Last Updated on February 14, 2025 by TheFarmChicken

A sourdough and caramel brownie spin on the classic fudgy brownies. We used to have a variation of this brownie growing up and it was a favorite! My mom would make them fairly often and the brownie base with the caramel ribboned throughout was delicious! Now all of that goodness combined with sourdough brings to you these Sourdough Caramel Ribbon Brownies: A Recipe from the Farm. This brownie is perfect to make for all your chocolate cravings!

All you need are some pantry staples and some caramel…. either homemade or store bought (I go over both in the recipe.) and of course sourdough! You can use this recipe with either an active starter or sourdough starter discard. This recipe is great for if you want something classic but a little fancy. If you are looking for a classic sourdough brownie recipe, I have that too! Or the original recipe that doesn’t require sourdough at all!

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Ingredients for Sourdough Caramel Ribbon Brownies:

All-Purpose Flour – The right amount of flour to make these brownies fudgy and fluffy.
Baking Cocoa – I love the ease of using regular cocoa powder while still providing a delicious chocolate flavor! It is the best way to make a simple brownie that is full of chocolate flavor!
White Sugar (granulated) – Granulated sugar adds sweetness to these brownies.
Brown Sugar – I like adding some brown sugar when it makes sense, and it definitely doesn’t hurt these brownies.
Salt – To balance the sweetness.
Baking Powder – Baking powder helps with the rise and fluff of these brownies.
Eggs – Four room temperature eggs are needed for this recipe and make them so fudgy!
Oil – Any neutral cooking oil should work well. I use canola oil.
Pure Vanilla Extract – I love making my own vanilla extract and the two teaspoons in this recipe help round out the flavors.
Sourdough Starter – You can use either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe. Be sure to use an active sourdough starter if you want them to be fermented. This is a great recipe to use up excess sourdough starter.
Chocolate Chips – Chocolate chips are optional in these brownies but if you want a decadent dessert the cup of chocolate chips is so good!

Caramel Ingredients

Granulated Sugar – I think it is so fun that you can make caramel with just 2 ingredients. You will melt down the sugar slowly.
Heavy Cream – Heavy whipping cream is SLOWLY added to the melted and browned sugar until you have a smooth and delicious caramel sauce.
—You can also purchase some square caramels from the grocery store if you want an easier version of these decadent brownies.

Can I long ferment these sourdough discard brownies?

Yes! If you would like the brownies fermented mix up the brownies as usual making sure to use active sourdough starter. Omit the baking powder and chocolate chips until the next day. Place in the fridge overnight and bake the next day after adding the baking powder and chocolate chips before continuing with the rest of the recipe.

Looking for a fun spin on these caramel brownies?!?

Add a half teaspoon of sea salt to the caramel for a fun salted caramel sauce twist! You could even add flaky sea salt to the top of the brownie before serving.

Other Sourdough Fancy Farm Foods to Try:

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Sourdough Caramel Ribbon Brownies: A Recipe from the Farm

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (70g) baking cocoa
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
1 tsp (3g) baking powder
½ tsp (3g) salt
2/3 cup (135g) cooking oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp (6g) pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120g) sourdough starter, active or discard
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Ribbon Ingredients:

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

OR

24 square caramels
3 T milk

Instructions:

The homemade caramel sauce:

In a thick bottomed large saucepan add the sugar to the saucepan and slowly melt the sugar on a medium heat.
Instead of stirring, gently swirl the sugar to help it melt evenly. I try to avoid using a spoon but will move the sugar around with a spoon if necessary to avoid it from burning.
Once the sugar dissolves and is golden brown, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the cream SLOWLY while you whisk the melted sugar. Whisk continuously as you add the last of the cream to the pan. Whisk until you get a nice smooth sauce.
NOTE: Sometimes you will have some chunks of sugar. You can return your pan to the heat and whisk and melt the chunks. Be sure not to boil the mixture. You can also strain out the pieces if you prefer.

Store Bought Option:

Unwrap and place caramels in a small saucepan with the milk and heat on a medium-low heat until melted and smooth.

Brownie Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a metal* 9” x 13” with cooking spray and set the prepared pan aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium sized bowl add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough starter. Mix well. Make sure the sourdough starter is well incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix until all the dry spots are incorporated with the wet. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Next, scoop roughly 2/3 of the brownie batter into the bottom of the pan and spread it out evenly.
Then, take the caramel and drizzle it over the brownie part. Next, take a cookie scoop or two spoons and spoon the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel in dollops.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 26-30 minutes. The timing can vary so make sure to bake them until the centers are set and the edges are slightly pulling away from the pan.
Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You could also cut them up and freeze the brownies for up to 3 months

*I recommend using a metal pan over a glass pan for these brownies if possible. If not be sure to lessen the baking temperature to 325 degrees.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (70g) baking cocoa
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
1 tsp (3g) baking powder
½ tsp (3g) salt
2/3 cup (135g) cooking oil
4 large eggs room temperature
2 tsp (6g) pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120g) sourdough starter, active or discard
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Ribbon

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
OR
24 square caramels
3 T milk

Instructions

Instructions:

The homemade caramel sauce:

In a thick bottomed large saucepan add the sugar to the saucepan and slowly melt the sugar on a medium heat.
Instead of stirring gently swirl the sugar to help it melt evenly. I try to avoid using a spoon but will move the sugar around with a spoon if necessary to avoid it from burning.
Once the sugar dissolves and is golden brown, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the cream SLOWLY while you whisk the melted sugar. Whisk continuously as you add the last of the cream to the pan. Whisk until you get a nice smooth sauce.
NOTE: Sometimes you will have some chunks of sugar you can return your pan to the heat and whisk and melt the chunks. Be sure not to boil the mixture. You can also strain out the pieces if you prefer.

Store bought option:

Unwrap and place in a small saucepan with milk and heat on a medium-low heat until melted and smooth.

Brownie Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a metal* 9” x 13” with cooking spray and set the prepared pan aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium sized bowl add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough starter. Mix well. Make sure the sourdough starter is well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until all the dry spots are incorporated with the wet. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Next, scoop roughly 2/3 of the brownie batter into the bottom of the pan and spread it out evenly.
Then, take the caramel and drizzle it over the brownie part then take a cookie scoop or two spoons, spoon the rest of the brownie batter over the caramel in dollops.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 26-30 minutes. The timing can vary so make sure to bake them until the centers are set and the edges are slightly pulling away from the pan.
Let cool on a wire rack before cutting.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You could also cut them up and freeze the brownies.

Notes

*I recommend using a metal pan over a glass pan for these brownies if possible. If not be sure to reduce the heat of the oven to 325 degrees.

Servings: 16 brownies

These are decadent and so good! Sourdough chocolate brownies are perfect for the chocolate lover! Be sure to add this recipe to your sourdough discard recipes to try. We had a nice night at home, and we had brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some extra caramel sauce…yum! This is the perfect brownie for a brownie sundae! We might be making this on repeat for a while. I am hoping to have a sourdough chocolate chip recipe soon for another sourdough spin on a classic! Let me know what you think! You can ask questions or drop a comment below! Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Baking,

Mariah Nienhuis | TheFarmChicken

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Romans 12:9-10