These marbled cheesecake brownies are made from a fudgy cheesecake base and topped with a tangy cream cheese layer! These delicious homemade brownies take just 20 minutes to make.
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These cream cheese brownies are so delicious! The bottom layer is made of a fudgy chocolate brownie, and it's then covered with a simple cheesecake swirl topping. The brownie layer is based off of my brownies with peanut butter cups, and the cheesecake layer comes together quickly in 1 bowl.
Want even more brownie recipes? Try out my mini egg brownies and triple chocolate brownies! If you want a peanut butter version of these cheesecake brownies, try my peanut butter cream cheese brownies!
This recipe was originally published in January 2021. It has been updated with a new recipe and new images in July 2022.
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Tell me about these marbled cheesecake brownies!
- Fudgy Brownie Layer - the brownie part is made with cocoa powder and melted chocolate so this is a dream for chocolate lovers.
- Cheesecake Filling - the cream cheese swirl topping is made up of just 4 ingredients.
- Easy to Make - It takes under 20 minutes to prep the entire recipe. Start off by whisking together all the cheesecake ingredients, then make the brownie batter and swirl the two together!
- Can be made ahead - you can make the brownies the night before. They just get even fudgier overnight in the fridge!
Ingredient Notes
Flour: I used all purpose flour in this recipe, I have not tested this with gluten free flour.
Sugar: the brownie batter has both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The cheesecake layer has just white sugar in it.
Chocolate: I used dark chocolate (70% cocoa) in this recipe, make sure to use a good quality chocolate as it makes all the difference!
Cocoa Powder: I used dutch processed cocoa powder. Not sure what you have in your pantry? If the ingredient list mentions acidity regulators or alkali, then you have dutch processed cocoa powder!
Oil: be sure to use a neutral tasting oil, like vegetable oil or sunflower oil.
Cream Cheese: I always use Philadelphia full fat cream cheese.
Step by Step Instructions
Step One: Whisk all the cheesecake ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth, then set aside.
Step Two: Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step Three: Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl until completely melted. Add your chopped chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes so the chocolate melts. If the chocolate isn't melting completely, place it back in the microwave in 15 second increments until melted.
Step Four: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the oil, sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, egg yolk, oil and vanilla extract together. Whisk for about 6 minutes, it should be very thick with some bubbles on the top.
Step Five: Add cocoa powder to the melted chocolate and use a rubber spatula to combine until smooth.
Step Six: Pour in the sugar mixture into the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Then pour in the flour mixture and stir until there are no more streaks of flour.
Step Seven: Line an 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil. Pour the brownie batter (except for about 1 cup) into the pan. Pour the cheesecake batter on top, and use a small offset spatula to even out the cheesecake batter. Pour 1 tablespoon of hot water into the remaining brownie batter and whisk until smooth. Dollop this on top of the cheesecake and then use a butter knife or toothpick to swirl everything together.
Step Eight: Bake at 350°Fahrenheit/175°Celsius for 30-35 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely in the pan.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Weighing ingredients - I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake!
- Fluff & sprinkle - If you aren't weighing your ingredients and are using a measuring cup, then use the fluff and sprinkle method to measure your flour. Go to this link here to find out how to do that. If you use too much flour, then your cheesecake marble brownies might not be fudgy and instead come out dry.
- Let them cool completely - if you try and lift out the brownies before they're completely cool, they might collapse in on themselves! Let them cool completely in their baking pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I recommend keeping them in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes you can! They will be slightly thinner and will just need less time in the oven, so keep an eye on them.
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you start the recipe, if it's too cold then the batter might be lumpy.
Love brownies? Try these brownie recipes next!
Have you made this recipe? Please rate the recipe below! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @alpineella and Pinterest!
Recipe
Marbled Cheesecake Brownies
Equipment
- 1 8x8 baking pan
Ingredients
Cheesecake Layer
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- 8 oz (226 grams) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Brownies
- ½ cup (70 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz (113 grams) dark chocolate chopped
- ¾ cup (160 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (104 grams) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 175°C and line an 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Whisk together all of the cheesecake ingredients in a small or medium bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
- Melt the butter, you can do this either in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl or over a double boiler. Once the butter is melted, either in the microwave or over the stove, add your chopped chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for a few minutes and then stir until it is completely melted. If the chocolate still hasn't melted, place the bowl back in the microwave and melt in 15 second increments. Allow the mixture to cool while you work on the next step.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whisk the oil, sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract for 6 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Add your cocoa powder to the melted chocolate and fold until it is completely smooth.
- Pour the sugar mixture into the melted chocolate butter mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together. Pour in the flour mixture and fold until there are no more streaks of flour.
- Pour ⅔ of the batter into the prepared pan, keeping just less than 1 cup of batter to the side. Add 1 ⅕ tablespoon water to the remaining brownie batter and mix. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top until it covers the surface, then dollop the reserved brownie mixture on. Use a butter knife to create the swirls.
- Bake for 30-33 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing, or they'll fall apart! Cut into 9 squares or 16 mini brownies.
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Paisley says
They turned out amazing! A little too rich for my taste, but my husband LOVED them. Going to try again, and add a little lemon or orange juice to the cheesecake. Will update. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Ella says
Thanks so much for your review! I love the idea of adding some lemon or orange juice, let me know how that goes!
Lauren says
This is the best dessert you could ever want! The brownie and the cheesecake layers mesh so well together (:
Ella says
So happy you liked it!
Ari says
Just made these and they are AMAZING. Even my boyfriend loves them and he’s not a sweets person. Definitely will be making again! The only thing for me is that they took about an hour to bake instead of the 30-33 minutes. That might just be my oven though!
Ella says
thanks so much for your review!
Anna says
These need to come with a danger warning, DANGEROUSLY MORISH. So good, will defo be making these again.