Dulce de Leche Brownies
Fudgy and irresistible, these intense brownies are marbled with dollops of sweet dulce de leche that appear when you bite into them. A very easy-to-make recipe that's even easier to love. They keep well and can be frozen.
Servings 9 squares
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
Prepare the pan: line the greased pan with strips of parchment paper. When ready to cut and serve, they will help you remove the whole block of brownies. The strip (or strips) must be as wide as the pan. 1 strip: cover the bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will be greased but not lined. 2 strips: make a crisscross pattern and cover the bottom (twice) and all sides. One strip will be wider than the other.
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 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.
Type of dulce de leche: use the regular kind so it stays soft after baking. This will ensure that you bite into gooey dulce de leche that hasn't hardened during baking.
Marbling: the mixture should be marbled a bit but not too much. Make sure you have whole spots of dulce de leche. You need the puddle of dulce de leche so that when you bite, you can taste it separated from the chocolate.
