Fudgy Sourdough Salted Caramel Brownies

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I just love the fall and winter seasons. The weather is nice, the air is crisp, and the seasonal recipe flavors come into play! One of my favorite seasonal flavors is salted caramel. Whether I’m making a latte or a dessert, salted caramel adds that perfect sweet and salty kick I crave this time of year. Salted caramel brownies are one of my favorite ways to incorporate that salted caramel flavor. This recipe is special because it gives you a way to use sourdough discard, and we also make the caramel homemade! Don’t be at all intimidated by homemade caramel because it’s truly so simple to make. It just takes a little attention and patience, but the end result is so worth it! After all, everything is better homemade.

Equipment

Large metal or glass bowl
Whisk
9×13 baking pan or 9×9 baking pan (The 9×9 pan will yield thicker brownies)

Ingredients

Brownies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cacao powder/cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 teaspoons sea salt (divided)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sourdough discard
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Caramel

1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

To make the caramel:

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar completely while stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Remove from heat immediately and stir in butter (it will bubble up a good bit).
Immediately add the heavy cream and stir until incorporated.
Let cool for around 15-20 minutes.

To make the brownies:

Preheat oven to 325 F.
Next, melt the butter completely and add hot butter to the large mixing bowl.
Then, immediately add sugars and stir until sugars are mostly melted (2-3 minutes).
Next, mix in the rest of the ingredients (minus 1/2 teaspoon salt) until just mixed.
Then, pour the batter into a butter-greased baking pan.
Next, drizzle about 1/3-1/2 cup of the homemade caramel onto the brownies. You can also use a knife to cut through the caramel horizontally and vertically to make a cool design in the brownies.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the top of the caramel.
For the 9×13 pan, bake for 22-25 minutes. For the 8×8 ban, bake for 30-35 minutes. Check the brownies sooner than these baking times as oven temperatures vary. You want a fork or toothpick to come out of the brownies clean or with a few crumbs attached. Try to test a spot without caramel.
Enjoy!