These salted dulce de leche brownies are the perfect sweet treat. The caramel flavor of the dulce de leche is great with the fudgy brownies!
I have been craving the perfect gooey chocolate brownie and I also had a can of dulce de leche. This is a perfect combination and it is amazing! The are honestly the best brownies ever - with a fudgy, gooey brownie batter mixed with pockets of dulce de leche all topped with flaky salt. It is the perfect combination of flavors! This will be your favorite brownie recipe if you are fan of salted caramel. Needless to say, these did not last very long with my family!
What is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de leche is a popular treat in Latin America that is prepared by slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The most common method uses a can of condensed milk that is heated in water over a period of two to three hours. The result is a spreadable, caramel sauce-like substance. It derives its rich flavor and deep brown color from the slow method of heating the condensed milk.
What Do I Need to Make Salted Dulce de Leche Brownies?
While the full ingredients list is available in the recipe card below, here is a breakdown of what you will need to make these amazing brownies!
Unsweetened or dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips
Unsalted butter
Unprocessed or unsweetened cocoa powder
Eggs
Brown sugar
Pure vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Kosher salt
Dulce de leche (homemade or store bought)
Flaky salt (for topping)
How to Prepare The Best Brownies
While the full recipe instructions are available below, here are some tips to make the perfect salty caramelly brownies!
First, we need our prepared pan. Grease a square pan and line it with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and place a large bowl over the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the boiling water. While the water is still boiling, melt butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder together in the bowl. Whisking to ensure the cocoa is fully dissolved and incorporated into the chocolate and butter. Once fully melted, remove from from the heat and set aside.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until it is light and fluffy. Mix in the cool chocolate mixture until it is well combined.
While the chocolate is mixing into your batter, whisk together the flour and Kosher salt. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
Now for the fun part! Add half of the brownie batter to the baking pan. Drop spoonfuls of dulce de leche (half of the dulce de leche) on top of the brownie batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the dulce de leche throughout the batter. Add the remaining brownie batter on top, and repeat the same process with the remaining dulce de leche. Bake with aluminum foil over the batter to start. This is important, because it will prevent the brownies from burning. To finish the brownies, remove the foil and continue baking. Your brownies are ready when the center is just set and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle flaky salt to your liking over the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least ten to fifteen minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy!
How do I Make My Own Dulce de Leche?
While you can buy your dulce de leche at the store, it is also fun to make your own! This soft caramel is important because it is a key ingredient to this dulce de leche brownie recipe. The process is very simple. So here are some tips to make your own at home if you want to!
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil on high heat. While the water is still boiling, remove the label from a can of sweetened condensed milk and submerge it in the boiling water. Add the pot back to the stove on medium heat and cook the can for two and a half to three hours, making sure the can is always fully submerged in water. Make sure you let the can cool to room temperature before you open it so it doesn't explode!
You could also do this in the slow cooker! Simply pour the sweetened condensed milk into mason jars, filling them right to the top. Tightly screw the lids on and place upright in the slow cooker - this is important because we need to prevent them from leaking. Pour hot water over the jars until they are submerged by about an inch. Close the crock pot and cook on low for eight to ten hours. Remove the jars from the crockpot and let cool to room temperature. Enjoy!
1/3 cup unprocessed Dutch cocoa powder (unsweetened), sifted
3 large eggs
1 + 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dulce de leche (homemade or store bought)
Flaky salt, for topping, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate, butter and cocoa powder together in a bowl over a pot of boiling water (make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water). Whisk together until fully melted and let cool approximately 5 minutes.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in chocolate until well combined. While mixing in the chocolate, whisk together the flour and kosher salt. Mix flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined.
Add half the brownie batter to the pan. Spoon dollops of half the dulce de leche onto the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the dulce de leche around the batter. Add the remaining half of the batter and spoon the remaining dulce de leche over the batter. Swirl again.
Bake 25-40 minutes until dry on top but still gooey and fudgy on the inside. Top with foil if needed to prevent the top from burning.
Top with flaky salt immediately after removing from the oven. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and enjoy!
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