Miso Caramel Brownies (Printable Version)

Fudgy dark chocolate squares swirled with homemade white miso caramel for a perfect sweet-salty balance.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Brownies

01 - 7 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
02 - ⅔ cup unsalted butter, cubed
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
05 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
07 - ¾ cup all-purpose flour
08 - ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - ½ tsp fine sea salt

→ For the Miso Caramel

10 - ½ cup granulated sugar
11 - ¼ cup heavy cream
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
13 - 1½ tbsp white miso paste
14 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar, stirring occasionally, until it becomes a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the cream (mixture will bubble). Add butter and stir until smooth. Whisk in miso paste and vanilla until fully incorporated. Let cool slightly.
03 - Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
04 - Whisk both sugars into the melted chocolate-butter mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
05 - Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gently fold until just combined—do not overmix.
06 - Spread half the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Dollop half the miso caramel over the batter and swirl gently with a knife. Top with remaining brownie batter, then swirl in the rest of the miso caramel.
07 - Bake for 32–35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still fudgy. A skewer inserted should come out with moist crumbs.
08 - Cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into squares.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The miso caramel adds this incredible umami depth that keeps you coming back for another square
  • Fudgy texture that strikes the perfect balance between cakey and underbaked
  • Looks impressive with those caramel swirls but comes together faster than you would expect
02 -
  • Let the caramel cool for about 10 minutes before swirling, or it will sink right through to the bottom of the pan
  • Overmixing the flour develops gluten and makes tough brownies—fold until you just do not see dry streaks anymore
  • The center continues cooking as it cools, so pulling them out when they look slightly underdone is actually the right move
03 -
  • Red miso works too but use about half the amount since it is much saltier and more intense
  • If your caramel seizes and becomes grainy, add a teaspoon of water and gently rewarm while stirring
  • For extra fudgy brownies, take them out at 30 minutes and let them cool completely in the pan before refrigerating for an hour
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