Delicious Caramel Brownie Recipe: Oven & Microwave Versions
By Kenyon Kemp
Growing up, one of my favorite treats that my mom made was caramel brownies. Even though we only had them a few times a year, my sister and I always looked forward to them! In addition to showing how to make the brownies normally, I decided to see if it is possible to make single brownies in the microwave, inspired by the “brownie in a mug” concept. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- German Chocolate Cake Mix
- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 Package of Caramel Candies
- 1 ¼ Sticks of Butter
- 1 Package of Chocolate Chips
Baking:
When you begin making the brownies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and unwrap all of the caramels into a saucepan. Next, pour ½ of the can of sweetened condensed milk into the pan with the caramels, and begin melting them over a medium heat, occasionally stirring them.
While the caramels are melting, combine the package of chocolate cake mix, the butter, and the other ½ can of sweetened condensed milk into a bowl and mix them together. Put half of the brownie mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased or non-stick baking pan, then put it into the oven for 6 minutes at 350 degrees. After the 6 minutes, pull the brownie mixture out of the oven. Pour the melted caramel onto the brownie mixture in the pan, then spread chocolate chips on the caramel. You don’t need the whole package of chocolate chips; just add as many as you want. Finally, carefully spread the other half of the brownie mixture on top of the caramel, and put the brownies back into the oven for 15 minutes.
Microwave:
I tried to make a caramel brownie in the microwave a couple of times, with varying results. However, the basic process is like this:
First, mix 1 ½ tbsp. of chocolate cake mix, 1 tsp of butter, and a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk (enough to get the cake powder to bind together) in a bowl. Next, if the brownie mix sticks to your fingers, continue adding a little bit of cake mix into the mixture until it is sticky, but doesn’t leave residue on your hands. Then, put half of the brownie mixture in a greased mug or microwaveable measuring cup. Add one square of caramel and a few chocolate chips, then put the rest of the brownie mixture on top.
The most trouble I had with making the brownies was microwaving them. The first time, I tried to cook the brownie for 1 minute, but the mixture rose too much and wasn’t really like a brownie. The next time I tried it, I cooked the brownie for a minute, but only for 5 seconds at a time to stop the mixture from rising. After that, I left the brownie in the fridge for a while to cool down. This process worked, but the caramel inside the brownie was rock-hard from being in the fridge, so I would recommend letting the brownie cool down on the bar instead.
Conclusion:
Even though it was fun to try to make a single brownie in the microwave, I would recommend baking them normally instead. Trying to find the right consistency with the brownie mix is difficult, and opening the microwave every few seconds is a hassle. Although baking would take longer, it produces more consistent results and you have more brownies! Either way, I hope this recipe inspires you to try making caramel brownies, and to those who try it, enjoy!
