Caramel Crunch Brownies (no candy thermometer)

These Caramel Crunch Brownies start with a deliciously rich brownie layer and are topped with a chewy layer of caramel coated cornflakes. The brownie layer is deeply chocolatey, soft and buttery and the caramel crunch on top sets firm and crisp so every bite give you a texture party!

Hey team, Nick here! I bloody love caramel recipes. Especially if salt is involved. Caramel is already really sweet (it’s mostly made of sugar) but when salt is in the mix, it boost that caramel flavor and brings it to the forefront. I use this technique in my caramel chews which are soft and buttery and in my salted caramel cupcakes.

The crisp caramel layer on top of the brownies is the star of the show for me. It’s made using the dry caramel technique which has no water. Oh and no thermometer either. You’re going based off sight. You melt the sugar until it’s golden and then add cream and salted butter. Then you coat the crispy cornflakes in it and pour it on. Waiting for it to set is the hardest part of making this recipe! 

This recipe has been on the site for a while, but when I updated my deeply chocolate brownie recipe I had to come back and give this a revisit too. The brownie layer is buttery, soft, chewy (without being raw, a pet peeve of mine) and it has a melt in your mouth texture. I actually use it for my chocolate mousse cake as a base and for my caramel brownies which have a thick fudgy layer of caramel in the middle that doesn’t ooze out. I’m really proud of that recipe.

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 the flavor is super deep. 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. Once the toffee
• 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.

How to make the buttery brownie layer

• Melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Beat the eggs, sugars, vanilla and salt until pale and fluffy

Tip – Whisking the sugar and eggs is key for both the shiny top and a brownie that bakes evenly through without ending up undercooked in the center.

• Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture, then the flour
• Bake until the edges are set and the center is just cooked through. Let it cool completely.

Making the toffee

• Cook the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan (stainless steel not non stick!) over low to medium heat. It’ll clump up at first.
• Continue stirring until it melts and turns a light golden color.

How to tell if your toffee is ready – The thing to keep in mind if you’re cooking this in a heavy bottomed pot is that it retains heat really well. So when your toffee reaches the right color, it’ll keep cooking the toffee which can lead to burning really quickly. The only way to stop it from continuing to cook (even with the heat turned off) is to add the cream.

• Turn the heat off and slowly pour in the hot cream. This will stop the toffee from cooking and burning. Use your wooden spoon to stir really slowly. It will steam and bubble so take care.
• Add the butter and stir until smooth and fully combined.

• Fold through the cornflakes until evenly coated.
• Spread the caramel crunch evenly over the cooled brownie layer and allow it to set.

• Let it cool for 30 minutes then pop it in the fridge to set properly. It’ll take about 4 hours but I like leaving it in there (uncovered) overnight so it’s really set.

How to get perfectly clean slices

Normally, I don’t like slicing into cold brownies. I don’t like the way they look (like fudge). But I make an exception for these brownies because slicing into them when theyre nice and chilled is the first step to getting clean slices.

I like using a large sharp knife to make my slices. Then I wash the knife under water. Wipe it dry and make the next slice. It sounds tedious, but you’ll get bakery level slices with nice defined layers!