These over-the-top, delicious, Gluten-Free Caramel Brownies with Espresso are beyond decadent. If you love super rich desserts with equally deep, intense flavors, these are absolutely for you!
Without question, this is the richest, most decadent dessert I've ever created.
Rich and Decadent
I can handle a lot of richness. I can't relate when I hear someone say that something is so rich that they can only have one bite.
In my world, one bite would never suffice!
Not only is this rich and decadent -- it's also incredibly delicious, with the smoothest, creamiest texture imaginable.
These Gluten-Free Caramel Brownies with Espresso are more fudge-like, than cake-like.
You might notice in the top image, the caramel topping is much lighter than in the images below. This is because there are a couple of different ways to make it, to control the intensity. (See recipe instructions below.)
The espresso caramel I made for the top functions almost as a frosting on a cake. Are you imagining that? So unbelievable!
How to mix up Gluten-Free Caramel Brownies with Espresso:
- You could do what I did and make unbelievable brownies covered in espresso caramel.
- You could use the brownie portion of the recipe only -- to make the best flourless brownies on earth.
- You could bake the brownie batter in a round cake pan, and it's a cake! (Glaze it with the caramel, Ganache, or simply dust it with powdered sugar.)
- You can also just make the caramel portion of the recipe, and pour it over ice cream, yogurt, and even your pancakes!
- I drizzled a bit of melted chocolate over the top of my entire creation, and you can most certainly serve this with whipped cream and/or ice cream.
I'd suggest vanilla bean ice cream, and if you're really daring, and want to add rich to richer, Turkish Coffee ice cream would be an excellent choice!
What's your tolerance for super rich desserts? One bite, two bites, more?
Please tell me in the comments - I want to know!
Gluten-Free Caramel Brownies with Espresso are the best kind of gluten-free dessert -- one that's inherently gluten-free and uses no substitutions.
And it's a dessert that my gluten-free son loves! Don't judge me for giving my teen such a crazy rich chocolaty-caffeinated dessert! 😉
More chocolate espresso desserts:
- Chocolate Espresso Granola
- No-Bake Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake
- Breakfast Cookies with Espresso and Oats
Gluten-Free Caramel Brownies with Espresso
Equipment
Ingredients
For the caramel:
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
For the brownies
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into large chunks
- 3½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⅛ cup sugar
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
For the caramel
- In a medium-sized saucepan, pour the water over the sugar and cook this mixture over medium heat, until the color is a dark amber. This should take about 15 minutes. If you want a slightly more mellow -- less intense -- caramel, go for a lighter amber color, with should take less than 15 minutes. Do not ever stir this mixture while it's cooking!
- Once you've achieved the desired color, reduce the heat to low and carefully whisk in the butter, heavy cream, and sour cream. Stand back! When you add these ingredients, the mixture will likely hiss and bubble up. Continue to whisk until it's smooth. Then mix in the espresso powder, stir to blend, and remove from the heat. Let is sit at room temperature until you're ready to use it.
For the brownies
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an 8 X 8 X 3 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Use a wide enough, and long enough piece of parchment, so that it will cover the sides. Use scissors to cut a diagonal slit in each corner, so that the paper lies flat in all areas. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate, butter, espresso and vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, heat until the chocolate and butter are melted and completely blended.
- Remove from heat and transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and let it cool for at least 15 minutes or so.
- Add the sugar and mix well. Then add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated 375°F oven until cake has risen and the top and edges have formed a thin crust, about 25 minutes.Let it cool in the pan until it's room temperature, at least 1 hour.
- When cake has cooled, pour the caramel in the center of the top surface. The cake will likely have sunk a bit, everywhere except the edges. This allows the caramel to flow evenly over the top surface, stopping at the edges.
- If it doesn't spread on its own as you're pouring, simply use a small spatula to very gently guide it. (You don't want the caramel to be too hot, or it might seep into the brownies too much, and if it's too cool, it won't spread -- so the key is making sure it's just warm enough to spread evenly.)
- You could serve it now, but it's best to let it set for a couple of hours, and ideally overnight -- at room temperature. (Simply because it will be a bit messy if you don't wait.) You could speed it up in the refrigerator as well.
Notes
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious
I want this...do I get some next Saturday?
valentina
good idea! yes! 🙂
sippitysup
Do you mean these flowers are rich because they are edible? So many flowers are... GREG
Sophie
Your brownies look extremely delicious!!! Waw too!
Yummmmm!
Colette @ JFF!
Espresso
Caramel
Chocolate
My three favourite things!
Addie
These brownies look so great! Love that they are naturally gluten free too, not using a high sugar substitute makes me 🙂
Nathan has been trying to make caramel but it always ends up brittle. Does this caramel recipe work as a filling if we let it cool enough? Like a chocolate covered caramel? Do you have any recipes that don't need corn syrup to make a soft chewy caramel?
valentina
Hi Addie - 😀 Yes, it can work as a filling -- here's another really yummy caramel for this time of year -- you can just skip the corn syrup as it's really an aide to help the sugar melt. The key to making caramel is to NEVER stir the sugar until you've added the butter, once it's browned. And the heat should be medium-low. Here you go: Salted, Spiced Caramel.
Courtney
You had me at chocolate and coffee! Two of my favourite indulgences! These brownies look absolutely delicious!
valentina
Thanks Coutney. My two favorites also. Can't imagine life without those flavors! 🙂
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog
I love the coffee twist in the dessert flavor, these brownies are perfect for morning snack
valentina
I love dessert in the morning. 🙂 Thanks!
Sandhya
Drooling here over the decadent brownies. What a great gluten free recipe too!
valentina
Thanks so much! 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
These look so incredibly delicious! Chocolate and espresso and caramel sound sooooo good together!
valentina
Thank you Allison. Hope you give them a try!
David
This is not only an incredibly rich dessert, it’s unbelievably beautiful! The deep rich color is so appealing…
As to my tolerance for which desserts? All I need is one bite. That doesn’t mean I only take one bite… I will eat the entire thing! There’s a local restaurant here that serves truly decadent quadruple chocolate cookie – they’re small, and the perfect size to give my meal closure. If they put one on the table, I will eat only the one ... if they put 40 on the table, they will be gone in a flash.
valentina
I love it, David. Thank you! I wish I had a better tolerance -- I'd put the 40 on the table to begin with. 😉
Lynn
Hi Valentina! These look amazing, I can just taste the caramel. Beautiful!
valentina
Hi Lynn, so nice to hear from you! 🙂 Thank you so much for the compliment and for stopping by. xo