Homemade Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle Recipe
Homemade Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle takes regular brownies and gives them that delicious combination of crunchy, chewy, cookie-like textures ALL the way through!
Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle
Fudge brownies are always on point. But, what do you love most about them? Is it the tender center? The crumbly, glossy top? All well and good, but for me, it’s the crispy edges.
You know what I’m talking about. I’ll wrestle you for that corner piece every. single. time.
So what is brownie brittle? It’s brownies, baked in a thin layer to achieve a cookie-like crunch. BUT! After a few moments in your mouth, it morphs into a chewy, stick to your teeth goodness.
The salted caramel is a boost of extra that’ll make this one of your favorite snacks ever! (Extra is good, right?)
Your Ingredients List
If you’ve ever made traditional brownies from scratch, these ingredients are much the same!
- Unsalted butter
- Unsweetened baking chocolate — I like Ghirardelli’s 100% Cacao Baking Bar.
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder — yep, we’re doubling up our chocolate efforts!
- Baking powder
- Instant espresso powder — this is optional, but I love the way it enhances the rich brownie taste.
- Sea salt — or kosher salt.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Salted caramel sauce — homemade or store-bought.
How To Make Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle
- Line a cookie sheet with an oversized piece of parchment paper so it goes up the sides of the sheet pan.
- Melt the butter and baking chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it stirs smooth.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the melted butter-chocolate mixture, then the flour mixture.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the brownie brittle batter over the parchment, covering as much of the pan as possible. Drizzle the caramel sauce all over, then use the tip of the spatula to swirl it in.
- Bake time is a range of 26 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven and the level of crispness you want to achieve.
Common Recipe Questions
It should be roughly 1/4-inch thick. When spreading, you might think you’re getting too thin in the middle, but you’re likely not. Really push that batter out to the edges. We want to get the batter as even as possible, because the brownie edges will bake faster.
I like random pieces and simply break the brittle up by hand. If you want pieces all the same size, score the brownie brittle with a knife or pizza wheel as soon as it comes out of the oven. That will make it easier to break into uniform pieces once cooled.
If you find that some or all of your brownie brittle pieces are too soft for your liking, place them back on a parchment lined sheet pan, with space between, and pop that in the oven for another 5 minutes or to your liking. Remember that they may still feel soft to the touch when you take them out, but will crisp up as they cool.
I used chopped pieces of chewy caramel candy during my first go around with this recipe. Unless you cut the candy into really small pieces (too much work if you ask me), they are likely to sink and end up at the bottom of your brownie brittle. The caramel syrup stays suspended at the top and is so ridiculously easy to incorporate! If you like the idea of little bits in your brittle, check out the mix-in ideas below.
Not making your own? Yea…me neither. Not to worry. All caramel sauces are likely to have some salt. I suggest tasting some to see if it’s salty enough for you. If you want a little more salt, simply sprinkle a little sea salt over the top of your brownie brittle after you’ve swirled in the caramel sauce.
Place your brownie brittle in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks. (Pssst…it’s not going to last that long.)
Brownie Brittle Mix Ins!
If this chocolate indulgence isn’t enough for you, try mixing in some of these tasty treats:
- Crushed hard caramel candies
- Toffee bits
- Salted caramel chips
- Milk chocolate chips
- Your favorite chopped nuts
- Crushed pretzels
Serving Suggestions
These sweet treats are so good on their own, but imagine enjoying brownie brittle crumbled over ice cream! Or, turn them into fine crumbs using a food processor to incorporate into a chocolate pie shell.
Who wouldn’t love to receive a treat bag of brownie brittle? Bundle up a few pieces (or an entire batch!) for your chocolate loving friend or family member!
All the Chocolate, Please!
- Nutty Irishman Brownie Bites
- Deliciously Decadent Raspberry Java Brownie Sundae
- Baked Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
- No Bake Triple Chocolate Tart
Homemade Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick)
- 2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, cut into small pieces
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder, (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade (or more, to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a half sheet pan with an oversized piece of parchment, so it goes up the sides.
- Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds; stir, then repeat for another 30 seconds. If it's not close to completely melted at this point, cook again in 15 second increments. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso powder (if using). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk in the melted butter-chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture and fold together with a silicone spatula until everything is incorporated.
- Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly across the parchment getting as close to the edges and corners of the pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce all over, then use the tip of the offset spatula to swirl it into the surface.
- Bake for 26-30 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then break into pieces.
Notes
- If you are not using a salted caramel sauce, you can sprinkle a little sea salt over the brownies before baking.
- If you want pieces all the same size, score the brownie brittle with a knife or pizza wheel as soon as it comes out of the oven to make it easier to break apart after cooling.
- If brittle isn’t crispy enough, return pieces to the sheet pan and bake another 5 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
Pin for Later! Homemade Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle
