Description
Decadent and chewy Turtle Brownies feature a rich, deep chocolate base made with browned butter and cocoa, generously studded with chocolate chips and pecans. Topped with a luscious homemade caramel sauce, extra chocolate chips, and pecans, these brownies deliver a perfect blend of rich chocolate and buttery caramel flavors for an irresistible dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownies
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 whole large eggs, cold
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, plus more for topping
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9 or 8×8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, then lightly spray it with cooking spray or grease it with butter. Set the pan aside.
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat, cooking until it turns a light brown color with a caramel aroma (about 5-10 minutes). Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning, and using a light-colored saucepan helps monitor the color.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar, light brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, instant coffee granules, and baking powder. Stir thoroughly to combine, then let the mixture rest and cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Stir in the cold large eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until the batter develops a shiny, smooth sheen.
- Incorporate flour: Gently fold in the all-purpose flour until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain brownie tenderness.
- Add mix-ins: Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans evenly into the batter.
- Bake the brownies: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool brownies: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before removing them to avoid breaking.
- Prepare caramel sauce: While the brownies bake, combine light brown sugar, unsalted butter, and heavy cream in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. If it doesn’t thicken well, increase the heat slightly and whisk constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to a container and refrigerate to cool and firm up.
- Assemble the brownies: Once the brownies are cooled, drizzle the caramel sauce generously on top. Sprinkle additional pecans and chocolate chips over the caramel layer.
- Set and serve: Place the assembled brownies in the refrigerator to set for at least 30 minutes. After they firm up, slice into 9 squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a light-colored saucepan for browning butter to better monitor color changes and prevent burning.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to keep brownies soft and tender.
- Instant coffee granules enhance the chocolate flavor but do not make the brownies taste like coffee.
- Allow brownies to cool completely before adding caramel to avoid melting the topping.
- Refrigerate brownies after topping to let caramel set and make slicing easier.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (approx. 1/9 of recipe)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
