Salted Caramel Fudge Brownies
Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies with salted caramel swirled through the batter and across the top. The caramel starts with caramel chews—not bottled caramel sauce—so these stay dense and genuinely fudgy instead of turning cakey.
Jump to RecipeDon’t Mess This Up
- Do not rely on 30–35 minutes in a glass pan. My batch was still completely underbaked in the center after roughly 38 minutes and needed 55 minutes total.
- Jiggly is not the same as fudgy. A slightly soft brownie center is fine, but the middle should not move like liquid batter.
- Avoid testing directly through a caramel pocket. Melted caramel can make a toothpick look wetter than the brownie itself.
- Do not wait for a completely clean toothpick. Once properly baked, the center should still be moist and fudgy rather than dry and cakey.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in. Fold just until the dry ingredients disappear.
- Keep visible caramel ribbons. Swirl the caramel instead of completely mixing it into the brownie batter.
- Cool completely before cutting. The texture sets significantly as the brownies cool.
I Tried It So You Don’t Have To
The original estimated bake window was too short for this batch in a 9×9-inch glass pan. The center was still raw after about 38 minutes, and the brownies ultimately needed 55 minutes total at 350°F.
The lesson: look for a set brownie center with moist fudgy crumbs—not liquid batter, and not a bone-dry toothpick.
What It Should Look Like
Before Melting
The butter and the first 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips are melted together before being added to the brownie mixture.
Melted Chocolate
The chocolate-butter mixture should be completely smooth and glossy before it is incorporated into the egg and sugar mixture.
Finished Batter
The finished batter should be very thick, glossy, and spreadable—not thin or pourable.
Caramel Layer
The caramel should be smooth and thick enough to sit on the brownie batter instead of disappearing into it.
Caramel Swirl
The caramel should remain visibly marbled with the chocolate batter instead of being completely mixed in.
Finished Brownies
The top should have a crackly chocolate surface with visible caramel swirls and pockets.
Inside
The finished center should be dense, moist, and fudgy rather than cakey.
The Chaos Test
- Mixer needed? No — this recipe was made using a whisk and spatula.
Pan: 9×9-inch glass baking dish
Oven: 350°F
Bake time: 55 minutes
Salted Caramel Fudge Brownies
55
minutes350
°F9×9-inch glass baking dish
Thick, fudgy chocolate brownies with salted caramel made from caramel chews layered through the batter and swirled over the top. Pan: 9×9-inch glass baking dish. Oven: 350°F. Bake time: 55 minutes.
Ingredients
- Brownies
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
- Salted Caramel
20–24 caramel chews, unwrapped
3 tbsp heavy cream
¼ tsp salt
Up to 1 additional tbsp heavy cream, only if needed to make the melted caramel drizzleable
Directions
- Prepare the Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9×9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter with 1 cup (170 g) of the semisweet chocolate chips, stirring until completely smooth. Let it cool slightly.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and slightly glossy.
- Slowly pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking until combined.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
- Fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Do not keep mixing after the batter comes together.
- Fold in the remaining 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips.
- Layer the Batter and Caramel
- Spread about half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Make the caramel by microwaving the unwrapped caramel chews with 3 tbsp heavy cream in short intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in the salt. If needed, add up to 1 additional tablespoon heavy cream to make it easier to spread or drizzle.
- Add a layer of caramel over the brownie batter.
- Spread the remaining brownie batter over the caramel.
- Add additional caramel over the top and swirl it through the surface with a knife or similar utensil. The caramel should remain visibly marbled rather than being completely mixed into the chocolate batter.
- Bake and Cool
- Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes.
- The brownies are done when the brownie portion of the center is set and no longer liquid. A tester inserted into brownie—not directly into a caramel pocket—should show moist fudgy crumbs rather than raw batter.
- Cool completely before cutting because these brownies continue to firm as they cool.