Better Than Sex Brownies | Caramel Turtle Brownies

Believe me when I call these Better Than Sex Brownies because - they are! A spin on the traditional caramel turtle brownies with two kinds of chocolate, chopped nuts, and a gooey caramel sauce will have you going back for more!

I took my bite sized brownie recipe and paired it with my favorite caramel sauce to make something I very fondly refer to as "Better Than Sex Brownies".

I think Grandma would giggle.

I think it goes without saying that a claim like that will lead to some high expectations, don't you think?

Well, I'm not gonna worry. Not one bit.

There are a lot of "better than sex" desserts out there. The very first one I encountered was at, of all things, a church function.

I was in charge of pouring coffee for a ladies luncheon. Trust me when I say pouring hot coffee to women chattering and talking with their hands is a risky, nerve-racking venture. Especially when you're like - nine years old.

And when you're walking around pouring coffee refills, you hear the whisperings and see the 3x5 cards being passed across the table.

The one recipe card with worn edges and the most mileage on it was called, "Better than Robert Redford".

Oh, and I should mention, it was the 1980's so there you go.

But then, scandalously, I overheard one of the ladies talking in the kitchen as we set up the dessert table.

"This is really called Better Than Sex Cake but we renamed it since this is a church gathering."

Friends, I almost dropped my pot of decaf.

More than thirty years later, that day still sticks in my mind. Isn't it funny which memories stay with you and which ones you forget?

I'm sure my Mom wishes that's one memory I would forget, though I will add a disclaimer: my Mom was not part of the convos I overheard.

Oh no, this was the 80 year old plus group of women sharing these whisperings. Those ladies were fun!

So when I made a batch of these brownies the other day, I decided, as a tribute, I must call them Better Than Sex Brownies.

Let's dig in.

How to Make Better Than Sex Brownies

I have always struggled with making brownies from scratch, but not this recipe. This one is truly a keeper!

So we'll start by making a brownie base, tweaked a bit from my Grandma's recipe.

Ingredients for Turtle Brownies - Layer One

• cocoa powder
• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• flour
• baking powder
• salt

The brownie batter cooks in a 9x13 pan at a low temperature, making these brownies super moist! We'll cook them just like a homemade brownie recipe.

Then, when they're done, we make the magic happen. We're turning brownies into magical better than sex brownies. We're adding the turtle layer.

For this, we'll need a few more ingredients.

Ingredients for the Caramel Chocolate Nut Layer

• evaporated milk
• caramels
• butter
• a pinch of salt
• chocolate chips
• nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Tip: I store my pecans and walnuts in the freezer so they have a longer shelf life. Because of their higher fat content, they can go rancid quickly. If you've priced them, you know they come at a premium price, even when you shop at Aldi!

Cool completely, then cut and serve.

While the brownies are baking you can make the caramel sauce with the evaporated milk, caramels and butter.

I like to add the smallest pinch of salt to the sauce, just to keep things from getting overly rich.

Like that's a thing.

When the brownies are baked, pull them out and wait for 5-10 minutes. Then, pour the caramel sauce over the whole chocolate concoction.

Why wait a few minutes? If you pour too quickly the caramel sauce will actually boil when it hits the pan sides. We don't want this - it doesn't look nearly as pretty and runs the risk of hardening.

Then, sprinkle the whole sha-bang with chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

I like to use walnuts because they have just a hint of bitterness, in my opinion. But if you'd rather use pecans, go for it.

You really can't go wrong with either one!

Pop the turtle brownies back into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the chocolate chips soften and start to melt.

Let them cool, and then cut and devour.

Grandma, I hope I make you proud 😉

Better Than Sex Brownies | Turtle Brownies

Deanne Frieders

Believe me when I call these Better Than Sex Brownies because - they are! A spin on the traditional caramel turtle brownies with two kinds of chocolate, chopped nuts, and a gooey caramel sauce will have you going back for more!

4.94 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 301 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the Brownie Layer

• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Turtle Layer

• 6 ounces evaporated milk
• 11 ounces purchased caramel squares
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

To Make The Brownie Layer

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Grease a 9x13 pan. Melt butter, allow to cool five minutes. In a large bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa powder. Beat in sugar and eggs.
• In a separate large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir together. Add mixture to wet ingredients, stir well to combine.
• Pour into baking pan and spread evenly. Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Caramel Turtle Topping

• While the brownies are baking, you can start the caramel sauce. In a medium sized saucepan, combine evaporated milk, caramels, salt and butter. Stir constantly over medium low heat, until ingredients are smooth and blended together.
• When brownies are done cooking and have rested 10 minutes, pour the caramel sauce over the brownies. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped nuts over the caramel.
• Return to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until chocolate chips have begun to melt.
• Remove and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gramsCalories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 207mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29g

This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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