Ooey gooey homemade caramel brownies hit the spot every time your sweet tooth kicks in! This brownie recipe is 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.
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 make sure that each brownie was fudgy and filled with rich caramel, you’re welcome!
Brownies are one of those desserts that don’t have a season, it just makes sense to bake them year-round. Well except last spring when I whipped up a batch of strawberry brownies, those we really just chow down on in the warmer months.
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 double chocolate cake and cake mix donuts. I promise, nobody’s gonna know, AND they taste amazing!
Homemade Caramel Brownie Ingredients
- Box of brownie mix – just go with plain chocolate or fudge
- Eggs – use the amount according to what’s listed on the box
- Oil – I prefer to use vegetable oil
- Water
- Chocolate chips – I recommend semi-sweet because the brownies are already rich enough.
How to Make Gooey Chocolate Caramel Brownies
Preheat oven and Prepare Pan. 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, they will just be a little thinner and crispier.
Make caramel sauce. Combine the caramel pieces and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the candy is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Mix brownie batter. Stir together the brownie mix, large eggs, oil, and water in a large bowl until ingredients are combined.
Spread batter. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the baking pan.
Add caramel. In dollops, layer the caramel sauce over the batter. Be sure you are not pressing the caramel down.
Add the remaining batter. Place teaspoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer.
Bake. Place the brownies in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Sprinkle chocolate chips. Once you remove them from the oven, immediately top with chocolate chips or a dash of sea salt.
Cool. Allow them to cool completely before slicing. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for ultimate treats.
Storing Instructions
You can keep the brownies at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Can caramel brownies be frozen?
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 Easy Dessert Recipes:
- The Best Chocolate Cream Pie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cool Whip Cookies
- Chocolate Lasagna
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.
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @girlinspired1 and follow on Pinterest for more!
Comments & Reviews
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/