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Cheesecake Brownie is a heavenly delicacy. Perfect for the day when you can’t decide between a fudgy brownie and velvety cheesecake. This fusion dessert is a beautiful match between a rich and intense chocolate brownie base and creamy and delightful cheesecake with subtle vanilla flavours. Get ready to blow the minds of your loved ones with this delectable dessert.
With the number of different brownie recipes I’ve shared in a short duration (such as Double Chocolate Banana Brownies, Brownies Made With Cocoa Powder, Brownie Cookies, Double Chocolate Brownies) you can successfully guess that I am an ardent brownie stan. And this recipe takes my brownie obsession to another level.
I am a huge fan of cheesecake but to make one requires a bit of effort and tons of patience. After more than one hour of baking and up to 8 hours of refrigeration cheesecakes are definitely not ready in 5 minutes kind of dessert. And that’s why this recipe is a love of mine. The prep roughly takes 10 minutes. 45 minutes of baking and only 1 hour of refrigeration and tada! Minimal effort for creamy cheesecake with a heavenly brownie base. Seriously what else do you need in life?
What do you need to make cheesecake brownie?
Ingredients required to make the cheesecake brownie:-
Following is a preview list of ingredients, for a detailed list with quantity required, find the recipe card below.
Brownie
- Butter
- Dark chocolate
- Cocoa Powder- I’ve used Dutch-processed cocoa powder as it gives intense and rich cocoa flavours but feel free to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder only they will be less intense.
- Coffee powder
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Salt
Cheesecake
- Cream cheese
- Egg
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to make a Cheesecake Brownie?
Following is a simple instruction list, for detailed instructions, find the recipe card below.
Prep
- Preheat the oven. Grease and line a square baking pan.
Brownie layer
- Melt butter, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate in a bowl. Add coffee powder and vanilla extract.
- Mix both the sugar and egg. Whisk till combined.
- Sift in the flour and salt. Whisk till combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan while reserving some mixture.
Cheese Cake
- Beat cream cheese in a bowl till creamy. Add sugar, vanilla extract, and egg. Beat till a creamy consistency is achieved.
- Pour the cream cheese batter over the brownie batter.
- Pour dollops of reserved brownie batter over the cheese layer. Use a skewer to create marble effects.
- Bake in the preheated oven till a skewer is inserted in the centre with some brownie crumbs.
- Allow to cool in pan then set in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
FAQ’s
Why is my brownie part so dense?
The quantity of flour added determines the texture of the brownie. Too much flour can make brownies dense. Therefore, properly measure the flour. Employing a scale is the ideal option. There are many cheap kitchen scales available. Here is the one I have used. But if you want to use a cup, rather than directly scooping the flour use spoons to fill the cup.
Why is the cocoa powder added while melting butter and chocolate?
The heat from the butter and chocolate helps the cocoa powder to bloom thus releasing intense and rich chocolate flavour. If you don’t want the intensity of chocolate add the cocoa powder with flour.
Is it necessary to bring cold ingredients to room temperature before using them?
Yes. In this case cream cheese and eggs. If they are used straight from the fridge there is a high possibility that these ingredients won’t properly mix and can create lumps. Which when baked will affect the texture and flavour of our end product. Place the cold ingredients on the counter for at least 1 hour before using.
Can I skip the brown sugar?
Yes. Brown sugar is added for the chewy texture of the brownie. But instead of brown sugar, you can half the amount of white sugar(granules).
Is adding coffee powder necessary?
It is only added to enhance the flavours of chocolate. You won’t taste coffee flavour. But if you don’t want you can skip coffee.
What are the signs of a perfectly baked cheesecake brownie?
The centre of the cheesecake will set and edges will puff up and little cracks will appear. When a skewer is inserted in the centre, there will be some crumbs of brownie mix with no sign of cheese layer. But if you fear that you may over-bake take the brownie 8-5 minutes prior to the mentioned time. The brownies and cheesecake will continue to cook from the remaining heat from the oven.
How to store Cheesecake brownie?
After the cheesecake has set in the fridge. Remove from oven and slice. Place the slices in an airtight container. They can stay at/in:
- Room temperature for 1 day.
- Refrigerator for 4-5 days
- Freezer for 2 months.
if you liked this recipe, try these!
Cheesecake Brownie
Ingredients
Brownie
- 150 g Butter (unsalted) ½ cup+2 tbsp
- 100 g Dark chocolate (chopped) ¾ cup
- 25 g Cocoa powder (dutch-processed) ¼ cup
- 1 tsp Coffee powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 50 g Sugar(granulated) ¼ cup
- 50 g Brown Sugar ¼ cup
- 3 Eggs (room temperature)
- 80 g All-purpose flour ½ cup+3tbsp
- ¼ tsp Salt
Cheesecake
- 300 g Cream Cheese(room temperature) 1¼ cups
- 1 Eggs (room temperature)
- 70 g Sugar(granulated) ½ cup
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 170℃/340℉. Grease and line an 8×8-inch pan with baking paper.
Brownie Layer
- Melt butter and chopped dark chocolate with cocoa powder in a double boiler or microwave. While the mixture is still warm add coffee powder and vanilla extract. Mix and set aside for a few minutes to cool down.
- Add both the sugars and eggs. Whisk till combined.
- Sift in flour and salt. Mix with a whisk or spatula till combined.
- Reserve 1 tbsp of brownie mixture. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake
- In a bowl beat cream cheese with a whisk, electric mixer, or stand mixer till smooth. Add sugar, vanilla extract, and egg. Beat till combined and a creamy consistency is achieved.
- Pour this mixture over the brownie layer. Spread evenly.
- Pour dollops of brownie mixture over the cheese layer with a teaspoon. Use a skewer to swirl this brownie mix to create a marble effect.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170℃/340℉ for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan itself. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set the cheesecake. Remove from pan, cut and serve.
Notes
- Measure flour properly for the fudgy consistency of the brownie.
- Cold ingredients such as cream cheese and eggs should be at room temperature before using.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder, Coffee powder, and brown sugar are optional. You can skip coffee powder whereas Dutch-processed can be replaced with natural unsweetened cocoa powder and brown sugar with half the amount of white sugar granules.
- Cheesecake brownie can be stored at room temperature for 1 day. In the refrigerator for 5 days and freezer for 2 months.
- When the cheesecake brownie is perfectly baked its centre will appear set and the edges puffed up with some cracks. A skewer inserted in the centre will have some brownie crumbs with cheesecake crumbs.