My salted caramel blondies are soft, chewy, loaded with gooey caramel bits, and made with nutty brown butter that gives every bite incredible depth of flavor. Finish them with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, and you’ve got the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
These blondies are simple enough for a weeknight dessert but special enough to serve at holidays, bake sales, or family gatherings. Best of all, they come together with pantry staples and bake in just over 30 minutes.
If you love easy, irresistible bars like these, be sure to try my apple streusel blondies, pecan pie brownies, and sweet and salty Chex mix bars.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich brown butter flavor in every bite
- Soft, chewy texture with crisp edges
- Filled with gooey caramel bits
- Sweet and salty flavor combination
- Easy one-bowl recipe after browning the butter
- Perfect for holidays, parties, and bake sales
- Ready in under an hour
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Brown Butter: Browning the butter gives them a rich, nutty flavor that takes them far beyond a classic blondie.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds deep caramel-like sweetness while helping create a soft, chewy texture.
- Egg & Egg Yolk: Bind the blondies together, with the extra yolk making them exceptionally moist and chewy.
- Caramel Bits: Melt into pockets of gooey caramel throughout the blondies, making every bite extra indulgent.
- Coarse Sea Salt: A finishing touch that balances the sweetness and makes the caramel flavor pop.
Variations
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
- Stir in white chocolate chips.
- Mix in milk or dark chocolate chips.
- Drizzle melted caramel sauce over the cooled blondies.
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the flavor.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt instead of coarse sea salt for a gourmet finish.
How to Make Salted Caramel Brownies
Step 1: Cook the butter over medium heat until it turns a light amber color and develops a nutty color. Immediately pour the butter and bits into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the brown sugar and mix. Cool slightly, then mix in the remaining wet ingredients.
Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients until combined. Gently stir in the caramel bits.
Step 4: Spread the batter evenly into a prepared 8×8 baking dish and bake until the center is set. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cool, slice, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Watch the butter carefully while browning to prevent burning.
- Let the butter mixture cool slightly before adding the eggs.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Let the blondies cool completely before cutting for clean slices.
Salted Caramel Blondies FAQs
Brown butter gives blondies a deep, nutty, caramel-like flavor that regular melted butter can’t match. It adds richness and complexity, making the bars taste like they came from a bakery while enhancing the caramel notes throughout the dessert.
Brown butter is ready when it turns a golden amber color and develops a rich, nutty aroma. You’ll also notice browned milk solids at the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat immediately to prevent it from burning.
Blondies usually become cakey if they’re overmixed or if too much flour is added. Mixing the batter just until combined and measuring the flour accurately helps create the dense, chewy texture blondies are known for.
These blondies are delicious with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped pecans, walnuts, toffee bits, pretzels, or toasted coconut. Mixing in one or two extras adds both flavor and texture.
Pecans and walnuts are classic pairings because their buttery flavor complements caramel beautifully. Almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts also add a delicious crunch to salted caramel desserts.
Allow the blondies to cool completely before slicing. Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade clean between cuts for neat, bakery-style squares.
Absolutely! Double the ingredients and bake the batter in a 9×13-inch baking pan. The baking time may increase slightly, so begin checking for doneness a few minutes before the suggested time.
Flaky sea salt is often preferred because it provides a delicate crunch and bursts of salty flavor without overwhelming the sweetness. Maldon-style finishing salt is especially popular for caramel desserts.
Salted caramel pairs beautifully with vanilla, chocolate, espresso, cinnamon, bourbon, maple, pecans, apples, pears, bananas, pumpkin, and coffee. These flavors complement the rich caramel notes without overpowering them.
Yes! Slightly warming a blondie softens the caramel and creates an extra gooey texture. They’re especially delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Yes. Substitute your favorite measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend that’s designed for baking. The texture may vary slightly, but the blondies will still be rich, chewy, and flavorful.
Great Pairings for Salted Caramel Blondies
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ★★★★★ rating below and leave a comment! You can also pin it to your favorite Pinterest boards and save it for later.
Also, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Salted Caramel Blondies
Ingredients
Blondies
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 11 ounce package caramel bits
- Coarse sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
Blondies
- In a medium sized saucepan, brown butter over medium heat. Stir constantly and cook until butter starts to turn a slight amber color.
- Remove from heat and pour browned butter and all the brown bits into a large mixing bowl.
- Add brown sugar into the bowl and stir until completely combined. Let cool slightly.
- Next, add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Fold in flour, salt, and baking powder until fully combined.
- Fold in caramel bits until fully incorporated.
- Place batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top and edges start to brown.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and let cool.
Notes
- Watch the butter carefully while browning to prevent burning.
- Let the butter mixture cool slightly before adding the eggs.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Let the blondies cool completely before cutting for clean slices.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply