Cream Cheese Brownies
These fudgy chocolate brownies feature a decadent cream cheese swirl.
Makes16 brownies
Prep10 minutes
Cook40 minutes to 45 minutes
Brownies are one of the easiest ways to satisfy your chocolate cravings. Simply mix the ingredients in a bowl and bake! In my brownie-loving house, we’re always looking for a way to level them up — like adding coffee to the batter to enhance the chocolate flavors.
In today’s iteration, we’re swirling vanilla cream cheese batter into the chocolate batter for a moist, decadent, extra-creamy treat. You should also know that when it comes to brownies, I always go for fudgy, and these are certainly no exception.
How Do I Create the Marbled Swirl?
You’ll start by pouring half the chocolate batter into the baking pan, topping it with all of the cream cheese batter, then dolloping the remaining chocolate batter evenly over top (the cream cheese will be partially covered).
Using a paring knife, swirl the cream cheese batter into the chocolate batter. You’ll only need a few swipes of the knife to get the desired look, so don’t over-mix! Too many swirls will muddle the batter and the overall design (although don’t worry — it will still taste good).
2 Tips for Making Cream Cheese Brownies
- Create a parchment paper sling. For easier removal of your brownies, coat your baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper or foil so that it covers the bottom and hangs over two sides. Lightly coat the paper or foil with cooking spray.
- Use your favorite type of chocolate. Feel free to use either semisweet or bittersweet chips or bars. For the cutest brownies, I like to use chips, because you can sprinkle some on top just before baking.
Cream Cheese Brownies Recipe
These fudgy chocolate brownies feature a decadent cream cheese swirl.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes to 45 minutes
Makes 16 brownies
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 ounces
cream cheese
- 10 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
Cooking spray
- 10 ounces
semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, or 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup
plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 3
large eggs, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla extract, divided
- 1 cup
plus 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons
unsweetened natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
Instructions
Place 4 ounces of cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a medium bowl and let sit at room temperature until softened, about 1 hour.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper or aluminum foil so that it covers the bottom and hangs over two sides. Lightly coat the paper or foil with cooking spray.
If using semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bars, coarsely chop 10 ounces (no need to chop chocolate chips, you will need 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons). Transfer 1 cup to a medium microwave-safe bowl and reserve the remaining for topping.
Add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter to the bowl of chocolate. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until almost completely melted and smooth, about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Stir until completely melted and smooth.
Add 1 cup of the granulated sugar and whisk to combine. Add 2 of the large eggs and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and whisk until combined.
Place 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined with no streaks of flour; the batter will be thick.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cream cheese and butter, and fold with a rubber spatula until a mostly smooth mixture forms. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and fold until just combined. It will be smooth with some small lumps.
Pour half of the chocolate batter into the baking pan. Pour all of the cream cheese batter over the bottom layer and spread into an even layer. Using a spoon, dollop the remaining chocolate batter evenly onto the cream cheese. The cream cheese should be partially covered with some spots on top. Using a paring knife, swirl the cream cheese into the chocolate batter in a few places but do not over-mix. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved chocolate.
Bake until a tester comes out with just a few crumbs, 40 to 42 minutes. Let cool 1 hour. Grasping the excess parchment or foil, lift the brownie slab out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.