Brownies from scratch don’t take much longer to make than boxed mix brownies, and the flavor is much better! This salted caramel fudge brownies from scratch recipe creates thick, cake-style brownies with a decadent salted caramel glaze on top.
Brownies are my comfort food go-to dessert. When given a choice, I usually opt for thin, fudgy brownies, like my best ever brownies. But when homemade salted caramel enters the picture, thick, cake-style brownies from scratch are the way to go!
Five years ago, I created a recipe for hot fudge brownies from scratch. Those brownies are baked in a 9 x 13-inch cake pan , so they’re heavy and sinfully decadent. They have a salted caramel glaze on top as well, but it’s almost overkill to add glaze to a rich brownie. The recipe for these brownies is almost identical, but an 8-inch baking pan is used.
Watch this video tutorial for a quick run-down on how to make these brownies from scratch. A printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Because I want these brownies to be completely from scratch, the salted caramel glaze is also homemade. Please don’t let the thought of making caramel intimidate you, because it’s really very easy. I think the reason some people struggle with it is because they aren’t able to give their full attention to it as it cooks. Caramel cooks quickly, so one second you have glossy, beautiful caramel and if left unattended, the next second you can have a pan full of burnt sugar.
There are two methods to making caramel and one is easier than the other. In the wet method of making caramel, water is added to the sugar to help it caramelize more evenly. That’s the method used in this salted caramel brownies recipe.
In the dry method of making caramel, the sugar cooks alone in the pan. Because it requires very close attention, some people have difficulty with this method. My blogging friend, Stephanie, uses the dry method in her recipe for making caramel syrup for coffee. Another blogging friend, Dorothy, uses the dry method in her cinnamon caramel sauce recipe.
Cinnamon Caramel Sauce, click for the recipe
If you’re in a rush to get this dessert made, or you just don’t want to worry about making the caramel glaze from scratch, don’t fret. Just use a jar of caramel ice cream topping and sprinkle a bit of flaked sea salt over the top. Ta-da!
OK, enough talk about the caramel glaze. It’s time to bake a batch of salted caramel fudge brownies from scratch!
Salted caramel and chocolate fudge sauce combine to make a cake-style brownie with salted caramel glaze. This brownies from scratch recipe will be the center of attention on your dessert table
Ingredients
FOR THE BROWNIES
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweeteend cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon. baking powder
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup hot fudge sauce (premade or hot fudge sauce from scratch)
FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL GLAZE
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan (or line with foil or parchment paper and then grease, if desired - This will make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan.)
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In large microwavable bowl, melt butter in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, and whisk until well-combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add cocoa mixture and whisk until fully combined.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the hot fudge until it's smooth and a pourable consistency. Stir into batter. Pour into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs. (If you like your brownies really fudgy, slightly underbake them) Allow them to cool completely.
- FOR THE GLAZE
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the heavy cream, but DO NOT boil! Keep it warm.
- In a separate medium saucepan, add sugar and water, but DO NOT STIR. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture turns an amber color (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add warm cream, butter, and 1/2 of the salt. Stir gently until smooth and well combined. Pour over the cooked brownies and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with remaining kosher salt.
- Allow glaze to set before cutting and serving.
by Becca
Recipe Notes
Recipe inspiration came from several sources: Serious Eats, Vittles and Bits, Spend with Pennies, and the Noble Pig
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 598kcal Calories from fat 250 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat 17g | 85% |
| Transfat 1g | |
| Cholesterol 127mg | 42% |
| Sodium 334mg | 14% |
| Carbohydrate 87g | 29% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 16% |
| Sugars 68g | |
| Protein 6g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Thank you so much for visiting me today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love it if you'd share a photo and/or give your feedback over on my Facebook page, Cooking with Chef Bec!
More caramel desserts to try:
Salted Caramel Apple Popcorn Cookies
And here are more recipes for brownies from scratch:
Homemade chocolate chip brownies, from Inside BruCrew Life
These poop emoji brownies from Living Locurto are just so stinking cute! (did you catch what I did there?) 😉
Big batch brownies from scratch, from Southern Plate
Oh my goodness these look FANTASTIC!
These look perfectly chocolatey.
I see a massive batch of these in my future. And I am not a baker but I think I can manage these. If I pull it off my kids will be extremely psyched.
I’m confident that you can bake these brownies, Christine! The recipe isn’t difficult and I think you’ll love them just as much as your kids will. 😉
These look SO good- Salted caramel brownies are my all time favorite dessert!
AWESOME video and Great recipe. Can not wait to try these <3
OK. I made this for the office — doubled the recipe and then used the wrong-sized pan. And, you know what? There were two people who were scheduled to weigh in at Weight Watchers who insisted on eating it anyway. (I said “Please don’t be obligated to take more than a bite … to no avail.) Furthermore, folks were stopping by from all over the building to have some.
Not only is the caramel topping divine, but the brownie is a rich, decadent, sinful thing of beauty. And remember, I sort of messed up on the baking end of things. So, I would add that this recipe is also very forgiving for guys like me, who don’t bother to measure.
Wonderful, Chef Becca! As usual. And, thank you!
Adam, your sweet compliment and comment made my heart all fluttery. Thank you! I think I should stop judging those who don’t measure and just wait to see what their results are first. 😀