Description
Delight in these rich Salted Caramel-Stuffed Brownies featuring a luscious homemade salted caramel center swirled into a fudgy, chocolatey brownie base. With a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors and a gooey, moist texture, these brownies are ideal for any occasion and guaranteed to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Ingredients
Brownies
- 200g / 7oz unsalted butter
- 200g / 7oz dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, lightly whisked
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 1/2 cup plain/all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Salted Caramel
- 395g / 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp golden syrup or maple syrup
- 60g / 2 oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) for all oven types to ensure even baking.
- Prepare the Baking Tin: Butter and line a 20cm (8″) square baking tin with parchment or baking paper for easy removal.
- Make the Salted Caramel: Place sweetened condensed milk, golden syrup, unsalted butter, and salt into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally for the first minute. Once heated and you see wisps of steam, whisk constantly—but gently—for 7 minutes, making sure the base doesn’t catch, until the mixture turns a pale golden color.
- Finish the Caramel: Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk for an additional 30 seconds. Cover with a lid and set aside to keep warm.
- Melt Chocolate and Butter: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the dark chocolate and unsalted butter. Microwave on high in three 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
- Combine Sugar, Eggs, and Vanilla: Add brown sugar, lightly whisked eggs, and vanilla extract to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir well until fully combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Stir the batter until smooth and combined.
- Reserve Brownie Batter: Measure out 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Pour the remaining batter evenly into the prepared baking tin.
- Add the Salted Caramel Layer: Pour the warmed salted caramel evenly over the brownie batter. If the caramel has cooled and thickened, gently reheat it on the stove for about one minute to make it pourable again.
- Top with Reserved Batter and Swirl: Dollop the reserved 1/2 cup brownie batter randomly over the caramel. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the top layers together, creating a marbled effect.
- Bake the Brownies: Place the baking tin in the oven and bake for 30 minutes for a very gooey center or up to 35 minutes for a moist but slightly less gooey texture.
- Cool before Serving: Let the brownies cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift them onto a wire rack and cool for an additional 20 minutes. The caramel will firm up as it cools, allowing neat slices.
Notes
- Use a good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor and texture in brownies.
- Golden syrup can be substituted with maple syrup to add a slight variation in caramel flavor.
- While whisking the caramel, do so gently to avoid air bubbles and to achieve a silky texture.
- Do not overbake if you prefer gooey brownies; check with a toothpick and aim for moist crumbs.
- Cool the brownies sufficiently to allow caramel to set firmly for easier slicing.