Salted Caramel Brownie Bites

A soft and fudgy brownie surrounds a smooth caramel and is dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. These salted caramel brownie bites really are the most delicious little morsel!

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No matter how delicious a meal is....no matter how full I am...no matter what type of cuisine I'm devouring, a meal just isn't complete without a bite of something sweet to finish it off. Am I the only one out there like this?! I think I get that from my grandma.

I remember once when I was little I was in Iowa City with Grandma and Grandpa and we had just finished a big meal at Bennigans in the mall. Although I thought was had finished up our shopping, Grandma insisted we stop at Target. So off to Target we went....and checked out with nothing but a candy bar. One bite for Grandma, one bite for Grandpa and one bite for me. 🙂

So for all of you out there who need just one bite of something sweet, this recipe is for you!

I first made these Salted Caramel Brownie Bites a couple years ago around the holidays. I was on maternity leave with McKinley and did lots of baking to gear up for the holidays. My "usuals" were already in the freezer...I had finished up my spritz cookies, the cookie dough truffles, some sugar cookies and a few others.

So in true Kelsey fashion, I rummaged through my cupboards and brainstormed some new ideas. That's when these little morsels were created!

What do I need to make Salted Caramel Brownie Bites?

Luckily, the list is short!

1. Brownie Mix and other ingredients to make the brownies. Depending on what brand you buy, you will likely need eggs, vegetable oil and water. If you have a homemade brownie recipe that you just love, go for it! (The brownie mix simply cuts down on prep time!)
2. Soft Caramels. For this recipe, I used a bag of Werther's Soft Caramels and they worked wonderfully! I tried them with the chewier version too, but preferred the soft version.
3. Chocolate Almond Bark. As you could probably guess, this is used to coat the brownie bites.
4. Flaked Sea Salt. The saltiness brings out the flavor of the caramel and enhances the chocolate. It's sprinkled on the almond bark while still wet and is the perfect little "cherry on top!"

How do you dip truffles in chocolate and have them turn out smooth?

I’ve been wondering this for YEARS.  And by golly, I sure wish I had a silver bullet answer for ya!  But since I don’t, I’ve got a few different tips for you to keep in mind that have helped me improve…

TIP 1: How you melt the chocolate is extremely important.  I’ve learned that if you heat it up too quickly, some of the chocolate will burn and although it may not taste any different, it will be much less shiny and smooth.  Here are the two fool-proof methods I’ve found. 

1. Melt the chocolate on the “melt chocolate” setting in the microwave.  Be sure to stir every 45 seconds or so. 
2. Use a double boiler.  Simply fill a medium-sized saucepan with an inch(ish) of water and place it over medium heat.  Put a glass or metal bowl on top (making sure it isn’t touching the water) and add the chocolate.  Stir frequently until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted.

TIP 2: Don’t melt a ton of chocolate at a time.  I like to melt a few squares of almond bark at a time, then add more when needed.  I’ve found that when I use a lot, it gets hard by the time I’m done so they don’t look near as pretty toward the end. 

TIP 3: Move quickly!  Take your time, but be ready to go when the chocolate is melted.  No dilly-dallying once the chocolate is ready or it’ll start to firm up.

TIP 4: I like to use a fork to dunk the truffles.  I toss the truffle into the chocolate and then use the fork to make sure it’s fully en-robed in chocolate.  Then I quickly scoop it out with the fork and tap it so some of the excess chocolate comes off, then carefully dump it onto waxed paper.

TIP 5: Since mine tend to have some imperfections, I’ll either use some colored sprinkles on top (like in these funfetti truffles!) or drizzle white or milk chocolate over-top (like on my cookie dough truffles).  I typically just use the leftover melted chocolate, put it in a resealable baggie, snip one of the corners off and squeeze it over the truffles.  Easy peasy!

And lastly, don’t worry if they don’t look perfect!!  They’re still going to taste delicious! 

Can I use regular table salt instead of flaked sea salt?

Can you? Sure. But I'm going to tell you why I prefer to use flaked sea salt...

First off, it is just so pretty. I love the look of flaked sea salt - its more chunky than table salt and a little sparkly so it looks really nice! And second, I love the light crunch that it gives. The perfect addition to a smooth and melty chocolate!

However, with that said, table salt is better than none in my opinion! So, do what you've gotta do! 🙂

Can I skip the salt on top?

You sure can. BUT, don't knock it before you try it! Did you know that salt actually helps intensify other flavors? So, although you can certainly skip the salt and keep these plain on top, covered in sprinkles or whatever, just TRY it. And hey, if you don't like it, at least you can say you gave it a shot! (I have a hunch that you're going to LOVE it!)

Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck.