Cake Mix Caramel Brownies
Cake Mix Caramel Brownies are seriously the BEST brownies out there. Fudgey, gooey and so freaking easy!
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time15 min
- Total Time25 min
- Serves12 Brownies
Ingredients
- Nonstick Spray or Parchment Paper
- 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix (Or any chocolate cake mix)
- 2/3 C Evaporated Milk - Divided
- 3/4 C Melted Butter (1.5 Sticks)
- 50-60 Soft Wrapped Caramels
- 1 C Milk Chocolate Chips
Method
Preheat your oven at 350 Degrees F. Prepare a 9X13 pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining it with parchment paper. Unwrap the caramels and place in a glass bowl.
In a large bowl, add the cake mix, 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and melted butter. Stir until combined.
Using your fingers or a spatula, add half of the brownie mix into the 9X13 pan. Pressing down, distribute evenly. Bake for 6 mins.
While baking, add the remaining 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to the caramels. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and repeat until the caramel is soft enough to pour.
After 6 minutes, remove the brownies from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top, then pour the caramel evenly over the chocolate chips. Finally, add the remaining brownie mixture by tearing quarter sized pieces with your fingers and evenly distributing it over the caramel. It’s ok if it doesn’t completely cover the caramel.
Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, or until the brownies lose their shine. Allow to cool before serving.
These brownies are amazing hot, at room temperature or frozen. When hot, they are a bit soupy. Allow to fully cool if you want them to keep their shape.
Cake Mix Caramel Brownies - Video
Cake Mix Caramel Brownies - Personal History
These Cake Mix Caramel Brownies are the most amazing, moist, fudgey, delicious brownies you will ever eat in your life….YOUR LIFE you guys! Seriously these are amazing. Growing up I had a best friend in grade school named Katherine. Her mother would make these ridiculously good cake mix caramel brownies. To serve she would cut them into the smallest pieces, I’m talking 1 inch x 1 inch squares, and only give us one. I WOULD BE DYING! I wanted to eat 20 of those little squares.
As an adult I knew I had to get the recipe and eat the entire pan myself. I messaged my old bestie Katherine and made my very own batch….and did just that. I ate them all! It was magical. Don’t judge, I had some serious childhood withdrawals to make up for. Once I got that out of my system I was willing to share with my family, and now I’m wanting to share with you. I hope you love these Cake Mix Caramel Brownies as much as I do. Thank you Katherine and Linda for sharing this amazing recipe!
Let’s Talk Cake Mixes
Ok, this recipe uses German Chocolate cake mix. This is the original cake mix that Katherine’s mother uses, and is my preferred choice. However, for some reason German chocolate cake mix has been hard to find. If you need to use a different chocolate cake mix feel free to sub out whichever one sounds best to you. I’ve used devils food chocolate cake mix and it turned out delicious. I do recommend though that you use German Chocolate Cake mix if you have the option. Trust me on this one!
Cake Mix Caramel Brownies - Method
Let’s start with the caramel. You’re wanting to purchase soft chewy caramels, not the hard candy ones. My favorite brand to use are the Werther’s. They are delicious, but more importantly, easy to unwrap. The Kraft caramels work fine as well, but take forever to unwrap. I’ve never tried the Kraft Caramel Bits, but I imagine they would be good as well and no unwrapping would be involved. If you decide to go that route you may need to use two bags.
Prepare your caramels by unwrapping them, then placing them in a glass bowl or some type of microwaveable bowl, and set aside. Prepare your 9X13 pan as well. I like using parchment paper as it allows me to lift the brownies easily out of the pan to cut. If you don’t have parchment paper, feel free to use nonstick spray to line the pan or brush on a little softened butter. It’s best to prep these two things before you start cooking your brownie batter. Once you start cooking, the process moves pretty quickly.
After everything is prepped, mix together the cake mix, 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and melted butter. Stir to combine. This will make a thick kind of paste that you can somewhat manipulate with your fingers. Add half of this batter to the 9X13 pan. Using your fingers or a spatula, press the batter down and spread it evenly over the pan. This will create a thin layer that you may think isn’t going to be enough. Trust me, it is. Place this in the oven for 6 mins at 350 degrees F. to slightly cook.
While the first layer of brownie is cooking, melt your caramels. Do this by adding the remaining 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to the unwrapped prepared caramels. Microwave for one minute. Remove from the microwave and stir as best as you can. It will most likely be stiff still, so add it back into the microwave to cook more. Cook in 30 second – 1 minute increments at a time and stir in between. The caramel is done when it’s easily pourable. This should only take a few minutes. Be careful not to boil over.
After the brownies have cooked for 6 minutes, take them out of the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Next, pour the softened caramel evenly over the chocolate chips. Lastly, add the rest of the caramel brownie mix over the top, being sure to distribute it evenly. I usually use my fingers for this part, grabbing quarter sized amounts. I’ll then try and flatten these out with my fingers as best as I can and lay them over the caramel. It’s ok if this layer doesn’t completely cover the caramel. Just do your best to distribute it evenly.
Place the brownies back into the oven for its final bake. Cook for 15-18 minutes. You’ll know when the brownies are done, when the chocolate cake part looks flat and dull/no longer shines. I have one last note on these brownies and that’s about their consistency. When these brownies are fresh out of the oven, they are a bit soupy. This is amazing over vanilla icecream! If you want a more solid brownie, then wait until they cool completely. I also LOVE these frozen. The chocolate chips set up and give a delightful texture. I hope you enjoy these Cake Mix Caramel Brownies as much as I do!
