These cheesecake brownies are the business! RICH fudge-like brownie on the bottom complemented with a light, slightly tangy cheesecake topping swirled with more chocolate. These easy to make brownies come together with ingredients you probably have in your pantry already in just a few minutes, and they look spectacular right out of the oven! These take my brownie recipe to the next level!
How to make cheesecake brownies
1. Preheat oven to 350F and Pine a 9×9 inch (you could also use an 8×8) baking dish with parchment paper. Add one cup of the chocolate chips in a large bowl then pour in the melted butter. Warm in the microwave in a few short bursts at 50% power. Mix together until smooth.
2. Immediately stir in the cocoa powder and mix until incorporated. By the way the cocoa powder looks a bit light in this image because the exposure had to be turned way up!
3. Add the salt, white and brown sugars and mix well.
4. Mix in the eggs, yolk, vanilla and coffee. Make sure to mix really well and scrape the bowl down.
5. Dump the flour in and mix until almost combined then add the remaining chocolate chips and fold in.
6. Reserve about 1/2 a cup of the brownie batter in a small bowl and transfer rest to the parchment-lined baking dish and smooth to the edge. Place in refrigerator to chill while you whip up the cheesecake topping.
7. Beat the room temperature cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or electric hand mixer) for a few minutes until completely creamed. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla while mixing on low then add the eggs and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
8. Add the cheesecake topping onto the brownie and smooth with a spatula.
9. Mix the reserved brownie batter with a tablespoon of very hot water and mix together. You’re basically thinning the batter so it’s easier to mix in. Add more water as needed until the batter is more the consistency of cake batter. Dot the top of the cheesecake with spoonfuls of the thinned batter.
10. Use a skewer to swirl the brownie batter around. I like to wipe the edges with a knife to remove any excess. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325F and bake another 35 minutes. The edge will have risen and might just be starting to brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Blooming cocoa powder for cheesecake brownies
When you dissolve the cocoa powder in a warm liquid it releases more of the chocolate flavor and really steps things up a notch. This recipe blooms the cocoa powder in the warm butter and chocolate mixture but you can always dissolve your cocoa powder in a liquid for cake and quick bread recipes too.
Pro Tips for This Recipe
- If you don’t have an eight by eight inch pan for your cheesecake brownies then just use foil to create one or two walls for a smaller baking dish. Line with parchment and you’ll be good to go!
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to your cheesecake brownies will take a way from that nice fudge-like texture. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Adding the cocoa to the warm butter/chocolate mixture “blooms” it which gives you a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Don’t over-bake your brownies. Unlike cake layers brownies will not have springy center and a skewer inserted into the center will not come out clean. Your cheesecake brownies are done when the center is set and you see the cheesecake on the edges puff up a it just begin to crack.
- Room temperature cream cheese is a must for a smooth topping. Don’t be afraid to let the mixer run to really cream it before adding the sugar in.
- Add toasted nuts, crushed candy cane, toffee, or even candy like M&Ms to your brownies for a bit of crunch and flavor.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I MAKE THESE WITHOUT A 9×9 INCH PAN?
Sure! You can use a larger pan and have thinner brownies OR you can make a wall inside of your pan with aluminum foil then line it with parchment paper. If you look very closely in the photo for step seven below you can see that I did this!
WHAT’S THE BEST COCOA POWDER TO USE?
I love using a high-quality Dutch processed cocoa powder for these cheesecake brownies. Dutch processed cocoa powder is darker, less acidic and fudgier in baked goods making it PERFECT for cheesecake brownies! My go to company is Valrhona but there are lots of great brands out there, including Callebaut, Ghirardelli and lots of organic and fair trade options too!
Do I need to refrigerate them?
You can leave these cheesecake brownies out overnight at room temp in a sealed contained. They will keep for up to four days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer. There’s enough sugar in them to act as a preservative but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
What can you put on them?
Add toasted nuts, crushed candy cane, toffee, or even candy like M&Ms to your cheesecake brownies for a bit of crunch and flavor.
Can I make this with more brownie and less cheesecake?
Yes! Just halve the cheesecake topping ingredients and follow the same recipe steps.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried these cream cheese brownies then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Cheesecake Brownies
Video
Equipment
- 9” square baking pan
Ingredients
For the Brownie Base:
- 1 cup unsalted butter cubed (227g)
- 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips divided (240g)
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup brown sugar (220g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 yolk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon hot water plus more if needed
For the Cheesecake Topping:
- 2 (8-ounce/227g) blocks cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Brownie Base:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or baking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each one, until fully melted and combined, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, coffee, and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour and salt, and stir together with a spatula until just combined. Reserve ½ cup of brownie batter in a small bowl. Stir the remaining ⅓ cup of chocolate chips into the remaining batter, and spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes for super fudgy brownies or 30 minutes for more cakey brownies. Meanwhile, stir the hot water into the reserved batter. The batter should still be thick but slowly pour off a spoon. Add more water if needed.
For the Cheesecake Topping:
- While the brownie base is baking, make the cheesecake topping by placing the cream cheese, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until very smooth and light, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs in one at a time. Scrape down the bowl, then beat in the vanilla. Carefully pour the cheesecake topping over the par-baked brownie base. (No need to cool the brownie first.)
- Dollop the reserved brownie batter over the cheesecake topping. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, carefully swirl the batter through the cheesecake mixture.
- Continue baking for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheesecake topping is puffed around the edges and the center wobbles slightly. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- If you don’t have an eight by eight inch pan for your brownies just use foil to create one or two walls for a smaller baking dish. Line with parchment and you’ll be good to go!
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to your brownies will take a way from that nice fudge-like texture. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Adding the cocoa to the warm butter/chocolate mixture "blooms" it which gives you a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Don’t over-bake your brownies. Unlike cake layers brownies will not have springy center and a skewer inserted into the center will not come out clean. Your brownies are done when the center is set and you see the cheesecake on the edges puff up a it just begin to crack.
- Room temperature cream cheese is a must for a smooth topping. Don't be afraid to let the mixer run to really cream it before adding the sugar in.
- Add toasted nuts, crushed candy cane, toffee, or even candy like M&Ms to your brownies for a bit of crunch and flavor.
