Let's bake up a batch of thick, fudgy Kickass Brownies then drizzle loads of Salted Caramel all over them and finish them off with flakes of sea salt, shall we?
The marriage of these easy, yet decadent homemade brownies and salted caramel is truly a match made in flavor heaven.
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It Starts with Fudgy, Decadent Brownies
These amazing homemade brownies all started with my blog's namesake recipe, the Kickass Brownie. Now these easy, made-from-scratch brownies are not your ordinary brownies.
They are super thick and ultra fudgy. They're made in an 8x8 inch square baking pan, as opposed to the traditional 9x13 inch rectangular pan. This makes these brownies bake up taller than your average brownie.
No cakey brownies here! There's just enough flour in these babies to hold them together, making them super fudgy. Let the chocolate flavor and rich texture shine through, I say!
Chocolate plus Salted Caramel equals heaven on earth
Chocolate and caramel are the perfect flavor combination. Add in some sea salt to this combo and you've just taken brownies from ordinary to extraordinary.
For this salted caramel brownie recipe, I substituted the semi-sweet chocolate chips in my Kickass Brownies recipe for salted caramel chips. And I didn't stop there with the salted caramel flavor!
Using my standby salted caramel recipe, I whipped up a batch using granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter and a dash of salt. The salted caramel spends some time hanging out in the freezer to firm up a bit then gets added to the brownie batter.
While baking, the caramel gets in all those nooks and crannies of the brownies. And when you cut into these salted caramel brownie, the caramel oozes out, making for the ultimate salted caramel brownie bite.
And don't forget to sprinkle on the flaky sea salt at the end! The contrast of sweet brownie and salty caramel is pure heaven in a chocolatey dessert.
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Making salted caramel takes just a few minutes, but can quickly burn if you don't pay attention. To make salted caramel, start by melting sugar in a saucepan. Don’t get concerned when the sugar begins to look clumpy and smell like it’s burning. Just keep stirring it around and eventually it’ll all melt into a rich amber color. Just as soon as it's all melted, very carefully add the butter – it tends to splatter at this point! And if you wait too long, the caramel will begin to burn. Drizzle in the cream then add in the salt. It comes together quickly, so have all your ingredients prepared next to the stovetop before you begin
- Allowing the caramel to set up / firm up a bit before adding to the brownies will prevent it from sinking straight to the bottom of your brownie batter while baking. Be sure to prepare the salted caramel before the brownie batter and allow it to firm up in the freezer while you prepare the batter. This way it'll be the perfect temperature when you're ready to add it to the batter and bake. If your caramel does sink during baking, have no fear! You will have extra salted caramel leftover, so add more to the top of the baked brownies once they're out of the oven
- These brownies are super thick and fudgy, so they require close to an hour to bake. To check if they are done, stick a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs stuck to it, your brownies are done. If you pull them out of the oven too soon, they will surely sink in the middle as well as be raw
- This recipe calls for two 8x8 inch square baking pans. If you do not own two, you can prepare the salted caramel, allow it to set up in the freezer for 20-30 minutes per the recipe, then lift the parchment with the salted caramel out of the pan and use the baking pan for the brownie batter. The caramel will hold it's shape so you can easily place it back in the freezer without the need for the pan
Useful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
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If you are a Brownie and/or Blondie lover like me, be sure to check out these recipes:
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons salted butter room temperature, cubed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Brownies
- 6 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 cup salted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup caramel chips or salted caramel chips
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel:
- Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In medium saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Don’t worry when you see the sugar becoming clumpy.
- It will begin to melt into an amber colored liquid as you continue to heat and stir it. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to burn.
- Once sugar is completely melted, add in butter (be careful, it may splatter!) and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while stirring the mixture.
- Boil for one minute then remove from the heat and stir in the salt.
- Pour into prepared pan and place in freezer to firm up, about 20-30 minutes.
- Make the brownies while the caramel is setting up.
Make the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC) and line a second 8×8 baking pan (see note) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat until pieces are melted.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until light yellow (~ 5 minutes).
- Add sugar and blend on low until combined.
- Add vanilla and melted chocolate to the egg sugar mixture then add flour and beat until smooth.
- Stir in caramel chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Remove caramel from the freezer and lift parchment out of the pan.
- Place on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut caramel into squares.
- Place caramel squares on top of brownie batter, spreading evenly over surface. (You will not use all of them).
- Bake for about 45-55 minutes (toothpick inserted into center should come out clean when done – do not overbake).
- Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Spread top with the remaining salted caramel (warmed so it'll spread evenly), sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and cut into 16 squares
Notes
- This recipe calls for two 8x8 inch square baking pans. If you do not own two, you can prepare the salted caramel, allow it to set up in the freezer for 20-30 minutes per the recipe, then lift the parchment with the salted caramel out of the pan and use the baking pan for the brownie batter. The caramel will hold it's shape so you can easily place it back in the freezer without the need for the pan
- Store leftover caramel in a jar with a tight fitting lid. This will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Warm the salted caramel in the microwave prior to spreading on the top of the brownies
- Store baked brownies in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to one week
- Baked brownies may be frozen. I like to cut them into squares and wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep this way for up to 6 months. You can defrost one at a time in the microwave on 50% until warmed throughout
- Salted caramel technique inspired by Pinch of Yum
Nutrition
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Comments
Gina
Tasted good, especially the caramel, but I had some trouble with the recipe. Oven thermometer read 350°, I used Fat Daddio's aluminum pan I always use for brownies, but I had difficulty getting this dense, nearly 2" thick layer of batter to cook all the way through. If you have any additional guidance about the ingredients (should the eggs be room temp?) or how they are incorporated, I'd appreciate it. I liked the idea of a super thick brownie, but after 65 minutes, my edges were perfectly crisp but my middle was still mostly raw.
Kim
Hi Gina! The brownies are super thick. I always recommend room temp eggs, so I'd recommend that here as well. You can try lowering the temp of your oven by 25 degrees to help the middle bake through without burning the edges. You can also try baking them in a glass pan instead of metal, as the metal bakes faster and the glass retains heat better so when they're pulled form the oven they'll continue to bake a bit more. Definitely let the brownies cool all the way then stick them in the fridge before slicing them, otherwise they tend to fall apart if too warm when sliced. I hope this helps! Good luck!!