Salted Caramel Brownie Bites

These salted caramel brownie bites fall somewhere between a brownie and a candy bar. They have a rich, decadent brownie base, a thick layer of sweet and chewy salted caramel on top, and are coated in a layer of chocolate. Think your favorite brownie meets a milky way candy bar.

INGREDIENTS FOR SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE BITES

Since these bars have a few layers, we will be making them in steps! First up-- the brownie base layer! Here's everything you'll need to whip up a batch of brownies.

• All-purpose flour

• Cocoa powder

• Salt

• Espresso powder (optional)

• Granulated sugar + light brown sugar

• Vegetable oil

• Egg

• Vanilla extract

Making the brownies

To make the brownies, you'll just whisk together the sugars, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Once smooth, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder. Whisk everything until the batter is smooth, Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 22-25 minutes.

*The brownies will seem soft when you remove them from the oven, but that's okay-- it's exactly what you want. They will continue to cook a bit in the pan once they're out of the oven. They should be nice and firm once cooled completely.

HOW TO MAKE THE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

One you've made the brownies, it's time to start on the salted caramel! It's made with just 5 ingredients, and here's the line-up of what you'll need:

• Granulated sugar

• Unsalted butter

• Heavy cream

• Salt

• Vanilla extract or paste

Making the caramel

In a small saucepan, heat the granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Slowly, you will see the sugar start to melt and clump together-- that's okay! Just keep stirring and gently try to break up those chunks as you stir it. After about 15 minutes or so, the sugar should be completely melted.

Next, add in the unsalted butter to the pan and continue stirring constantly. It will bubble a bit, but keep stirring until the butter is totally melted. Then, slowly pour in the heavy cream. The caramel sauce will bubble and steam a lot while adding the cold cream, so be careful while stirring. It will take a minute or two to fully incorporate everything together.

Once everything is mixed together and the caramel sauce is smooth, turn off the heat and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. This will allow the caramel to cool slightly, as well as thicken up a bit. After about 10 minutes, pour the caramel sauce evenly over the tops of the brownies. Place in fridge and allow them to chill for about an hour or so, until the caramel is set and hard.

FINISHING THE BROWNIE BITES

To finish off these brownie bites, all that's left to do is coat them in luscious melted chocolate. To do this, melt 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a double boiler or in the microwave. Once completely melted and smooth, cover that whole delicious bite in chocolate. Just pop them in the fridge to harden and you're ready to devour them!

TIPS FOR THE BEST SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE BITES

Prep your ingredients for the salted caramel before starting to make it. I haven't made it too often, but I've made caramel enough times to know that it can be very time sensitive and can burn quickly. I recommend measuring out your butter and heavy cream before starting the process. Have the butter cut into slices or cubes, and have the heavy cream in a measuring cup ready to go.

Let the caramel layer cool completely in the refrigerator.
The salted caramel layer is a bit thick, so if you try to let it set completely on the counter, it would take a very long time. Once you've poured and spread it on the brownies, be sure to pop the pan into the fridge to let the caramel cool and set totally.

Make sure the brownies and caramel are completely cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces. If you try to cut the caramel topped brownies too soon before the caramel is set, you are going to end up with one big sticky caramel-y mess. Waiting until the caramel is set and cooled will get you easy, clean cuts every time.