Caramel Brownie, The Elvis Way

What do you get when you mix peanut butter, bacon banana crunch, homemade caramel sauce and fudgy caramel brownies? A mind-blowingly delicious explosion of flavors sure to please your family and friends!

This caramel brownie sundae recipe might look a little intimidating at first, but each component is easier than it looks! If you’re crunched for time, caramel sauce from the store will do as a replacement. But the buttery, gooey smell of homemade caramel filling the house is well worth the time.

This recipe serves four, but you can cut the caramel brownies into smaller triangles if you want to serve eight smaller desserts instead.

Ingredients:

4 Caramel Fairytale Brownies

For the peanut butter frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

For the bacon banana crunch:

6 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup banana chips, coarsely chopped

For the caramel sauce:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 banana, peeled and diced (toss with a tsp of fresh lemon juice to prevent browning)
2 Tbsp bourbon

Directions:

For the peanut butter frosting:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the cheese, butter, and peanut butter until creamy.
Add the powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined.

For the bacon banana crunch:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the chopped bacon on a sheet pan with sides. Toss the chopped bacon with the syrup and brown sugar.
Spread in an even layer and bake until browned and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir after the first 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and while still hot, stir in the peanuts and banana chips. Cool to room temperature before serving.

For the caramel sauce:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Make sure the sugar is completely moistened.
Place pan on medium-high heat. Cook without stirring until the mixture takes on an amber color. Continue to cook until it becomes slightly darker or registers 320F on a candy thermometer. At this point, remove pan from heat.
Carefully and slowly, add heavy cream, stirring carefully as the caramel will bubble up and possibly splatter.
Once the bubbling subsides, add the banana and the bourbon. Stir to combine. Allow caramel to cool for at least one hour before serving.

For the sundaes:

Cut 4 caramel brownies diagonally. Place 1 triangle each on 4 dessert plates. Place a dollop of the frosting on the center of each brownie.
Top with another caramel brownie triangle at an angle and place another dollop of frosting on top.
Drizzle each brownie stack with the caramel sauce and sprinkle with the candied bacon and banana chip crunch.