These easy-to-make dulce de leche brownies are chewy with a gooey caramel center! They mix in minutes using the microwave to help prepare the batter. Easy and delicious!
Dulce de Leche
If you have not used dulce de leche in cooking before, you are in for a treat! It is a caramel sauce made from sweetened milk. It differs from regular caramel in the way it is prepared. Dulce de leche (pronounced different ways–here are some pronunciations: do-fay de lech-a or do-say de lech-a or do-they de lech-a) means candy made from milk. Sweetened milk is heated until it caramelizes, creating a thick sauce. Caramel, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and sugar and heated until it caramelizes.
Where to Buy Dulce de Leche
Dulce de leche is typically found alongside Hispanic foods in the grocery store, rather than being shelved with sweetened condensed milk or dried milk products. If you cannot find it, you can make your own with a can of sweetened condensed milk by punching small holes in the top and placing the can in a pan of water. Simmer until it caramelizes, about 3 hours.
The Batter
This brownie batter can also be used to make regular brownies without the dulce de leche sauce by omitting the dulce de leche and pouring all the batter into the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs. Maintain the chewy texture by undercooking slightly.
This brownie batter is thicker than some, and it may surprise you that it doesn’t spread on its own. Spoon it into the pan in dollops, and then use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. The dulce de leche sauce is thick and should be added in dollops, then spread with a spoon. Spread the batter with a light hand so the batter and dulce de leche don’t mix. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. The brownies will still be delicious!
How to Make Dulce de Leche Brownies
Follow these picture steps.
Storage
Store these brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for optimal freshness. They will last for about a week. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving them. Or, heat a brownie in the microwave for a few seconds to serve it warm and gooey!
Tip: Brownies will last about a month or two in an airtight container in the freezer.
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How to Make Dulce de Leche Brownies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- 8-inch square baking dish or pan
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, and slightly beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- (1) 13.4-ounce can dulce de leche
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with a handle (such as a large glass measuring bowl). Heat for 1 minute on high to melt the butter. Stir to mix the ingredients.
- Add the vanilla and mix. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes while you prepare the pan.
- Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Cut two strips of parchment paper long enough to fit the pan and hang over the sides to act as "handles" to remove the brownies after baking. Place one strip across the pan and press it into the dish. The cooking spray will help adhere the parchment paper to the dish. Place the other strip in the opposite direction.
- Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir until well-mixed. Add the flour and stir until just mixed. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour half of the brownie mixture into the pan and spread it with the back of a spoon. The batter will be thick. Add the can of dulce de leche by placing dollops over the chocolate. Use a spoon to spread it. Add the rest of the chocolate mixture, and again spread it with a spoon until all the dulce de leche is covered.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with crumbs and a little dulce de leche. If the toothpick is covered in liquid, bake the brownies a little longer. You can also tell if the brownies are cooked by wiggling the pan. If the center is easily moved and liquid-like, cook it longer. The brownies are done when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. Remove them from the oven and let them sit for one hour before cutting so they firm up.
- Use the parchment paper handles to remove the brownies from the pan.