Marbled Cheesecake Brownies are the perfect decadent dessert. The fudgiest homemade brownie batter mixed with ultra-creamy cheesecake–truly the perfect pairing.

Why choose between chocolate and cheesecake when you can have both! These marbled cheesecake brownies would be the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert or for when the sweet tooth craving hits.

The Best Marbled Cheesecake Brownies

I don’t say this lightly, but this may just be the best dessert I’ve ever developed. Marbled cheesecake brownies perfectly marry fudgy brownies with creamy cheesecake–what could be better? The dark chocolate gives the brownies a deep chocolate flavor.

If you need a decadent dessert for Valentine’s Day or to satisfy those sweet tooth cravings, this recipe is it! It’s rich and delicious and you’ll be hard-pressed to stop at just one piece.

The best part? The whole recipe comes together quickly and you don’t need anything more than a hand mixer (or a regular whisk and some arm strength!).

Marbled cheesecake brownies come together with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! Need more Valentine’s Day dessert inspo? Try my Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet or my Gooey Nutella Lava Cakes.

How to Make Marbled Cheesecake Brownies

All you need to make these incredible marbled cheesecake brownies are a couple of mixing bowls and a hand mixer!

Tools Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Hand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• 8×8 Baking Pan

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Bittersweet chocolate. Don’t use chocolate chips here–I always recommend buying a nice quality chocolate bar and chopping it up. My favorite is the pound-plus chocolate from Trader Joe’s.
• Butter and oil. A combination of butter and oil makes these brownies extra fudgy.
• Sugar. Brown sugar in addition to white sugar helps keep these brownies chewy.
• Eggs. Make sure your eggs are room temperature!
• Cocoa powder. You’ll want to use dutch process cocoa powder as it has the most fat and rich flavor.
• Flour. All-purpose flour is the best move here.
• Baking powder. All you need is a tiny bit just to give the brownies lift.
• Chocolate chips. Optional, but who doesn’t want more chocolate in their brownies? The semi-sweet chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s are best.
• Cream cheese. You’ll want to use full-fat brick cream cheese.
• Sour cream. It’s my secret ingredient for making cheesecake extra creamy.
• Vanilla. Go for the good stuff here!

The Process

1. Make the cheesecake filling. In a mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until the filling is smooth and no lumps remain. Mix in the egg and vanilla until smooth and set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, oil, and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Whip the eggs and sugar. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer to whip for 3-4 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
5. Finish the brownie mix. Whisk in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture into the whipped eggs and sugar until smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain. Set aside 2/3 cup of brownie batter in a small bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips to the larger bowl of brownie batter.
6. Marble the brownies. Spread the brownie batter in an even layer in the prepared pan. Top with the cheesecake filling and spread in an even layer. Dot the reserved brownie batter over the top of the cheesecake mixture then use a knife or toothpick to create swirls.
7. Bake. Transfer to the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the cheesecake topping is slightly puffed. Let the cheesecake brownies cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Tips & Tricks for Making Marbled Cheesecake Brownies

Use the right chocolate. This is such an important tip! For the portion of the chocolate in this recipe that you melt, don’t use chocolate chips. They often contain stabilizers that keep the chocolate from melting properly. I buy chocolate feves (valrhona is my favorite brand), or I buy the bittersweet pound plus chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s.

Whip the eggs and sugar enough. This helps create body in the brownies and makes the chewy, fudgy brownies. The mixture should be super light and fluffy and pale yellow in color. This means you should whip them for 3-4 minutes.

Use room temperature ingredients. The eggs whip better when they aren’t cold. This is also especially important for the cheesecake filling. Cold cream cheese won’t turn smooth and instead will have little clumps of unmixed cream cheese.

Don’t overmix the brownies. You’ll notice that we switch from a hand mixer to a rubber spatula when mixing in the dry ingredients. This ensures that the batter doesn’t get over-mixed and that the brownies don’t turn tough. Only just mix until the streaks of flour are gone.

Storage Instructions

Marbled cheesecake brownies are easy to store if you have leftovers! I actually like storing them in the fridge so that the cheesecake is cold, but you can also store them at room temperature.

Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerated for 3-5 days.

Cheesecake brownies can be wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and frozen for up to 3 months. The combination of plastic wrap and a ziplock bag helps prevent freezer burn.

Let the brownies defrost overnight in the fridge before serving.

Marbled Cheesecake Brownies FAQs

Are these brownies cake-y or chewy?

These cheesecake brownies are decidedly very fudgy and chewy. They’re rich and ultra-chocolatey.

Can I use boxed brownie mix to make marbled cheesecake brownies?

Absolutely! Make sure the brownie batter is the appropriate volume and that they should be baked in an 8×8 pan. My favorite brand of boxed brownies is Ghirardelli.

Can I bake these brownies in a different sized pan?

If you want to bake these in a 9×13 pan, be sure to double the recipe.

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These Marbled Cheesecake Brownies are the completely decadent dessert you need in your life. Ultra-rich fudgy brownie mixed with perfectly creamy cheesecake–what could be better? If you do try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Dessert Recipes to Try

Bourbon Peach Crisp
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Loaf
Almond Ricotta Cake

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