Cream Cheese Brownie Recipe

This cream cheese brownie recipe is a fantastic dessert when feeding a crowd. They are rich, and chocolatey, and extra moist thanks to the cream cheese swirl and they also look so pretty too! 

WATCH MY VIDEO DEMO OF THIS RECIPE BELOW!

One of my favorite desserts to make is a cream cheese brownie. Seriously, there is nothing more decadent for the chocolate lover than a rich chewy brownie dotted with cream cheese.

They are also quite fun to make, especially if you have kids because creating the swirl effect can be quite an art form.

How do you make cream cheese swirled brownies?

Cream cheese brownies are fairly simple to do, but they do involve making “two batters” a brownie batter and a cream cheese batter, which then will become swirled together.

At first, this may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn’t that bad and once you taste them, you’ll agree they are so worth the effort! 

You’ll make a cheesecake batter with cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and flour (see recipe below)

And then a classic brownie batter. But really this is the most time-consuming part, after that it’s the fun part…swirling and of course eating them!

Can you add coffee to the brownie mix?

Yes! This is something I do all the time, in a lot of chocolate-based desserts and chocolate sauces because I find it really amps up the flavor of the chocolate. Just be sure to add the “Instant Coffee Granules” that dissolve in hot water (not coffee grounds!)

How can you tell when brownies are done?

OK, so this is a bit of a science because if you place a skewer inside the center and it comes out wet, it’s underdone and they will be too mushy and fudgy, if the skewer comes up completely clean they can be overdone and then they’ll be too cakey.

The best time to pull them out in my opinion is when the skewer is not wet but does pull out a few crumbs, this will give you the most perfectly done brownie with a good amount of chew once they are completely cooled…which leads me to the next tip on cutting.

How long do you let brownies cool before you cut them?

Normally I would say at least an hour, but because of the cream cheese these are really best refrigerated for at least 4 hours to firm up and set so that you get a nice clean cut, and overnight is even better!

To serve, I like to cut my brownie squares on the diagonal, turning them into elegant triangles. I find it really elevates the dessert into something architecture and special.

This is also a great trick for kids because that way they are only getting a “half-sized” portion, but really don’t know the difference because it’s the “same size” as everybody else, a key determining factor in a child’s view of what is “fair” 🙂

So go ahead and treat yourself to these this weekend! You’ll be SO glad that you did 🙂

MORE GREAT RECIPES!

• Black Bottom Banana Nut Muffins
• Honey Lavender Creme Brulee
• Easy Apricot Tartlettes
• Candy Cane Cupcakes

Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a rating and review below!