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One thing is for sure. This decadent Butterscotch Brownies Recipe is one of the best there is! If you’re a fan of the butterscotch flavor, you will not want to miss out on this. The fudgy brownie topped with the homemade butterscotch will make you forget that other desserts exist! Get ready to love the flavor – I know I can never get enough!
The Best Butterscotch Brownies Recipe
Brownies are simple, but have you tried them coated with homemade butterscotch?
Making the butterscotch sauce is as simple as boiling water, brown sugar, and heavy cream together and then adding in a tad bit of vanilla and salt.
I also used some vanilla bean paste because I love it, and I think it’s a great flavor enhancer!
Once I perfected this recipe, I knew it was the exact pairing I needed to take these butterscotch brownies to a new level!
Ingredients to make Chewy Butterscotch Brownies
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – You can use any brand but Ghirardelli or Baker’s are my favorites.
- Unsalted butter – I prefer unsalted butter for my brownies.
- Sugar – The perfect sweetness addition.
- Eggs – Used to help bind together all the ingredients in the brownie batter.
- Vanilla extract – This is a great pairing with vanilla bean paste.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I used Special Dark Hershey’s but you can use regular unsweetened or Dutch process.
- Salt – Helps cut the sweetness
- All-purpose flour – Don’t pack it!
- Mini chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips would work just fine as well.
- Brown sugar – The difference between caramel and butterscotch is brown sugar!
- Heavy whipping cream – This makes a nice thick butterscotch sauce
- Butter – Add richness to the sauce. You can use salted or unsalted.
- Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract – I love using vanilla bean paste for the salted butterscotch sauce.
- Sea Salt or Kosher salt – This is extra to add to the top of the brownies if you like that sweet and salty flavor.
How to make Chewy Butterscotch Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the two baking chocolates and butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread brownie batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
- While the brownies are baking, make the butterscotch sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and heavy whipping cream and stir until it boils. Once it boils, let it sit without stirring and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and a bit of salt. Transfer to a jar and let it cool on the counter until the brownies are done.
- When brownies are done, remove them from the oven and immediately top with some of the butterscotch sauce. Let cool completely before slicing. This will take several hours, but you can also chill them for faster cooling. The sauce doesn’t harden but does solidify slightly. The brownies are sticky and gooey. Sprinkle with a few pinches of the sea or kosher salt before slicing and serving.
Pro Tip
If you really want to add in some more of that crazy good butterscotch flavor, you can add some butterscotch chips to the brownies! Just mix them into the batter or have them right on top.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
There are a few parts when it comes to storing these chocolate brownies. You can store the brownies in a container with a lid at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For the butterscotch sauce, add it to a jar and let it harden up. You can keep it stored in the fridge and then pop it into the microwave to soften up.
I don’t recommend freezing the butterscotch sauce, but you could wrap the brownies in saran wrap and then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag.
FAQs
The best serving method that I’ve found is to bake the brownies and then let them cool. Once they’ve cooled, slice the brownies and serve. Pour the butterscotch sauce on top of the brownie, and then top with a little bit of kosher salt.
Brownies that are fudgy are one thing, but brownies that aren’t cooked all the way are another. The best way to make sure that the brownies are cooked all the way is to insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie.
If the brownies are cooked all the way, the toothpick will come out clean. If there is raw batter on the toothpick, add them back to the oven for a few more minutes to bake.
If you want to enjoy a warm brownie, just put it in the microwave for a few seconds. This will make it soft and dense in no time at all.
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Salted Butterscotch Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
Brownies
- 4 ounces (113g) unsweetened baking chocolate , coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Special Dark, regular, or Dutch process)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
Salted Butterscotch
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) heavy whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the baking chocolate and butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa and stir well. Add flour and stir carefully. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread brownie batter in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
- While the brownies are baking, make the butterscotch sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and heavy whipping cream and stir until it boils. Once it boils, let it sit without stirring, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Transfer to a jar and let it cool on the counter until the brownies are done. (Makes about 1 3/4 cups, you won’t use it all on the brownies.)
- When brownies are done, remove them from the oven and immediately top with 3/4 cup of the butterscotch sauce. Let cool completely before slicing. This will take several hours, but you can also chill them for faster cooling. The sauce doesn’t harden but does solidify slightly. The brownies are sticky and gooey. Sprinkle with a few pinches of sea or kosher salt before slicing and serving.
- Store brownies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Extra butterscotch sauce can be kept sealed for up to one week. It will harden in the refrigerator (and semi-solidify on the counter) but if you microwave it it becomes liquid again. Use it on anything you’d put caramel on!
Recipe Nutrition
Butterscotch Brownies are an easy fudgy brownie recipe topped with homemade butterscotch sauce! We love these gooey brownies.
Yummy! And pinned! I’m so crazy about brownies, and love anything salted caramel. Thanks for sharing, Dorothy!
Thanks for the pin Sandy!!!
Dorothy you are seriously killing the game with these brownies!!
But it’s a good kind of death. 😉
I just posted butterscotch cookies on my site a couple of days ago and have been so into butterscotch! I even have a few bags left of butterscotch chips. These brownies look divine!! Pinned 🙂
Thanks for the pin Chelsea!!
It is inappropriate to call things the new black people. The recipe seems nice but that is inappropriate please don’t do that because it is offensive. Black people have a struggle, these are brownies. Comments like that will have me leave thus blog an encourage others to do the same. I am usually happy with what I see but felt that comment was unnecessary.
Ohmygosh, I’m so sorry Bianca! I didn’t think about it that way at all – I was referring to the statement like the little black dress. There was a book awhile ago called that, and that show on Netflix, “Orange is the New Black”. Kind of like…it’s in fashion. But if it’s something offensive, I totally apologize and I’m going to change it right now. I’m so sorry!
Butterscotch has always been my favorite flavor. i.e. butterscotch milkshakes: The number of those things I’ve consumed over the last 20 some years….
I’m a new convert (as an adult) and OMG it’s my favorite. Thanks Kristin!
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