Sometimes you want a plain brownie, and sometimes you want an over the top crazy decadent brownie. These Caramel Milky Way Brownies definitely fall into the decadent and delicious category. But you can use the brownie base for those days when you just want the fudge brownie alone.
A few weeks ago I made a pan of brownies before going to bed. It's totally normal for me to be putting a pan of brownies or muffins into the oven at 10 pm at night. The night owl in me bakes best then.
The pan was still too hot to cover before I went to bed, so I just left it on the stove to cool overnight. I knew that my kids have the food routine down by now, so I didn't worry that anyone would dig into them without asking. Sure enough they didn't touch the pan. 
That day I went through my baking cupboard and pulled out some Dulce de Leche and chocolate chips to finish the brownies off. By the time I picked up the kids from school, the photos were finished and the brownies were now fair game. On the way home from school, my youngest told me with big, blue eyes and a cute smile. "Mom, I saw those plain brownies you made."
You have to realize he is this crazy, alien child of mine that only wants plain brownies all the time. So, I had to break the news to him that I had indeed "ruined" the brownies while he was at school with my crazy ideas. He just shook his head and said he was going to take the toppings off his!
I really recommend leaving all the toppings ON these brownies. Of course, I recommend a glass of milk with them too. Rich and decadent are definitely adjectives that would go very well with these brownies. The Dulce de Leche adds a soft caramel layer under the chocolate nougat topping. And of course, more chocolate is added to the top for a layered brownie that looks incredible.
The chocolate nougat topping is really quite easy. Melt down some chocolate chips with a little bit of shortening to keep it thinned out. Pour it into a mixing bowl and beat it for 1 minute. Add the Cool Whip and beat it again until it is chocolatey and creamy. That's it. Chocolate nougat perfection.
Make sure you chill the brownies before cutting them. And use a very hot knife to cut through the brownies. Run the knife under hot water and dry it off in between cuts. The hot knife will cut through easier if you go slowly. Also, it keeps the filling from squeezing out all over the place. I cut these brownies into 16 squares, but you could even cut them down smaller since they are so rich.
Decadent, dreamy brownies are definitely the way to go. Unless you are an alien as well...then you might want to stop after the brownies. But seriously, who would do that?
Recipe
Caramel Milky Way Brownies Recipe
Homemade brownies with a caramel and chocolate nougat layer will impress everyone at dinner. Make sure to have a cup of milk or coffee ready, as these are rich and decadent.
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
For the Topping
- 1 - 13.4 ounce can Dulce de Leche
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, divided
- 1 teaspoon shortening
- 1 cup Cool Whip
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Whisk in cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Beat the eggs. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat again.
- Add ¼ cup of the butter & chocolate to the egg mixture and stir quickly. Add the rest of the chocolate and stir again.
- Sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Slowly stir into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool completely.
- Spread the can of Dulce de Leche over the cooled brownies. Set aside.
- Place 1 cup of chocolate chips and shortening in a saucepan. Melt over low-medium heat until melted and creamy.
- Beat with a mixer for 1 minute. Spoon in the Cool Whip and beat again until no white is showing.
- Spread gently over the caramel layer. Place in the refrigerator.
- Heat the whipping cream and remaining chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir until creamy.
- Spread out over the top of the chocolate layer. Refrigerate until set. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Still craving brownies? Try one (or all) of these delicious brownies!
Caramel Marshmallow M&M Brownies
sue/the view from great island
These look fantastic, the only problem is that I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to wait until they were cold to slice them!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, it really is hard to wait! 😉 Thanks Sue!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting
If I could have one of these everyday I would be one happy freaking camper!
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Your youngest cracks me up! Plain brownies ... his mother's job does not lend itself well to that! I won't pick off the toppings, so if you have any leftovers, I'd be happy to help out!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, no it does not! Thankfully, I enjoy a nice decked out brownie. 🙂 And I would gladly share these brownies with you, sweet girl!
Marcie
Holy moly, these look amazing! That's so cute your son likes just plain brownies. They are great, but when you do things like this to them, they're even better. Those layers are gorgeous!
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking
I had no idea it was that easy to make nougat! For years, I thought there was some magical recipe that only candy companies knew... This might be dangerous to know how simple it is! 😉 Even though my guy doesn't like chocolate, his favorite candy bar is still a Milky Way because of the caramel and nougat (apparently that's enough to make him forget about the chocolate), so I could actually see him trying a tiny piece of your brownies! And then I'd finish off the rest of the pan all by myself. Brownies are my favorite dessert!
Jocelyn Brubaker
You totally need to make these brownies then! 😉 You will love them, I promise!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet
I need these! I definitely do not want them plain!! 🙂
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen
Your poor son! LOL But really though what is he thinking taking the toppings off? That thick layer of dulce de leche is SCREAMING my name!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I know!! He's insane. 😉 Thanks Elizabeth!
Samantha @ Five Heart Home
Whoa, Jocelyn...my mouth is watering at these pictures! Can I have your son's scraped-off topping if nobody else claims it?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha! I may or may not have eaten the scraped off toppings.. 😉 Thanks Samantha!
Robin @ Simply Southern Baking
Oops...wasn't finished & my comment was sent. I was going to say, on the other hand, I like to mix it up when I can and would totally love these brownies!
Kentuckylady717
Sorry about that , disregard the last 2 questions....I should have checked your blog
first....I did see the whoopee pies and the recipe list 🙂 all is well...I AM HAPPY.....
Robin @ Simply Southern Baking
I think my hubby is right there with your child wanting a plain brownie
Jocelyn Brubaker
That just means more toppings for us sane people, right?! 😉
Kentuckylady717
These do look yummy....will have to see if I can find a can of the Dulce de Leche....
in the small town I live in 🙂 Is there something else you can use , Like a jar of caramel
Ice cream topping, or make your own ?
Have a question, have you made the whoopee pies yet ? Is so where can I find your recipe ?
Do you have all your recipes listed on your blog ? I don't recall seeing a list.....
Kayla
These look delicious! I bet this would be a bite of paradise after a long hard day!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Kayla! 🙂
aimee@shugarysweets
Oh man, I love these!!! And yes, agreed, your son is weird 😉
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Just being able to recreate the nougat layer is worth it's weight in gold! They look so good!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Averie! 😉
Chloe @ foodlikecake
Those look amazing! I love all the toppings 🙂
amanda @ fake ginger
These are gorgeous! I'm typically a plain brownie person like your son but I make exceptions for dulce de leche!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Amanda! 🙂
Erin @ Making Memories
These look sinfully amazing! Pinned, of course. And I can't wait to make them!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Erin! 🙂
Karly
These look amazing! And your little one is a total weirdo. 😉
LuAnn Braley
I have gained five pounds just reading this post. And it was well worth EVERY ounce!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha! I'm glad it was worth it! 😉