Today I want to share my air fryer salted caramel brownie bites with you. They are small, rich, and have a melty caramel center that makes every bite feel special.
I love making these when I want a quick dessert but don’t feel like heating up the whole oven. The air fryer does all the work in about 12 minutes.
The outside has that classic brownie top with the little cracks, while the inside stays fudgy. And when you bite into the middle, you get warm caramel that pulls a little.
A pinch of flaky sea salt on top is the part I really enjoy. It balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor in a nice way.
These are great for serving warm with a scoop of ice cream or just on their own with a glass of milk. They also work well for small gatherings since they are already portioned out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Gooey Caramel Center – Every bite reveals a warm, melty caramel surprise hiding inside a rich chocolate brownie shell.
Sweet and Salty Combo – Flaky sea salt on top balances the sweet caramel perfectly for that addictive flavor everyone loves.
Fudgy Texture – The brownies stay soft and dense inside with crackly tops, just like classic bakery-style brownies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter (melted)
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 8-10 Soft Caramel Candies (unwrapped)
- Flaky Sea Salt (for topping)
How To Make
Step 1
In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Step 2
Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder until just combined. Do not overmix – a few streaks of flour are fine.
Step 3
Spoon the batter into a greased silicone muffin mold filling each cup about halfway. Press one soft caramel candy into the center of each, then top with more batter to cover the caramel completely.
Step 4
Preheat the air fryer to 325F. Place the mold in the basket and air fry for 12-14 minutes until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs. The center will be gooey from the caramel.
Step 5
Let cool in the mold for 5 minutes, then carefully remove. Sprinkle each brownie bite with a pinch of flaky sea salt and serve warm while the caramel center is still melty.
Tips
Use Real Soft Caramel Candies
I recommend grabbing the soft, chewy caramels like Werther’s Soft Caramels or Kraft Caramels. The hard butterscotch style ones will not melt down into that gooey center you want.
From my experience, if your caramels have been sitting in the pantry for a while and feel a bit firm, pop them in your hand for a minute to warm them up. This makes them easier to press into the batter without cracking.
One caramel per bite is the sweet spot. Two will leak out the sides and make a sticky mess in your silicone mold.
Cover the Caramel Completely With Batter
My favorite trick here is making sure there is a full layer of batter sealing the caramel in from every angle. If even a tiny bit of caramel is touching the side or bottom of the mold, it will leak out during cooking and burn onto the silicone.
I like to add a small spoon of batter on the bottom first, gently push the caramel down into the middle (not all the way to the bottom), then spoon more batter over the top and smooth it out.
You’ll get the best results if the caramel is fully floating in the center with batter all around it. This keeps the gooey center exactly where you want it.
Don’t Skip Preheating the Air Fryer
A cold air fryer means the outside of the brownie bites cooks too slowly, and by the time the tops set, the edges are dry and crumbly.
I always let mine run empty at 325F for a full 3-4 minutes before putting the mold in. This way the bites start cooking the second they go in, giving you that fudgy texture all the way through.
If your air fryer model does not have a preheat button, just set it to 325F and start the timer. Once it hits temperature, open it up and slide the mold in.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Brownies
- Air Fryer Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
- Air Fryer Lava Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use hard caramel candies or caramel sauce instead of soft caramels?
Soft caramels really do work best here because they melt smoothly during the short cook time and give you that gooey center everyone loves. Hard caramels won’t fully soften in 12-14 minutes and may end up chewy or crunchy in the middle.
Caramel sauce can also work, but freeze small dollops of it on a tray for about an hour first so they hold their shape when pressed into the batter. Otherwise the sauce will sink to the bottom and stick to the mold.
Air Fryer Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
- air fryer
- silicone muffin mold
- 1/2 cup Butter (melted)
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 8-10 Soft Caramel Candies (unwrapped)
- Flaky Sea Salt (for topping)
- In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder until just combined. Do not overmix - a few streaks of flour are fine.
- Spoon the batter into a greased silicone muffin mold filling each cup about halfway. Press one soft caramel candy into the center of each, then top with more batter to cover the caramel completely.
- Preheat the air fryer to 325F. Place the mold in the basket and air fry for 12-14 minutes until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs. The center will be gooey from the caramel.
- Let cool in the mold for 5 minutes, then carefully remove. Sprinkle each brownie bite with a pinch of flaky sea salt and serve warm while the caramel center is still melty.