Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies

Name: Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; ¾ cup all-purpose flour + 1 Tablespoon; ½ teaspoon salt; 3 large eggs, (divided use); ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, (packed); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 Tablespoons water; 8 ounce block cream cheese, (softened to room temperature); ½ cup granulated sugar

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Homemade fudge brownies with a ribbon of cheesecake throughout. These Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies combine two favorite desserts in one!

HOMEMADE BROWNIE CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Attention all brownie lovers! Get ready to indulge in a decadent treat that will soon become your favorite sweet treat- the best Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies! This irresistible dessert combines the richness of fudge brownies with the creamy, sweet tanginess of a cheesecake, creating a heavenly combination!

A stack of a few homemade Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use a stand mixer or an electric mixer?

Actually, that’s not something I’d recommend with this particular recipe because it would be too easy to over-mix your brownies and end up with tough brownies. However, if you really want to try it, I would use the lowest setting possible.
But really since you don’t have to cream the butter and sugar together, this recipe really is super easy and simple enough to make by hand.

Can I use a brownie mix instead?

Yes. Just remove the homemade brownie ingredients. Make the brownie mix according to the box directions then make the cream cheese filling separate by following the directions and ingredient amounts below. Make sure to grab a regular size brownie mix and not the family one that is meant for a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Can I use a 9×9-inch pan?

Sure, if you want to use a 9×9 for these Cream Cheese Brownies, you totally can. Just reduce the baking time to about 25 minutes. Please note: baking times do vary so please use your own personal knowledge of your ovens’ hot spots, the type of baking dish you are using, and rack location to best judge the timing.

Help! What do I do if I find my brownies are browning too much or burning before they’re finished baking?

Don’t panic, just remove them from the oven, tent the baking dish with aluminum foil and pop them back in the oven to finish baking. Also, consider moving the brownies to a lower oven rack as the top racks bake faster than the lower ones (heat rises.)

How do I know when my Cream Cheese Brownies are done baking?

The brownies should have a soft center, but not be jiggly. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out with a few fudgy crumbs on it, but not coated in runny batter. If it is, bake for an extra 5 minutes and test again with the toothpick.

How do you cut such nice brownies with nice edges?

Magic! Just kidding, before slicing, toss the brownies in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm them up, just slightly. This makes cutting them easier and you’ll end up with cleaner cuts. I also find it helpful to wipe the blade of the knife after each pass through so you aren’t dragging crumbs each time. Some folks like to run their knives under really hot water, wipe, then slice into the brownies for a clean cut.

What else can I add to these?

Want to make them even more chocolatey? Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips or nuts to the top mixed layer before baking. Additionally, you could add some marshmallows to the topping before baking.

How to store Cream Cheese Brownies?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. they can be frozen for up to 3 months (just make sure you wrap them well to protect against freezer burn.)

Two Fudgy Cream Cheese Brownies in a stack.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

unsweetened cocoa powder – any of your favorite cocoa powder works here. For homemade chocolate cakes and brownies, I like a Dutch process cocoa powder. I like this one (paid affiliate link) but for a more affordable one, Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa (paid affiliate link) works great too.
all-purpose flour – I do not sift the flour but if you normally sift your flour for baked goods, then please feel free to do that here. Just do not pack your measuring cup with flour or you will end up with too much. Just dip and scoop (and never measure directly from the flour bag as you will usually end up with too much doing it that way.)
large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come to room temperature, this helps them incorporate into the batter easier.
unsalted butter – if you only have salted butter, you can use that. Just cut down the salt down to 1/4 teaspoon. Also, you will be melting the butter so there’s no need to soften it to room temperature.
semi-sweet chocolate chips
vanilla extract – as for vanilla extract, a lot of folks are purists when it comes to the type of vanilla used. Honestly, a good ole baking vanilla extract (paid affiliate link) works just as great here.
cream cheese – this does need to be fully softened to room temperature. If you forgot to take it out to soften, see my post on How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly.
granulated sugar and light brown sugar – I have never made this with white/brown sugar substitutes but I don’t see why you couldn’t.

Cocoa powder, sugar, flour, cream cheese, vanilla extract, salt, eggs, butter, semi sweet chocolate chips, light brown sugar, and water.

HOW TO MAKE FUDGY CREAM CHEESE BROWNIES

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray then line it with parchment paper (the baking spray will help the parchment paper stay in place. You can also use oven-safe clips to hold it in place. Set aside. In a medium bowl, add the cocoa powder, ¾ cup flour, and salt. Whisk to combine then set aside.

Take one egg and separate the egg white from the egg yolk. Put the egg white in one small bowl and the egg yolk in another small bowl then set aside.

collage of two photos: a mixing bowl with cocoa powder, flour, and salt; small bowls with egg yolks and egg whites.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Take out the bowl and pour in the chocolate chips. Let it sit until the chocolate has softened (about 3-4 minutes). Stir until smooth. Add in the brown sugar to that bowl, stirring until incorporated into the chocolate/butter mixture.

collage of two photos: melted butter and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl; brown sugar added to melted chocolate mixture.

Then add in the vanilla extract, the other 2 eggs plus the yolk of the third egg (that you separated above), and stir until well combined. Now, pour the flour/cocoa mixture into the chocolate mixture and stir with a soft spatula until the brownie batter is well combined. Measure 1 cup of the batter and put into a small bowl, mix in 2 Tablespoons of water to that batter, then set aside.

Take the rest of the brownie batter and pour into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the batter (batter is very thick). Set aside.

collage of three photos: eggs added to brownie mixture in bowl; one cup of the brownie batter set aside in a separate bowl; brownie batter being spread into baking dish.

In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, slowly add in the granulated sugar and continue beating. Add in the egg white and continue to beat until smooth. Sprinkle in 1 Tablespoon of flour and stir until well combined.

collage of two photos: cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl; egg white and flour added to beaten cream cheese mixture in a bowl.

Using a small cookie scoop or Tablespoon, dollop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter, spacing them evenly around in the baking pan. This does not need to be perfect, it’s more about trying to make sure the cream cheese filling is evenly distributed.

You will follow this same procedure using the one cup of brownie batter you set aside earlier. Take the brownie batter and fill in the spaces between the cream cheese dollops.

collage of two photos: cream cheese mixture dolloped on brownie batter in a baking dish; brownie batter dolloped around the cream cheese dollops in baking dish.

Using the tip of a knife, gently swirl the top ¼-inch layer of the cream cheese & chocolate batter mixture together. Place the baking pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the edges are baked but the center is soft but doesn’t jiggle when shaken. Please note: baking times do vary so please use your own personal knowledge of your ovens’ hot spots, oven rack location and type of pan used to best judge the timing.