Creamy, Fudgy, Cheesecake Brownies
One of the oldest recipes on the blog gets a makeover today! This cheesecake brownie recipe has been a favorite of mine for decades, and yet I’d almost forgotten about it as it was slowly buried under newer recipes. But today I’m bringing back this shining example of dessert perfection. It’s the perfect hybrid of my beloved homemade brownies and my award-winning cheesecake, baked together in a single pan and drizzled with chocolate. While other recipes often have a dry brownie layer topped with a scant swirl of cream cheese, these cheesecake brownies are the real deal. The brownie layer is fudgy, chocolatey, and studded with chocolate chips. It’s easy to make from-scratch, just one bowl and no mixer needed. The cheesecake layer is authentic, tangy, and rich. Let’s get to it.
What You’ll Need For Cheesecake Brownies
All of the ingredients we’re using today should be familiar and easy to find, but let’s talk about a few of them before we begin.
Chocolate. This makes our brownie layer fudgy and flavorful. I like to use a semi-sweet or dark chocolate baking bar, but in a pinch you can substitute chocolate chips. Cocoa Powder. I use unsweetened cocoa powder and have not tested this recipe with Dutch-processed, though I believe it would work fine here. Instant coffee. While this is optional, it intensifies the chocolate flavor of the brownies and makes the cheesecake brownies more flavorful overall.Eggs. Two go into our brownie layer and two into our topping. While my original brownie recipe also uses an egg yolk, I felt that I was already asking you to use enough eggs with this recipe and after a lot of testing I felt comfortable using just two whole eggs (I don’t recommend leaving it out when just making my brownies, though!).Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Adding chocolate chips is optional, but I like the added pops of chocolate and the firm texture they add to every bite. You could leave them out entirely, or swap for white chocolate chips.Cream Cheese. Use full-fat cream cheese (sold in a block) and not the low-fat or spreadable kind in a tub. Spreadable cream cheese has other ingredients added to it that can keep it from setting up properly and can alter the final taste and texture.Sour cream. In my opinion, sour cream is a must for cheesecake, and the top layer of my cheesecake brownies is no exception. It adds a subtle tang and rich flavor that you won’t find in many other recipes (aren’t you glad you ended up here!?).
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I chose them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Cheesecake Brownies
These cheesecake brownies are pretty rich, so in “real life” I usually cut them about half the size of the squares in these pictures (and then inevitably go back for seconds, so maybe don’t cut them in half, and save yourself the trip). Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card! This recipe was originally published 01/16/2017. Photos and recipe have been updated and a how-to video has been added!
