Cream Cheese Brownies {a.k.a. Cheesecake Brownies}
These cream cheese cheesecake brownies are perfection! Rich chocolate brownie batter and fluffy cheesecake filling- a match made in heaven!
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.
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
Cream Cheese {Cheesecake} Brownies
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (151 g) sour cream
- ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Brownie Batter:
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (see note)
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup (189 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, lightly grease the foil with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), whip the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, and flour. Mix on medium speed until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- For the brownie batter, combine the chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1-minute intervals at 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth (don’t overheat).
- Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla, and whisk until well-combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined, just until no dry streaks remain.
- Spread 1/2 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan; it will be a thin layer.
- Dollop the cream cheese batter in large spoonfuls over the brownie batter. Spread into a somewhat even layer (doesn’t have to be perfect).
- Microwave the reserved batter for 10-15 seconds. Give it a good stir and drizzle or dollop it over the cream cheese layer.
- If desired, use a knife to swirl the brownie batter through the cream cheese filling, leaving a thin border around the edges (I don’t always swirl; sometimes I just leave it in dollops, but swirling will give a more even cheesecake to brownie texture).
- Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate until chilled, 2-3 hours, for easier cutting. Gently lift the brownies out of the pan with the foil overhang, cut into squares and serve (or refrigerate cut brownies until ready to serve).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: cream cheese brownies adapted from America’s Test Kitchen (increased quantities for 9X13-inch pan instead of 8X8-inch, used semisweet/bittersweet instead of unsweetened chocolate, changed other quantities of ingredients)
34 Comments on “Cream Cheese Brownies {a.k.a. Cheesecake Brownies}”
These are delicious! It was a hit in our family and they were gone by the end of the day! Thank you, Mel!
We loved this! It annoys me when I eat a cream cheese brownie and can’t taste the cream cheese part. In these, however, the cream cheese and brownie both contribute their own lovely flavors and wow, they’re so moist! I just spread the chocolate across the top so the cheesecake layer teases and tempts from the cut side view. It really looks so elegant for a brownie!
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