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Cheesecake Brownies

These swirled Cheesecake Brownies are a delicious family dessert to make. They’re one of those handheld treats that can take you from casual parties and backyard barbecues to holiday gatherings.

best-cheesecake-brownies recipe

Best Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

What ingredients will I need to complete this cheesecake brownies recipeYou will need the following ingredients: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Flour: Unbleached, enriched all-purpose flour
  • Cocoa powder: I highly recommend Ghirardelli 100% unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Classic table salt and baking powder
  • Unsalted butter: If you have salted butter on hand you can use it. To adjust, simply omit 1/4 tsp salt, as called for in the recipe.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses white granulated sugar for both the brownie and cheesecake batter. You could substitute half of the sugar for the brownie batter using equal parts brown sugar and granulated sugar for a more caramel-like flavor.
  • Large eggs
  • Whole milk: I recommend using whole milk for this recipe, but you should be able to make it with 2%, too.
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Semi sweet chocolate chips: You can also use milk or dark chocolate chips. Or try adding an additional flavor like caramel or peanut butter chips!
  • Cream cheese: use full-fat block-style cream cheese
  • Sour cream: if you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute it with whole fat greek yogurt.
ingredients-to-make-cheesecake-brownies

How to Make Homemade Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

  • Kitchen tools you’ll need to make homemade Cheesecake Brownies: Stand mixer or hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, 9×9 inch baking dish or pan, rubber spatula, cooling rack and medium bowl and large bowl.
  • The edges of the cheesecake will begin to turn a golden color as it sets. If you want to avoid any browning and keep the cheesecake lighter in color, lay a piece of  foil loosely on top at the 25-minute mark. This would be for appearance purposes only. Allowing the cheesecake to lightly brown shouldn’t affect the taste.
  • There’s nothing like sneaking a bite of warm gooey brownies straight out of the oven but for these, you really need to wait. The cheesecake layer continues to set after you take the dish out of the oven and won’t be ready for eating until after it’s chilled.
  • Don’t overmix the easy brownie batter or the cheesecake. If you do, the brownies will sink in the center. You want to mix just until the ingredients all come together. If you’re worried about overmixing: mix entirely by hand, or just stop the electric mixer just before it seems like everything is coming together, and finish any mixing by folding the ingredients with a rubber spatula by hand. Rule of thumb, you should stop mixing as soon as there are no more streaks of dry flour in the brownie batter mixture.
  • You can cut these brownies into smaller pieces, if desired to increase yield.
  • This cheesecake brownies recipe can also be made in an 8 x 8 baking pan. If you do, the center of the brownies will result in a more “gooey” brownie than if made in a 9 x 9 as they will be thicker.
  • How do you store cheesecake brownies? These brownies should be kept chilled in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 5 days, but they won’t last that long.
baked-cheesecake-brownies

More Easy Brownie Recipes to Make

No matter the occasion brownies are always a crowd favorite. Other brownies you may like to add to the menu:

plated-cheesecake-brownie-dessert

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Cheesecake Brownies

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Chill time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: cheesecake-brownie-recipes, cheesecake-brownies
Servings: 9 servings (may vary)
Calories: 355kcal

Ingredients

  • Brownie Layer:
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Cheesecake Layer:
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 8 oz block plain cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup sour cream (full fat)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper, and then coat the parchment paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  • To Make the Brownie Layer: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and espresso powder until completely combined.
  • Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. To the creamed mixture, add milk, vanilla and eggs. Beat together on low speed until combined. It won't be completely smooth.
  • While beating on medium speed, gradually add sifted dry ingredients mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Measure out ⅓ cup of batter and set aside for the swirl. Fold chocolate chips into the remaining brownie batter then spread evenly in prepared pan.
  • To Prepare the Cheesecake Layer: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together sugar, and cream cheese and vanilla for 2 minutes or until creamy. Add the sour cream and egg, mixing on low until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie layer and spread evenly using an offset or rubber spatula.  
  • To Add the Brownie Swirl: Dollop about 2 tsp of reserved batter randomly over cheesecake layer. Use a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife to create swirls. Don't go too deep, swirl the cheesecake layer only.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the edge of the cheesecake layer is set but the center jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
  • Place into the fridge and chill in the pan for 2 hours OR until fully set.
  • Cut into 9 servings and enjoy. Store leftovers chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 476IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

4 Comments

    1. Hi Linda, it can be. That said, it will change the baking time so, adjust accordingly. It will take longer for the center to set, so lay foil on top so they won’t over brown.

  1. Hi Melissa, I really love your recipes. I’m a member if the weekly recipes. I read through all of your nuggets of suggestions and recommendations and try to remember them when I prepare the recipe. But I sometimes am not able to remember and have to stop and get my computer to make sure I’m following and utilizing all of your helpful tips.. Is it possible to have an option to include those notes in the “useful tips” and suggestions in the “what you’ll need” areas show on the recipe when it is printed out? Thanx.

    1. Hi Sylvia, I’m so happy you’re finding those tips to be helpful. I don’t have a way to do that at the moment, but will consider it for future tweaks to the site. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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