Salted Caramel Brownies need no introduction. Drizzled with caramel, loaded with chocolate and sprinkled with just a touch of sea salt, these gooey brownies prove it’s okay to be a little salty sometimes.
If you love caramel and chocolate together, I suggest you make a batch of this delicious Salted Caramel Fudge! SO creamy, and easy to make too! Or give our caramel apple cheesecake bars a try soon.
Why this Recipe is Best
The Internet is not lacking in salted caramel brownie recipes. This, I know.
Something else I know, though, is that THIS recipe came out better than any of the other many I’ve tried. I wasn’t satisfied with just a good brownie.
I wanted a salted caramel brownie that was good enough to convince me to pack my bags and run away with it, living in chocolate caramel paradise for the rest of my days.
While my family will be happy to hear I’m not running away any time soon, this recipe checked every one of my boxes.
- The brownies are fudgy and just a tad gooey, swirled with caramel topping that’s made even tastier with the addition of coarse salt.
- The trick is in how you mix the batter. Instead of using a beater or electric mixer, I melted butter with chocolate chips, then mixed everything together until just barely combined. This keeps the gluten in the flour relaxed so the brownies stay soft and chewy, just the way I like them.
- The amount of eggs in the recipe is another secret for making them SO delicious!
This Salted Caramel Brownies recipe is based on my favorite Bakery Style Brownies but with the addition of swirled caramel and sea salt on top. Or try these rich Salted Caramel Cookies!
Ingredient Notes
Reminder
Scroll to the end of the blog post for a complete printable list of ingredients, measurements, and directions.
- Chocolate Morsels – Semi-sweet morsels are my choice, or you can substitute milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – A good quality unsweetened cocoa powder is best!
- Butter – Unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness of your finished desserts, so it’s my preferred option. You don’t need to soften the butter first, since it’s going to be melted in the sauce pan!
- Eggs – This is it. The secret to making brownies with a chewy, gooey middle and a crisp layer on top!
- Caramel sauce – I used caramel ice cream topping from a bottle. You could also melt our homemade caramels and use those too!
- Sea salt – The salt should be coarse with granules large enough to see and separate with your fingers for ideal texture and flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Melt Butter & Chocolate.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then remove from heat before stirring in the chocolate chips and sugar. Continue stirring until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
Add eggs.
Mix the eggs into the chocolate mixture one at a time, along with the vanilla.
Add dry ingredients.
Add the cocoa powder, flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Using big strokes, stir the dry ingredients into the wet until JUST combined. Be careful not to over mix or beat!
Caramel topping.
Pour the brownie batter into 9-inch square baking dish. Drizzle caramel sauce over the batter and swirl it with a butter knife.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and add coarse sea salt to top while the caramel is still warm. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.
Tips & Tricks
- Storing – These brownies will keep for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. I also enjoy the taste when they’re chilled!
- Do not over stir! I can’t emphasize this enough. It’s okay if you see a few small “lumps” of flour in the batter when incorporating the dry ingredients. Use a spoon to mix rather than beaters or a stand mixer for this recipe to prevent over stirring.
- To keep brownies from sticking – Line your brownie pan with parchment paper before adding the batter. Once cool, you can lift the paper (and the brownies) out of the pan in one piece before cutting.
- Want to eat the brownies sooner? Chill them in the fridge while they’re cooling!
- Don’t forget the ice cream! Top your warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and more caramel sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Use a plastic knife! It works like a charm without ripping the brownies. Also, always make sure your brownies are cooled completely before you try to cut them.
Honestly, any caramel ice cream topping will create delicious swirls of caramel perfection atop your brownies. I find the bottled sauce with the squeeze top makes it easiest to drizzle.
I wouldn’t. The coarse sea salt adds a specific flavor that highlights the sweetness of the caramel without dominating it. If you don’t have coarse salt, you could make these without the added salt on top for straight up caramel brownies instead!
Variations
If you love classic brownies, here are a few you should try next.
- Fudgy Brownies– the original thick and fudgy brownie recipe that we use as a base for all our brownie recipes.
- Walnut Brownies – Fudgy brownies with a delicious nutty crunch! These decadent brownies are easy to make and guaranteed to satisfy any chocolate craving.
- Peanut Butter Brownies– thick swirls of peanut butter in our easy brownie recipe.
- M&M Brownies– add your favorite variety of M&M candies or choose a holiday color for a festive touch.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Cannoli
- Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Banana Cake
- Pistachio Fluff
- Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- French Silk Pie
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below!
Brownies and Bars
See all Brownies and Bars recipes
Salted Caramel Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup caramel sauce ice cream topping
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add in chocolate chips and sugar.
- Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add in eggs, one at a time, stirring completely after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Using big strokes, stir in JUST until mixed and no longer see dry ingredients. DO NOT BEAT OR OVER STIR.
- Pour batter into dish. Drizzle with caramel topping and swirl with a knife.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and add coarse sea salt to top. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Do not over stir after adding the dry ingredients.
- The Perfect Cut. Use a plastic knife! It works like a charm without ripping the brownies. Also, always make sure your brownies are cooled completely before you try to cut them.
- Caramel Sauce– Any caramel ice cream topping will create delicious swirls of caramel perfection atop your brownies. I find the bottled sauce with the squeeze top makes it easiest to drizzle.
- Salt Matters- The coarse sea salt adds a specific flavor that highlights the sweetness of the caramel without dominating it. If you don’t have coarse salt, you could make these without the added salt on top for straight up caramel brownies instead!
- Freezer Friendly– store cooled brownies in an airtight freezer safe container for up to three months. Thaw overnight.
Video
Nutrition
Ready to make the most deliciously rich brownies ever? Salted Caramel Brownies are the perfect balance of sweet, buttery and salty!
Did you use natural (hersheys) or Dutch processed cocoa powder. The reason I am asking is because the leavening agent is baking powder which is usually paired with Dutch processed cocoa.
I used regular cocoa. Brownies typically don’t need a leavener, but I find the baking powder gives a little lift and adds the classic crunchy topping needed to be considered a PERFECT brownie 🙂
Can you double recipe without problem
Made a double batch for my Grandson’s Graduation Open House and received tons of compliments! I had cut them into small squares making them the best fudge/caramel little bites!
Glad they were a hit!
Best brownies I have EVER made!!! Absolutely devoured by a hungry track team!
Also loved that I could make it all in one pot (the one I used initially to melt the butter)!
Just some of my notes:
I reduced the sugar by about a half cup I think and they were still plenty sweet, especially with the caramel on top!
I added extra (non-melted) chocolate chips to the batter
My baking pan was a good bit longer than 9 inches (I forget exactly) and they still turned out plenty thick!
The coarse salt on top is sooo important (I thought I added a lot but next time I’ll add even more!)
Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you loved them (and the track team too)!
Thanks for the wonderful recipes!!! Going to the kitchen now to bake the delicacy for my next door neighbor and for my husband who just had surgery yesterday. He should have a treat!
Can you substitute the butter with coconut oil?
Hands-down the BEST brownies ever! The caramel and chocolate combo is my weakness. Thank you for the recipe!
My boys devoured these so quickly! A definite hit in our house.
Can I use this recipe for muffins?
WOW! These salted caramel brownies are AMAZING!! They will not last long at our house! YUM!
What size pan are these baked in? 13 x 9 or 9 x 9?
9-inch square baking dish 🙂
Hi! I haven’t tried this yet but I do want to say thank you for being in m email box! I really like your recipes and have made quite a few. The “jump to recipe” tag is a welcomed feature, too
Thank you 🙂