Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownies

By davidv

I'm a firm believer that brownies should be fudgy. (If I wanted cake, I'd have cake!) These brownies are the fudgiest of them all—and they might be the best I've ever had.

Tip: If you're not a big caramel person, consider drizzling in some of your favorite ice cream toppings like peanut butter, marshmallow, or even hot fudge before baking.
You can also add nuts, if you like.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp sea salt, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz extra bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
• 1 Tbsp instant espresso coffee granules
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease an 8" x 11.5" baking pan. Set aside.

Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large saucepot, over medium-low heat, melt together the butter, chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate, and coffee granules, stirring constantly. When chocolate is fully melted, remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and whisk again until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Drizzle caramel sauce all over the surface of the brownie batter and gently swirl the caramel into the batter with a toothpick. Bake for 25–30 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Cool the brownies on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the remaining 1/8 tsp of sea salt over the brownies. Cool completely before cutting.