Chocolate Amaretto Brownies & Salted Caramel Sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: makes about 20 3-1/2 inch round brownies 1x
Description
Moist and rich, with these brownies you won’t miss the gluten at all. Topped with vanilla ice cream, and a salted butter caramel sauce, it is utter decadence.
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) all purpose gluten-free baking mix (or all purpose flour)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) amaretto (or if you want to omit the alcohol, substitute 1/4 cup strong coffee)
For the caramel sauce:
- 1-1/4 cup (300 ml) sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
- 1 stick (115 g) salted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
For the brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Brush 20 3-1/2 inch tartlet molds with a bit of melted butter, or butter and line a baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a small bowl set over barely simmering water, combine the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder. Whisk gently, until chocolate and butter are melted, and mixture is fully combined and smooth. This will only take a minute or two. Remove from heat, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the “flour”, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed about 4-5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Add amaretto and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture in two additions and beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Fill each tart mold about 3/4 the way full, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking around 15 minutes or so). Let brownies cool in the molds on a wire rack completely, then un-mold and store in an air tight container until ready to serve.
For the caramel sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and the water. Simmer just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, and let it boil until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully add the cream. Whisk to combine, and place back over medium-low heat and cook for about 30 minutes, until it has thickened and is nice and creamy.
Notes
- I made the brownies in tartlet molds, and originally served them like that with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce drizzle on top.
- If you want to make sandwiches like I did in the pictures, bake the brownies in a thin layer in two parchment paper-lined baking dishes and cut circles once they have cooled.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 310
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Giant German Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Brownies
- Chocolate-Loaded Mississippi Mud Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these brownies without the amaretto?
Yes — the recipe explicitly offers a non-alcoholic substitute: replace the ¼ cup of amaretto with ¼ cup of strong coffee. The coffee amplifies the chocolate flavor in a similar way to the amaretto without the almond liqueur character.
Are these brownies gluten-free?
The recipe calls for ¾ cup of all-purpose gluten-free baking mix, with all-purpose flour listed in parentheses as the non-GF alternative. If you use the GF baking mix and confirm your other ingredients are gluten-free (the 6 oz of dark chocolate and cocoa powder), the brownies are gluten-free.
The caramel sauce takes 30 minutes — how do I know when it’s done?
The caramel recipe says to cook the sugar, butter, and cream over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until thickened and “nice and creamy.” It should coat the back of a spoon and fall in a slow ribbon rather than running off quickly. The sauce thickens further as it cools, so pull it off the heat slightly before it reaches your target consistency. 
