Most people love both cheesecake and brownies. This recipe for the best cheesecake brownies combines the creaminess of cheesecake with chocolatey brownies to make one exquisite dessert. I've never even been that much of a fan of cheesecake by itself, but with brownies I compltely love it. So even if you aren't a fan of cheesecake I can confirm that you will love these brownies.
So what exactly makes these the best cheesecake brownies? I think that this recipe is perfect because the layers are balanced, so when you take a bite it blends perfectly rather than tasting too much like one of the layers. These brownies also won first place in the brownie category at the county fair last year, so there's at least some outside recognition that these brownies are really good!
How do you make Cheesecake Brownies?
It is actually very easy to make cheesecake brownies. You have to make two different batters, the cheesecake batter, and the brownie batter. Then you pour the brownie layer into a greased pan and spread the cheesecake layer on top. With a toothpick or knife, you swirl the layers together to give it a marble look and then bake it.
Tips for Cheesecake Brownies
- I use semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you could use milk or dark chocolate if you want a different flavor. You could also swap out the chips for chopped up chocolate.
- I've found swirling the layers together works best with a toothpick. Don't over-swirl the layers or they will blend together too much. It's best to just lightly swirl them until it looks slightly marbled.
- It's always better to under-bake brownies rather than over-baking them since they end up fudgier when they are underbaked, but get too dry if you bake them too long.
Cheesecake Brownie Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 8oz package cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 350° F. Grease an 8 inch baking pan (for thicker brownies) or a 9 inch baking pan
- In a mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, sugar and egg until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and the butter and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between heatings, until the chocolate is melted.
- Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder and salt into the melted chocolate mixture, stir together until everything is well mixed.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the brownie batter. Using a toothpick or a knife, swirl the cream cheese layer and brownie layer together until it looks marbleized.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (for an 8 inch pan) or 25-30 minutes (for a 9 inch pan), until the edges pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with just moist crumbs on it. Cool completely and then cut into 12-16 brownies.
