Stuffed Pecan Caramel Brownies are made with a layer of caramel and pecans between two perfect brownie layers. It doesn’t get more delicious than this! This recipe makes TWO 8-inch round pans of brownies. Eat one now, freeze one for later.
I bought a bag of Kraft Caramel Bits so that I could make my Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies. I have done this many times, but I’ve never before noticed that there is a recipe for caramel brownies on the back until a few weeks ago. Instead of my cookies, I thought I’d give the brownies a try. We’ve been making and perfecting them every weekend since. (Don’t worry, I have put some in the freezer.)
The recipe calls for a brownie mix, but it’s just so easy to whip up brownies from scratch that I never have any mixes around. However, the caramel part of the recipe on the package was pure genius.
My mom used to make brownies almost exactly like this when I was a kid. She called them Turtle brownies (pecans + caramel + chocolate).
You par-bake a layer of brownie batter. Then, you spread a layer of caramel sauce and pecans over the par-baked layer. On top of the caramel layer, you spread another layer of brownie batter and then sprinkle with more chopped pecans and bake until it’s cooked through.
Like this:
And then you pull it out of the oven and it looks like this:
And then you top it with ice cream and slice it up and eat those Caramel Brownies like this:
Now, I told you about that caramel layer in the middle, right? Let’s take a closer look:
Well, enough said, I think. Go ahead and get cooking. I know you want to.
Stuffed Pecan Caramel Brownies
This recipe makes TWO 8 inch round pans of brownies. Perfect for entertaining. Also, freezes well.
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups chopped raw pecans (divided)
for the caramel layer
- 1 (11 oz) bag Kraft Caramel pieces (or similar)
- 1/3 cup cream
Instructions
- Line 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper (the caramel layer is sticky!). Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the Brownie batter: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, or in a microwavable bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the eggs and stir until a thick batter forms. Gently stir in the vanilla and melted butter/cocoa mixture until well combined. Do this by hand (no electric mixers) and stop as soon as it is incorporated.
- Spread approximately 1 cup of batter into each of the prepared pans. The batter is thick, but if you work it with a spatula for a minute or so, you can get it spread evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 minutes, or until top is firm to the touch.
- Just before the first brownie layer is done baking, combine the caramel and cream in a microwavable bowl. Heat on high for about 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until mixture is creamy and smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the chopped pecans.
- Remove parbaked brownie layers from the oven. Spread the caramel pecan layer evenly over the top. Then, spread the remaining brownie batter over the top in each pan (some caramel may poke through - no problem) and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of chopped nuts.
- Return to oven and bake for an addtional 20 to 25 minutes or until baked through and firm to the touch.
- Let brownies cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. If you remove them too soon, they will fall apart (and I figured this out the hard way). Serve with ice cream.
- Note: In the pictures above, I drizzled caramel over the top as well. This looks great in the pictures but was a little bit overkill with the rich caramel layer inside the brownies.
Notes
I find the Kraft Caramel Bits in the baking section at my local grocery store, and Walmart, and Target.
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