The BEST Cheesecake Brownies

Brownies
March 24, 2020
Brownies
March 24, 2020

The BEST Cheesecake Brownies

  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 30 min
  • Total time: 45 min

Why choose between cheesecake and brownies when you can have BOTH? This cheesecake brownies recipe is fudgy, decadent, and super easy to make!

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The BEST Cheesecake Brownies

Why choose between cheesecake and brownies when you can have BOTH? This cheesecake brownies recipe is fudgy, decadent, and super easy to make!

Looking for other brownie recipes? Try our famous snickers brownies for the ultimate candy bar fix or copycat cosmic brownies for a nostlagic treat!

cheesecake brownies on marble counter

The Best Cheesecake Brownies

Are you stuck at home looking for a rich, fudgy, chocolatey dessert to make your Tuesday a little more bearable? Then you’re exactly where you should be, my friend. Because today we’re sharing the best cheesecake brownies recipe. And I think you’re going to like them.

cream cheese brownies cut into squares

What are cheesecake brownies?

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that cheesecake brownies = cheesecake + brownies. These fudgy cheesecake brownies are made with our favorite chewy brownie recipe, topped with a luxurious layer of cheesecake swirled with some reserved brownie batter. They’re chocolatey, chewy, decadent, and pretty enough to serve at a dinner party. Even if that dinner party is just for you!

cheesecake brownies cut into squares

What ingredients you need for cream cheese brownies?

Cheesecake brownies are made with minimal ingredients, but the quality of them is particularly important, especially when it comes to the cream cheese, chocolate and cocoa!

  • cream cheese
  • eggs
  • granulated sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • flour
  • cocoa powder
  • chocolate

cream cheese brownies on a marble counter

Tips for the best cheesecake brownies

Cream cheese brownies take regular ol’ brownies to the next level with a just a few tweaks! The recipe is pretty straight forward, but if you follow these three tips you’re guaranteed perfect cheesecake brownies!

  • Use high quality cocoa powder and chocolate: The quality of your chocolate will make or break your brownies. Now is the time to splurge on the good stuff in the name of good brownies!
  • Make sure all the ingredients for the cheesecake are at room temperature: The number one rule of making cheesecake is that ALL INGREDIENTS MUST BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Pardon my yelling, but it’s just so important. If your cream cheese and eggs aren’t at true room temperature the batter will not mix together and you will end up with clumpy cheesecake.
  • Don’t over bake the cheesecake brownies: Over baked cheesecake brownies can get rubbery and dry real fast. Two words I definitely don’t want my cream cheese brownies being described as. Take out the brownies when the cheesecake is still a little wobbly and you’ll be in the clear!

How do you cut perfect brownies?

Ahh brownies. They’re pretty easy to make, but notoriously messy to serve. You know what I’m talking about. Brownies are so moist and fudgy that a lot of the time if you take a regular oil knife to them the crumb sticks to the sides of the knife and creates brownies with a ragged, messy edge. We have two solutions for this to cut perfectly:

  1. Use a warm knife: Run a thin, sharp knife under hot water between each cut, wiping it clean to prevent any sticking!
  2. Use a plastic knife: Plastic knives have a brownie repelling finish. If any cheesecake or brownie does stick to the knife, wipe it clean between cuts!

cream cheese brownies

So go ahead, my loves, eat the brownies and the cheesecake today!

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The BEST Cheesecake Brownies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 13 reviews

Why choose between cheesecake and brownies when you can have BOTH? This cheesecake brownies recipe is fudgy, decadent, and super easy to make!

Why choose between cheesecake and brownies when you can have BOTH? This cheesecake brownies recipe is fudgy, decadent, and super easy to make!

  • Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 brownies
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: american
  • Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 brownies
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: american
Units:

Ingredients

for the cheesecake swirl

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the brownies

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs plus 1 yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper on all sides. Set aside.
    2. Make the cheesecake layer first. In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment beat all the cheesecake ingredients together until combined, about 2 minutes. Do not over beat. Set aside.
    3. Now make the brownie layer. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Remove from microwave, stir in sugar. Microwave the mixture for 30 more seconds. Stir again and melt for 60 seconds more. You want the sugar and butter to bubble up slightly, but not burn. This amount of time should do the trick.
    4. Remove mixture from the microwave and stir the bittersweet chocolate into the hot mixture to melt it completely. If the chocolate doesn’t melt completely,  put it in the microwave for another 15 seconds.
    5. Add eggs and egg yolk and the vanilla extract, beating until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix until combined.
    6. Remove a 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and place it in a separate bowl. Add two tablespoons of water to the 1/2 cup of batter and whisk together to thin it out. This will create the brownie swirl on top.
    7. Pour the remaining brownie batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie layer. Drop the remaining thinned out brownie batter onto the cheesecake and use a knife to create a few big swirls. Do not over swirl. You want big separate swirls of cheesecake and brownie.
    8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely and place in the fridge for an hour for the cheesecake to set. When ready to serve, cut into 9 large squares or 16 smaller brownies!
watch the video

Notes

  • Don’t feel like making homemade brownies? Or have a mix on hand you’re looking to use up? You can always make a brownie mix instead of homemade brownies for the base of these cheesecake brownies!

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  1. This is the best cream cheese brownie recipe that I have ever made. Such rich and moist brownies, delicious! I doubled the recipe in a 13 x 9 pan and cooked for 15 mins longer. Thank you, can’t wait to make them again!






  2. Just tried it – brownie part was good but 4oz of cream cheese was definitely not enough… Other recipes I looked at called for anywhere from 8-16oz. Will try again maybe doubling the filling ratio. Would love a video of your swirling technique pls!






    • Hi Daria! Other recipes that have that much cream cheese are usually made in much larger pans, but you can certainly double the amount–you’ll just have a thicker cheesecake layer so you’ll need to increase the bake time! I will work on a video 🙂