Chocolate Caramel Brownies
These Caramel Chocolate Brownies are moist and gooey with an easy homemade caramel sauce poured over the top of the baked chocolate brownies. Decadent and delicious!
Easy slice recipes like these caramel brownies are fantastic for both desserts and a snack throughout the day!
These soft and fudgy caramel chocolate brownies are an indulgent take on the classic chocolate brownie.
Pairing chocolate and caramel makes for irresistable desserts, such as this no bake caramel slice.
The thick salted caramel sauce is simple and quick to make. It’s cooked in one saucepan for 10 minutes.
Make sure to make it before you start your brownie base so it has time to thicken in the fridge.
Instead of swirling caramel into the brownie batter, it’s instead poured right atop the baked brownie.
Drizzling it over the surface of the baked brownie creates those drool-worthy layers.
You could even pour this homemade caramel over my crinkle top brownies.
The brownie base is made in one bowl with 7 basic ingredients.
Olive oil creates a moist crumb and without overbaking the brownie, you’ll get a fudgy center.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Topped with gooey caramel sauce.
- Caramel is quick to make with 6 ingredients.
- Easy one bowl chocolate brownie base.
- Perfect for fall baking.
These caramel topped chocolate brownies are perfect to bake for fall and thanksgiving gatherings this cozy season.
They’re also great as a snack at school and work.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
A comprehensive recipe card featuring all the ingredients can be found at the end of this post.
- Heavy cream: Also known as thickened cream in Australia. To make the caramel sauce dairy-free, use coconut cream.
- Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup without any added sweeteners.
- Brown sugar: Use light brown sugar. Can be substituted with coconut sugar.
- Salt: Any fine salt will do.
- Unsalted butter: Use block butter. Can be substituted with salted butter, just omit the salt from the brownie and caramel but if you love a salty caramel sauce, keep the additional salt in the sauce. For dairy-free, try substituting this with dairy-free block butter. This recipe has not been tested using dairy-free substitutions.
- Eggs: Must be at room temperature before using.
- Granulated sugar: Use either golden or white sugar. I love to use golden sugar as it offers a slightly more caramelized flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Can be substituted for one teaspoon of vanilla paste.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I recommend using extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Or substitute it with another neutral-flavored oil.
- All-purpose flour: Also known as plain flour in Australia.
- Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder for baking. Dutch-processed cocoa powder can also be used.
Step By Step Instructions (with photos)
There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step one: In a medium sized saucepan, combine cream, maple syrup, sugar and salt, mix well. Turn the heat to medium/high.
Step two: Bring mixture to a boil, takes about 3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Step three Turn off heat and add butter and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until well blended.
Step four: Pour caramel into a glass jar such as a mason jar and set in the refrigerator while you make the brownies.
Step five: Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a square 9-inch x 9-inch (22cm x 22cm) baking tin with parchment paper and set aside.
Step six: In the mixing bowl, pour in cooled melted butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined.
Step seven: With the beater running on low-medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify, about 1 minute in total.
Step eight: Sift over flour and cocoa powder. Beat on low-medium speed until incorporated, ensuring not to over-beat.
Step nine: Pour batter into the lined tin and spread out evenly.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with some moist crumbs, not completely clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to brownie to cool completely before pouring over the caramel, this may take a couple of hours.
Step ten: Pour refrigerated caramel over the brownie and spread it out with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
Step eleven: Sit at room temperature until caramel firms up slightly or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until set. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Measure your baking ingredients accurately: Check out my helpful guide on how to measure basic ingredients.
- Caramel Sauce: Make this first so it has time to thicken in the fridge while you make the brownie. When it’s cooking on the stove, remember to keep stirring it to avoid it burning on the base.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil: To ensure that the olive oil in the batter is properly emulsified.
- Room temperature eggs: This helps all ingredients to blend seamlessly. To expedite this, immerse them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes before use.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing the brownie batter can make the brownies tough and dense. Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
- Do not overbake: To ensure a fudgy brownie, insert a toothpick into the middle and it should come out with some moist crumbs, not completely clean. Slightly under-baking will create a fudgy texture.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice Cream: Make a decadent dessert by serving these caramel brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Coffee or Tea: For morning or afternoon tea, enjoy it with a hot cup of tea, coffee or homemade hot chocolate.
Troubleshooting
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep brownies in an airtight container, at room temperature or in the refrigerator, for 4-5 days.
Freezing with caramel: I do not recommend freezing these brownies with the caramel topping.
Freezing without caramel: Freeze just the chocolate brownies by wrapping whole brownie slab or just the sliced brownies tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil before placing them in an airtight container. Label with the name and date. Freeze for 2-3 months.
Thaw: At room temperature for several hours until they’re soft or thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, you can go ahead and add the caramel sauce topping to either the entire slab or to the individual squares.
Recipe FAQ’s
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Caramel Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or thickened cream
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, how to pack
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Brownies
- 100 g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, golden or white
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, scoop & leveled
- 2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine cream, maple syrup, sugar and salt.
- Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, occasionaly stirring, takes about 3 minutes. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.
- Turn off heat and vigorously whisk through the butter and vanilla until blended. Caramel will turn shiny and smooth.
- Pour caramel into a glass jar or a clean bowl and set in the refrigerator while you make the brownies. This allows time for the caramel to thicken.
Chocolate Brownies
- Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) fan-forced. Line a square 9-inch x 9-inch (22cm x 22cm) baking tin with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt butter and set aside for 5 minutes to cool down or until it’s just warm, not hot.
- Prepare a large mixing bowl, using either electric hand beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attached.
- In the mixing bowl, pour in cooled melted butter along with the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined.
- With the beater running on low-medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify, about 1 minute in total.
- Sift over flour and cocoa powder. Add the salt. Beat on low-medium speed until incorporated, ensuring not to over-beat.
- Pour batter into the lined tin and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with some moist crumbs, not completely clean. Slightly under-baking will create a fudgy texture.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes.
- Carefully pull brownie out from the tin and transfer to a wire rack, leaving the parchment paper intact as it will still be soft and delicate to handle.
- Allow the brownie to cool completely before pouring over the caramel, this may take a couple hours.
- Once the brownie has cooled, either gently pick it up and place it back into the baking pan or leave it on the rack with the paper underneath.
- Pour refrigerated caramel over the brownie and spread it out with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Sit at room temperature until caramel firms up slightly or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until set. Note: Caramel won’t harden, it will remain soft but will firm up slightly in the fridge.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Caramel Sauce: Make this first so it has time to thicken in the fridge while you make the brownie. When it’s cooking on the stove, remember to keep stirring it to avoid it burning on the base.
- Make Caramel Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream instead of regular cream and use coconut oil instead of butter. Use the same measurements as called for in the recipe.
- Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freeze without the caramel: Freeze just the chocolate brownies by wrapping the whole brownie slab or just the sliced brownies tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil before placing them in an airtight container. Label with the name and date. Freeze for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: At room temperature for several hours until they’re soft or thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, you can go ahead and add the caramel sauce topping to either the entire slab or to the individual squares.
Nutrition
First published in November 2018, this recipe was updated in November 2023 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.