With a river of caramel running through the middle of each one, these Chocolate Caramel Brownies are next-level goodness. Gooey, chewy and rich, the caramel is just 2 ingredients and you can have these in the oven in less than 20 minutes.

The brownie base is my absolute favourite, never-need-another, brownie recipe and with the perfect crackly top and that hit of caramel they are also seriously addictive. If you love blondies too, try these Brownie Blondies.

A stack of 3 chocolate caramel brownies

I love simple recipes like this. I also love the fact that you can get all the dry ingredients mixed together and stored in your pantry ready to go at a moments’ notice. Ok, so with this recipe, having a mix ready to go will only save you 5 minutes, but 5 minutes is 5 minutes. Especially when chocolate is involved 🙂

What kind of brownie do you love most?

There are different types of brownies, from fudgy to cakey to gooey brownies just like these. While my favourites are either fudgy or gooey, even the cakey style have their place. But not today.

This brownie from scratch recipe is one I now adapt for all my brownie recipes. It makes a perfect fudgy brownie, ready for add-ins, like these Drunken Hazelnut Cranberry Brownies or a great base for topping like these Fudgy Marshmallow Brownies or my Chocolate Coconut Brownies.

To make them gooey, you can just underbake them slightly or add caramel like I have here.

Brownies with caramel centre and caramel drizzled on top

How to make caramel brownies from scratch

No packet mixes here because they’re so quick you don’t need it. Making caramel brownies from scratch means you get to control what goes into them and they are truly easy to do. There is no need to par-bake a base, just mix up the batter then layer it right in the tin before baking.

2 photos showing: Eggs and sugar beaten together in a bowl until frothy, chocolate is added

  1. Make sure to beat the sugar and eggs until it’s really light and fluffy,
  2. then gently stir in the melted chocolate and butter.

2 photos showing the process of adding flour and cocoa to brownie batter

  1. Next, add the dry ingredients
  2. and again, very gently fold them through.

2 photos showing how to top brownie batter in a baking tin with caramel

  1. Spread 1/3 of the batter into the base of a prepared tin, then make little dents all over. Pour over the caramel, right to the edges. Lots of it will settle into those dents.
  2. Now dollop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the caramel (this makes it easier to spread)

2 photos showing a layer of brownie batter is spread over a layer of caramel in a square baking pan

  1. Once you’ve dropped all the batter over the caramel,
  2. gently spread it out so that you don’t disturb the caramel layer.

Storage

These brownies are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

  • A few minutes out of the fridge, the caramel is still chewy
  • At room temperature, the caramel will soften a bit and may start to ooze down the sides.

Both ways taste amazing so pick whichever way appeals to you most.

Overhead view of brownie squares topped with caramel sauce

Can you freeze caramel brownies?

Yes, you can freeze Chocolate Caramel Brownies for up to 3 months.

Start by putting the cooled brownies on a baking tray in the freezer until they’re solid. For best results, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Substitutions

  • Dutch processed cocoa – I use this mainly for its dark colour in this recipe so you can absolutely swap it out for standard unsweetened cocoa.
  • Caramel – Did someone say peanut butter or maybe nutella?
  • Caramel filled chocolate bars – I did loads of testing on this recipe before arriving at this perfect ratio of caramel to brownie. You can use caramel filled chocolate like Rolos or Cadbury Caramello but the ratio of caramel to brownie is much reduced, especially since you’ll be adding evne more chocolate to the mix.

Click here to Pin this recipe for later!

Squares of brownies drizzled with caramel sauce in random positions

I think that’s enough talking for today because you have some Chocolate Caramel Brownies to make. Believe me, these will disappear quickly.

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9 brownies on a white baking paper with caramel drizzle over them

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Yield: 12 brownies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Cooling time: 2 hours
Total Time: 37 minutes
4.2 from 6 ratings
Rich and gooey Chocolate Caramel Brownies are the perfect indulgent dessert. With everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can have a batch in the oven in less than 20 minutes.
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Ingredients

  • 190 g store-bought soft caramels (Werthers work best)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons thickened (heavy) cream (notes, 6 tsp)
  • 85  g  unsalted butter (¾ stick)
  • 75 g  dark (70%) chocolate, roughly chopped
  • ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2  large eggs, room temp
  • 98 g  plain (all-purp) flour (¾ cup)
  • 33 g  dutch processed cocoa (notes, ⅓ cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon  salt

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Grease and line an 8x8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
  • Over low heat and stirring constantly, melt together the caramels and cream in a saucepan until smooth. Set aside
  • Place the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each until melted and smooth. Set aside.
  • Place both sugars and the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk with a handheld mixer for around 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy (or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment for 3-5 minutes)
  • Add the melted chocolate and butter and stir through with a spatula.
  • Sift over the plain flour, cocoa and salt and stir through with a spatula until just combined.
  • Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin and make a few dents with a spoon (where the caramel can pool).
  • Drizzle the caramel all over letting it pool in the dents (if it's no longer runny, heat it very slightly until it is).
  • Drop spoonfuls of the remaining half of the brownie mixture all over (it's hard to spread so dropping it randomly is easiethen just lightly spread to cover the caramel.
  • Bake for around 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some sticky crumbs on it (see notes).

Notes

  1. I use a standard Australian tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide)
    Cream in this recipe is for 6 teaspoons
  2. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa if you can't get dutch processed.
  3. Brownies are done when a toothpick comes out with a few sticky crumbs on it. They will carry-over bake in the tin.
    • Toothpick comes out with wet mix - not done
    • Toothpick comes out with sticky crumbs - DONE
    • Toothpick comes out with no mix or crumbs - overdone (save these for serving with ice cream - yum)
Serving: These brownies are best served 5-10 minutes after taking out the of the fridge.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge
Freezing: Freeze the brownies on a baking tray until solid, then wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Want more brownies and bars? Click here
Calories: 263kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack, Sweets
Cuisine: American, World
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.

9 squares of Chocolate Caramel Brownies sitting on a piece of white baking paper