Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Brownies
Many people do Christmas (or holiday) cookie trays, and originally I did call mine that as well. But with trays that are comprised of an assortment of cookies, bars, brownies and fudges, it seemed a bit of a misnomer to call them cookie trays. As the number and variety of confections on my trays grew, I began to refer to them as goodie trays instead.
Next up in my Christmas goodies series is one of three brownie recipes featured in my holiday lineup: Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Brownies
These are definitely for all my peanut butter and chocolate lovers out there. Peanut-y caramel sandwiched between layers of fudgy brownie, loaded with bits of peanut butter cups and topped off with chocolate and peanut butter chips. These are one of my personal favorites on my trays (I might also be guilty of reserving a few of these to keep at home…shhh…don’t tell!).
It may have to do with the amount of practice I have making brownies, but I find that the brownie recipes are among the quickest to come together in my holiday baking. I can usually knock out all three brownie recipes in the evening after a full day of work leaving the weekend free for some of the more complex or time consuming recipes.
Using store bought caramels and mini peanut butter cups helps keep the prep time down for these brownies without sacrificing the flavor or quality of the end product. If I’m using store bought caramels, I like to use Werther’s soft caramels as they are a closer match to my home made caramels than other brands. Note that starting with a harder caramel (like Kraft) does require a little bit more heavy cream in the caramel layer to compensate for that texture.
When I’m making this recipe at other times of year, I generally cut them into either 40 or 48 smallish bars – it just helps me avoid over indulging since I typically have at least 2, often more, different treats on hand at any given time. When I make these for my goodie trays, however, I cut them even smaller, about 1 1/4 inch square giving me about 94 little brownie bites (with 23 options on a tray, I like to keep each individual item small enough to encourage people to try a few different options). In order to successfully (cleanly) cut the brownies that small, you absolutely must chill them first.
Whenever you choose to make these and whomever you choose to share them with, I’m certain they will be a hit.
Ingredients
For the peanut butter caramel filling:
- 14 ounce caramels soft
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (use 1/3 cup if using harder caramels like Kraft)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
For the brownies:
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 12 ounce chocolate semisweet or bittersweet, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce peanut butter cups mini or chopped
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F, line a 9×13 inch pan with foil and grease well.
To make the filling:
- Melt the caramels, cream and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl until creamy and smooth. Do this in short intervals (about 30 seconds) at med power, checking and stirring frequently to prevent burning.14 ounce caramels
- Set aside to cool slightly.1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
To make the brownie batter:
- Melt chopped chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl until smooth.1 cup butter, 12 ounce chocolate
- Whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until incorporated (I recommend whisking the eggs in one at a time until well combined for each).1 1/2 cup sugar, 5 eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the flour and salt until just combined.1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Gently fold in the peanut butter cups.8 ounce peanut butter cups
To assemble the brownies:
- Spread about half the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread the cooled caramel over the brownie batter in the pan, leaving about 1/2 inch of exposed brownie batter all the way around. (If the caramel mixture is too firm, heat briefly in the microwave to loosen it a bit)
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or so to allow the caramel layer to set.
- Spread the remaining brownie batter evenly over the top of the caramel layer.
- Sprinkle the milk chocolate and peanut butter chips over the top of the brownie batter.1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- Bake for about 35 minutes, the top should look dry and set and the caramel may be bubbling around the edges.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing, for easier slicing chill for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Cut the brownies into 24 large or 48 small bars (I usually opt for the smaller bars because I like to mix and match my treats)
Nutrition
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