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Marbled Cheesecake Brownies
Dessert

Marbled Cheesecake Brownies

Marbled Cheesecake Brownies are the perfect decadent dessert. The fudgiest homemade brownie batter mixed with ultra-creamy cheesecake--truly the perfect pairing.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 9 servings

Ingredients

Cheesecake Filling

  • 4 oz full-fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

Brownie Mix

  • 4 oz (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, diced
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips*

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edges for easy removal. Spray with nonstick spray.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Notes

For the bittersweet chocolate, I like using the pound plus bars from Trader Joe's and chopping up the chocolate. You could also buy a nice chocolate bar or chocolate feves and roughly chop them. Don't use chocolate chips here. 
For the chocolate that you fold into the brownie batter at the end, chocolate chips are fine. The best is Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks.