Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 2+ (more may be needed for your salted caramel truffles)

Total Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

Servings: 9 (assembled in an 8x8-inch dish; you can cut them smaller if needed)

The Shopping List

• Cocoa: 365 by Whole Foods Organic Cocoa Powder (Natural acidity for crispy edges)

• Chocolate: 365 by Whole Foods Semi-Sweet Baking Chips (High-quality melt for a dense center)

• Salt: 365 by Whole Foods Coarse Sea Salt (For that crunchy "salted caramel" finish)

Ingredients

•  1/2 cup unsalted butter (sweet cream butter), melted

•  1 cup granulated sugar (cane sugar)

•  2 large eggs (whole chicken eggs, room temperature)

•  1 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla bean extract)

•  1/2 cup 365 organic cocoa powder (dutch-processed cocoa powder)

•  1/2 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached wheat flour)

•  1/4 tsp table salt (for the batter)

•  1/2 cup 365 semi-sweet chocolate chips

•  Mrs. Richardson’s Caramel (thick, delicious, and a total menace to society because it's so sticky, but totally worth it!)

•  1 tsp 365 coarse sea salt (for topping)

*To get those crisp edges and dense, fudgy centers in a tabletop oven, we’re going to use the "sugar-whisking" method. This creates a crackly top and a moist interior that won't dry out. *

Instructions

1. Prep the Pan: Grease your 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper if you have it.

   
   

2. The "Crackle" Secret: Using your hand mixer, beat the melted butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat for another 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick. This creates the crispy top.

   
   

3. Fold the Dry: Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and table salt. Use your rubber spatula to gently fold them in until just combined. Stir in half of the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

   
   

4. Build the Truffle-Style Center (Pro Move): If you want an amazing burst of flavor, portion out your thick caramel, wrap/roll them into little piles, roll them in coarse sea salt and a bit of leftover cocoa powder, and freeze them for a little bit before dropping them into your mixture halfway through layering.

   
   

5. Layer the Batter: Pour half the batter into the pan. Add your caramel pieces, cover with the rest of the batter, and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips right into the middle.

   
   

6. Tabletop Bake: Place on the lowest rack. Bake at 325°F for 25–30 minutes.

   
   

7. The Melt-in-Your-Mouth Top: Right before it's fully finished cooking, sprinkle the rest of your chocolate chips on top so they get warm and melty without losing their shape.

   
   

8. The Finish: The edges should be firm/crispy, and the center should have a slight jiggle. Cool completely (2+ hours) before releasing the springform ring. Finish with a final drizzle of warmed Mrs. Richardson's caramel on top!

   
   

Estimated Nutritional Value (Per Serving / Approx. 1/9th)

 Calories: 230

 Total Fat: 11g

    Saturated Fat: 6g

 Cholesterol: 50mg

 Sodium: 140mg

 Total Carbohydrates: 33g

    Dietary Fiber: 1g

    Sugars: 24g

 Protein: 3g

Key Vitamins & Minerals:

Vitamin A: 250 IU (5% DV) — from sweet cream butter & egg yolks

Vitamin B12: 0.2mcg (8% DV) — from egg yolks

Iron: 2mg (10% DV) — from cocoa powder & unbleached flour

Copper: 0.2mg (20% DV) — from Dutch cocoa

Magnesium: 35mg (8% DV) — from cocoa

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Notes & Tips

Caramel & Sticky Situation Guide:

1. Say No to Syrup: Do not use Hershey's syrup or any thin syrups. They are gross for this, won't hold their shape, and stay runny.

   
   

2. Working with Mrs. Richardson's: It's delicious, but it's super sticky. Warm it up slightly to work with it. If you're shaping it into piles, powdered sugar is your best friend—dust your hands with it so the caramel doesn't bind to your skin like it does with butter. (Plus, powdered sugar cooks right into the meal with zero issues!) Alternatively, you can use extra leftover cocoa powder from your tin to roll them up.

   
   

3. Soft Caramel Candy Alternatives: If you use store-bought soft caramels instead, go for:

   • Werther’s Original Soft Caramels (cheap and divine)

   • Brach’s Milk Maid Caramels

   • Coastal Bay Confections.

     For high-end quality:

     • See’s Candies (or any great local sweet shop) makes incredible caramels.

4. Pro-Drizzling Tip: When drizzling caramel on top at the end, warm it up a little longer and use a cylindrical tool like a butter knife to help guide the lines. It slides off a knife way easier than a spoon (unless your spoon is heavily greased)!

Chocolate Milk Notes (Pairings, Flavor Profile & Mug Brownie Hack):

1. Bitter vs. Sweet Balance: If you prefer a darker, more bitter brownie, try using dark chocolate milk! Since Dutch-processed cocoa powder already brings a deep, bitter cocoa baseline, dark chocolate milk enhances that rich complexity without adding excess sweetness.

   
   

2. Top Whole Milk Recommendations: Two fantastic whole milk chocolate options to pair with these brownies are Promised Land Midnight Chocolate Milk and Morning Fresh Dairy Chocolate Milk:

   • Promised Land Midnight Chocolate Milk: This one is super rich, creamy, and noticeably sweeter—making it the ideal match for a darker, less-sweet brownie to balance the flavors.

   • Morning Fresh Dairy Milk: Less sweet with a pure, high-quality whole milk chocolate taste. It pairs perfectly with sweeter milk-chocolate brownies.

     
     

3. Mug / Cup Brownie Hack: If you scale down this recipe into a single-serve microwave mug brownie, milk can step in to replace the eggs for fast moisture! Use either of these chocolate milk options directly in the batter as your liquid for an extra-rich, fudgy chocolate mug cake.