Ooey gooey caramel brownies hit the spot every time your sweet tooth kicks in! These fudgy brownies are super easy to make because we are going to use a box brownie mix and doctor it up! The centers are oozing with caramel and stay creamy from the evaporated milk instead of crisping up.
Brownies are one of those desserts that don’t have a season, it just makes sense to bake them year-round. If you make enough variations, you can have a different type of brownie every week. We love Baileys brownies, peanut butter brownies, and even brownie cupcakes!
As you may know, I like my share of easy recipes which is why I chose a box mix instead of scratch ingredients for the base. I did the same thing when I made my strawberry brownies and cake mix donuts. I promise, nobody’s gonna know, AND they taste amazing! If you prefer homemade brownies, that will totally work, too.
One thing I can’t get over is when you buy the salted caramel brownies in a box, it’s just a drizzle in each square…if that. So I decided to go all-in for us caramel lovers and make sure that each brownie was fudgy and filled with rich caramel, you’re welcome! Best of both worlds – brownie mix AND loads of caramel in the brownies.
Jump to:
🍫 Ingredients:
- Box of brownie mix – just go with plain chocolate or fudge
- Eggs – use the amount listed on the box mix
- Oil – I prefer to use vegetable oil, but canola oil or avocado oil also work
- Water
- Chocolate chips – I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips for a rich, chocolate flavor
- Kraft caramels – these caramel candies are sold in packages, it’s kind of a pain to unwrap every single little caramel square, but they are readily available and melt smoothly
- Evaporated milk – we heat the milk and stir it into the caramels as they melt – this gives a nice creamy, soft caramel filling that will stay soft and gooey even after baking the brownies.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
We sprinkle chocolate chips over the brownies when they are hot out of the oven. You can also reserve a bit of caramel sauce or whip up some brown sugar caramel sauce to serve alongside the brownies.
Substitutions and Variations
- Salted caramel brownies – Add ½ teaspoon sea salt to the caramel mixture once it is melted and smooth. Sprinkle flaked sea salt over the brownies when they come out of the oven.
- Turtle brownies – Add 1 cup of chopped pecans to the brownie batter. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the brownies when they come out of the oven, along with an extra drizzle of caramel sauce.
- From Scratch – For a rich and fudgy brownie base made from scratch, use our homemade brownies recipe. Bake in a 9×13 dish, layering a portion of the brownie batter with the caramel sauce just as we do in this recipe.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you want to use a 9×13 pan you can, the brownies will just be a little thinner and crispier.
Step 1: To make the caramel sauce, combine the caramel pieces and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over low heat – medium heat. Stir constantly until the candy is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: Stir together the brownie mix, large eggs, oil, and water in a large mixing bowl until ingredients are combined. Remember that you are following the ingredient quantities and instructions on the box of mix. If using a from scratch brownie recipe, prepare the brownie batter accordingly.
Step 3: Pour two-thirds of the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 4: Layer the caramel sauce over the batter by gentling spoon it over the brownie layer. Be sure you are not pressing the caramel down.
Combine melted caramel candies with evaporated milk to create a creamy caramel filling that stays soft after baking.
Step 6: Dollop the remaining batter over the top of the caramel layer. It does not need to cover the caramel layer completely.
Step 7: Place the brownies in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Once you remove the chocolate caramel brownies from the oven, immediately top with chocolate chips or a flaky sea salt.
SLICE/SERVE: Allow them to cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat.
Storage Instructions
You can keep the brownies at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, covered with plastic wrap, or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Caramel brownies freeze well. Layer with sheets of parchment paper between.
Recipe Tips for Brownies with Caramel
Do not over mix the brownie batter as it can result in tough brownies. We’re just moistening the dry ingredients and combining everything together. Room temperature eggs incorporate more thoroughly than cold eggs.
Use chewy caramels, not hard caramel flavored candy. Kraft or Werther’s store-bought caramels are readily available at most grocery stores.
Chocolate chips can be stirred into the brownie batter for even more richness. We love to simply use them as a garnish over the top of the brownies. Be sure to add them as soon as the brownies come out of the oven. The heat will melt the chips slightly and then they will stick to the brownies as everything cools down.
Combining the caramel squares with evaporated milk produces a thick and chewy caramel filling that will not dissolve into the brownie batter. If you use a standard store-bought caramel sauce, you may still taste the caramel flavor, but it will likely mix with the brownie batter and the brownies may not have distinguishable gooey caramel centers.
Some recipes use sweetened condensed milk with the caramel pieces; this will have a similar texture, but the resulting caramel flavor is much sweeter.
Recipe FAQs
Sure can. Once they have cooled completely, use a knife to slice and place them in a freezer safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, let them come to room temperature or microwave them for a few seconds until they are warmed throughout.
More Desserts for Chocolate Lovers
If you tried this Caramel Brownies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Caramel Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Ingredients:
- 1 standard 18-ounce box brownie mix
- 1-2 eggs (as directed on package instructions
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel Center Ingredients:
- 11- ounce package Kraft caramels
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Place unwrapped caramels and the evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly so the caramels do not burn, until the caramels are completely melted, and the mixture is evenly smooth (5-7 minutes).
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together brownie batter ingredients. We reserved the chocolate chips to sprinkle over the top, but you can mix them in if you prefer.
- Spread two-thirds of the brownie batter into the lined baking dish.
- Spread the caramel mixture over the brownie batter. Dollop it across the top so that you are not spreading the caramel down into the brownie batter.
- Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top of the caramel.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the hot brownies.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Deirdre Thomas says
i’m gonna try these this week
Essess says
Watch out for a trap in the recipe. It says to mix all the brownie ingredients, so I did. Then later it turns out that the chocolate chips (which were listed in the brownie ingredients) weren’t supposed to get mixed in. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover that until I had already mixed it all up with the chips in the batter.
I baked it for 37 minute and it was definitely time to pull it out or else the edges would have burned. The edges are chewy and caramelized. It’s not bad, but not sure I really taste the caramel layer due to the rich brownie flavor around it so not sure it was worth the extra effort for unwrapping and melting all those caramels.
Stefanie says
Sorry for the confusion, I’ve added a note in the recipe. Hope you enjoyed the brownies!
Tammy says
Could peanut butter be used instead of caramel?
How would the recipe be adjusted for that?
girlinspired says
Tammy! I have JUST the recipe you’re looking for. Mmmmmmm. >> https://thegirlinspired.com/peanut-butter-brownies/