This post has been sponsored by Mars Wrigley Confectionery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mama say what? Oh yeah, we’ve gone off the rails this time with these Vanilla Swirl Dark Chocolate Brownies. Fudgy, dense brownies that are swirled and drizzled with salted caramel until heavenly. That’s how I roll. These scratch-made brownies are sure to be a hit with … well…everyone!
Vanilla Swirl Dark Chocolate Brownies + Salted Caramel Drizzle
I’ve developed a SERIOUS appreciation for dark chocolate. My favorite? DOVE® Dark Chocolate Bars. So silky smooth, they are a little piece of heaven. I’m in love with the new DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla flavor. This new flavor is the inspiration behind our recipe. We wanted to re-create the flavors in brownie form to pay homage to this delicious treat.
Look for DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla at Your Local Walgreens.
We first tried the new DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Bar a few weeks ago as part of our Chocolate Bar Gift Jar Idea with Walgreens.
Walgreens is my go-to place for snacks and chocolate. I always grab a treat or two when I’m in there to pick up my prescriptions, make-up and other necessities. Easy in, easy out!
This combination of flavors in the new DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Bars is what inspired us to create this recipe for Vanilla Swirl Dark Chocolate Brownies. Great for family desserts, potlucks, or even gift wrapped as a treat for a special someone, this brownie recipe is a keeper!
Mission: to put as many smiles on faces as possible.
Ingredients Needed for this Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe:
- Dark chocolate
- Butter
- Eggs
- White granulated sugar
- Vanilla
- All purpose flour
- White baking chips
- Heavy cream
- Sea Salt
We maximized all of the fudgy goodness in this recipe. That’s the point of a brownie’s existence, right? To bring joy in chocolate form! We did not use the swirled Bourbon Vanilla bar in our recipe. Hard to mess with perfection. Our goal was to create a flavor profile that was dark, smooth, and rich just like a DOVE® chocolate bar. We got pretty close, but nothing beats the real thing!
How to Make Dark Chocolate Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 11 metal baking pan. Cut parchment paper to size, leaving a couple inches overlapping each end. Grease the parchment paper, too.
- In a heavy-bottom sauce pan, melt the butter and 12 ounces of dark chocolate over low heat. Stir very frequently until the mixture is smooth and completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Beat 2 – 3 minutes until well combined.
- Then, add the flour to the brownie mixture and stir until combined.
- Next, fold in the dark chocolate chips and a portion of the white baking chips.
- Evenly spread the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top generously with the remaining white baking chips.
- Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl the melted white chips into the brownie batter.
- Return the brownies to the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. (I cooked ours for 28 minutes. The time will vary based on your oven. Don’t go over 30 minutes because the brownies will continue to cook in the pan after you remove them from the oven.)
- Allow the brownies to cool for 20 minutes (if you can stand it) in the pan.
- While the brownies are cooling, heat water and sugar over medium heat in a small non-stick skillet.
- Do not stir the sugar water, but gently swirl it every few minutes. Cook for 15 minutes or until a deep, golden brown.
- Remove the skillet from heat and gradually stir in the heavy cream. Add a pinch of sea salt, stir.
- Then, lift the brownies from the pan by carefully grasping each end of the parchment paper. Transfer to a flat surface.
- Finally, drizzle the top with the salted caramel and cut into squares.
This recipe for dark chocolate brownies was a lot of fun to make. I know we detailed a lot of steps, but they are super easy to make. Just follow the directions and you will soon be enjoying a pan of these warm brownies.
TIP: Don’t skip the parchment paper. It makes getting the brownies out of the pan SOOO much easier. Butter the pan AND butter the parchment.
For our brownies, we used salted butter. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, add half a teaspoon of salt when you stir in the flour.
More Chocolate Dessert Ideas:
Chocolate Bar in a Jar
Mint Chocolate Chip No Bake Dessert
Frozen Mocha Pie
Here’s how I know when the brownies are done. Pull the pan out of the oven. Give the pan a gentle shake. If the center is very loose, they aren’t done yet. Pop them back into the oven for another 2 minutes. Then, check again. It is ok if the center moves just a little. It will set up as they are cooling.
Once the brownies have cooled a bit, let’s get them out and add the glorious drizzle. This DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Bar inspired the drizzle from the hint of bourbon vanilla flavor in the chocolate bar. So yum!
More Tips + Ideas for these Brownies:
- Cut into squares and place in pretty cupcake liners. Tuck the brownies in pretty gift boxes. Give along with a DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Bar. You will be the most-loved person ever!
- Try this dark chocolate brownie recipe swirled with butterscotch baking bits instead of white for a luscious dessert.
- Keep these in an air-tight container so they won’t dry out.
- Warm the brownies for a few minutes in the microwave, top with cold vanilla ice cream, and drizzle with more caramel. Dessert dreams!
- Fold in a half cup or more of your favorite chopped nuts if desired.
These brownies are delicious. But between you and me, it is so much easier to unwrap a DOVE® Chocolate Bourbon Vanilla Bar when the chocolate-urge strikes.
Pass the milk, please! Because brownies. 🙂
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📖 Recipe
Vanilla Swirl Dark Chocolate Brownies with Salted Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Dark Chocolate Brownies
- 12 ounces dark chocolate
- 3 sticks salted butter
- 6 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white baking chips divided
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For the Salted Caramel Drizzle
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 pinch sea salt small pinch
Instructions
For the Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 11 metal baking pan. Cut parchment paper to size, leaving a couple inches overlapping each end. Grease the parchment paper, too.
- In a heavy-bottom sauce pan, melt the butter and 12 ounces of the dark chocolate over low heat. Stir very frequently until the mixture is smooth and completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Beat 2 - 3 minutes until well combined.
- Add the flour to the brownie mixture, and stir until combined. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and ½ CUP of the white baking chips.
- Evenly spread the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top generously with the remaining white baking chips.
- Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl the melted white chips into the brownie batter.
- Return the brownies to the oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. (I cooked ours for 28 minutes. The time will vary based on your oven. Don't go over 30 minutes. Remember, the brownies will continue to cook in the pan after you remove them from the oven.)
Allow the brownies to cool for 20 minutes (if you can stand it) in the pan.
For the Salted Caramel Drizzle
- While the brownies are cooling, in a small non-stick skillet, heat water and sugar over medium heat. Do not stir the sugar water, but gently swirl it every few minutes. Cook for 15 minutes or until a deep, golden brown.
- Remove the skillet from heat and gradually stir in the heavy cream. Add a pinch of sea salt, stir.
- Lift the brownies from the pan by carefully grasping each end of the parchment paper. Transfer to a flat surface.Drizzle the top with the salted caramel and cut into squares.
G.anne
I don't have a 9x11...i have a 9x9 a 9x13 pan.i think i even have a 7x11pan.. which should i use to make your recipe
Teri
7x11 would be fine, they might be a little thicker. If so may take a few extra minutes to cook. If you go with 9x13, they will be a little bit thinner, and can reduce the cooking time.