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.
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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.
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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.
Claudia Lamascolo
The caramel makes my mouth water and these smell great in the oven now! cant wait!
Celebrating Sweets
Enjoy!
Carol
Can you use a box mix
Celebrating Sweets
That should be fine. Enjoy!
Josh
How do you evenly spread the caramel? Mine seems to just stick to the lower half of the brownie!
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Josh. Are you referring to the layer of caramel in the middle of the brownies? You don’t spread it, you just pour it over the top of the bottom layer (step 4). It will be too sticky to spread. I just pour it in a zig-zag/ back and forth motion (as pictured in the 3rd photo). Enjoy!
Brandon
Hello !! I wonder if I used egg replacement for this recipe, can you give me any recommendations. Thanks !
Allison
I’ve only made the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. Best of luck playing around with it.
Jennifer
How many caramels and how much cream for the topping??
Allison
Hi, Jennifer. That is listed under the “topping” heading on the recipe card. It’s 6 caramels and 1 tablespoon cream. Enjoy!
Camille
In the ingredients it says “6” unwrapped caramels with cream. But then going down into the instructions it says 25. Slight difference. I only bought a Werthers bag with a lot less than 25.
Allison
Hi, Camille. The “6” caramels is listed under the “topping”, the “25” caramels are listed above that in the “brownies” section of the recipe. Those caramels actually go INTO the brownies. I think you might have missed it when you scanned the recipe. If you leave the caramel out of the brownies and just add the caramel topping it should still taste fine (just less caramel-y).
Priya Khanna
Can I use home made caramel sauce instead of the candies? And do I heat it in the microwave before pouring it on the batter?
Allison
Sure! You only need to microwave it if it is too thick to pour.
Dukediesel
These are so good, I don’t even know where to begin. I didn’t add espresso powder because I didn’t have any. So easy to make also, not a ton of steps like some recipes. Very fudgy and the layer of caramel was a nice touch. I also wasn’t feeling too good last night so didn’t put the drizzle on but will next time. They were delicious regardless. Will make again and recommend for brownie lovers.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jen
Did you use a glass or metal pan?
Allison
I’ve used glass and porcelain.
Le
Can you make your own caramel sauce for this recipe
Allison
Yes, just make sure it is thick enough that when you slice the brownies all the caramel doesn’t run off/out.