These Cream Cheese Brownies are rich, chocolatey fudgy brownies with a cheesecake ripple!
This recipe is made with a simple and fudgy one-bowl brownie batter, then swirled with a foolproof 4-ingredient cheesecake batter!
Nothing beats a classic, fudgy chocolate brownie… except maybe one that’s swirled with cheesecake! These cream cheese brownies are the ultimate sweet treat, made with ripples of cheesecake and whorls of rich chocolate. They’re also incredibly easy to make, with a one-bowl brownie recipe and a simple 4-ingredient cheesecake swirl.
The brownie portion of these cheesecake swirled brownies is adapted from my favorite brownie recipe (which you may also recognize from these Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies!). While I always prefer to make my desserts from scratch (especially if they’re as easy to make as this one), I have also made these using Ghirardelli’s Classic chocolate brownies with great success! If you’ve been asking yourself what desserts can you make with brownie mix, Cream Cheese Brownies are a fantastic option!
These brownies work best in a 7×11 pan, but you could also make a 9×9 pan work, I’ve found that a 9×13 pan makes the brownies much thinner than I like them to be.
How to Make Cream Cheese Brownies:
To make cheesecake swirled brownies, you’ll need a fudgy brownie batter and then, of course, a small batch of cheesecake!
To make the cheesecake swirl, you’ll need to combine cream cheese, sugar, an egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. For best results, you’ll want to start with room-temperature cream cheese, and I also recommend using an electric mixer to beat your ingredients together so that the cheesecake is completely lump-free. Then you’ll drizzle this over the chocolate brownie batter and swirl with a knife before baking.
Can you add chocolate chips to brownie mix?
Yes, stir them into the batter last, just before spreading into the baking pan. The average batch of brownie batter can handle having about 1 cup of chocolate chips added.
How do you cut brownies cleanly?
Allow the brownies to cool completely before attempting to cut. For a very clean cut, refrigerate the brownies for several hours, use a warm knife (the best way to warm a knife is to run it under hot water and then dry it off just before cutting), and wipe the knife clean between cuts.
I recommend lining your baking pan with parchment paper so that once the cream cheese brownies have cooled completely you can simply lift them out of the pan and place them on a cutting board to cut them that way — much easier and neater than trying to cut directly in the pan!
What do you serve with brownies?
These cream cheese brownies taste great on their own, or they also are wonderful when served warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or chocolate syrup! Walnuts, pecans, and sprinkles are some other great options!
*NOTE: I originally suggested that you could use your favorite box mix as a substitute for the from-scratch brownie batter, but after a few people had difficulty with the recipes I no longer recommend using a box mix. I have had success using Ghirardelli’s Classic Chocolate brownie mix, but outside of that I can’t vouch for the success of this recipe using a box mix!
Cream Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies*
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Cheesecake Swirl
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 7×11 pan with baking spray.
- Combine butter and chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well and microwave again for another 15 seconds and then stir well again. Repeat in 15 second intervals until chocolate and butter are completely melted and well-combined.
- Add cocoa powder and stir well.
- Add sugars, stir until completely combined.
- Add eggs and then egg yolk, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine.
- Add flour and stir until completely combined.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the batter and spread the rest of the batter evenly into prepared pan. Prepare your cheesecake topping.
Cheesecake
- Combine cream cheese and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until creamy.
- Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Stir until well-combined.
- Pour cheesecake over prepared brownie batter. Take your reserved ¼ cup brownie batter (if it has become stiff just stir it with a spoon) and drop/drizzle over cheesecake.
- Use a knife to swirl brownie batter and cheesecake together.
- Bake on 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few fudgy crumbs.
- Allow to cool COMPLETELY before cutting and serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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I have my own brownie recipe for 8×8 trays. Can I make the cheesecake swirl the same way as above and just swirl it into that? Or should I half the amount made?
You would probably need just over half of the cream cheese mixture. But we would love to hear how it turns out if you attempt it!
I love this recipe! Made them for the first time and it’s my new go-to! How do you recommend storing them? Should they be refrigerated or can they be left out?
Hi Tanya, I would store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or you can wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a few months.
These came out perfect! 40 min for a 8×8 pan
Worst brownie recipe ever!! The brownie layer was very thick and after baking for an extra 12 minutes the brownies basically came out like they weren’t bake at all. The cream cheese was baked and had turned a light tan. What an expensive waste of ingredients and time.
I’m so sorry to hear that Sharon, this recipe has always turned out great for us.
Just made this recipe and followed it to a T. The batter was unbelievably thick and hardened rather quickly. The cream cheese topping was rather thin. Impossible to get a swirling effect so I’m crossing my fingers. Also, I’m a pretty good baker and cook so I’m scratching my head about how the batter was so dense. I see a few other reviews with the same issue. Wish me luck!
I had the same experience when I tried this recipe.
Easy and yummy, great texture.
These were delicious! can’t wait to give to my co-workers for Valentine’s Day!
Wow, made these today and they are fabulous!! Didn’t have a 7×11 pan, so used a 9×9 and they were done in 40 minutes. Everyone wanted the recipe! May make them tomorrow!!