Smoked Brownies with Caramel

Smoked Brownies with Caramel are the first dessert type recipe I’ve made in a smoker. It was a long shot, but I’m impressed with the results. I don’t know how to describe it, but it just works. The brownies are sweet, savory, and smokey. They smoke flavor doesn’t bring out much of the caramel but does enhance the chocolate nicely. It’s a simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients or time in the smoker.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the smoker to 275 degrees F and add woodchips to the tray. I used hickory woodchips but any flavor you prefer is fine. I do want to note that I only added woodchips during the preheating process and about ½ way through cooking. I didn’t want the woodchips to overwhelm the taste of the brownies but go ahead and add woodchips at your discretion. It’s all about personal preference when it comes to smokey flavor.

Prepare the brownie mix according to package instructions (just a regular boxed brownie mix) and pour into a 9×13 aluminum foil pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle about 2 Tbsp of caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with flakey salt. Any jar or bottle of caramel sauce will work (like ice cream topping sauce). Simple and you don’t have to prepare anything homemade but feel free to use homemade recipes if you prefer.

Smoke the brownies for 25 minutes then add an additional 2 Tbsp of caramel sauce over the top. Continue to smoke in 25-minute increments, adding caramel each time, until cooked through. This should take about 2 hours, but smoke time and temps may vary so I like to use the old trick of inserting a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, I know they are done.

Remove the brownies from the smoker and drizzle with one last round of caramel sauce. Top with additional flakey salt – this is completely optional but so worth it! Let the brownies cool for about 5 minutes then slice, serve, and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

Try it a ’la mode with a scoop of ice cream or pair this dessert with any BBQ entrée. It’s pretty delightful. If you don’t care for smoked foods, this might not be for you, but I think it’s worth trying at least one. You might like it! Or it might inspire you to make other smoked desserts.

Happy Cooking!