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Stacy Allen, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke, Food Stylist: Jen Riley
If classic fudgy, chocolaty brownies just aren’t enough indulgence for you, give these Caramel Brownies a shot. With a gooey layer of sweet and salty semi-homemade caramel sandwiched between two layers of decadent homemade brownies, this is a dessert you’ll need a plate and a fork to devour. Here’s everything you need to know about baking these mouthwatering treats.
Caramel Brownie Ingredients
Scratch-made brownies are layered with a shortcut caramel sauce in this treat you’ll need to make again and again. You can use a boxed brownie mix if you’re short on time, but stick with our method for the caramel; store-bought caramel sauce, like the kind that’s shelved with the hot fudge, is too thin and drippy for this recipe. Here’s what you need to make it.
- Chocolate, unsalted butter, and espresso powder: We use 60% cacao chocolate and espresso powder to give the brownies a super rich chocolate flavor. Don’t use salted butter; you’ll add salt later.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar ensures these Caramel Brownies aren’t cloyingly sweet.
- Eggs and vanilla: You’ll need these kitchen staples to make the brownies gooey and luscious.
- Flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt: And these pantry staples to make them cakey and decadent.
- Chewy caramels and heavy cream: Store-bought chewy caramel candies, such as Werther’s Original or Kraft Caramels, are melted down with heavy whipping cream to make a perfectly thick and smooth caramel sauce.
Cooking Tips from the Test Kitchen
Repurposing caramel candies to make the caramel layer achieves the perfect texture without the tedious and difficult process of making caramel from scratch. Make sure you get the chewy caramels, not the hard ones.
If you have a food scale, we recommend using that to measure the flour. Too much flour will make these brownies too dense, so it’s important to measure it correctly. If you don’t have a scale, use the scoop and level method: Use a spoon to scoop the flour out of the bag and drop it into the measuring cup without pressing it down, then level it off with a butter knife.
How To Serve Caramel Brownies
As difficult as it will be to wait, it’s critical that you let these brownies cool completely before you devour them. If you try to cut into them while they are still hot, you’ll be left with a gooey mess. But give the caramel time to set and you’ll be rewarded with a brownie with a dry, puffed top, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth body, and velvety caramel center. Our advice: It’s be best to keep your baking plans to yourself until these are ready to serve.
How To Store Caramel Brownies
While we doubt you’ll have many left over, these Caramel Brownies will keep covered at room temperature for a few days. Though if you make them in the summer and your kitchen is on the warm side, you may want to store them in the refrigerator to keep the caramel from melting too much.
Editorial contributions by Alyssa Sybertz.
Ingredients
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Cooking spray
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4 oz. 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate (such as Ghirardelli), finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
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6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, cubed
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2 tsp. instant espresso powder (such as DeLallo)
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1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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2 large eggs, at room temperature
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4 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
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2/3 cup (about 2 7/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
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2 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa
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1/4 tsp. baking powder
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1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
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1 (10.8-oz.) pkg. chewy caramels (such as Werther’s Original), unwrapped
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1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
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Prepare oven and pan:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Coat parchment with cooking spray.
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Melt chocolate:
Place chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a large microwavable bowl.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
Microwave on HIGH until melted, about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after every 30-second interval. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
Gradually whisk in eggs and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
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Finish brownie batter:
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture just until combined.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
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Add batter to pan:
Pour half of batter into prepared pan, smoothing into an even layer with a small offset spatula.
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Make caramel:
Heat caramels, cream, and remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring often, until caramels are melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
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Build brownies:
Reserve 1/3 cup caramel mixture in a small, microwaveable bowl. Pour remaining caramel mixture evenly over batter in pan. Top evenly with small dollops of remaining batter, covering as much caramel mixture as possible. (Batter will not completely cover caramel mixture, but batter will spread in oven.)
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
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Bake brownies:
Bake in preheated oven until edges are set and top is dry, puffed, and just slightly cracked, about 30 minutes. (Caramel mixture will bubble up through batter.) Let cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Using parchment overhang, remove brownies from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley
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Drizzle caramel:
Cut into bars using a large, sharp knife. Microwave reserved caramel on HIGH in 10-second intervals until loosened; drizzle caramel over brownies. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
Stacy Allen; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Jen Riley