Ultra fudgy 🍫🤎 Rolo Brownies are soft, gooey, and loaded with Rolo candies! After baking, I drizzle these easy, no-mixer, scratch brownies with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle flaky sea salt to elevate them into next-level decadence!
Easy Fudgy Rolo Brownies Recipe
- Some of my most popular recipes over the years involve using common candies like Rolos and incorporating them into various sweets. My Rolo Chocolate Chip Blondies recipe is a no-mixer special that’s well loved. I’ve also got these Rolo Brownie Bites in case a bite-size mini dessert is calling your name.
- For these easy brownies that are 100% from scratch, I added Rolos to the brownie batter as well as on top after baking.
- The result is unadulterated chocolaty decadence and with the chewy caramel from the Rolos and we jsut loved this new recipe.
- By design, the texture of these brownies is very gooey and soft. If you’re a fan of a firmer brownie, you can either bake these a bit longer or make my Best Turtle Brownies which are very similar (omit the nuts if you’re not a fan) but are a slightly firmer and denser brownie base.
- You can easily make these without a mixer. I sometimes use a hand mixer sometimes to beat the eggs but a little elbow grease works too for a couple minutes.
Ingredients in Brownies with Rolo Candies
- Rolo Candies: You can buy them already unwrapped in small bags and it’s a nice convenience to have for this recipe. Snickers are a decent substitute for Rolo or you can mix-and-match and do half and half.
- Wet ingredients: Melted butter, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, eggs, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla extract. I like using both white and brown sugar in this recipe and you do need to use the indicated quantities to sweeten the batter enough to balance the 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder which is downright bitter without sugar. You do not need to use Dutch process cocoa. Something basic like Hershey’s is just fine.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, salt.
- Topping: Caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce, halved Rolos, optional flaky sea salt. I have a scratch Salted Caramel Sauce but if you’re feeling like a shortcut and have a Trader Joe’s, I’d pick up a jar of theirs. You could also sprinkle on mini chocolate chips or nuts.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Scratch Rolo Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray, and halve half of the Rolos for topping and the whole Rolos get folded into the batter.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and microwave it to melt the butter, add the cocoa powder, and whisk to combine.
- To a separate large bowl, add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and beat with a handheld electric mixer or whisk vigorously for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale, and creamy.
- Pour the cocoa mixture into the sugar and egg mixture, and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients, stir to incorporate, add the whole Rolo candies, stir, and bake. A toothpick should come out mostly clean but total time baking will vary.
- After baking, drizzle with caramel sauce, evenly sprinkle the halved Rolos, cool well in pan before slicing, adding optional sea salt, and serve the brownies. You can chill them in the fridge prior to serving if desired.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Wondering About Using Brownie Mix?
I haven’t made this recipe by using boxed brownie mix, and then just mixing in Rolo candies. You probably could get away with it. Use a high-quality boxed mix like Ghirardelli or similar. Bake it in a 9 x 9 pan rather than a 9 x 13 pan because otherwise the brownies will be far too thin and the Rolos will be bottoming out.
Rolo Brownies
🍫🤎 Ultra fudgy, soft, gooey, and loaded with Rolo candies! After baking, drizzle these easy, no-mixer, scratch brownies with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle flaky sea salt to elevate them into next-level decadence!
Video
Equipment
- Handheld electric mixer optional
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup butter, melted (I use salted but unsalted is fine)
- ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1½ cups Rolo candies, unwrapped and chilled (you can buy them unwrapped in bags in the candy section of the grocery store)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or more to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (if using salted butter, you may want to use a bit less)
Topping
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce or regular caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade
- ½ cup chopped Rolo candies
- Flaky sea salt, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Place 1 1/2 cups unwrapped Rolos in a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes hour before using. I do this to ensure the Rolos don't melt/ooze out while baking in the brownies. Separately, halve 1/2 cup of Rolos for the topping and set aside until after the brownies are baked.
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving overhang, spray well with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- Cocoa: Add the cocoa powder to the melted butter and whisk to incorporate until smooth.
- To a separate large bowl, add the sugars, eggs, vanilla.
- Whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes, or until pale and creamy looking. Alternatively, beat on medium-high speed with a handheld electric mixer.
- Gradually pour the cocoa-butter mixture into the sugar-egg mixture, whisking well to incorporate.
- Add the flour, salt, and using a rubber-tipped spatula, fold to incorporate, and until just combined. Don't overmix because it will create tougher brownies.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups chilled Rolos and fold to incorporate.
- Turn batter out into prepared baking pan and bake for about 42-50 minutes, or until as done as you desire and for as long as that takes in your oven. Start checking early just in case. Baking Tips – These are very gooey brownies so even when they are fully cooked, they're still going to be fudgy. You don't want raw brownie batter, but also they taste best when cooked until just done, but not overcooked. Since all ovens, climates, pans, and preference for doneness vary, bake until they're done in your oven and to your liking.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Evenly sprinkle the 1/2 cup of halved Rolos, evenly drizzle with caramel sauce to taste, optionally sprinkle with sea salt, slice, and serve.Once cooled and set, use the parchment paper overhang to lift out of the pan. Cut into squares using a sharp knife. For cleaner cuts, wipe the knife blade between slices.
- Tip – This is not a brownie that I recommend serving chilled because Rolos harden dramatically in the fridge and become very very hard – not recommended for your teeth!
Notes
Storage: Brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 5 to 7 days. They will keep longer in the refrigerator, about 7 to 10 days, but make sure to take them out of the refrigerator before serving because Rolo candies become very hard in the fridge and are way too hard on teeth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 477cal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 85mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 213mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 52g, Vitamin A: 581IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We love these brownies!