Description
Decadent cream cheese brownies featuring a rich, fudgy chocolate base layered with a smooth, tangy cream cheese swirl, baked to gooey perfection for a crowd-pleasing dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Batter
- 10 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…” cup flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a baking dish to ensure the brownies don’t stick after baking.
- Melt Butter and Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl or over a double boiler, melt the butter together with the semisweet chocolate chips until smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fully combined.
- Mix Batter: Add the eggs one at a time to the chocolate mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Then, blend in the flour, salt, and water until you get a smooth batter.
- Layer Batter: Spread about three-quarters of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared baking dish to form the bottom layer.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Spread Cream Cheese Layer: Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the brownie batter layer in the dish.
- Top with Remaining Batter: Drop spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter onto the cream cheese layer. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the brownie batter through the cream cheese layer to create a marbled effect.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until the brownies are set around the edges but still slightly gooey in the center. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for smoother mixing.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep brownies tender.
- Adjust baking time if using a larger or smaller baking pan.
- Let brownies cool before cutting for cleaner slices.
- The swirl pattern can be customized by varying the intensity of swirling with a knife.
