Caramel “Church” Brownies
My sweet tooth is not a new development in my life. I’ve spent a few decades curating my love of baked goods. And sometimes that means I need a quick fix. Like a super easy, throw-together, ready-in-a-half-hour treat.
My quickest and dirtiest recipe? It came out of a decades-old church cookbook. And now it’s aptly referred to as our Caramel “Church” Brownies.
My college boys and all their roommates are giant fans. Friends’ kids stack them on plates at their first pass through a neighborhood cookout. My text message history is full of requests for this recipe.
Here’s the thing: it’s literally crafted from five store-bought ingredients. That’s it. Easy. Fast. Maybe my worst guilty pleasure. And the pan of brownies that disappears within a day every time I make them.
Cooking Notes
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together melted unsalted butter, evaporated milk, and a box of German chocolate cake mix. You really can use any chocolate cake mix here. There isn’t a huge difference across the board. I’ve used pretty much all of them at some point, and these brownies have never failed me.
Spread half of the batter in a prepared 11×13 pan and bake for six minutes. This just creates the base for the rest of the brownies. They won’t be fully set yet.
While that’s baking, melt caramel bits slowly with more evaporated milk. The mixture should be smooth when it’s ready.
After the six-minute bake, sprinkle chocolate chips over the base and pour the melted caramel evenly across the top. Take the remaining batter and break it into smaller pieces, dropping them across everything else. It won’t fully cover the caramel or the chocolate chips. There will be layers peeking through, and that’s exactly right.
Place the pan back in the oven for about twenty more minutes. The brownies will still be soft, but the edges should gently pull away from the pan when they’re done.
My house does love most things straight out of the oven. These are an exception. The caramel is near molten when they first come out, so my advice is to let them cool for at least five to ten minutes before diving in.
After that? A giant scoop of ice cream is highly encouraged.
Caramel “Church” Brownies
Equipment
- 11X13 cake pan
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk separated
- 1 box chocolate cake mix german chocolate or similar
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 pkg caramel bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Prep 11X13 cake pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment
- Mix together cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter until fully combined
- Spread half the batter into prepared pan, pressing across the bottom
- Bake for 6 min, just to set slightly
- Pour remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk into a small saucepan, along with the caramel bits
- Cook together until fully melted and smooth
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the semi-cooked batter base
- Pour caramel mixture over the top of the chocolate chips
- Break up the remaining uncooked batter and sprinkle over the top of the caramel
- Bake for 20 min
- Allow 5-10 to cool before cutting
