Salted Caramel Brownie Bites Recipe

Prep

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan or line with paper liners; set aside. Place a heatproof bowl over (but not touching) simmering water to create a double boiler.

Melt chocolate and butter

Add the chopped chocolate and butter to the heatproof bowl. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 3–4 minutes.

Combine sugar and eggs

Whisk the granulated sugar into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until the mixture is glossy. Whisk in the vanilla extract.

Dry ingredients

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt into a bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain—do not overmix.

Portion

Spoon about 1 teaspoon (roughly 10–12 g) of batter into each mini muffin cup, filling each about 1/3 full. Reserve remaining batter for any extra cups (you should have enough for 24 bites).

Make caramel

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water and stir gently to moisten. Place over medium-high heat and cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and begins to turn amber—about 6–8 minutes. Swirl the pan gently if needed to promote even coloring; watch closely to avoid burning.

Finish caramel

When the sugar reaches a deep amber color, remove the pan from the heat. Carefully add the butter pieces (mixture will bubble vigorously) and whisk until incorporated. Slowly whisk in the warm heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the flaky sea salt. Let the caramel cool for 5 minutes so it thickens slightly but remains pourable.

Assemble caramel into batter

Using a small spoon or a piping bag, drop about 1/2 teaspoon (roughly 3–4 g) of the warm caramel into the center of each cup of brownie batter. If desired, add a little extra batter on top to cover the caramel (optional) leaving a visible caramel swirl is fine.

Bake the mini brownie bites in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but centers still look slightly gooey. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the brownie bites from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool another 10–15 minutes—the caramel will set but remain soft. Sprinkle each bite with a small pinch of coarse or flaky sea salt immediately after removing from the rack so it adheres to the warm caramel/brownie surface.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days (bring to room temp or warm gently before serving).