Desserts Slices, Bars & Cookies Bars Brownies Caramel

These Caramel Crunch Brownies start with a deliciously rich brownie layer and are topped with a chewy layer of caramel coated cornflakes.

Caramel Crunch Brownies - hand holding bar

The toffee coated cornflake layer is chewy, crunchy, and satisfyingly sweet. It’s tasty and so easy to make! The brownie layer is rich, fudgy and so chocolatey! It all comes together to make a deliciously easy dessert bar that is so easy to throw together which makes them the perfect for dessert emergencies or bake sales!

Caramel Crunch Brownies - side by side

If you’re looking for more delicious brownie recipes check out my Fudgy Homemade Brownies, Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Pie Recipe or my Chocolate Chip Blondies for a vanilla option that is just as fudgy!

Table of Contents

The things I love about these brownie bars!

Easy to make – there’s two recipes in this dessert bar. An easy brownie layer, and a no-bake caramel crunch layer.
Chewy, rich and crunchy! – the cornflake caramel layer is so delicious! The brownie layer is rich and chewy.
Perfect for bake sales – these will sell better than hotcakes!
Kids and adults will love them! The flavors are basic but so delicious. I gave Zoe a little piece and she would not leave the kitchen unless I have her more.
Not too tall so they’re easy to eat! I think moving forward, this will be a focus for future bar recipes!

Let’s Talk Toffee

There are 3 things I learned about making toffee that I want to share with you. If you’ve never made a dry toffee before (no water), it’s actually super easy to make and it tastes delicious! In this recipe it’s what binds everything in the cornflake layer and helps it set.

It can burn easily – don’t take your eyes off the toffee when making it. Cook on a medium low heat. Take your time. As soon as the sugar is melted take it off the heat and move to the next step immediately.
Stir very gently and slowly – a rigorous stir can cause sugar crystals to stick to the sides of your pot and they will burn or can cause your toffee to crystalize (turn into a big, solid sugar crystal).
Cook on a low, slow heat – there’s no speeding up this part of the recipe. It will take about 10 minutes to make the toffee. A low and slow heat will give the sugar time to melt and brown gently without burning.

Ingredients You Need To Make Caramel Crunch Brownies

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

Jump to Recipe

Brownie Layer

Brown sugar – I used regular brown sugar. You can use light. I would not recommend using dark brown sugar.
Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar is what I used but you can use granulated sugar as a substitute.
Butter – I used salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you like.
Dark chocolate – for this recipe, it’s important to use a good quality cooking chocolate. Cooking chocolate is specifically designed for baking and can be found in the baking isle of your supermarket.
Eggs – I used large eggs. Make sure they’re at room temperature! Don’t skip the egg yolk either because it helps make the brownie chewier!
Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
Cocoa powder – I used Dutch process cocoa powder, but natural will work too.
Vanilla extract – much to my surprise you can taste the vanilla in the brownie layer which makes it even richer!

Cornflake Layer

Sugar – I used granulated sugar. See my notes above for my notes on making the toffee layer.
Heavy cream – make sure your heavy cream (cream used for whipping) is hot before adding to the melted sugar otherwise it will splatter and overboil!
Butter – I used salted butter.
Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
Cornflakes – I used kellogs cornflakes. Anything similar will work.

How to make Caramel Crunch Brownies!

Add the brown sugar, sugar, butter and chocolate to a heatproof bowl.
Microwave and stir until smooth and melted.

Add the eggs and stir.
Add the remaining dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.

Add to wet ingredients.
Stir.

Line 9×13 inch baking tin with baking paper.
Dd batter and smoothen out.

Bake and allow to cool.

Add sugar to a saucepan and gently stir until melted and golden.

Add cream and stir.
Add butter and stir.

Toffee will be smooth.
Add cornflakes.

Stir until coated.
Add to baked brownies.

Flatten out and allow to set for a couple hours.
Once set, cut into bars.

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

Don’t skip the egg yolk! The egg yolk helps make these brownies richer and chewy. It’s a remarkable thing and works with cookie recipes too!
Store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They get chewier everyday!
Bake the brownie layer up to a day in advance.
When making the toffee, don’t take your eyes off it! It will burn easily. As soon as the sugar is melted and looks golden, take it off the heat and go to the next step.
Chill time is important when setting the cornflake layer to make it easier to slice up.

Frequently Asked Questions about Caramel Crunch Brownies

What does it taste like?

The toffee layer is delicious and crunchy. The brownie layer is chewy and so chocolatey! These dessert bars are the best of both worlds, not too tall and so easy to make!

How do I store this?

Store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They get chewier with each passing day!

Can I halve this recipe?

Yes! Simply halve the ingredients and use a square 8 x 8-inch cake tin. The toffee will not take as long to make. Just follow the same instructions and take off the heat when the sugar is melted and toffee is golden.

Can I use this recipe to just make brownies?

Yep! This brownie layer is my Chewy Chocolate Brownie Recipe minus the walnuts (a must in my opinion)! Grab the recipe here!

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Caramel Crunch Brownies

The things I love about these brownie bars!

Let’s Talk Toffee