January is not the month for restraint in baking, whatever the diet industry might tell you. These salted caramel brownies are unapologetically rich, fudgy, and indulgent — exactly what dark, cold evenings call for. The caramel swirl through the middle is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.
I’ve tested this recipe extensively, and the key is to underbake them slightly. They should still have a gentle wobble in the centre when you take them out. Trust the process.
Ingredients
For the brownie
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken up
- 200g unsalted butter
- 300g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 130g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt
For the salted caramel
- 150g caster sugar
- 90g unsalted butter, cubed
- 120ml double cream
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
Method
- First make the salted caramel. Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until it turns a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Carefully pour in the cream — it will bubble violently. Stir in the salt and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line a 23cm square tin with baking parchment.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until thick and pale — about 3 minutes. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and fold together.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold until just combined with no streaks of flour remaining.
- Pour two-thirds of the brownie batter into the prepared tin. Drizzle over half the salted caramel. Top with the remaining batter and drizzle the rest of the caramel on top. Use a skewer to create swirls through the layers.
- Bake for 25–28 minutes. The top should be set and slightly cracked, but the centre should still have a slight wobble. Don’t overbake.
- Sprinkle with extra sea salt flakes while still warm. Leave to cool completely in the tin — at least 2 hours, ideally overnight in the fridge — before cutting into squares.
Cold from the fridge, these have an almost truffle-like texture. At room temperature, they’re gloriously gooey. Both are excellent. They keep for a week in an airtight container, though you’ll be doing well if they last that long.
