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Sweet, salty Caramel Mocha Nutella Brownies. Homemade fudgy, crinkly espresso brownies, baked, then layered with sweet Nutella and chunks of homemade salted caramel candies. Every last bite of these indulgent brownies is melt in your mouth delicious. Eat them warm and gooey, or let them cool and package them up for gifting this holiday season. They’re simple to make and guaranteed to be hit!
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It might only be Tuesday, BUT since it’s Halloween week, we’re keeping things sweet. Honestly, these brownies are just perfect. Everything from their taste, texture, and ease to make are so good.
Asher has officially declared them the best brownies yet. And she is a die-hard for the classic crinkle top brownie. She likes to say she doesn’t like caramel, but I’m quoting her word for word here… “these are really GOOD”.
These are indulgent, but come this time next week, we’ll have entered into the holiday season. And as I always say, anything goes when it’s the holidays. Especially over-the-top sweets.
The idea
This is a version of a brownie I made a while ago. I’m talking almost eight years ago. But it’s been a brownie that has been in the back of my mind for what feels like forever now.
I just love the thought of an extra crinkly and very fudgy espresso hinted brownie stuffed with sweet, creamy Nutella and salted caramel. It reminds me of a fancy latte or mug of hot chocolate.
Here are the details – to make the caramel
This caramel doesn’t need any special equipment. You just need four simple ingredients…sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt. Melt the sugar until it is amber in color, then add the butter and cream. Bring the caramel to a boil stirring until it has thickened and easily coats the back of your spoon. Next, add a pinch of sea salt.
Nothing fancy, but so delicious.
I like to pop the caramel into the freezer to quickly firm it up and then break it into squares.
Make the brownies
Melt the butter and chocolate together, then add sugar, Kahlua, vanilla, and instant espresso.
Next, whisk in the eggs. This is the KEY to getting that extra crinkly top. The eggs should have lots of bubbles on them before you stir them into the chocolate mix.
Then add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
And done!
Now layer
One layer of brownie batter, spoonfuls of Nutella, then finish with brownie batter. Now grab those pieces of caramel and stick them into the top of the brownies.
Bake until just set and the caramel is bubbling up in the brownie.
As the brownies bake, the caramel melts into the batter, almost disappearing. They give the brownies a delicious salty-sweet caramel flavor.
And the Nutella…it melts into pockets of deliciousness.
Add a little sea salt on top and…well, you really can’t beat these brownies. They’re perfect – gooey, sweet, very chocolatey, and extra special. Everything you need to make a real crowd pleaser!
Looking for other fall sweets? Here are my favorites:
Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brulée Frosting
Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars
Lastly, if you make these Caramel Mocha Nutella Brownies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Caramel Mocha and Nutella Brownies
Ingredients
Caramel
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- flaky sea salt
Brownies
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, or milk chocolate, chips
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee/espresso
- 1 tablespoon Kahlúa
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup Nutella
Instructions
- 1. To make the caramel. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large pot, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted and turns a golden caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chunks of butter, whisking until combined. Then, stir in the cream. Return the pot to medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring until the caramel has thickened and easily coats the back of your spoon, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt. Pour onto the parchment paper. Freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden. 2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.3. In the microwave, melt together the butter and 1 cup chocolate chips (stirring at 30-second intervals) until melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, coffee powder, Kahlúa, and vanilla. 4. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Evenly spread half the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Dollop spoonfuls of Nutella over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over top, using a spoon to lightly smooth out the batter. It's ok if the batter does not cover up all the Nutella. 5. Grab the caramel piece from the freezer and break/cut into pieces. Stick the caramel into the brownies, you may not need all of the caramel. Bake 28-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Let cool…or cut and enjoy warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
THIS RECIPE IS LITERALLY AMAZING. I made it for my partner’s family and they all raved over it. The instructions are very clear and they truly turned out perfect 🙂
Thanks HBH!
Hey Courtney,
Happy Friday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Is it really just a 1/3 cup of flour? This sounds so little. Will the coco powder do the trick?
Hey Astrid,
Yes, because of the cocoa powder, you only need 1/3 cup of flour. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made these today and they didn’t come out the way I hoped. Flavors were there, though I omitted the Kahlua, but it came out very cakey rather than chewy and no crinkly top. Maybe I didn’t whisk the eggs enough.. I also had to use an 8×8 pan. Idk? I’ll try it again in the next few weeks and hope for a better result.
Hey Judy,
Sorry to hear this recipe wasn’t enjoyed, please let me know how I can help. I would definitely use a 9×13 pan next time:) xTieghan
Hi! Can I make these without the coffee and coffee liquor?
Hey Patri,
Yes, you can skip the instant coffee and kahlua. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi, planning on making these for a thanksgiving party! Excited 🙂 I was wondering if I don’t have Kahlua, will it make a big difference? Or it is worth buying for just this recipe?
Hey Erica,
It would be fine to skip the Kahlua for this recipe. I hope you love it! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made these brownies for the second time. Both turnouts have been SO yummy. My friends and family have loved them! Only issue was that both batches have required extra bake time. Otherwise, despite how complicated they sound, they are pretty simple (and fun) to make.
Hey Katie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi! Any recommendations on store bought caramel that would work for this recipe?
Hey Leila,
You can use any of your favorite store bought caramel sauces. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Would almond flour work here instead of regular flour? Trying out some gluten free recipes for a friend.
Hey Cara,
I would recommend using GF flour here, I like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4cup. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! What kind of instant coffee/espresso is used? I tried to click the link but it doesn’t lead anywhere. Thank you!
Hey there,
Here is the link for the instant coffee:
https://shopstyle.it/l/biNBa
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I have made these brownies a few times now and can confirm that they are the best brownies I have ever had. That is a lot to say for someone who’s favorite group is brownies. Great recipe Tieghan!
Hey Nicole,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try. I hope you have an amazing week! xTieghan
Skipped the second lot of choc chips (so rich) and found that the caramel just melted in. So topped with some of the leftover caramel when cooled. Needed a bit longer in my oven. But well appreciated by this family.
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
I skipped the caramel and replaced butter for coconut oil.They came out delicious!!!
Thanks so much! 🙂 xTieghan
Ok, i tried to take a short cut today and just use brownie mix. These are extremely goey, almost under cooked. Any ideas when using brownie mix?
Hey Melanie! I’m so sorry about that! I haven’t ever used brownie mix for this recipe so I’m not sure! xxTieghan
They turned out so good! I accidentally melted all the chocolate chips and combined them with the butter. And used a slightly different sized pan. So I had to leave them in the oven 5 minutes longer to set. But soooo good!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
Is it okay if we don’t use salted butter?
Hi Kat! Yes, that’s fine 🙂 xTieghan
Loved these.
Hi there! Thank you so much, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan