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Cheesecake brownies are the ultimate decadence. It’s my favorite fudgy brownie with a layer of cheesecake swirled in. This is what my dessert dreams are made of.
If you love these brownies, try my Brookies. It’s a brownie and chocolate chip cookie in one!
Easy cheesecake brownies
Dessert mash ups are the best! And today I am combining two of my favorites, brownies and cheesecakes. Chocolate, cream cheese and more chocolate. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The recipes on their own are each fairly simple, and while you’re going to dirty some dishes, it’s all worth it after you take the first bite.
If you love chocolate, these rich and fudgy brownies are perfect for you.
Tips for perfect brownies
- Chocolate: The brownie recipe calls for melted chocolate. You can use milk or dark chocolate, but I recommend using a chocolate bar, not chocolate chips. Not to confuse you, but this recipe does also calls for chocolate chips, which are added to the finished batter.
- Cocoa powder: You can use any type of cocoa powder, but my favorite for these brownies is Rodelle, which is a dutch processed cocoa powder. It has the best flavor.
- Line the pan: It’s best to place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, which helps with clean up and prevents anything from sticking to the pan.
- Allow the brownies to cool before serving. I get it, everyone loves a warm, gooey brownie, but with the addition of the cream cheese, these are actually better once they’ve cooled completely.
- Slice with a warm hot knife and clean it every slice: I mentioned they are gooey and fudgy, so run your knife under hot water and clean between cuts for the best results.
How to make cheesecake brownies
Just three simple steps and it’s off to the oven. First there’s the brownie batter, then the cheesecake batter, then layer and bake.
Prepare the brownie batter
It’s a pretty straight forward recipe, but if you need more step-by-step instruction, go ahead and take a look at the original brownie recipe.
- Melt the chocolate: it’s easier to melt if you chop it into smaller pieces. Microwave approximately 2 minutes at 50% power. Stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the butter and then combined with the granulated sugar.
- Add the eggs and beat until it’s light and fluffy (like a vanilla cake batter).
- Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate.
- Combine the dry ingredients and add to the batter until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Prepare the cheesecake batter
This works best if your cream cheese is at room temperature. If you forget, you can microwave it for 15 seconds or so.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar: for a smooth batter, beat until there’s no more lumps.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
How to make the cheesecake swirl
Don’t forget to line your pan as I mentioned above. The brownie batter is quite thick, and the cheesecake batter is quite thin, so it won’t be easy to swirl them together, but run a knife or spoon through it a couple times to create a swirl.
- First some brownie batter: Spread the 2/3 of the brownie batter in the prepared pan.
- Then some cheesecake batter: Then spoon 2/3 of the cheesecake batter and give it a gently swirl
- Add the remaining batters: Spoon the remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter and swirl again
How to tell if the brownies are done baking
The cheesecake layer should bake through without an issue, you can tell it’s set. In fact, if you find it’s browning too quickly, cover the pan with tin foil. The brownies should still be somewhat gooey in the center, but the toothpick should not be wet. Some crumbs will stick to the toothpick and that’s okay.
Storing and serving
These are best served at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container for 2 days, otherwise refrigerate. If refrigerated, the edges will dry out therefore then I recommend not slicing them until you’re ready to eat them.
Cheesecake Brownies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This homemade fudgy brownie with a layered with an cheesecake swirl.
Ingredients
Brownies
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (70g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (55g) Rodelle cocoa powder, sifted (see notes)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cheesecake filling
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (96g) granulated sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces and melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for approximately 2 minutes at 50% power. Stir every 30 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and combine with the granulated sugar; beat together until well combined.
- Next add the egg and egg yolk and beat for 60-90 seconds at a higher speed until the batter is fluffy (texture resembling a cake batter). Then add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate and beat until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Set aside.
Cheesecake filling
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined and free of any lumps, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Next beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined and completely smooth. Set aside.
To assemble:
- Spread the 2/3 of the brownie batter in the prepared pan. Then spoon 2/3 of the cheesecake batter over the brownies. Finally, spoon the remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter and swirl with a knife.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Toothpick should still be somewhat gooey but not wet in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool prior to cutting. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- The brownie batter is quite thick, and the cheesecake batter is quite thin, so it won’t be easy to swirl them together, but run a knife or spoon through it a couple times to create a swirl.
- This recipe is decadent, I recommend slicing for 12 servings instead of 9
- Chocolate: you can use milk or dark chocolate, but I recommend using a chocolate bar, not chocolate chips for the 4 ounces of melted chocolate in the brownies
- Cocoa powder: You can use any type of cocoa powder, but my favorite for these brownies is Rodelle, which is a dutch processed cocoa powder.
- 9-inch pan: You can make these in a 9-inch pan, and reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes. I recommend baking for 20 minutes and then checking every 5 or so minutes after that.
- Storing and serving: These are best served at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container for 2 days, otherwise refrigerate. If refrigerated, the edges will dry out therefore then I recommend not slicing them until you’re ready to eat them.
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
