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Why we love this recipe
OH THESE BROWNIES.
I have probably made hundreds of pans of various brownies over the course of this blog, and I have never, EVER gotten the rave reviews (and seen the brownie pilfering) that went on with this cheesecake swirl brownies.
These are a lusciously soft brownie that you make from your favorite brownie mix…but before you bake it, you drop in spoonfuls of a super easy cheesecake batter, swirl everything around, pop it in the oven, and then spend the rest of the day explaining to people why they really should not eat four brownies in a row.
I know I am sounding more hopped up than usual, but just make them. You’ll see what I mean (about both the taste and the pilfering!).
Ingredients you need
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350.
STEP 2: Line an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick foil, with foil overlapping over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.
STEP 3: Prepare an 18.3 ounce box of brownie mix according to package directions and set aside. (Leave it in the mixing bowl – don’t bake it yet!)
STEP 4: Put 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, ½ cup of sour cream, ¼ cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour in a mixing bowl until smooth (I find a hand mixer works great for this step). Set aside.
STEP 5: Now to assemble! Pour about ¾ of the the brownie mixture into the prepared pan (more or less – this doesn’t have to be exact).
STEP 6: Drop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls on top of the brownie batter and spread it as best you can – it doesn’t have to completely cover it. If you have a cookie scoop it will work great for this part.
STEP 7: Drop the remaining brownie batter by spoonfuls over the top of the cream cheese mixture. (Use that cookie scoop again!)
STEP 8: Now for the fun part! Take a knife and swirl it through the cream cheese and top brownie batter layer – you want a nice swirly pattern, leaving some room at the edges so you get that nice brownie crust all the way around.
STEP 9: Pop it in the oven and bake for 35 minutes – a toothpick should come out mostly clean.
STEP 10: Cool your brownies in the pan for about 30 minutes, and then lift them out with the foil “handles” and let them cool completely before cutting them into 16 squares. I know, SO HARD!
STEP 11: Realize that cream cheese and brownies are a match made in heaven!
Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- 8 x 8 Baking Pan: This is the ultimate baking pan for brownies, banana chocolate chip cake and anything else you can dream up!
- Measuring Spoons: I love that these are not attached to a ring, and that they come in two shapes per spoon.
- Measuring Cup: I have these angled measuring cups in all kinds of sizes – it’s very handy to get the measurements on the outside and the inside of the cup.
- Mixing Bowls: The handles on these mixing bowls make them extra easy to hang on to while you are stirring away!
- Hand Mixer: This is perfect for mixing up the cream cheese mixture.
- Cookie Scoop: This is perfect for scooping up the cream cheese mixture and dropping it on the brownie batter.
Recipe FAQs
Yep! Just make sure it is an 18.3 ounce box and you are good to go.
You can! Don’t use the non-fat kind though – the flavor and texture just won’t be the same.
They actually have to be, so that they have time to cool before you cut them up. And in the extremely rare case where they don’t get eaten all at once, they will keep for 2-3 days – cover them up with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge.
Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!
I guess it just goes to show you, you can teach an old brownie new tricks! Brownies + Cheesecake = Dessert Heaven!
Other brownie recipes we love!
Could you leave us a review?
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
This easy recipe for cheesecake swirl brownies adds a creamy cheesecake center for a soft and luscious chocolate brownie that will melt in your mouth!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 18.3 ounce box Brownie mix (we used Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick foil, with foil overlapping over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and set aside (leave it in the mixing bowl – don’t bake it yet!).
- Put cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and flour in a mixing bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Now to assemble! Pour about ¾ of the the brownie mixture into the prepared pan (more or less – this doesn’t have to be exact).
- Drop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls on top of the brownie batter and spread it as best you can – it doesn’t have to completely cover it.
- Drop the remaining brownie batter by spoonfuls over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
- Now for the fun part! Take a knife and swirl it through the cream cheese and top brownie batter layer – you want a nice swirly pattern, leaving some room at the edges so you get that nice brownie crust all the way around.
- Pop it in the oven and bake for 50 minutes – a toothpick should come out mostly clean.
- Cool your brownies in the pan for about 30 minutes, and then lift them out with the foil “handles” and let them cool completely before cutting them into 16 squares.
Jennifer says
These are next level! Like a bite sized chocolate cheesecake and simple to make.
Two great tastes that taste great together, right? :)