Super Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
Soft and fudgy on the inside and crackled on top, these gluten-free Super Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownie Bites are divine! Inspired by a recipe we like to follow from GlutenFreeOnAShoestring, we’ve taken these up a notch by adding either salted caramel or white chocolate ganache as a brownie bite topping! We love to cut these into about 1×1 inch squares, getting a full 40 pieces from the 8×8 brownie mixture, perfect for popping into your mouth and saying … yummmmmm.
The brownie recipe is fairly basic. We achieve the fudgy texture from melting (and cooling) the butter before mixing into the batter and from not over-baking. If you over-bake, your brownie will become stodgy and sponge-like. It will still taste good but not have that gooey brownie texture so use an oven thermometer and err on the side of caution (ours bake for approximately 27-28 minutes).
In making caramel, know that caramel is a finicky sauce. It hates to be touched or stirred during the caramelization process. We used a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high to high heat. We also found it helpful to have nearby a silicone pastry brush and some water — using the water-dipped brush to drop small particles of water down the sides of the pan or over any crystallized-looking particles in the caramel (if you’re caramel crystalizes, it’s a goner).
The other danger is over-browning which will turn the caramel bitter. Watch this like a hawk because it only takes minutes to make caramel and you want to remove your pan the moment your mixture comes to a light golden amber, and stir in your cream quickly to cool the mixture. (Be careful, it may splatter.) Do all this and you will have a beautiful, creamy homemade caramel!
If you prefer a pure chocolate brownie you can omit this step; or for a fun and sophisticated twist, try our white chocolate ganache drizzle! These Super Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownie Bites are easy, delicious and ooey-gooey chocolate-y! Happy baking!
Find more recipes and inspiration HERE
Super Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownies Bites
Equipment
- 8-inch square pan
Ingredients
Brownies
- 126 g unsalted butter, chopped
- 250 g cane sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste
- 80 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 47 g all purpose gluten-free flour We used Better Batter
- 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 18 g cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Salted Caramel
- 115 g castor or cane sugar (1/2 cup)
- 4.5 tsp water
- 60 g heavy whipping cream (1/4 cup)
- Heavy pinch flaked sea salt like Maldon
White Chocolate Ganache (optional)
- 120 g white chocolate chips
- 40 g heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the Brownies
- Preheat your oven to 325° F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil (or spray with nonstick cooking spray).
- In a small saucepan, place the butter and sugar, and melt over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until melted and simmering. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool until no longer hot to the touch.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, place the eggs and vanilla, and mix on low until well-beaten and combined. Add the melted and cooled butter and sugar to the bowl slowly, stirring constantly.
- Add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined. Beat for a minute or two on medium speed.
- Add the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, and mix on slow until just combined. Add about 4 ounces of the chocolate chips and mix by hand until distributed
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownie batter and press in gently with a silicone spatula.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake just until the brownies are no longer wet in the center, about 25-28 minutes. Cool in pan until lukewarm. Place in refrigerator until chilled, to allow for easier cutting. Cut into bite-sized squares
Make the Salted Caramel (optional)
- Place your sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Watch closely & DO NOT STIR
- If crystals start to form on the sides of middle of mixture, use a silicone pastry brush dipped in water to drop water onto the crystals – do not stir or otherwise touch the mixture
- Once the mixtures is a light golden amber color — 4 to 5 minutes — remove it immediately and pour in the cream (it will bubble aggressively). Stir in the cream until well combined and smooth. Drop in a large pinch or two of sea salt
- Set aside and top cooled brownies. If mixture becomes too hard, soften in the microwave briefly
- Place cooled brownies on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet covered with foil, for easy clean up. Using a small spoon, drizzle salted caramel atop each brownie bite. If desired top each bite with another small sprinkle of sea salt
- Store in refrigerator
Make the White Chocolate Ganache (optional, instead of caramel)
- Place your white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until slightly softened
- Bring your cream to a simmer on the stovetop (this will happen quickly for this small amount of cream. Pour the cream over the chips, covering them, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Stir or whisk to combine until completely smooth
- Prep brownies on wire rack same as above instructions with salted caramel
- Place ganache into a piping bag. When ready to go, snip of the end and work quickly several inches above brownies to spread long lines of ganache across the top. The ganache will need to set at room temperature or — better yet, in the refrigerator
Notes
- These brownies are delicious on their own — or, topped with either the salted caramel or white chocolate ganache mixture
- You do not need to use castor (very fine) sugar in the caramel if you don’t have it — we feel it simply gives a smoother texture more easily
- You will have left-overs from both the salted caramel and white chocolate ganache. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
- Caramel is very finicky! Do not stir or touch the mixture while bringing to color, and remove it immediately before it gets too dark (bitter). If in doubt, remove early
- If your white chocolate ganache was made ahead or gets too hard, place a heat-safe contained of it inside a saucepan with some lightly simmering water until loosened
Nutrition
