Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
Homemade fudgy brownie bites filled with an easy two-ingredient caramel filling and topped with sea salt. These Salted Caramel Brownie Bites are the perfect mini dessert!
Have you ever tried brownie bites?! They’re basically a brownie in bite-sized form, but they make such a cute and fun dessert. I’ve had some before at potlucks and they’re always the first dessert I choose because they’re so easy to grab and the perfect size.
This past weekend I couldn’t get the idea out of my head for making some of these brownie bites, but I felt like they just needed something extra. Something a little like… caramel and sea salt! You guys. These are so good.
Plus, the sea salt adds a pretty touch to the tops of these little bites too. You can easily just leave it off, but I prefer to add just a pinch to each one!
Ingredients For This Recipe
These salted caramel brownie bites come together with minimal ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter if you can, but salted butter will be fine too. If using salted butter, then I recommend reducing the salt down to just a tiny pinch in the brownie batter.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the mini brownie bites.
- Eggs: Provides structure and stability to the brownies.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Make sure to spoon and level the flour when measuring it so you don’t end up with dense brownies.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Makes these brownies super rich and chocolatey.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the batter and enhances the cocoa flavor.
- Caramel candies: A soft caramel candy is best. Kraft soft caramel candies are a really good option.
- Heavy cream: Gets mixed with the caramel candies to prevent the filling from becoming too hard. If you don’t have any heavy cream or heavy whipping cream you may replace it with milk.
How to Make Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
To make the brownie batter, you’ll start by whisking together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Then, mix in the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. I recommend sifting in the dry ingredients to remove any lumps from your brownie batter too.
Next, divide the batter between 24 greased mini muffin cavities and bake until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. As soon as the brownie bites come out of the oven, press the centers down using a measuring teaspoon and set them aside to cool completely.
To make the caramel filling, microwave the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream until smooth. Fill each brownie bite with the caramel, then let set before eating. I highly recommend sprinkling each one with just a little bit of sea salt right before serving.
FAQ’s
Can I Prep These in Advance?
You can bake the brownie bites 1 to 2 days in advance. I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. On the day you plan on serving them, make the caramel filling and fill the brownie bites.
Can I Freeze Brownie Bites?
I’ve never frozen these salted caramel brownie bites with the caramel filling before. I typically bake the mini brownies, freeze them, then thaw and fill them with caramel the day I plan on serving them.
Baking Tips
- To get that perfect spot in the center for the caramel filling, I use the bottom of a measuring teaspoon and press it down firmly. That way, you can use that same teaspoon to measure out the exact amount of caramel you need for each bite.
- The sprinkle of sea salt on top of the brownies is optional, but highly recommended.
- I’ve only made this recipe using soft caramels. I don’t think hard caramel candies would yield the same results.
- Make sure to grease your mini muffin pan very generously with nonstick cooking spray so the brownies don’t stick to the pan.
More Homemade Brownie Recipes to Try!
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Classic Homemade Brownies
- Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
- Brownie Ice Cream Pie
Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
Ingredients
For the brownie bites:
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter , melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the caramel filling:
- 20 soft caramel candies , unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream
Optional:
- Sea salt for topping
Instructions
To make the brownie bites:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 24-count mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter and granulated sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the brownie batter between all 24 mini muffin cavities. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and gently press in the center of each brownie with the bottom of a measuring teaspoon. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes.
- Remove the cooled brownie bites from the pan and place them back onto the wire rack.
To make the caramel filling:
- Add the soft caramel candies and heavy cream to a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 seconds increments, making sure to stir well after each increment, until completely melted and smooth. Evenly distribute the caramel between all 24 brownie bites (about 1 teaspoon per each brownie bite).
- Allow to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes so the caramel can firm up, then top with sea salt as desired.
Notes
I thought I purchased werthers soft caramels but instead I purchased werthers chewy caramels. Would this work if I added a little more cream ?
Yes, that will be okay! You can add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream, if needed.
Can you freeze these cookies with the caramel in it?
Yes, it should be okay to freeze them with the caramel.
Do you think it would be possible to press them further down , then add the caramel layer and a layer of choclate in top ?
Yes, I just wouldn’t press them down too much or the filling will start to leak out of the bottom. You could still fill them with the salted caramel filling and then spread some chocolate ganache over the top.
These were good, but challenging to remove from the mini muffin pan without breaking. I put regular sea salt on top of the filled brownies because I didn’t have flaked sea salt. Everyone loved them.
I made these for a taste tester last month for a wedding I am doing this weekend. They were a hit, and the bride said they were a must! Now, I’m off to do a double batch, as they are 1 of 7 desserts I am making! Easy to put together and they were easy to pop out of the pan.
Can I use Carmel sauce instead?
Yes, that would be fine. Just keep in mind that it will be softer and not as thick.
C. An you use canned tres Leche for the carmel
Do you mean dulce de leche? If so, that would be fine. I would recommend warming it up, so it’s easier to pipe or spoon into each one.
They would have been awesome, if I hadn’t baked the brownies too long (I know better with a dark pan). But they are still good and I will make them again!!
I found this recipe after googling for picnic desserts. My neighborhood was having a block party and I needed something that would be easy to eat while standing. I have to say I hesitated to make these because of the number of reviews mentioning stuck brownies, but the recipe was exactly what I needed so I decided to see what would happen with baking spray instead of cooking spray. Happy to say that the brownies easily came out of the pan after they cooled and they were a hit at the party.
What is the nutritional value of 1 serving?
I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Can I use box brownie mix and werthers carmel..
Werther’s caramels are fine to use. If you use a box mix you may end up with a different amount and the baking time may need to be adjusted.
Why is butter oozing out from the brownie bites when I press them down and also will the quality of cocoa powder affect the brownie bites.
Do you mean once they’re baked? If so, they may have needed to bake a bit longer. I’ve used several different kinds of cocoa powder and they’ve all worked fine with this recipe.
Girl, I an going to do these deserts for my Thanks Giving dinner. My kids will love them.
Thank you so much, for your kindness and sharing.
Every time I make these, half of them get stuck to the pan. I spray very generously with cooking spray but I can’t seem to easily pop them out after cooling for 45 minutes. Any suggestions?
You could try greasing the pan with butter and dusting it with cocoa powder (instead of using cooking spray) next time and see if that helps.
Can you bake these in mini cupcake liners?
I think they would stick to the liners. I would just spray your pan really well with nonstick cooking spray.
Hello! Could I make these as a pan of brownies instead of brownie bites?
You can bake the brownie portion in an 8-inch square baking pan. You could drizzle the caramel sauce on top, but it may be a bit messy once you slice into the brownies.
Can these be made in advance from the event they’re being used for? And if so, how many days would you suggest and how would you store them?
Yes, but it kind of depends on how far in advance. They’ll be fine for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. You can make them ahead of time, freeze them, and then thaw them out the night before in the refrigerator. Just bring to room temperature before you plan to serve them and you can add the caramel then. Or you can prep the brownie bites and caramel separately a couple days in advance and just add the caramel the day you plan to serve them. Hope that helps!
Do you have a recipe for actual thick caramel to use instead of candies??
You can use this caramel recipe: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce/. It may not be quite as thick, but it would work!