If you have never used a cake mix for brownies, then make our cake mix caramel brownies recipe right now! Once you take a bite, you will thank me, I promise.
They are so good. They have the perfect fudgy texture mixed with the delightful chocolate and caramel flavors. Not to mention these caramel filled brownies using cake mix are super simple to make.
You can make this new favorite family dessert while dinner is cooking in the oven and then have it ready when you are done eating. Then just enjoy your caramel brownies with german chocolate cake mix and maybe even serve it with some vanilla or salted caramel ice cream!
Ingredients You Need to For Our Cake Mix Caramel Brownies Recipe:
- Wrapped caramels
- Evaporated milk
- German chocolate cake mix
- Melted butter
- Pecans, chopped
- Milk chocolate chips
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How To Make Cake Mix Caramel Brownies Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Peel caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in ½ cup evaporated milk. Heat and stir until all caramels are melted (you can also do this on the stove-top over low heat- just keep stirring until caramels are melted).
- Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan (and when I say grease it, I mean it! These tend to be sticky, so grease it well. You may also want to grease the sides of the pan to prevent the caramel from sticking).
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, ⅓ cup evaporated milk, melted butter, and chopped pecans. The dough will be VERY thick and kind of hard to stir- that means that you made it right! Place ½ of the batter in prepared baking pan. I sprayed my fingers with non-stick cooking spray and spread it in the bottom of the pan using my hands.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Place the remaining batter into the fridge. Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Drizzle caramel sauce over chocolate chips. Remove brownie mix from refrigerator. Using a teaspoon, make small balls with the batter and smash flat. Very carefully, place on top of the caramel sauce until the top is completely covered. With the batter being so thick, I places little teaspoonfuls all over the top and then carefully pushed them together to cover the caramel. It doesn’t look very pretty, but they will still taste amazing.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove and let cool. It is best to wait until the brownies are cooled to cut into them (it will be hard, but trust me- they are so worth the wait!).
Storage Suggestions
If you manage to have any leftover Bars + Brownies, these can store well if prepped appropriately. Once they have cooled completely, here is how you can store it:
- Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Freezer: To freeze, make sure bars and brownies are completely cooled and unfrosted. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (or Press & Seal) and then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. For easier portioning, wrap individual squares before freezing. Don’t forget to label with the date. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What Makes These Cake Mix Brownies More Moist?
Even though these are made from cake mix, they still turn out to be the best, moist brownies. So what’s the secret?
The more fat that you can add into your brownies, the more moist they will be. This recipe calls for evaporated milk which usually contains more fat than regular milk, which is why these brownies are so good!
Enjoy More Delicious Brownies Recipes
There’s nothing better than an easy brownie or bar recipe. Check out our comprehensive list of brownies, bars, and blondies here.
Cake Mix Caramel Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces wrapped caramels
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 15.25 ounces German chocolate cake mix
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- 2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Peel caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in ½ cup evaporated milk. Heat and stir until all caramels are melted (you can also do this on the stove-top over low heat- just keep stirring until caramels are melted).
- Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan (and when I say grease it, I mean it! These tend to be sticky, so grease it well. You may also want to grease the sides of the pan to prevent the caramel from sticking).
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, ⅓ cup evaporated milk, melted butter, and chopped pecans. The dough will be VERY thick and kind of hard to stir- that means that you made it right! Place ½ of the batter in prepared baking pan. I sprayed my fingers with non-stick cooking spray and spread it in the bottom of the pan using my hands.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Place the remaining batter into the fridge. Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Drizzle caramel sauce over chocolate chips. Remove brownie mix from refrigerator. Using a teaspoon, make small balls with the batter and smash flat. Very carefully, place on top of the caramel sauce until the top is completely covered. With the batter being so thick, I places little teaspoonfuls all over the top and then carefully pushed them together to cover the caramel. It doesn't look very pretty, but they will still taste amazing.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove and let cool. It is best to wait until the brownies are cooled to cut into them (it will be hard, but trust me- they are so worth the wait!).
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Uhm Nice brownie, love the idea with the caramel! Have a lovely evening.
Pinning this! They look amazing!
Yes, definitely pinning this! I must try this for my family, thank you!
This sounds just wonderful! I have got to try it! Thank you for posting it!
Leticia
Wow I want them now!
I am right there with you and the dessert addiction!!! Ooey gooey…yes please:-) These sound awesome!!!
I love these! A must try.
Could we possibly use a jar of caramel ice cream topping instead of sitting there unwrapping all those caramels? Just wondering:)
I have been making these for years. They are always a hit and no one can believe it is made with a cake mix. The one thing I do differently is I use Mini chocolate chips it makes a difference and I also use more pecans.
These look delish! Can’t wait to try them!
I’m lamenting the fact that all the cake mix brands have changed their formula (as well as the size of box) and now these brownies taste nothing like they used to. (I have been making this recipe for over 20 years.) I’ve tried tweaking the recipe (taking some mix from one box and adding it to another until it weighs 18.2 oz like it used to). Brownies come out dry. Tried underbaking, still no success. Also, FYI, Kraft brands caramels have reduced their size package from 14 oz to 11 oz. If you are successful adapting this recipe using the new size packages, I would love to know what changes you made.
what are the smart points
I use caramel bits , found near the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. Saves a lot of time
It’s a classic to be sure! I would revise on the next round to add more evan milk to the batter for the top half so that it spreads out more evenly.
Sooo good! The german chocolate cake mix I found at the grocery store did not have the right weight (shrinkflation?), so I ended up using 1 box mix + a little more. I used a bag + a bit more of Kraft caramel bits (did not need to unwrap). Definitely smash the balls of batter before placing them on top of the caramel/chocolate. Thank you for a great recipe, this was a keeper.
No eggs for this recipe? I don’t follow the cake recipe with those specific ingredients? Thanks!
No egg needed for this delicious recipe!
I’ve been making this recipe for about 40 years. It is the best. It may be hard to wait but we think the brownies taste better the second day.
I use a spatula on the first layer instead of my hands. I also just drop the brownie dough in small pieces for the second layer. I like seeing a little bit of caramel through the brownie.
My mom first made this recipe for me when I was in college about 40 years ago! I was excited to find it and make it. It’s so yummy; the only two simple little process changes I did that were a little easier is that I just drop the top layer of brownie mix and little little clumps at the top of the pan and it came out great. Ended up short a couple ounces in the caramels and stirred in a few Lindt chocolate caramels instead to thicken the caramel sauce. Came out great! Thank you so much for posting this!
I also found the cake mix isn’t enough to cover a 9×13″ pan, next time will either add more mix or use a smaller pan, also i used carmel dip with enough milk to make it a bit smoother. when i make them again i;m going to spread the mix in the pan and add the nuts on top instead of mixing them in the batter.