These Cream Cheese Brownies are the gooiest, most fudgy brownies you've ever tasted, topped with a creamy, baked cheesecake layer and a beautiful brownie-cheesecake swirl to finish.
Reader Review:
Ooey gooey goodness! This combines two of my favourite things, cheesecake and brownie, so obviously I ate my fair share! Keep the wonderful recipes coming!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Chris
I can be picky with desserts, but these cream cheese swirl brownies will ALWAYS have a place in my heart...and in my belly. This is my go-to treat when I want something decadent.
These creamy cheesecake brownies are wonderfully gooey, rich, and dense all at once. The rich chocolate is balanced out with the lovely tanginess of the cheesecake, and just a hint of salt gives the brownies a beautifully rounded flavor. They're in a whole league of their own!
I am convinced nobody could ever feel sad while biting into one of these fudgy cheesecake brownies - they are the ultimate in comfort food, and work as an indulgent snack or a standalone dessert. Try them to see what all the fuss is about!
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Why You'll Love This Cream Cheese Brownie Recipe
- Combines two delicious desserts in one.
- Uses real chocolate for intense chocolate flavor.
- Easy to make with minimal washing up - no mixer required!
Cream Cheese Brownies Ingredients
This cream cheese brownie recipe uses some very simple ingredients, but it's important that they are high quality as you will really be able to taste the difference.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter so you can control the level of salt in the brownies. You want to use a nice, high-fat content butter.
- Dark Chocolate - Make sure you use a good-quality dark chocolate to create super-rich chocolate brownies. Look for chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa solids. Using real chocolate instead of cocoa powder helps create that deep chocolate flavor.
- Eggs - Use large eggs and always free-range if you can.
- Sugar - Use granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Flour - All-purpose flour works best.
- Salt - A touch of saltiness really does wonders in this recipe. It helps to cut through all that rich sweetness and adds an extra dimension of flavor to the cheesecake brownies.
- Cream Cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese, and not the spreadable kind. Some brands are more watery than others. If there is excess liquid in your cream cheese, drain it out before using. I used Philadelphia cream cheese as I know it's reliable.
- Powdered Sugar - This will dissolve nicely into our cheesecake batter.
- Vanilla - Use a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, as you'll really be able to taste it in the cheesecake filling.
Make sure your eggs and cream cheese are both at room temperature before beginning.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recommended Equipment
- 9-inch Square Baking Dish - You could also make this in an 8-inch pan if you prefer, the cream cheese brownies will just be a little thicker. For best results, use a metal pan rather than a glass pan.
- Large Bowl
- Whisk - you can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer if you like, but a regular old whisk works just fine.
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
How To Make Cream Cheese Brownies
This easy cream cheese brownies recipe is so unbelievably simple to make but gives the most decadent, show-stopping results. You don't need any special equipment, and it comes together very quickly. They are an adaptation of my classic fudge brownies, with the cheesecake layer baked on top.
Whisk Eggs and Sugar
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the room temperature eggs and sugar until they are pale and thick - like custard.
Melt the Chocolate and Butter
In a heatproof bowl, break the chocolate into small pieces, then add the butter and melt both together in a double boiler, or in the microwave, in 30-second increments, stirring in between until everything is melted and free of lumps.
Combine Wet Ingredients
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the whipped egg mixture, mixing everything together with a whisk until completely incorporated.
If your chocolate mixture is very hot, let it cool for a few minutes first to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Dry Ingredients
Sift the flour and salt into the brownie batter and fold in gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until all the flour is mixed in. Don't overmix or the end result may be too dense.
Pour into Pan
Remove about half a cup of the brownie batter into a small bowl - we'll use this later to swirl into the cheesecake.
Pour the remaining brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it out to create a nice even layer. Set aside while you make the cheesecake.
Make Cheesecake Mixture
In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the room temperature cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs, then sift in the powdered sugar and beat until completely smooth and lump-free.
You can use an electric mixer if you want, but it's easy to do by hand.
Form Layers
Pour the smooth cream cheese batter on top of the brownie batter, and use a table knife to slightly 'meld' the two layers together.
Don't mix too much, this is just so the brownie layer and cream cheese layer don't separate as they bake.
Swirl Brownie Batter
Take the reserved brownie batter and spoon small dollops of it all over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Then, use a toothpick or a knife to marble the chocolate mixture in pretty patterns to create a swirl effect.
Bake
Bake the cheesecake brownies in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheesecake on top of the brownies starts to turn golden at the edges - there should still be a slight wobble in the middle of the cheesecake. You can't check for moist crumbs like you would with a classic brownie, as this is a super fudgy brownie batter and will continue to bake as they cool.
The bake time may vary depending on your oven, so definitely check for the visual signs that they are ready. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan and slicing.
Slice
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan and slicing. See my tips on how to slice the perfect brownies!
Video
Here is a full video recipe for how to make these delicious cream cheese brownies!
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How to Slice Cheesecake Brownies
The most important thing when it comes to cutting up your cheesecake brownies is that they are completely cool before you attempt to slice them. This is an extremely gooey, fudgy recipe, so if they aren't cool, you will end up with a big mess all over your worktop!
For best results, I recommend chilling the cheesecake brownies in the fridge for an hour before slicing - this will help you to get really nice, clean cuts.The easiest way to cut them is with a large, sharp knife. Run the knife under hot water to heat it up slightly, then wipe it down with a paper towel and make the first cut. For really clean slices, repeat this process in between each slice so you don't spread remnants of the fudgy brownie layer through your cheesecake.
You can either cut into 9 or 16 squares, depending on what size of cheesecake brownies you want. They are very decadent, so the smaller ones do go a long way!
Cream Cheese Brownie Variations
These luxurious cream cheese brownies are amazing as they are, but there's always room for something extra! Try these variations to change things up a little and take your brownies to the next level:
- Cherry Cheesecake Brownies - For an elevated twist, try adding a layer of cherries in between the brownie and cheesecake layers. You could also try using the delicious cherry recipe from my Black Forest Cupcakes, and swirl some of the extra filling into the cheesecake on top for a super pretty touch.
- Chocolate Chips - The chocolate flavor is already very intense in these cheesecake brownies, but if you want to step it up a notch, you could mix in some milk, dark or white chocolate chips to the brownie batter.
- Nuts - You could also incorporate some of your favorite nuts into the brownie mixture for an added crunch to contrast the fudgy texture. Pecans or walnuts would work really nicely.
Cheesecake Brownie Storage
Store your cheesecake brownies in the fridge, either in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. They need to be chilled because of the cream cheese, and keeping them airtight will stop them from drying out in the fridge.
To enjoy the best flavor possible, remove the brownies from the fridge an hour before serving to let them come to room temperature.
Cheesecake Brownie FAQs
Technically, yes. But I urge you to try making this recipe completely from scratch. While there are some decent box mix brownies out there that make a chewy brownie, nothing can beat homemade brownies, and this particular recipe makes the most incredible gooey brownie that you just can't achieve with box brownie mix.
The brownie part also comes together so quickly and easily that you really won't be saving much time with a box mix. So, I encourage you to try making these from scratch - I think there's a good chance it may become your new favorite brownie recipe!
As these brownies contain cream cheese, they'll need to be stored in the fridge. I would recommend taking them out of the fridge about an hour before serving to get the best texture and flavor.
More Brownie Recipes
If you love the idea of cheesecake brownies, you may also enjoy these delicious brownie recipes:
Recipe
Cream Cheese Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks Unsalted Butter 170g
- 10.5 oz Dark Chocolate 300g
- 3 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar 250g
- 1 cup All-purpose Flour 120g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 13 oz Cream Cheese 370g (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar 180g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (or 170° fan assisted) and line a 9-inch square baking tray with parchment paper
- Whip eggs and sugar until light and thick, like custard.3 Large (3) Eggs, 1 ¼ cups (250 g) Granulated Sugar
- Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave at 30-second intervals.1 ½ sticks (170 g) Unsalted Butter, 10.5 oz (300 g) Dark Chocolate
- Pour the chocolate and butter mix into the egg/sugar mix and mix until combined.
- Fold in flour and salt until combined.1 cup (120 g) All-purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Salt
- Set aside a small amount of the brownie batter for swirling on top (about ⅓ cup, or more if you want more brownie on top), then pour the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Place all the cheesecake ingredients in a bowl and cream together until smooth.13 oz (370 g) Cream Cheese, 1 ½ cups (180 g) Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 2 Large (2) Eggs
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Add a few dollops of the reserved brownie mix on top and swirl those into the top of the cheesecake with a knife or spoon to make a pretty design.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the cheesecake just starts to turn golden at the edges. There should still be a wobble in the middle of the cheesecake. Bake for the minimum time for super gooey brownies, or bake for a few minutes longer for firmer brownies.
- Let cool COMPLETELY before attempting to slice - seriously.
Yo Mel
A number of people commented on the bake time. My first question would be are you using a 9 in. square pan? Because if someone uses an 8”, it could seriously affect time.
Also, you said to leave out the salt if you’re using salted butter, but a stick of butter only has 1/8 tsp of salt in it…
Shruti
Are we using unsalted or salted butter?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Shruti,
You can use either, but if you use salted butter then just leave the extra salt out of the recipe.
Hope you love the cheesecake brownies!
Jules
SG
I was really disappointed, I understand everyone’s oven are different when it comes to certain things but I made these and when I pulled them out after 35 minutes it was like water still so I kept them in the oven. I checked on them every 15 minutes and seriously after over an hour extra of cooking I pulled them out and the top is brown and the brownie is still raw.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi SG,
I'm so sorry to hear your brownies didn't turn out, that's so disappointing! It's true bake time can vary from oven to oven, but they really shouldn't have taken anywhere near an hour to bake.
I'm happy to help you troubleshoot?
Did you use cups or a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients?
What kind of pan did you bake them in?
What temperature was your oven set to and has it been calibrated recently?
What kind of chocolate did you use? Did you substitute any ingredients?
With these answers I can help you figure out what went wrong so they can turn out perfectly next time 🙂
Jules
Sarah Duran Keen
These taste delicious. However, like some other reviewers, the bake times are WILDLY inaccurate. I baked two batches, one in a glass dish and one in a metal square pan. I have an oven thermometer, so I verified my oven temperature. They took WAY longer to bake and the middle part was actually soupy in both pans, necessitating a longer bake time.
Judith Stanford
Made this today for Valentine's dinner. My time for baking was about 20 minutes longer. I did use a thermometer for deciding when to remove it from the oven. It turned out great!
Ladie
Made this for Sunday Family Dinner. It was a hit, even to the non chocolate lovers! Didn't hurt that it's both of my favorite desserts! I put caramel on the top instead of leftover brownie mix.
LJ
the baking times on this are WRONG flat out. I'm trying to fix this at 2 in the morning after trying to cut into it with a liquid center, AFTER letting it cool COMPLETELY. I'm kind of upset to be honest. I'll try popping it in the oven for another ten minutes or so but it's just not what I had hoped for
Jules Grasekamp
Hi LJ, I'm so sorry to hear your brownies didn't turn out - it's so disappointing when that happens!
I promise you the bake times are correct, I have been making these for years and they have been tested by many others! However, bake times can vary quite a bit based on many things like your oven and your cake pan. I always give advice for how to tell when things are baked by eye so you don't have to rely solely on a bake time. In this case, you want to watch for the cheesecake being set as a whole, but still a bit wobbly.
I also recommend getting an oven thermometer, as the temperature displayed on the outside is often quite inaccurate, and being off by a few degrees can also affect your bakes.
I hope this helps and that your next batch turns out perfectly!
Jules
Nancy
Hi... Will this turn out if I double it in a 9x13 pan?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Ladie,
So glad to hear you enjoyed the brownies! Caramel on top sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Jules
Chris Radwanski
Ooey gooey goodness! This combines two of my favourite things, cheesecake and brownie, so obviously I ate my fair share! Keep the wonderful recipes coming!
Grandma
Pistachio cake on Christmas Day was delicious, had two slices!
Rosany
Can I make this ahead and freeze? I thought i saw a comment somewhere about making it ahead and freezing it but can't see anything anywhere. How long can i keep it in the fridge?
Thanks
Grandma
Delicious collection of goodies once again, you always have a surprise for us…. Including beautiful Aurora! She’s definitely your best creation ❤️