrapped caramel candies (on the baking aisle). You will not need the whole bag of caramels. 
You can store these at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I recommend warming individual servings in the microwave for a few seconds right before serving. They are best served slightly warm when they are extra fudgy and gooey (as pictured)! You’ll most likely want to serve them on a plate with a fork. The colder these are, the firmer they will be. 

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Jan

    March 18, 2021 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 19, 2021 at 2:14 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
    • Stacy

      March 20, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks for your reply I was just standing in the baking aisle at the grocery store wondering if I could substitute the bits!

      Reply
    • Shannon

      November 07, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      How could I make this in a 9×13 pan?

      Reply
      • Allison

        November 08, 2022 at 8:21 am

        I’d assume you could double the recipe and use a 9×13. I haven’t tried it though.

  2. josephine

    March 22, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 24, 2021 at 9:50 am

      Hi, Josephine. I have not tried this recipe with caramel sauce because I think the sauce will be too thin.

      Reply
  3. Rachel

    November 27, 2021 at 11:26 am

    Hi! Can you sub canola/vegetable oil with olive or coconut oil?

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 30, 2021 at 7:50 am

      That should work. Just be aware that the flavor might be noticeable.

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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