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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!
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
Servings: 16 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 461 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.
Can these brownies be made ahead of time for a Christmas gathering? Or can they be made and frozen?
Hi there! I actually haven’t ever frozen these before so I can’t say, so sorry! xT
the fact that you do not try to answer your follower’s questions is really just rude. Why not make some and try freezing before and after baking so not only your followers know but, hey, maybe you even learn a few more things? The answer is YES. brownies can be made ahead, put in a lined baking pan, covered tightly and frozen for several weeks/months. I like taking frozen brownies out about an hour before baking to allow the batter to come to room temperature so they bake evenly. Hope this helps….hope it helps you too Tiegan.
I love these brownies, but would like to make a larger portion. Could I increase the batter by .5 (use 1.5 of the ingredients) and use a 13 x 9-inch pan? If yes, how long do you think it would take to bake? Also, when making the caramel, do you think using a non-stick pan is a good or bad idea? I’ve made them 3 times and the first 2 had no trouble with the caramels. The 3rd time I had to do it twice:(.
Thanks – Susie
Hi Susie,
Yes, if you did 1.5 of the ingredients, I would bake in a 9×13 baking dish. I would start checking for donees at 30 minutes, but they could take up to 40 minutes to bake. I would try using stainless steel for the caramel. I hope this helps! xT
Good, but I recommend cooking the caramel for half the time and at least doubling the freezing time. Cooking the caramel that long over medium heat ended up in a tarry treacle. I had to redo it. I’d just use regular store-bought caramels if I made this again. Tasty though!
Hi Angie,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Sorry to hear about your caramels!! Have a great weekend:)
My daughter doesn’t like the taste of coffee. Could I omit or substitute for the instant coffee in this recipe?
Hi Stephanie,
You can just skip the instant coffee:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hey just made these I’m yet to try them! Cannot wait! I’ve got the crinkly top but I gave my dish a shake and the batter wobbled. Is that normal?
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for trying the recipe! Did you insert a knife to check for doneness? I would try that:) xT
Oh my gosh, these are AMAZING! 10/10 recommend making these.
Hey April,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT
Oh my word! This recipe is amazing! Definitely a keeper. (I omitted the Kahlua, but only because I didn’t have any on hand). YUMMY!!
Hi Marlena,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I only have an 8×8 brownie pan is this ok or should I extend the baking time? x
Hey Kristy,
I would increase your baking time until an inserted knife comes out clean. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Brownies are delicious, fudgey but not too gooey. I skipped the Nutella in the middle to make them less gooey and use a caramel sauce (from the HBH caramel brûlée latte cupcakes) and just swirled it on the top before baking. The caramel gave the brownies a nice crunchy top and then I added flakey sea salt. I also reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup because I had mostly milk chocolate.
Hey Natalie,
Awesome! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Holidays! xx
These were SO good. I made the mistake of not spreading the caramel out quite thin enough but I was still able to pull off pieces to put in the top. I also cooked them for an extra 10 minutes because when I pulled them out I was afraid the middle wasn’t cooked. Next time I will definitely cook them the extra 10 minutes, but make them a few hours ahead of time because after they cool the nutella and caramel set so it isn’t gooey. I was worried my guests would think the brownie wasn’t cooked, but I just told them it was a molten lava brownie lol. Definitely will be making again. I used a 9×9 pan for reference.
Hey Kristen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’m gonna have to retry these. I think I put too much Nutella and caramel because they came out way too gooey
Hi Jennifer,
Did you adjust the measurements? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
The directions were very easy to follow but after cooking for the full time and letting them rest before cutting, they were still a bit of a gooey runny mess.
I did very much enjoy the flavors of the edge pieces.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Amanda! xTieghan
Is it a good idea to substitute the rum for beer (Since I don’t have rum)? Or should I just forgo completely?
Hi Mariah,
I would just omit the Kahlua:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I’m going to substitute regular caramels for the caramel layer. Do you think that’ll work? Thanks
I don’t see why not! I hope you love the recipe Rose!!