Love cheesecake? And brownies? Get the best of both worlds with these decadent cheesecake brownies. They are smooth, creamy and oh-so-chocolatey. One bite and you’ll be hooked!
Sometimes I get in weird dessert-making moods where I feel like I’m Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Do I want cookies? Or a cupcake? Or ice cream? I’m such an indecisive person (ask anybody I know) that it can literally take me hours or days to make a decision on things. There are some weeks when it’s easy for me to decide what to bake, while other weeks it’s near impossible to figure out what to make.
One indecisive week not too long ago, I could not figure out what to bake. I looked up donut recipes, eggless recipes, muffins, breads and cupcakes. Inspiration did not strike. And then finally it came to me – cheesecake brownies. It combines two desserts into one and could be customized to my liking. Finally, a decision was made.
I wanted to be able to make these fairly quickly since I was pressed for time and had a few hours before I would be back in the kitchen to enjoy my creation. Normally, I like to taste test things straight out of the oven, but since these needed chilling time in the refrigerator, I wouldn’t be tempted to immediately quality control them.
This dessert was very easy to put together. I put them in the refrigerator as quickly as I could (after they cooled down significantly) so I didn’t have any temptations to sneak any. The aroma was enough to make my husband ask what I had been baking, and when I told him it was cheesecake brownies, he wanted to try one right away. He was quite disappointed when I said that they were chilling in the refrigerator.
I gave a few to some friends at Addie’s gymnastics class and one of the dads snuck one right away. He said that they were wonderful, and Addie and my husband all agreed after they finally tried their slices. The brownies were more on the fudgy side (yay!) and the cheesecake layer was smooth and creamy. The chocolate chips provided some nice texture to the otherwise soft and luscious bars.
Let’s just say that these did not last long in our house. Need any more proof that these are good?
Chunky chocolate chip cheesecake brownies
Ingredients
Cheesecake layer
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks of choice
Brownie layer
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease or line a standard 8"x8" baking pan and set aside (I used a silicone pan and did not grease it).
Make the cheesecake layer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a medium sized bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix together the cream cheese, sugar and egg. Set aside.
Make the brownie layer
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Add the sugar and eggs and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients and fold until everything just comes together.
Assemble the bars
- Transfer about half of the brownie layer on the bottom of your prepared pan. Add the cheesecake layer and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or chunks. Add the rest of the brownie batter on top and swirl the top with a butter knife or toothpick.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and start to pull away from the pan. Do not over bake the bars. Allow to cool completely (put it in the refrigerator after they have reached room temperature) before serving.