Ultimate Cream Cheese Brownies

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Cream cheese brownies — enough said! There should never be a reason to choose between ooey-gooey fudgy brownies or a creamy, custardy cheesecake again. The best part is, my cream cheese brownie recipe couldn’t be easier to make, and you probably have all the ingredients you’ll need already in your pantry.

No cream cheese? No problem! You can always make my tried and true Best-Ever Brownie Recipe to get your chocolate fix, or you can make your own cream cheese right at home with only two (Yes! Two!) ingredients with my Homemade Cream Cheese!

There are few better combinations of food than rich bittersweet chocolate and cool, creamy cream cheese. They’re both absolutely delicious on their own, but together they really shine — these beautiful, but so easy to make, cream cheese brownies are sure to make the list of your go-to recipes. 

What are Cream Cheese Brownies?

My cream cheese brownies are rich chocolatey brownies with a simple three-ingredient cream cheese swirl throughout. And you can get even more creative with this recipe and make it your own by adding walnuts or chocolate chips — the saying less is more doesn’t apply when it comes to brownies around here!

What Kind of Cream Cheese Do I Need?

Any traditional plain cream cheese will work for this recipe, as will a batch of homemade cream cheese. What you want to be sure of, however, is that you allow your cream cheese to soften before you attempt to make the cream cheese filling, so all the ingredients can easily whisk together. 

Obviously, you’ll want to stay away from lox or scallion flavored cream cheeses! 

What You Need to Make Cream Cheese Brownies

You only need basic equipment you probably already have in your kitchen to make these delicious brownies, including:

• An 13″ x 9 ” baking pan
• Bowls and whisks for mixing
• Microwave and oven
• All your ingredients, including softened cream cheese and semi-sweet baking chocolate

How to make Cream Cheese Brownies

These brownies couldn’t be simpler to make and you only have to do 10 super easy steps to whip up a batch.

For the cream cheese filling:

1. Whisk softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour and egg together.

For the brownies:

1. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt chocolate, sugar and water in microwave. (Keep an eye on it, as your microwave wattage may vary from mine.)
3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate.
4. Add the flour mix and combine.
5. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips.

Now for the magic:

1. Pour your brownie batter into a buttered and parchment-lined baking pan. 
2. Drizzle on half of your cream cheese filling, swirl with a knife. Sprinkle over some extra chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 350°F on the center rack for 35-40 minutes.

Gemma’s Pro Tips For Cream Cheese Brownies

• Use bittersweet chocolate (70%) so you get a lovely balance of rich chocolate and a little sweetness.
• When chopping the baking chocolate, a sharp, heavy chef’s knife will do the trick, but using a serrated knife will require less force.
• That 1/2 tsp of salt is everything when it comes to the depth of flavor.
• Don’t overcook your brownies! Brownies continue to cook even after you take them out of the oven. You’ll know your brownies are ready to move from oven to counter when they feel firm around the edges, but still soft in the middle. 
• Let the cream cheese brownies cool completely before cutting. 

How to Store Cream Cheese Brownies

These brownies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 4 days, or they can be refrigerated for up to a week. Good news — they’re absolutely delicious when they’re slightly warmed… and it certainly couldn’t hurt to add some vanilla ice cream on top, and as long as we’re going for it, some chocolate syrup! 

Make More Brownies!

• Best-Ever Brownies
• Microwave Mug Brownie
• Best-Ever Blondies

And don’t forget to buy a copy of the Bigger Bolder Baking cookbook for loads more recipes!

Try These Recipes!

2-Minute Microwave Brownie Bowl

Chocolate Kalakand

Traditional Irish Oat Flapjacks

Maple Pecan Blondies