One of the best things to do to a pan full of brownie batter is to swirl in some salted caramel. These Salted Caramel Brownies are delicious. Every bite of brownie has a little of that salted caramel swirled in.
Salted caramel made its grande debut in the 1990’s when French chef Pierre Hermé invented a salted caramel macaron. What’s the appeal of salted caramel? Some people view the combination of sweet and salty as double the taste sensation. It’s especially good when combined with chocolate in dessert recipes.
What is salted caramel?
Surely you’ve had plenty of caramel sauce in your life. But are you familiar with salted caramel? It’s made the same way as classic caramel, and toward the end of the cooking process you mix in a small amount of sea salt. If you can’t locate salted caramel sauce, you can make your own by purchasing regular caramel sauce and adding a little bit of sea salt.
This recipe comes from The Family Calendar Cookbook: from Birthdays to Bake Sales- Good Food to Carry You Through the Year by Kelsey Banfield. This recipe was part of a menu for a summer beach picnic. I totally concur that these Salted Caramel Brownies would make a good addition to a picnic menu. I’d just wrap individual pieces and bring them along!
I like to host parties and barbecues and happy hours all summer long. People always enjoy a sweet treat offering at a party, so a pan of brownies is definitely always welcome. And since these are over-the-top brownies with that salted caramel bonus, they’re going to be a bit hit at any gathering.
If you are looking for more treats to make for a party, try Gooey Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars or S’Mores Cookie Bars. Sugar Cookie Bars and Caramel Magic Cookie Bars are good choices too!
Salted Caramel Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature (lightly beaten)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (or 1/4 cup caramel + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt mixed in)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt on high in 30-second bursts until the butter is melted. Stir together until smooth and glossy. Stir in the sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla, until smooth. Fold in the flour and salt until the flour is just incorporated and no longer visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the batter. Use a butter knife to lightly swirl the caramel sauce into the batter. Do not over-stir because you want the caramel to make visible streaks in the brownies.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or just until a cake tester comes out clean and the top is set. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for at least an hour; they will firm up as they cool. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: There is an Amazon affiliate link included within this post.
Isn’t 1 1/2 of sugar too much
no, that is correct.
YUM! These brownies look so delicious! I love salted caramel and chocolate together!
Goodness, I need a couple dozen of those with my tea!