• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sidewalk Shoes
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Food Recipes Index
    • Cocktails Recipes Index
    • All Recipes
  • Lifestyle
    • Gardening
    • Travels
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • Tennessee
  • Cats
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Food
  • Cocktails
  • Collections
  • Travels
  • Cats
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    Basement Brownies #CreativeCookieExchange

    LAST UPDATED: February 12, 2019 PUBLISHED: May 19, 2015 By Pam Greer 29 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Basement brownies have a decadent layer of caramel and chocolate chips.  You won't believe how easy they are, too! 

    Click here to pin these Basement Brownies now! 

    Post may contain affiliate links!

    Decadent chocolate and caramel brownies!

     

    If you are looking for Garden Tuesday - I posted yesterday - Columbine Flowers.

    You  know what I wish?   For world peace, of course, but also that chocolate was a food a group.  I'd like to see it on the food pyramid.  Not at the pointy tippy top, but a nice big fat layer at the bottom of the pyramid.  Wouldn't that be lovely?  Don't get me wrong, I love fruits and veggies and all the other good things holding their rightful place in the pyramid, but I love chocolate more.  On The Chopped Podcast, one of the things Marly  from Namely Marly, usually asks is what food could you not live without.  I'm surprised at the number of people who do not say chocolate!

     

    Basement Brownies - a layer of caramel and chocolate chips make these especially decadent and delicious! www.sidewalkshoes.com

    The beauty of chocolate is that so many things go with it.  My personal favorite is more chocolate.  Yes, chocolate goes with chocolate.  More chocolate goes with more chocolate.  While my ultimate favorite chocolate is usually fudge or a flourless chocolate something or other (the less things getting in the way of my chocolate the better), brownies are a close third.  Brownies are little squares of chocolate celebration.  I can think of no better way to celebrate brownies than by adding a layer of caramel and chocolate chips.  There's that chocolate with chocolate thing again, and the caramel just makes it all gooey and slows down your eating so you can savor the chocolate even longer!

    Basement brownies - a layer of chocolate chips and caramel make these decadent and delicious.

    This month's Creative Cookie Exchange theme was caramel.  I went searching high and low for a recipe featuring chocolate and caramel.  I didn't have to look far, since this is a match made in heaven.  The trick was narrowing it down to the easiest, because that's how I roll.  Basement brownies  found at Recipe Girl were the obvious choice.  It's made with cake mix, which I guess some people would consider a cheat, but I consider it a perfectly lovely way to omit a few steps from a recipe.   The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the caramel to melt.  Seriously.

    Decadent chocolate and caramel brownies

    You basically melt some caramel candies in some evaporated milk.  You mix up cake mix and spread half of it in a pan.  Back for a short amount of time, add a layer of chocolate chips and caramel and top with the rest of the cake mix and finish baking.  That's it.

    Basement brownies
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Basement Brownies #CreativeCookieExchange

    These Basement Brownies are filled with caramel decadence! 
    Course Dessert
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 16
    Calories 340kcal

    Ingredients

    • 50 to 60 caramels , unwrapped (I used an 11 ounce bag)
    • One box German Chocolate Cake Mix
    • 1 cup evaporated milk , divided
    • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, melted
    • One 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour (or use a baking spray) a 9x9 pan (I used 8x8 and it worked perfectly fine).
    • Place a ⅓ cup of the evaporated milk and the caramels in small saucepan. Heat over medium low, stirring until caramels melt and the mixture is smooth.
    • In a medium size bowl mix ⅔ cup of evaporated milk and the cake mix by hand until the batter is smooth and everything is combined.
    • Spoon about ½ the batter into the cake pan and smooth it out. Bake for about 8 minutes and then remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and then drizzle on the caramel sauce. Spoon the rest of the batter over the top. Try to spread it around a bit without disturbing the chocolate chips and caramel - it might not cover the whole top.
    • Return to the oven and bake for 20 more minutes or until brownies are set in the middle and the edges are slightly crispy. It will set up more as it cools.
    • Cool the brownies completely before cutting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1.4mg

    The theme this month is Caramel--any kind of caramel in any kind of cookie! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. Please be patient though, as this month Laura is off to Italy and will not be checking email quite as often!

    You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

    • Basement Brownies from Sidewalk Shoes
    • Camel Milk Caramel Basbousa from Food Lust People Love
    • Caramel Cashew Cookies from Our Good Life
    • Caramel Coconut Cookies from Basic N Delicious
    • Caramel Shortbread Cookie Strips from Magnolia Days
    • Caramel Thumbprint Cookies from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
    • Caramelized White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies from Baking Yummies
    • Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars from The Spiced Life
    • Chocolate Caramel Rocks from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
    • Chocolate Walnut Caramel Stuffed Cookies from Noshing with the Nolands
    • Eggless Vanilla-Caramel Biscotti from What Smells So Good?
    • Millionaire Shortbread Bars from Spiceroots
    • Salted Caramel Butter Cookies from SimplyVeggies
    • Salted Caramel Macarons from A Baker’s House
    • Take 5 Caramel Oatmeal Cookies from 2 Cookin’ Mamas

    More Delectable Dessert Recipes

    • Cool and Creamy Frozen Yogurt Recipes to Get You Through Summer!
    • Extra Yummy Cherry Frozen Yogurt
    • 9 Amazing Apple Desserts for the Sweetest Fall!
    • Healthy Apple Muffins with Oats

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diana Johnson says

      February 22, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Ooh that ooey gooey center! Seriously dangerous and delicious brownies!

      Reply
    2. Mrs Major Hoff says

      February 22, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite recipes! My neighbors thought they were excellent and they were the hit of our party! Cake mix or not, they are amazing!

      Reply
    3. Manila Spoon says

      June 15, 2015 at 12:21 pm

      That looks decadent but certainly a must-try! Pinned.

      Reply
    4. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

      June 15, 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Need this right now! Anything with caramel is amazing and I love how it is seeping from the edges in your pics!

      Reply
    5. Christie says

      June 15, 2015 at 9:38 am

      What a brilliant idea to use chocolate cake mix. Chocolate and more chocolate is definitely the key to a good brownie. These looks beyond amazing.

      Reply
    6. Marye says

      June 15, 2015 at 9:34 am

      The caramel oozing out of these just really got to me. They look incredible!

      Reply
    7. Lou Lou Girls says

      May 24, 2015 at 11:37 am

      Hello beautiful! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you on Monday at 7pm because we love to party with you! Happy Memorial Day! Lou Lou Girls

      Reply
    8. Bakingyummies says

      May 22, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      I love chocolate too Pam and I can only imagine how good these brownies must taste 🙂

      Reply
    9. Terri Steffes says

      May 21, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      These look amazing. Nothing like chocolate and caramel, which is why candy bar companies make millions! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 21, 2015 at 12:47 pm

        Yep!

        Reply
    10. Marjie says

      May 20, 2015 at 6:34 pm

      Chocolate IS a food group. Jeffrey's book about Dragon (from 20+ years ago) said that Chocolate was one of the 5 food groups. And who wouldn't believe a smiling, fat blue dragon.

      AND, mixes are a very legit part of life. If they weren't, God wouldn't have created Betty Crocker and Pillsbury for us, right? These brownies look just great.

      Reply
    11. rue says

      May 20, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      Of course I choose today to catch up with you.... I'm on a diet LOL

      I'll save them for later and try not to think of them 😉

      xo

      Reply
    12. Sippitysup says

      May 20, 2015 at 2:15 pm

      I don't know if chocolate is its own food group, but brownies sure are! GREG

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 20, 2015 at 3:58 pm

        I agree!

        Reply
    13. Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories says

      May 20, 2015 at 1:56 am

      I luuurve chocolate, and caramel isn't bad either =) these brownies sound so decadent!! Perfect for a pot luck (because I'd have to get them out of the house so I wouldn't eat them ALL)!

      Reply
    14. Shilpi says

      May 19, 2015 at 8:11 pm

      I would love to have them right now...

      Reply
    15. Linda @ 2CookinMamas says

      May 19, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Your brownies are calling my name! I have to confess I'm a chocoholic too! And the more the merrier! When you added the chocolate chips to the brownie layer all I could do was sigh. 🙂 I know I'll be making these soon!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 3:19 pm

        Let me know what you think!

        Reply
    16. Tara says

      May 19, 2015 at 10:45 am

      Oh my heavens, those are making me drool, nicely done!!

      Reply
    17. Tina Culbertson says

      May 19, 2015 at 10:21 am

      Chocolate has health benefits! Especially dark chocolate. We have one woman at work who actually does not like chocolate. At all. We think she is an alien 🙂

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 10:33 am

        I know people that don't like chocolate. I don't trust them.

        Reply
    18. Holly says

      May 19, 2015 at 8:59 am

      The challenge for me would be to unwrap all of those caramels without eating every other one! One for me...one for the recipe...two for me...one for the recipe. These look amazing!!!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:59 am

        I know!

        Reply
    19. Ansh says

      May 19, 2015 at 8:23 am

      Chocolate is right at the bottom of the food pyramid for me ; at least the one I draw in my mind :)) And then there is caramel! Love your decadent brownies!!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:45 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    20. Joanne says

      May 19, 2015 at 7:31 am

      I am with you on chocolate as a food group. I'm not sure I'd want it on the bottom..but maybe one of the middle ones. Next to vegetables. 🙂 And these brownies could be our mascot!

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:46 am

        All right, one of the middle ones 🙂

        Reply
    21. Renee says

      May 19, 2015 at 6:33 am

      What? Chocolate isn't a food group. Darn it.

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        May 19, 2015 at 8:46 am

        I know!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Collage of website titles

    Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.

    Slow Cooker Recipes!

    • Slow Cooker Beef and Sweet Potato Chili
    • Slow Cooker Pinto Beans with Beef and Bacon
    • Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole

    See more More Slow Cooker Recipes →

    Instant Pot Recipes

    • Instant Pot Pineapple Rice
    • Instant Pot Asian Pork Noodle Soup
    • Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
    • Instant Pot Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

    See more Instant Pot Recipes →

    Sidewalk Shoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me
    • Contact me!

    Copyright © 2022 Sidewalk Shoes