Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas are the ULTIMATE ooey gooey brownie! They have a sweet caramel center, along with a layer of peanut butter morsels with more peanut butter drizzled on top. These start with my super popular Brownie recipe!
Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas
There is actually a scientific reason that people love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. It’s called Dynamic Sensory Contrast. It has to do with our taste buds loving contrasting textures. But, I don’t need a scientific explanation as to why I love this combination so much. Then, with caramel added to the mix, it takes it to a whole new level. I would gladly continue researching this chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel combination any day! And, let me start with these Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: You need 2 sticks of unsalted butter for the brownies. Melt it, then let it cool.
Cocoa powder: Look for high-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder.
Peanut Butter Morsels: The peanut butter morsels are added to the top of the first layer of brownies. You will also add some peanut butter to the top of the brownies. You could use chocolate morsels if you want to replace the peanut butter.
Caramel Sauce: Use caramel bits OR individually wrapped caramels for the caramel sauce. Be sure to unwrap them. 😉 The amount would be the same, 11 ounces.
How to Make Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas
It all starts with the brownie recipe. You will bake the brownies in two stages. The first bake will be with the bottom brownie layer. Then, you will bake them again after adding the peanut butter morsels, caramel sauce, and second brownie layer.
Once you have the brownie batter ready, pour half (about 2 cups) of the batter into a prepared 9-inch square pan. (I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper, including up the sides, and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.)
Bake this layer for 10-12 minutes at 350°F. Meanwhile, prepare the caramel sauce by adding the caramel bits and milk into a medium saucepan, cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, stirring until everything is incorporated.
After you have removed the brownies from the oven the first time, cover the top with a layer of peanut butter morsels. Then, pour the caramel sauce over the morsels. Let the caramel sit for a few minutes at this point.
Carefully scoop and spread the remaining brownie batter on top of the caramel. This can be tricky… I usually just use my clean hands to set the batter on top. Don’t try to move it around too much, it could mess with the caramel layer. (Have no fear, it will come together as the brownies bake.)
Finally, drizzle peanut butter on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool a bit before transferring them to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.
Can I Make these in a 9×13-inch Baking Dish?
I don’t recommend attempting this recipe in a larger pan. There is not enough brownie mix for the two layers, which would mean the brownies would be too thin and not able to accommodate the filling.
Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) butter, melted, then cooled
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (79g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup peanut butter morsels
Caramel Sauce
- 1 bag (11 ounces or 1¾ cups) caramel bits
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (122.5g) milk
Topping
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, including up the sides of the dish. Spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla. Add the eggs and vanilla into the dry ingredients and gently stir.
- Pour the melted butter into the brownie mixture and mix until just incorporated.
- Spread ½ of the brownie batter (about 2 cups) into the prepared baking dish and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Caramel Sauce
- Place caramel bits in a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium-low. Add in milk and stir until all caramel bits are melted (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add in vanilla, stirring until fully incorporated.
Assembling the Brownies
- When time is up, remove brownies from oven and cover with 1 cup of peanut butter morsels.
- Pour caramel sauce over peanut butter morsels. Let the caramel sit for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully spoon and spread the remaining two cups of brownie batter over the caramel sauce. (It will come together as it bakes.)
- In a microwave-safe bowl, warm up the peanut butter in 30-second intervals until creamy. Drizzle the peanut butter over the top layer of brownie batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until edges start to get a little dark.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before placing the caramelitas in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Insert drool emoji here.
I think my heart just skipped a beat! These are the ultimate brownies! That caramel center is just mesmerizing! Love this Amanda!
Phew! These look deadly 🙂
I am drooling, literally.
I need these in my life.
Does not say at what temp to cook brownies
I made these last night and it was a disaster so I’m hoping you might be able to help me figure out where I went wrong. The recipe didn’t state what temp to bake at so I just did it at 350 degrees.
I couldn’t find Kraft caramel bits in the grocery so I used an 11oz bag of caramel squares. They were all individually wrapped so I unwrapped and melted. I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa, King Arthur organic unbleached all purpose flour, whole organic milk, KerryGold butter, unbleached organic sugar, organic vanilla extract.
Everything seemed fine in mixing and prep except the brownie mixture was so very thick. Like so thick I couldn’t even hardly get it out of the bowl into the 9×9 glass brownie dish. I put parchment paper in dish and it just stuck so much to the parchment paper that is was hard to spread that 1st layer down. Needless to say when I was putting the 2nd layer of brownie mixture over the peanut butter and caramel it was hard to spread it over it all.
I ended up cooking it for almost 25-30 minutes because it just seemed so liquid still when I checked it at 18-20 minutes. I then let it cool overnight instead of 4 hours. This morning when I tried to take it out of the pan and cut into squares it was a big gooey mess. The parchment paper was stuck to the glass and stuck to the brownies. I ended up getting it out of the pan but it was just a mess. Peeling the paper off the bottom of brownies resulted in tearing the paper and just having to cut it off the brownies. Needless to say they aren’t pretty squares but a gooey mess of crumbles and most of it in the trash because I couldn’t get paper off.
Where did I go wrong?
Hi Karen! I am SO sorry there were issues. Sounds like you used quality ingredients and I am sorry about the time and expense. The only thing That I can see that might have gone wrong it… did you pour half the brownie mixture into the pan and bake it? Then remove the baked brownies, add the caramel and remaining brownie and bake longer?
Same thing happened to mine following directions exactly except forgot to line with parchment paper…..let it cool over night it was one gooey mess couldn’t cut into brownies looked nothing like picture above. Did pick at some of the goo it tasted good would have been great if it turned into a brownie.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. Those look absolutely worth any extra time spent on the treadmill ! I’m all about “everything in moderation” but with those in my kitchen, I might have to redefine my definition of moderation;)
Oh my. These brownies look absolutely lovely and delicious! I don’t think brownies can really get better than this!
Oh god.. all that oozing caramel is making my mouth water. Incredible images… pinned!