I have an incredible salty-sweet treat for you to whip up for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day.
Or you know, your Galentine’s Day/Palentine’s Day/average Tuesday. Basically whenever.
Ironically, my “sweetie” is not that into these. He is anti-sweet and salty. I’m still convinced something happened to his taste buds as a child because this just does not make any sense to me, but whatever. More for me. Basically what I’m saying is that I made these as an early Valentine’s Day gift to myself. Because LOVE YO SELF, amiright?
These salted caramel brownies are one of my absolute favorite desserts that have come out of my little kitchen. Salted caramel + deep, rich chocolate is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations and these have been on my “to-make” list for far too long. The brownies themselves are fantastic – ooey-gooey, rich, chocolaty, and totally impossible to cut or stack or pack neatly. If you are a “cakey brownie” person, these are not for you (also, let’s be real here for a second, I disagree with your life choices). This is a completely, unashamedly, chocolate-all-over-yo-face “fudgy brownie” situation all the way.
The salted caramel adds the perfect counterpoint to the sweet, rich brownie. I’ve been a salted caramel aficionado for years – a piece of dark chocolate-covered salted caramels is my little after-dinner dessert pretty much every night – but it still blows my mind how a few flakes of sea salt completely changes the flavor profile of a dessert and takes chocolate and caramel from a perfectly delicious yet decidedly one-note sweet treat to a multi-layered flavor bomb that just don’t quit. Whether you make these for your special someone, your best friend, or just to eat the whole pan with a spoon while watching Bravo, these brownies just scream love. Do it UP this Friday!
P.S. Speaking of Valentine’s Day lovin’, if you’re in the Chicago area check out Multilingual Connection’s Nutella Party on Sunday February 16 for lots of Nutella-inspired snacks from local Chicago vendors (and even some Italian lessons)! More information + RSVP can be found here. I’m definitely going to try to make my way over for some chocolaty deliciousness!
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 14 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp. instant coffee granules
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 5-6 oz. caramel sauce, for drizzling
- 2-3 tsp. flaked sea salt (I used Maldon brand)
- Melt the butter, 8 ounces of the semisweet chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl that has been set over simmering water. (This is also known as a double boiler – make sure the bottom of the bowl does NOT touch the water!) Once melted, set aside and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the chocolate mixture slowly to the egg mixture, and allow the batter to cool to room temperature (I allowed about 30 minutes – this is critical so that the rest of the chocolate chips don’t melt and ruin the brownies!)
- Once the mixture is cool, Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x12-inch baking pan and dust lightly with flour.
- In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the chocolate batter mixture. In a small bowl, toss the remaining 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips with the remaining 2 tbsp. of flour. Add them to the chocolate mixture, and spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes (mine are slightly under-baked in the photos), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the brownies are warm, heat up the caramel sauce in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over the brownies, then sprinkle with the sea salt flakes. Allow to cool completely (best of luck to you on that), then cut into 16 bars.
