Cheesecake Brownies {Cream Cheese Brownies}

The best quick and easy chocolate cheesecake brownies recipe, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, fudgy, creamy, with swirls of cream cheese.

This dessert is a cross between my super popular Fudgy Brownies with Crackly Tops and my incredible New York Cheesecake Recipe (No Water Bath).

This recipe should not be confused with a brownie cheesecake recipe or a 5 layer brownie cookie cheesecake or even a brownie bottom cheesecake. Those versions have a brownie crust instead of a graham cracker crust as the base that's topped off with a thick vanilla cheesecake layer. It's similar to what you would get at fancy bakeries and cut into triangular slices rather than squares.

How to make cheesecake brownies (cheesecake swirl brownies)?

1. Prepare brownie batter.
2. Prepare cheesecake batter.
3. Pour half the brownie batter in a greased pan.
4. Pour cheesecake mixture and spread it.
5. Spoon remaining batter randomly.
6. Use a knife to swirl it.
7. Bake.

Do brownies with cream cheese need to be refrigerated? Can they be left outside?

Yes, they must be refrigerated and cannot be left outside at room temperature because it contains dairy that can go bad. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge so that it doesn't pick up any weird smells from other foods.

What to serve with chocolate cream cheese brownies (marbled cheesecake brownies)?

You can enjoy them, as is, or you can top them off with any of the following:

• Nuts- Use roasted peanuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios. For a sweet and salty flavor combination, use salted nuts.
• Homemade caramel sauce
• Dulce de leche
• Nutella syrup
• Homemade whipped cream- You can also use store-bought Cool Whip, if you are short on time.
• Fudge sauce- Or any thick chocolate sauce of your choice.
• Cookies- Chop up your favorite cookies and sprinkle them on top, prior to serving.
• Ice cream or frozen yogurt - Vanilla and chocolate are both great choices.
• Peanut butter or any almond butter- Just melt and drizzle it all over.

Variations

• Pumpkin brownies- Mix in ⅓ cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in the cheesecake mixture.
• Peanut butter brownies- Mix in ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter in the cheesecake mixture.
• Cherry brownies- Serve them with store-bought or Homemade Cherry Pie Filling.
• Oreo cheesecake brownies- When you are done making swirls, sprinkle 1 cup roughly chopped Oreos and bake.
• Brownie cheesecake bars and bites- When they have cooled down completely, chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. Then, use a sharp knife to cut bars or little bites. Take them to a whole new level by dipping them in melted chocolate.
• Use a brownie box mix- This is quick and convenient. Prepare brownie batter, as per box instructions. Spread in pan and then swirl the cheesecake mixture (from recipe below) and bake.
• Red velvet cheesecake brownies- Perfect for weddings and Valentine's Day. Use a red velvet cake mix to make these Cake Mix Brownies. Spread in pan and then swirl the cheesecake mixture (from recipe below) and bake. Use a bigger 9 inch rectangle pan.

Tips and Techniques

• All ingredients must be at room temperature– That’s because they blend together smoothly and evenly.
• Don't substitute butter with oil– Because it does not yield the same rich and fudgy results. Use unsalted butter to prevent this treat from becoming too salty.
• Don’t over-mix batter– Because that can yield tough brownies. It’s okay if there are some lumps in the batter.
• Reheating brownies– Reheat leftovers in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to be make them ooey gooey again.
• Line pan with foil– I always use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper because the greased foil prevents the batter from sticking to the pan and you can cut/remove perfect slices easily plus it makes clean-up very easy.
• Don’t replace sugar with honey- Or even molasses because that will change the flavor and texture of the brownies.
• Granulated sugar vs. Brown sugar- I used only granulated but you can half of each and that works well too.
  
• Use full fat ingredients- Especially cream cheese, for maximum rich and creamy factor.

More Brownie Recipes

• Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
• Fudgy Avocado Brownies
• Nutella Brownies (3 Ingredients)
• Fudgy Oreo Brownies

Recipe

Until next time, tata my lovelies!