Cream Cheese Brownies {a.k.a. Cheesecake Brownies}
Decadent chocolate brownie batter and fluffy cheesecake filling are swirled together making the ultimate cream cheese brownie! These cream cheese brownies {a.k.a. cheesecake brownies} are perfection.
Mondays are meant for brownies!
And naps.
But mostly brownies.
Because if your life is like mine, the chances of you actually getting a nap are slim to never going to happen.
That’s ok. The day is wasting, and these cream cheese brownies aren’t going to make themselves.
If you’ve been looking for the perfect cream cheese brownies, this is the one.
It’s simple and uncomplicated with the perfect proportion of rich, decadent brownie batter and fluffy cream cheese filling.
I have an old, old cheesecake brownie recipe in the archives of my site. These Black and White Cheesecake Squares.
They are yummy. And a huge favorite (still) of mine, but the method and recipe are fairly different from today’s cream cheese brownie recipe.
So I consider them each existing in a land of their own. I love them both.
The cream cheese brownies I’m sharing with you today is definitely more classic in terms of cheesecake brownie flavor – and it’s a little simpler to prepare (no refrigerating the batter).
It’s the ultimate in brownies + cheesecake.
The flavor is spot on: the brownie batter perfectly chocolatey and rich and the cheesecake batter deliciously tangy and creamy.
One quick glance at the recipe, and you’ll see my pictures validate how rebellious I am in real life (ha!).
I have made these brownies many times; half the time I grab a knife and swirl the brownie and cheesecake batter together in a very artistic manner.
And half the time, I don’t (and apparently, that’s when I choose to take pictures of them).
It’s really up to you. I will say that swirling the batters together gives you a more even cheesecake-to-brownie batter look and feel.
But honestly, if someone is going to turn away a brownie because it isn’t swirled properly, that person is no friend of mine.
Happy Monday! (And if you manage to make these cream cheese brownies and get a nap, please, for the sake of my jealousy, don’t come back and brag about it.)
A quick note about some of my favorite brownie-making equipment:
-This is the 9X13-inch pan I use for all my brownies and cookie bars. It’s my fave (I have two of them, actually); the lid is just icing on the cake and super nice to have around.
-I can’t emphasize enough how much I use my small offset spatula(s) when I make brownie recipes like this – makes spreading those brownie and cheesecake layers easy as can be.
{Amazon affiliate links included above for products I’ve bought there; feel free to shop around for the best deal!}
One Year Ago: Chicken Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic-Kale Mash
Two Years Ago: No-Bake Thin Mint Cheesecakes
Three Years Ago: Light and Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes
Chocolate: for the chocolate in the brownie batter, you can use baking bar chocolate (usually found above or near the chocolate chips) or you can melt chocolate chips, keeping in mind that not all chocolate chips melt well. I've had the best luck using Ghirardelli or Guittard chocolate chips when melting them in brownie recipes like this. Also, using bittersweet chocolate/chocolate chips will obviously result in a slightly darker chocolate and less sweet brownie, so keep that in mind if using (my preference is bittersweet chocolate, but I like the rich, dark taste). Extra Chocolate Chips: also, I definitely won't be mad at you if you want to sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the top of the swirled brownies before baking. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Cream Cheese {Cheesecake} Brownies
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
Brownie Batter:
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Hey Mel! I’ve made your Fudgy Brownies (homemade like the boxed ones) and they’re a hit every time! I was wondering if I could just add the cheesecake mixture to those and bake them off? Would that make too much of a difference in the brownies?
The texture difference may not bake up as well, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. I feel like it’s always worth a try!
Thank you! It’s just that I’ve run out of baking chocolate and have a brick of cream cheese I’d love to use up.
can I replace the sour cream with buttermilk?
I haven’t tried that, but it might work…
I make these often when I want a extra special treat, they are always a hit!!
These were so good. But as with other commenters, I cooked them 50 min, and they were still underdone in the middle. Going to increase heat to 350 next time and see what happens. But as I suspected, no one complained about gooey chocolate bites.
I love when you link to products you love. I just snagged the pan and lid for $15 on amazon. Seemed like a good deal to me!
Yay! 🙂
Mel, I LOVE your recipes! But I have been baking this for 40 mins and it’s still jiggling in the pan and toothpick comes out wet. Still baking but I’m getting nervous…
Did they work out? Every oven is different, so it’s ok if extra baking time is needed – I think my oven tends to bake faster than other ovens (based on reader comments). Let me know how they turned out.
I dont know what I’ve done wrong but I’m going on an hour if baking and my toothpick still comes out with wet batter on the whole end. :-/. Gooey brownies are good too…
These are so good!! I love that it’s a big recipe so I can take some too a friend, and I also love that it’s such an easy one. Thanks Mel!
This is one delicious brownie. Especially since chocolate and cream cheese are the best flavor combination in the history of ever. (Sounds like what someone else I know likes to say!) The only way to improve it, possibly, is to figure out how to throw a ribbon of peanut butter in there, too. Possibly. But they are great the way they are!
Oh, peanut butter! Yum!
Oooh, I wonder if it would work too mix peanut butter in with the cheesecake batter?? That sounds amazing!
These look so delicious — I’m going to try them for book group. My question is why do you use foil instead of parchment paper to line the pan? Is there an advantage to one over the other? I have both – I’m just curious! Thanks for all your help!
I use foil mostly because it’s easier to get into the corners. 🙂
Thanks! You never know – like using a plastic knife to cut brownies. Sometimes one just works better. My family loves these, even my husband who isn’t a huge brownie fan! We’ve made them twice already!
These were a hit at home and at work. Thanks for another winner!!
Wow, these were rich and delicious. I could not stop eating them. I cooked them the full time and they were a little gooey, but ok after refrigerating. It’s just hard to wait that long to eat them! I used Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips. Thanks!
I made these this week and WOW! Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Not sure whether to thank you or hate you right now, but WOW! This pregnant is one happy lady, even if it means gaining a few extra pounds by eating at least half the pan by myself. SOme of the best cheesecake brownies. Rich and delicious!
I only have unsweetened chcoclate bars. Will this work? Do I need to increase the sugar?
Yes, you can use unsweetened chocolate; I’d increase the sugar by at least 1/2 cup.
In the snowstorm, we made these! Yummy! Thanks Mel!
Stay safe in the crazy weather!
It looks delicious! And the recipe is just perfect! I need the miracle pan now!
Brooke has been asking to make brownies and since my cream cheese brownie recipe has been failing my recently this is it.
These brownies look amazing! My husband is gone on a business trip and I think I’ll eat my sorrows in these tonight!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This looks SO good! Going to make them this week.
Seriously the most diabolical combination since I don’t know what… my husband’s co-workers get the benefit. It’s just the 2 of us and I lack will power and self control so I make stuff, get my modest fill and send the rest to work. 😀 Some are more painful than others. I think these would be painful to send away. lol