5 Types of Brownies That Are Better Than You Thought
Brownies are one of the best desserts out there, and there are so many types of brownies, too. They are so gooey and chocolatey, they taste so good. Someone always brings them to family gatherings, and grocery stores always have whole tables full of brownies.
But you might be tired of eating the same chocolate brownie all the time. That’s why I have a few types of brownies that you’ve probably never tried before. They will definitely be worth trying them, though. Chocolate with anything tastes good, so all of these brownies will taste really good. Try them out and let me know if you like them!
1. Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies
The salt of the pretzels and the sweetness of the caramel make this brownie one of the best types of brownies out there. Although I love pretzels, so that might be why I love this brownie so much.
Ingredients:
- 1 box of brownie mix
- the eggs and butter the box requires
- Topping:
- 20 caramel candies, unwrapped
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 1/2 cup of pretzel twists, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9-inch square pan with tin foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Make and bake the brownies according to the box, and let them cool for an hour.
2. In a medium bowl, microwave caramels and water, uncovered, for a minute on high. Stir it and then microwave for 30-45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth.
3. Spread over the cool brownies and top with the crushed pretzels. Sprinkle with sea salt and let it sit for half an hour to let it set. Cut them into four rows by four rows, and store them in the refrigerator, covered.
2. Blondies
Blondies are the reverse of what we think brownies actually are. They are one of the best types of brownies for when you want the taste of a brownie but not the look of an ordinary brownie.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted, and more for pan
- 1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with melted butter, line pan with parchment paper, leaving about two inches of overhang on two sides, then butter the paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and both sugars until smooth. Mix in vanilla and egg until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt, mix until just moist, do not over mix. Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pan, pour, and smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
4. Set the pan on a wire rack, and let it cool completely. Using the parchment overhang, lift the brownies out of the pan and cut them into 16 squares.
3. Cream Cheese Brownies
These brownies are so good. These are the types of brownies that make it taste like you’re not even eating a brownie. The cream cheese adds a nice flavor to it that makes the brownie taste amazing.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup of unsalted butter
- 5 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yoke
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Filling:
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yoke
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Set the oven rack to the lowest setting and then preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with tin foil and lightly grease the foil.
2. In a medium bowl, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the sugar until fully combined. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Continue whisking until completely smooth and shiny, about one minute. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until just combined. Once you no longer see streaks of dry flour, stop whisking. Do not over-mix the batter.
4. Reserve 1/3 cup of the batter, and spread the remaining batter into the pan. It will be thick. Make the filling next.
5. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the filling evenly over the batter, and then drop spoonfuls of the reserved batter in the empty spaces of the filling. Use a knife to swirl the dollops together.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, with a toothpick inserted into the middle coming out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking.
8. Leave the brownies in the pan for 5 minutes. Lift the brownies using the tin foil and put them on a cooling rack. Refrigerate them for 3 hours before eating.
4. Snickers Brownies
Snickers are an amazing candy bar, so making them into a brownie will obviously be awesome. This is another one of my favorite types of brownies because the caramel and chocolate with the brownie is a great flavor.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces of unsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups of tightly packed light-brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
Caramel Layer:
- 1 1/2 cups of caramel bits
- 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk
Nougat Layer:
- 2/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup of evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of marshmallow fluff
- 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
Chocolate Layer:
- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with tin foil, leaving an overhang on all four sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth and then set aside to cool completely.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, sugar, and salt until combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate until well combined. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4. Spread the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops of the brownies look dry and the edges begin to pull away from the pan. Cool the brownies on the cooling rack while you make the caramel layer.
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and evaporated milk. Heat on high for 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir until the caramels have completely melted. Spread evenly over the brownie layer. Put in the freezer while you make the nougat layer.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to boil at a moderate rate without stirring for 5 minutes. It should be light in color and the consistency of sweetened condensed milk.
7. In a heatproof bowl, combine the peanut butter and marshmallow. Slowly pour the hot nougat mixture into the peanut butter marshmallow and whisk until well combined. Spread the nougat layer evenly over the caramel layer and put it back into the freezer while you make the chocolate layer.
8. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and oil. Heat on high for increments of 15 seconds, stirring well between each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
9. Spread the chocolate evenly over the nougat layer. Cover the pan with tin foil and refrigerate for two hours. Lift the brownies out of the pan using the tin foil overhang and cut them into bars. Enjoy!
5. Chocolate Orange Brownies
Orange and chocolate are two flavors that you see together a lot, but not in a brownie. I love the types of brownies that most people wouldn’t think to try, which is one of those brownies.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 5 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon of orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
Topping:
- 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, in 30-second intervals, stirring every 15 seconds. Keep melting until it is smooth and set aside to let it cool down completely.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and the eggs together until light and smooth. Beat in the orange zest, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined. Fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4. Spread the batter evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the brownies look dry and the edges come away from the pan. Cool the brownies in the pan while you make the topping.
5. Melt the chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in 30-second intervals. Mix it well in between each time. Pour the chocolate over the brownies, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
