It’s Friday, you deserve a brownie. A sea salt caramel olive oil brownies to be specific 😉
Maybe even two!?
I love all the words in the title of this post. ALL OF THEM. I love them even more when they are combined into ONE PAN and baked into fudgy and gooey deliciousness.
Let’s talk about olive oil brownies. Ever had one? I prefer them over normal brownies, though blondies are still my favorite. I’m not biased or anything. 😉
In these brownies, olive oil replaces butter or vegetable oil as the fat. It gives the brownies a slightly bitter and almost fruity taste that compliments the dark chocolate really well. Not only does olive oil give these brownies an awesomely unexpected flavor, it also provides a healthier fat than vegetable oil or butter. Win win!
Two other unexpected ingredients in these brownies are:
1) brown sugar
2) chunks of dark chocolate sea salt caramel bars
Brownies are typically made with all white sugar; but, did you know that using a portion of brown sugar will create moister, chewier brownies? We’ve been doing this for chewy chocolate chip cookies FOREVER, now it’s brownies’ turn. I’m riding the brown sugar train all the way to brownie town. What? I don’t know. Just keep reading.
CHUNKS OF DARK CHOCOLATE SEA SALT CARAMEL BARS. Yes, you read that correctly. Hold on though, let’s back up for a second. Clearly, brownies involve chocolate… shocker I know. But what kind of chocolate? Solid chocolate that’s melted? Dry cocoa powder? Combination of the two? Good question. It all depends on what kind of brownie you want… fudgy or cakey or chewy. Usually, cakey brownies are made with dry cocoa powder, fudgy brownies are made with melted solid chocolate, and chewy brownies are a combination of the two. Now I would consider these brownies are fudgy and chewy. We have melted dark chocolate for fudginess and cocoa powder for chewiness (and deeper flavor), but then WE ADD IN… you guessed it. CHUNKS OF DARK CHOCOLATE SEA SALT CARAMEL BARS.
Basically, I wanted a little more melted chocolate for fudginess plus uh… CARAMEL. Enter Ghirardelli chocolate squares bars in the dark and sea salt caramel flavor. I took two bars, roughly chopped them up then mixed them into the brownie batter and I do not regret it. SO FREAKING GOOD and creamy and fudgy and chewy and chocolatey!! Oh my. I’m exhausted just thinking about how good these brownies are.
Finally, we sprinkle lots of sea salt on top of the brownies because I live for:
A) salty and sweet combinations
B) the little salt taste spasm you get every other bite or so
Also, sea salt heightens the complexity of the brownies and makes the sweet taste even sweeter. Yes please!
Chewy sea salt and caramel olive oil brownies recipe:
chewy sea salt and caramel olive oil brownies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 oz dark chocolate chips
- 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sea salt divided
- 2 x 3.5 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate sea salt caramel square bars roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine boiling water and dark cocoa powder then whisk until well combined. Add in the dark chocolate chips then whisk until melted and smooth. Next, whisk in the oil olive, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Then whisk in white and brown sugars until smooth and completely combined. Finally, whisk in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt until the flour is just mixed in. Remove bowl from stand mixer, stir in chunks of dark chocolate caramel bar using a rubber spatula.
- Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking dish, top with sea salt then bake for 35-38 minutes or until the middle is set and the top of the brownies is beginning to crack. Let brownies cool completely before cutting. Enjoy friends 🙂
Are you going to make brownies this weekend? You totally should. Then bring me one… we ran out on Wednesday. Booooo 🙁
But hey! Have a fabulous weekend! We are currently driving to Cincinnati for a friend’s wedding. Should be a good time!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or tag a photo #appetitesanonymous on instagram!! I’d love to see your brownies in action. Peace, friends!
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