Salted caramel cashew skillet brownies combine rich, gooey caramel, fudgy brownies, and crunchy cashews! It's a show stopping chocolate dessert that is surprisingly easy to make from scratch.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.
Jump to:
If you love brownies as much as I do, you've finally found the best of the best. Dense, rich brownies are mixed with chocolate chunks and baked in a cast iron skillet to maximize that corner crunch without sacrificing the gooey middle.
Then they're topped with a rich caramel sauce filled with salty, crunchy cashews. I'm not usually one for nuts in my brownies, but caramel cashews? Yes, yes, yes.
Skillet brownie ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Semi-sweet chocolate chunks
How to make skillet brownies
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and whisk until smooth and shiny.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in cocoa, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber scraper, fold in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to a 12 inch cast iron skillet coated with cooking spray and smooth the top. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Be careful not to over bake. Allow the brownies to cool a bit while you prepare the caramel topping.
Caramel cashew ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Roasted, salted cashews
- Sea salt (optional)
How to make caramel cashews
- In a 2 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan, place 1 cup sugar over medium heat. As the edges begin to melt, gently push the liquid sugar up over the granulated sugar with a rubber scraper to help it melt. When all the sugar is melted allow it to cook until it becomes a dark amber color.
- Remove from the heat and carefully add the butter and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer undisturbed for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the caramel to cool for 10 minutes before adding the cashews and stirring until incorporated.
- Taste and add sea salt if desired. Pour the caramel over the brownies and serve.
Top tips
Don't over bake
The cast iron will stay hot for a while after coming out of the oven, so you definitely don't want to over bake these skillet brownies. Aim for a gooey crumb clinging to a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies to know when to take them out.
Making homemade caramel sauce
This caramel sauce comes together relatively quickly, so don't get distracted while waiting for the sugar to melt. You want the liquid sugar to be a dark amber color, like an old penny, but leave it on the heat too long and it will burn and taste bitter.
How much salt to add to the caramel cashews
The saltiness of your cashews can vary by brand and how close to the bottom of the can you are. Taste after adding the nuts and add more salt to taste if desired.
Tips for customizing salted caramel skillet brownies
- Swap the cashews for another favorite nut, such as pecans
- Skip the caramel and nuts and top the brownies with your favorite frosting or a sprinkling of coarse dessert salt such as Maldon sea salt flakes
- Skip the nuts altogether if you prefer
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet you can bake the brownies in a 9x9 pan or 8x11 pan
- Make it extra special by serving slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
How to store salted caramel brownies
It's ok to leave the brownies out at room temperature for a few hours while they cool down, but because of the dairy in the caramel sauce you'll want to refrigerate them unless you're eating them all the same day you make them.
These skillet brownies can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store them right in the cast iron skillet, or I like to cut them into individual portions and store them in an airtight container. You could also freeze them, but they might be difficult to thaw with the caramel on top.
FAQ
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I almost always use salted butter for baking. This means you don't need to add extra salt, or only need to add a small quantity if you prefer.
Using salted butter gives your baked goods a great, balanced flavor. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, add up to 1 teaspoon of salt to the brownie batter before baking.
Yes, you could use a pre-made caramel sauce instead of making your own. Simply combine it with the cashews before pouring over the brownies.
More brownie recipes
- Vegan Zucchini Brownies
- Vegan Single Serving Brownie
- Grandma's Brownies
- Frozen Cream Cheese Brownies
- Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Refrigerator Bakery Brownies
- Sweet Potato Brownies
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Cashew Caramel Skillet Brownies
Ingredients
Skillet brownies
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Caramel cashew topping
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup salted cashew halves or pieces
- Sea salt, optional
Instructions
Skillet Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 12 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and whisk until smooth and shiny.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in cocoa, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber scraper, fold in flour and chocolate chips until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet and smooth the top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Be careful not to over bake. Allow the brownies to cool a bit while you prepare the caramel topping.
Caramel Cashews
- In a 2 quart heavy bottomed sauce pan, place 1 cup sugar over medium heat. As the edges begin to melt, gently push the liquid sugar up over the granulated sugar with a rubber scraper to help it melt. When all the sugar is melted allow it to cook until it becomes a dark amber color.
- Remove from the heat and carefully add the butter and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer undisturbed for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and allow the caramel to cool for 10 minutes before adding the cashews and stirring until incorporated.
- Taste and add sea salt if desired. Pour the caramel over the brownies and serve.
June Burns says
Wow those look amazing! Skillet brownies are great, this caramel topping sounds just incredible...I will have to try something like this!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
Heading -- no, RUSHING -- over to the website for this recipe because holy yum.
Cookin Canuck says
It's not even 8am and I am drooling over this gorgeous pan of brownies. I'll bet the cast-iron pan makes the edges perfectly crispy. And that cashew caramel...oh my goodness!
Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous) says
i tend to get bored with plain brownies (i'd choose a cookie over a brownie any day), so adding cashews sounds really good! the caramel doesn't hurt, either.