Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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These salted caramel brownies are perfectly fudgy and moist brownies with an oozing salted caramel center. These will be one of the best brownies you sink your teeth into!

If you love brownies, then boy, do I have a treat for you! More brownie recipes! These cherry cheesecake brownies, these delicious lemon brownies, and these yummy strawberry brownies are what I would recommend you make next!

Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (1)

Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe

I didn’t think salted caramel got much better until I made it into brownie form. I made these brownies a couple of days ago and still can’t get over how amazing they turned out. My boys were home for spring break and needed a yummy treat. They love brownies! But the salted caramel oozing inside took these brownies to a whole different level! You will never buy a boxed brownie mix again!

Salted caramel is one of my favorite combinations. I love the salty and sweet together. Who would have thought that salt in a sweet and decadent dessert would be so amazing!?! This brownie base is awesome. And then you have the salted caramel so ooey and gooey in every bite. That’s just perfection, in my opinion. If you love an amazing brownie and salted caramel, this recipe is a must-try!

Ingredients in Salted Caramel Brownies

The ingredients in these brownies are classic. And I won’t try and pretend that half of the brownie batter may get eaten as you make these. It’s that good! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Sugar: You need to have some sugar to balance out the cocoa powder and sweeten it up!
  • Baking Cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder will bring on all the chocolate!
  • Canola Oil: Oil is what makes the brownies moist.
  • Eggs: This will bind the batter together. I alwasy like to use large eggs when I am baking.
  • Milk: I used 2 percent ilk but you can use whatever you have on hand.
  • Flour: All purpose flour works best in this recipe!
  • Salt: The salt enhances the flavors of all of the ingredients.
  • Baking Powder: If you want your brownies soft, then this is the secret ingredient to making that happen!
  • Chocolate Chips: I love using semi-sweet chocolate in these brownies.
  • Caramels: I bought Kraft caramels at the store and just unwrapped them all to use!
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is what will make the caramel so delicious and creamy.
  • Coarse Sea Salt: Sprinkle this on top for that savory and sweet combo!

How to Make Salted Caramel Brownies

These are so delicious that I would suggest doubling the batch. These will fly off of the counter, and you are going to wish that you had more!

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. This makes cleaning up easier with the caramel.
  2. Combine: In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs and milk. Stir in the dry ingredients until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
  3. Bake: Spoon two thirds of the batter into the greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
  4. Prepare Caramel Sauce: Meanwhile prepare the caramel filling. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the caramels and sweetened condensed milk stirring 30 seconds at a time until melted and smooth. Can also melt over medium low heat in a saucepan.
  5. Add Filling to Brownies: Pour the melted caramel over the warm brownie layer. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top. Drop remaining brownie batter over the top of the caramel and carefully swirl the top with a knife. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Allow the brownies to completely cool before serving. Can also garnish the salted caramel brownies lightly with additional sea salt.
Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2)

Variations

If you want to shake things up with these delicious salted caramel brownies, let’s try a few variations!

  • Nuts: Feel free to sprinkgl some pecans or walnuts into the batter of these brownies. I say, the more delicious ingredients, the better!
  • Vanilla: You can add in a splash of vanilla extract to the batter to bring in a different (and equally delicious) taste.
  • Candy: If you really want to win over a kid with these brownies then add in some colorful candy! Try out some mini m&m’s!
Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (3)

How to Store Leftovers

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers of these delicious salted caramel brownies, then give yourself a slow clap! You will thank yourself the next day when you have another one to bite into. Store these brownies in an airtight container on your counter. They will last about 3-4 days! (If you can resist them for that long!)

Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (4)

More Delicious Dessert Recipes

If you are on the hunt for desserts that travel well, taste delicious and get devoured by a crowd then I’ve got you covered! These other few desserts that I have rounded up are some of my kids very favorites. And it doesn’t get much better than a kids approval on a recipe!

Bread

Banana Bread Bars

35 mins

Desserts

AMAZING Texas Sheet Cake

50 mins

Desserts

Mini Cheesecakes

35 mins

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Salted Caramel Brownies

5 from 4 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

These salted caramel brownies are perfectly fudgy and moist brownies with an oozing salted caramel center. These will be one of the best brownies you sink your teeth into!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 Brownies

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. This makes cleaning up easier with the caramel.

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. In another large bowl, beat together the sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

  • Spoon two thirds of the batter into the greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

  • Meanwhile prepare the caramel filling. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the caramels and sweetened condensed milk stirring 30 seconds at a time until melted and smooth. Can also melt over medium low heat in a saucepan.

  • Pour the melted caramel over the warm brownie layer. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top. Drop remaining brownie batter over the top of the caramel and carefully swirl the top with a knife. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Allow the brownies to completely cool before serving. Can also garnish the brownies lightly with additional sea salt.

Notes

Originally Posted on April 5, 2015

Updated on May 9, 2022

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 7gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 495mgPotassium: 316mgFiber: 4gSugar: 61gVitamin A: 106IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

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Easy Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put salt on top of brownies? ›

Brownies have a deep chocolate fudge flavor and salt enhances that flavor. Think about all those dark chocolate with sea salt candies that are so popular!

How does brown sugar affect brownies? ›

More brown sugar leads to dense brownies with incredible depth of flavor, but the additional moisture can cause their upper crust to be more solid than delicate as a result. If this is how you love your brownies, great.

What happens if you don't add salt to brownies? ›

Salt brings out flavor, so you'll taste the cocoa and other ingredients even more. And the salty taste will also temper the rich flavors of chocolate, which helps especially if you're indulging in a boxed brownie that has double chocolate or frosting.

What effect does sugar have on brownies? ›

Small sugar particles enhance the soft and moist texture of chocolate brownies. Sugar particle size manipulation significantly affects appearance, texture and colour liking of chocolate brownies.

What keeps brownies moist? ›

Use the right amount of fat: Brownies need a good amount of fat to keep them moist. Ensure that you're using the recommended amount of butter or oil in the recipe. You can also try using melted chocolate or adding a little sour cream to increase the moisture content.

Why do you put melted butter in brownies? ›

The reason we melt butter in brownie recipes instead of beating room temperature butter with sugar is because that helps give a rich, chewy, fudgy texture. Beating butter incorporates air and gives a more light, airy, cakey texture, which we don't want in a brownie. Well, you might want that, but I don't!

Is melted butter better than softened butter for brownies? ›

If you want a fudgy chocolate brownie, use melted butter. For cakey brownies, beating softened butter and sugar together to create air pockets will make your brownies lighter and cakier.

What happens if I use brown sugar instead of white in brownies? ›

The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor, and the finished baked goods' color may also be darker. These color, flavor, and texture alterations come from how brown sugar is made.

Which sugar is better for brownies? ›

When combined with more traditional cups of granulated sugar, brown sugar serves as a flavorful powerhouse that absorbs and retains the moisture in brownie batter. The way that the sugar holds onto moisture protects against dryness and boosts the softness of your sweets, while also contributing to a perfect top layer.

What not to do when baking brownies? ›

Brownie Mistakes: 7 To Avoid For The Best Brownies Ever
  1. 1 – Making Do With Poor Quality Chocolate. ...
  2. 2 – Not Allowing The Brownies To Cool Fully Before Cutting. ...
  3. 3 – Overmixing The Batter. ...
  4. 4 – Having The Oven Too Hot. ...
  5. 5 – Overcooking The Batter. ...
  6. 6 – Deviating From The Recipe. ...
  7. 7 – Not Being Creative.

What happens if you make brownies with milk instead of water? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What happens if you don't add eggs to brownies? ›

Is it okay to make brownies without eggs? Without eggs, baked goods will become a little thinner and not rise as much in the oven. As long as you replace the moisture from the egg with milk, banana or applesauce, you can make brownies without eggs. And yes, this recipe makes thinner brownies than normal.

What is unhealthy about brownies? ›

If you want to eat brownies all day, you probably a) really like brownies and b) feel like you are not allowed to eat brownies. Brownies are considered by most people to be “unhealthy” because they are high in sugar, fat, and calories.

Why did my brownies turn into a cake? ›

A more certain result is to choose a brownie recipe that has a higher amount of chocolate and butter. A brownie recipe with baking powder should be avoided as you'll most certainly end up with a cakey texture. Another reason your brownies may be cakey is too much mixing or beating during the cooking process.

What effect does baking soda have on brownies? ›

Adding baking powder or baking soda lifts brownies up and creates a cakier result. But today, we all want a brownie so dense and fudgy that it's basically 1 step up from eating pure chocolate. You'll get a taste of how dense these brownies are when you're mixing up the batter.

Are you supposed to put salt in brownies? ›

Standard recipes for brownies have a teaspoon of salt in them.

Do you have to add salt to brownies? ›

Salt enhances the sweetness in your brownies. You might think that adding salt would make brownies, or any chocolate, salter, but it actually brings out the sweet quality in these types of desserts. Sprinkle it in the batter or add flaky sea salt to the top of the brownies after removing them from the oven.

How do you keep brownies from getting hard on top? ›

To stop brownies from getting hard on the edges, the first thing to do is be sure they have a proper bake. Storing them in tightly wrapped plastic can also help avoid crunchy edges. You can also store them in a plastic storage container with a slice of bread to increase the moisture and soften the brownies.

What does adding salt to the top of a cookie do? ›

Once the chocolate chip cookies are done baking, immediately sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top so that it sticks to the cookies. I also like to use a fine sea salt inside the cookie while baking. Why does sea salt taste so good on cookies? Sea salt intensifies the flavor of your baked goods, especially chocolate!

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