Chocolate Graham Caramel Brownies

Chocolate. How I love thee.

If you’ve followed This Heart of Mine for any length of time, you probably guessed that. (If you’re new, just check out the recipe tab.) I don’t need a lot of it, just a nibble after my meal. Just enough to take the edge off until next time.

I am also known to be flighty with desserts. After a few days, I’m over the current dessert and looking forward to something new so the responsibility of finishing the sweets falls on the rest of my family or I divvy it up amongst friends. Thanks friends!

So, the other night, like so many others, I had a craving. I remembered there was an interesting brownie recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens I wanted to try (Inside-Out S’more Brownies). I found the recipe, read over the ingredients and skipped to my cabinets to find I didn’t have exactly what it called for but close enough – chocolate grahams instead of true graham crackers. It all worked out and the brownies were delicious.

After a few days, I got to thinking about the recipe. The crackers add extra chewiness and some strength so the brownies aren’t going to fall apart, even when they are still warm. But what hit me is that the base of the brownies is the perfect for fiddling with. It provides an endless list of extras to toss in with the chewy deliciousness. I tried caramel this go around – mostly because I had some caramels floating around in my cupboard I wanted to get rid of – but I want to try cinnamon chips, toffee bits, peanut butter, milk chocolate chunks… the list goes on and on.

Chocolate Graham Caramel Brownies
recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1/2 cup butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
9 chocolate graham cracker squares – or another kind of cracker/cookie you’d like to try
1 cup caramels, chopped into small pieces  – add in your mix-ins here, 1 cup of whatever mixture you’d like

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or lightly grease the pan and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined and then add in the flour.

Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Top with the graham crackers, dividing them as needed to cover the batter.

Sprinkle on the chopped caramels in an even layer.

Spread the rest of the batter on top of the caramels, covering them.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the middle is set.

Cool completely, or for however long you can stand waiting.

Cut apart and indulge.

Take care.