I used to be allergic to chocolate. No seriously. When I was younger, eating chocolate would make me feel nauseous and make my throat itch. And once I got over that allergy, I still didn’t really enjoy the taste of chocolate. But one of the first chocolate desserts I could properly enjoy was brownies. Specifically, these uber sweet brownies from a box, mainly because there were no chunks of chocolate in them and they were so sweet that it balanced the taste of the chocolate.

Now while I’ve been able to increase my chocolate tolerance since, fudgy, barely cooked brownies still have my heart.

Another thing I’m obsessed with is caramel. Specifically salted caramel. There’s something about sweet things with a hint of saltiness that. Just. Hit. Different. But I was bored, and thought, instead of boring old salt, why don’t I use miso as the source of saltiness? And to further deepen the flavor, I decided to use one of my favorite ingredients ever: browned butter. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: browned butter makes EVERYTHING better.

So then I thought, why not combine two of my favorite things into one dessert? And that’s how these miso caramel brownies came to fruition. They’re fudgy, sticky, and slightly crispy, with a slight savory bent. Which basically makes them some of the most unique and delicious brownies you’ll ever eat. Plus they even sound cool. I promise you, when you present them to your friends and family, they’ll think you’re some sort of culinary genius. Which after you make these brownies, you will be.

miso caramel brownies

adapted from Food 52’s basic fudgy brownies

makes: 12 brownies(approximately)

cooking time: 45 minutes

ingredients

1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup miso paste
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup neutral oil
pinch of salt
powdered sugar, for dusting

steps

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Heat 1/4 cup of butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat until it takes on a golden brown color, stirring constantly. Remove quickly from heat and set aside.
Heat the granulated sugar in a separate pan over med-high heat, stirring vigorously, and once the sugar is starting to get golden brown, add in the miso paste, stirring continuously.
Once sugar is golden brown, then add in the browned butter, then turn heat down to low and add in heavy cream, stirring quickly until fully combined.
Remove from heat quickly, and add in almond butter, stirring until fully combined.
Meanwhile, prepare the brownies: whisk eggs, brown sugar until fully combined.
Melt the other 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave, then add melted butter, oil, and melted chocolate to the eggs and brown sugar mixture until fully combined.
Add in flour and salt and mix until thick batter is created.
Grease a 10-inch square pan. Pour brownie mixture evenly, then swirl in caramel.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how fudgy you want your brownies to be.
Once brownies are removed from the oven, let cool before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar.