Fudgy and irresistible, these intense brownies are marbled with dollops of sweet dulce de leche that appear when you bite into them. An easy-to-make recipe that's even easier to love. A one-way ticket to brownie heaven. They keep well and can be frozen.
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A must-try recipe
This dulce de leche brownie recipe is genius.
I've been making them for years, and they rank up there. Way up there.
They are worth their weight in gold or whatever thing is worth a ton now. I might even like them more than the best peanut butter brownies ever, and that's saying a lot.
They're a great snack or dessert for a barbecue, beach day, and a chilly afternoon with a cup of coffee, so they work for everyone.
People love them, and that's saying a lot since everything here in Argentina has dulce de leche. Still, these mouthwatering brownies make raving fans out of us.
Do make this recipe, the results are so good. Finger.licking.good. Literally.
What is dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche is a sweet jam made with milk, sugar, and baking soda, the latter of which is responsible for its dark color.
The flavor is very sweet, similar to caramel, but not quite.
It does have a milk undertone, something that caramel lacks, and some might say it's not as sophisticated, and they might be right.
You can make homemade dulce de leche from scratch or dulce de leche from sweetened condensed milk.
Ingredient Notes
- Dulce de leche: use the regular type, not the one labeled pastry or 'repostero'.
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
- Make a Nutella version: swirl the popular hazelnut chocolate spread instead of dulce de leche. Almost anything made with dulce de leche can be made with Nutella.
- Sea salt: add a pinch to the dulce de leche before swirling it.
- Walnuts: sprinkle chopped nuts before swirling the dulce de leche.
- Caramel sauce: you can substitute it for the dulce de leche; just make sure it's thick. The brownies will be extra gooey and fudgy.
Steps to make brownies with dulce de leche
There are two parts to this recipe: the brownie base and the dulce de leche marbled topping.
Brownie batter
- One-bowl recipe: use a large mixing bowl and a whisk.
- Melt chocolate and butter: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until they're completely melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate/butter not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: it's added to the melted chocolate-butter mixture while still hot, so it integrates well. This opens or 'blooms' the flavor.
- The sugars are added together to the chocolate mixture. They will help lower the temperature before adding the eggs.
- After adding the flour mixture, the final batter is smooth, thick, and shiny.
Dulce de leche swirl
- Drop mounds or dollops of dulce de leche on top of the brownie batter.
- Swirl it using the tip of a knife. Don't overdo it if you want pools of dulce de leche to appear throughout the baked brownies.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Make a light marbling. If you swirl both mixtures too much, the dulce de leche will disappear into the chocolate. The taste will be wonderful, but you won't have those pools of thick dulce de leche. And they're one of the best parts of this brownie.
Baking brownies
A general rule for baking brownies is taking them out of the oven while the center still jiggles. That's how you get fudgy brownies.
This recipe is no exception.
- Don't let the batter firm up completely.
- The top will be dry, but the center will be jiggly.
- Use a smooth-bladed knife to loosen the edges while the brownies are still hot so you can easily remove them from the pan. This is important as dulce de leche that touched the sides will be thick and will stick if left to cool.
- Cool them completely on a wire rack.
- Lift the whole block of brownies with the help of the parchment paper. Then transfer it to a board and cut them.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Chocolate flavor: always use unsweetened cocoa powder. The combination with the melted semisweet chocolate is what gives these bars their superb, deep, and intense flavor.
- Type of dulce de leche: use the regular type that stays soft after baking. This will ensure that you bite into gooey dulce de leche that hasn't hardened during baking. I use dulce de leche Chimbote and dulce de leche Cachafaz.
This is a slightly adapted recipe found in David Lebovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris cookbook.
Related recipes you might like:
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Dulce de Leche Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract , or vanilla paste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup regular dulce de leche , see Notes below
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter or spray an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan. Line it with parchment paper covering, see Notes below.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter and 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, stirring until melted and combined. Or use the microwave in 15-second intervals, mixing well after each. Be careful not to burn or char the chocolate.
- Remove from heat and add 3 eggs, mixing well with a whisk.
- Add ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and integrate them well.
- Sift in 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and pinch of salt. Stir to mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Drop 1 cup regular dulce de leche by spoonfuls, making 9 mounds. With the tip of a knife, swirl both batters slightly. Don't overmix them; otherwise, you won't get the puddles of dulce de leche we want.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. The brownies are done when the center still jiggles a little. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen any bits of dulce de leche or batter that might've stuck. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- These brownies are better the next day and will keep well for up to 3 days, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
Barely adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris, by David Lebovitz
kimo says
In the recipe directions it says to add salt with the flour and cocoa powder, but there is no salt listed in the ingredients. Please advise and thank you!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Kim, it's a pinch of salt. Happy baking!
Tina says
Can I double this recipe and if so, what size pan would I use?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Tina, you can double it in theory and use maybe a 10x15 pan, but the brownies will take too long to bake well, especially the middle, and the edges will be too dry. I'd recommend making two 8-inch pans. Is that an option? If you choose to double it anyway, make sure you rotate the pan a few times during baking to ensure it bakes more evenly. It also depends a lot on your oven and how it bakes. More professional ones have a better distribution of heat. Hope this helps.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
They look amazing and are worth every single calorie!
Lisa says
Paula..I have to try your version with the dulce de leche. I am literally drooling at 4 am! Your batter swirl photos are food porn to the 1000th degree!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, the brownies look utterly delicious! Since I discovered a very good (in my opinion) ddl, I will have to try this recipe for a much needed treat one day!
Pauline says
Love these - not only to we crave Tango in the UK now we also have to have dulce de leche in everything sweet!