These swirled cream cheese brownies taste like two desserts in one – chocolate brownies and cheesecake. Rich fudgy brownies with thick swirls of sweet and tangy cream cheese.
Cream cheese brownies! Because sometimes I want cheesecake AND brownies but I don’t want to make two separate desserts. I’m satisfying both cravings with this one decadent treat. Join me!
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Recipe overview
Brownie layer: I use a variation of my Homemade Brownies as the base for this recipe. They bake up moist and fudgy with melty bits of chocolate chips all throughout.
Cream cheese layer: A mixture of softened cream cheese, sugar, egg white, flour, and vanilla extract.
Assembly: Scoop about two thirds of the brownie batter into a prepared 8×8 pan and smooth into an even layer. Alternate dropping spoonful’s of the cream cheese mixture and remaining brownie mixture all over the top. Use the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the two batters together.
Bake: Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, until mostly set, but still fudgy.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: Lots of rich chocolate flavor combined with thick swirls of sweetened cream cheese.
Texture: Chewy edges and fudgy centers with pockets of smooth cream cheese all throughout.
Two-for-one: The flavors of cheesecake and brownies all in one dessert.
Freezer friendly: Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Perfectly sized: This recipe makes an 8×8 pan of brownies. You can serve anywhere from 9-12 depending on how large you cut them.
Recipe tips
- Line the pan with foil or parchment for easy removal. Once the brownies have cooled, you can lift the whole batch right out of the pan using the foil.
- Adding chocolate chips into the brownie batter guarantees a fudgy texture.
- Cream cheese should be softened to cool room temperature so that it combines easily.
- When swirling the cream cheese into the brownie batter, less is more. Thicker, more noticeable swirls come from less swirling. Drag a sharp knife through in a figure-8 or s-shaped motion.
- Do not overbake. I can’t stress this enough! If you insert a toothpick into the center it should have moist fudgy crumbs on it, but no thin raw batter.
Serving and storage
Serving: You can serve these brownies slightly warm, room temperature, or chilled. They are best served within 2 days of being made.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 2 months.
BAKE SMARTER, NOT HARDER
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Recipe
Cream Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie batter:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, still warm/hot
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, see note
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Cream cheese mixture:
- 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 large egg white
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownie batter:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line an 8×8* pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two sides (this will allow you to lift the whole tray of brownies out of the pan for easy removal). Grease the foil/parchment.
- Combine granulated sugar and hot butter in a large bowl. Stir it briefly then allow it to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. The heat from the butter will begin to dissolve the sugar (this helps make a shiny/crackly crust), the sugar will not fully dissolve. After 5 minutes, whisk the butter and sugar vigorously for 30 seconds. Add eggs, water, and vanilla extract, whisking again for about 30 seconds. Tap all the excess batter off the whisk and remove the whisk from the bowl.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder, flour, and salt over the wet ingredients. Use a rubber/silicone spatula to stir the mixture until it is glossy and well combined.
- Scoop out about one third of the brownie mixture and set it aside for the swirl layer. Stir the chocolate chips into the remaining brownie batter. Add the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Prepare the cream cheese mixture.
Cream cheese mixture:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar, followed by flour, egg white, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Using two tablespoons, alternate dropping portions of cream cheese and portions of the reserved brownie batter all over the top of the batter that is in the pan. Use the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the batter together. The brownie batter will be thicker than the cream cheese batter, just take your time moving in a figure 8 or back and forth motion and they will swirl together. Don’t swirl too deep; you are mostly just making visible swirls in the top layer of brownie and cream cheese.
- Bake for 32-37 minutes until it is mostly set but there is still a slight jiggle in the cheesecake areas. You can check doneness with a toothpick; moist fudgy crumbs and melted chocolate are OK. Be careful not to over bake. If you notice your cheesecake swirls darkening you can loosely cover the baking dish with foil for the last 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely (this will take several hours).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Diana says
These brownies were delightful! My kids are begging me to make them again, LOL!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Aimee Berrett says
These are definitely my new favorite brownies! Who can say no to cheesecake and brownie?!
Allison says
Ha! Not me. 🙂 I love them, too!
Karen C says
Could this be adjusted or doubled for a 9×13 pan?
Allison says
I haven’t tried it but I would guess that you could double it for a 9×13. Bake time should be similar. Enjoy!
Rosa G Randolph says
Can you add nuts to this recipe?
Allison says
Sure! Use about 1/4 cup chopped nuts and stir them into the brownie batter that is going into the bottom of the pan (step 4 of the recipe), instead of the part reserved reserving for swirling into the cream cheese. Hopefully that makes sense. Enjoy!
Makayla says
I couldn’t have found a better cheesecake brownie recipe! These turned out absolutely perfect and I will be following this recipe from now on.
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Juliet Collins says
Has to be the best brownies I’ve ever eaten
Allison says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Evangeline says
Can you put these brownies in the freezer to serve at a later date?
Allison says
Yes. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
Joan Simpson says
I made these,went right by recipe so easy and they were decadent ,fudgy and all I can say is make it if you want something pretty and good.So happy I tried these,I will be making them lots!Thank you,Joan
Allison says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Sara says
Hi! Excited to make these! If I wanted to add freeze-dried raspberries to the cream cheese filling, how much would you recommend? Maybe some lemon zest/juice also?
Allison says
Maybe a tablespoon or two of freeze dried raspberry powder and one tablespoon of lemon juice. It would really be to taste. Best of luck playing around with it.
Elaine says
could you mini tart pan to bake these in?
Allison says
Not sure. Maybe a standard size muffin tin?
Janice says
Made this and it was a big hit with the family! I baked it for 25min and it was slightly gooey in the centre… we had it warm and chilled both super delicious and offering a different taste experience!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂