I think I was in about 1st grade the first time I had these brownies. One of my friends, who will remain nameless, always made them. It was her thing, and she didn’t want to give away the secret recipe. Even in 1st grade I was trying to get people to give me their secret recipes. She made these things for years and she would never give me the recipe! She and I kind of lost touch over the years but a few years back I saw her at a bridal shower. You might think I would ask her how she was, or what she was doing, or something along those lines. But no, I immediately asked if she was ready to give up that recipe. She laughed and said, of course I’ll e-mail it to you! And she told me the super secret ingredient was German chocolate cake mix. You know what? She never did e-mail me the recipe, but she did give me a hint and I was able to find the recipe pretty easily after that.
As it turns out, there is nothing secret about the recipe. I’ve seen similar recipes on many blogs in the past couple years, including in Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook. So, I guess the secret is out! I have made many, many pans of brownies in my life. These are hands down my favorite brownies though. No question about it. They are fudgy, which is an absolute must for me and they have caramel, which I love. If any of your friends are withholding secret recipes don’t give up! It may have taken me about 20 years but I finally got it! And now, I am sharing with you!
Here is what you’ll need
Combine the cake mix, butter, and evaporated milk
Press into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 7 minutes
While the first layer is baking combine the caramels and evaporated milk
Melt in the microwave until smooth

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the first layer
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the caramel
Top with spoonfuls of the cake mix and bake for 30 more minutes

Fudgy + caramely = best brownie ever

Caramel Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box of German chocolate cake mix
- 1/3 + ½ cup of evaporated milk, separated
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
- 1 bag of caramels
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk. Mix well. Spread ½ of the cake mix in the pan. I think it spreads best when I use my hands. Bake for 7 minutes. While the cake is baking, melt the caramels with the remaining evaporated milk in the microwave. I just heat for about 1 minute on medium power, stir, and repeat until it is melted. Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the caramel over the top. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel. Spoon the remaining cake batter over the chocolate chips. It does not need to completely cover the chocolate chip/caramel layer. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.