Salted Caramel Brownies

With a fudgy brownie base, a smooth caramel topping,  a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt, you really can’t go wrong with these Salted Caramel Brownies made on the lighter side!

Like most people, I am obsessed with salted caramel anything.  Salted caramel ice cream, candies, straight from a jar perhaps?  Clearly Salted Caramel Brownies were a no brainer!  The brownie layer alone was fudgy and delicious.  The caramel layer was actually very easy to make, which was nice (and dangerous!).  Last,  a little drizzle of bittersweet chocolate (or you could just sprinkle some semi-sweet chocolate chips to simplify things) and a sprinkling of sea salt.

I have had this recipe bookmarked in my Cooking Light magazine for years.  Since the original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of evaporated milk, I was waiting for a time when I had some leftover.  No surprise, but I never have leftover evaporated milk.  Realizing this might be a common roadblock, I decided to try this recipe both ways – using evaporated milk and using regular (skim) milk.  It actually works either way, and the result is Salted Caramel Brownie perfection!

Lighter Salted Caramel Brownies

 

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Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients

Brownies

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 3½ tablespoons evaporated fat free milk, divided (regular skim milk works fine)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Prepare brownies: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs and vanilla.
4. Add butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring to combine.
5. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (to ensure a fudgy brownie, be careful not to over bake). Cool in pan on a wire rack.
6. Prepare caramel topping: In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and 1½ tablespoons milk and cook for about 2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Spread mixture over cooled brownies and let set for at least 20 minutes.
7. Combine remaining milk and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high in 20-second increments (stirring each time) until almost melted. Finish melting by stirring just until smooth. Then quickly drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt and let stand until set. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes

In lieu of microwaving the chocolate for a drizzle, you can sprinkle some mini chocolate chips over the caramel layer (or simply omit the chocolate topping altogether).

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We are Week 7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treat, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic, which means we’re past the half way point!  Each week, several blogger friends and I will be sharing a sweet treat fit for your holiday treat table.  Be sure to take a look at what everyone else is making.  And make sure you’re following the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats on Pinterest so you can keep track of all the recipes.

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