Salted Caramel Brownies from Scratch
Salted caramel brownies from scratch are the absolute best for the perfect ratio of fudgy cake brownie with salted caramel glaze. These brownies made from scratch will be the center of attention on your dessert table
Did you know? Brownies from scratch do not take much longer to make than a boxed mix of 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.
I’m not sure when it happened, but I was raised on boxed brownies mixes, boxed muffin mixes – if it was a baked good you name it – it came from a box.
At some point I realized that making these items from scratch is actually more cost effective AND maybe 5 minutes longer to pull together. So lets make these salted caramel brownies from scratch. 😉
Brownies are the 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!
A couple years back we created our hot fudge brownies from scratch. Those brownies are baked in a 9 x 13-inch cake pan, so they’re heavy and sinfully decadent. This is the baby that came from that recipe, she’s smaller in a 8 inch pan. 😉
A couple tips when baking brownies from scratch
As I said earlier, baking brownies from scratch is actually extremely simple. You can purchase a basic brownie mix but by the time you open up said box, try to find the scissors to open it (our we the only household that loses the scissors every time?) you could have a brownies being mixed together in a flash. So here are some tips.
- If you love fudgy brownies than the more moisture the better. We like to add hot fudge sauce to these brownies, not only does it elevate the richness but it helps make them that perfect ratio of fudgy and cake-like brownies. You can use our chocolate ganache recipe actually if you’d like to use a from scratch recipe for the fudge sauce too.
- Don’t overmix the eggs/ batter. When you overbeat the mixture it introduces quite a bit of extra air into the batter and then when it bakes it dries out and you will get cake-like and less dense brownies.
- Ingredients at room temperature – Now I’ll be the first to admit. I’m a last minute betty so sometimes this tip doesn’t help BUT I’ve noticed when I do plan ahead it does make a difference and the results are more consistent with room temperature ingredients.
Making the Salted Caramel from scratch for these brownies
Because I want these brownies to be completely from scratch, the salted caramel glaze is also homemade. GO us. Please don’t let the thought of making caramel intimidate you, because it’s really very easy. I promise!
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.
Two methods to making caramel from scratch
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. But it requires very close attention, some people have difficulty with this method.
We definitely prefer the wet method ourselves!
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 brownies from scratch!
Salted Caramel Brownies from Scratch
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
FOR THE BROWNIES
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon. baking powder
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups 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 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 Salted Caramel 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.
Video
Nutrition
More caramel desserts to try:
Salted Caramel Apple Popcorn Cookies
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. 😀