Caramel Pretzel Brownies Recipe

Brownies are one of those unique treats that can be completely plain or all dressed up and taste just as good either way. While I love a good plain brownie, it's always fun to experiment with new ways to enhance the iconic fudgy formula. In this caramel pretzel brownie recipe, I go all-out on the decadence, not only topping the brownies with a thick cream cheese swirl, but also going in with melty caramel and crunchy pretzels for a fully-loaded salty-sweet treat.

The combination of chocolatey brownie, tangy cream cheese swirl, rich caramel, and salty pretzels makes for a dessert that feels truly special and over-the-top without being incredibly difficult to make. For optimal fudgy goodness, this recipe features from-scratch brownies, but we take a bit of a shortcut by melting down soft caramel candies for the caramel topping and drizzle aspect (as opposed to making homemade caramel sauce). The pretzels really tie the whole treat together, adding a nice salty relief from the richness and keeping each bite interesting and crunchy. This recipe is perfect for special occasions when you want something a little more elevated than plain brownies, or when you're going to a potluck and want a treat that will really pack a wow factor.

You'll begin this recipe by preparing the cream cheese swirl, which consists of softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste or extract, kosher salt, and an egg. Then, for the brownie batter itself, you'll need unsalted butter, dark chocolate chips, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

For the caramel topping, all you need are soft caramel candies and heavy cream. Finally, for that salty-crunchy topping, have lightly crushed mini pretzels on hand.

To prepare the cream cheese swirl, in a small bowl, stir to combine the cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 1 egg and stir until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare the brownie batter, melt the butter in a medium pot.

Remove it from the heat, and stir in the chocolate to melt.

Stir in 1 ⅓ cups sugar.

Whisk in 3 eggs.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the caramels and heavy cream, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray and line a 10-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter.

Gently swirl using a small knife or offset spatula.

Spoon on the caramel, reserving 2 tablespoons for drizzling over the baked brownies, and swirl decoratively.

Sprinkle the pretzels over the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the brownies are just set along the edges and only very slightly jiggly in the center.

(Optional: Chill for at least 1 hour for cleaner cuts.) Lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board, removing the parchment paper (if chilled).

Use a sharp knife dipped into hot water between cuts to cut the brownies into 16 squares.

Transfer the brownies to a serving platter, and drizzle them with the remaining caramel before serving.

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These brownies are pretty decked out as-is, but the fun of a recipe like this one is that you can get creative with the specific mix-ins. Caramel adds a rich and decadent gooey element to these brownies, but if you want to retain that gooeyness with a different flavor profile, try something like raspberry or fig jam or Nutella. Dulce de leche would also work well here and offer a similar flavor profile to the caramel. 

The pretzels, too, play an important role in these brownies, but you can swap them out depending on the specific flavor profile you're going for. Chopped candies, cookies, sprinkles, or freeze-dried fruits would work well, offering up similarly crunchy bites. If you want to add a little textural contrast to the brownies themselves, mix dark chocolate chips, toffee chips, or nuts into the batter. Cardamom is a warm spice that helps create bakery-level brownies, so consider adding a dash to your batter if you want a little extra depth of flavor.

Finally, you can enhance the cream cheese layer too. Since there's so much else going on in the brownies, I intentionally keep the cream cheese swirl pretty simple, but easy upgrades like almond extract, lemon zest, or a hint of spice would all be great options.

This brownie recipe is pretty beginner-friendly, but there are still some tips to keep in mind to make the absolute best possible treat. First, make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before attempting to mix the cream cheese swirl. Otherwise, it won't break down quite right, and you'll end up with larger chunks of straight cream cheese in the swirl.

When it comes time to swirl the cream cheese and caramel in, be careful not to overdo it on the actual swirling motion. It may be tempting to go overboard with the design, but we want to keep the distinct layers and areas intact, meaning every bite should have brownie, cream cheese, and caramel, but not necessarily in the same exact quantity. Bake the brownies just until they're mostly set but still a bit fudgy in the middle; when testing with a skewer, a few moist crumbs are okay.

Although chilling the brownies before slicing is optional, I recommend it to get the cleanest cuts possible. Even better yet, consider making the brownies the day before you plan to serve them, so they'll have plenty of time to chill in the fridge, and your individual slices will come out super clean.

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