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Recipes | Desserts | Cookies, Brownies, & Bars | Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Cookies, Brownies, & Bars

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Author by on Updated on

4.97 from 31 votes
These Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies are rich and sinful and absolutely delicious. Chocolate and cheesecake, a match made in chocolate lover's Heaven.
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Jump to Recipe
stacked brownie cheesecake

Rich. Sinful. Chocolate and cheesecake, a match made in chocolate lover’s Heaven. How can you not want to sink your teeth into that??

Two Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies stacked on top of each other


 

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

This combination of chocolate infused cheesecake and a rich decadent brownie is the perfect ending to a dinner party or just a marvelous sweet treat for you and your family. Either way, you must try these today.

Pan of Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies with a few squares missing

Very important notes on the ingredients:

I have some very important notes on these ingredients in order to ensure the success of this recipe. Please be sure you follow this recipe exactly before writing and saying this recipe didn’t work. I have tested this recipe several times and each time they have been amazing. Below are tips to ensure baking success.

Brownie layer:

  • I use unsalted butter. Using salted butter will be fine, but don’t use margarine.
  • When you measure your brown sugar, it needs to be packed into the measuring cup. Dip your measuring cup into the sugar, fill it as much as you can, and smash it down into the cup tight. Then level off the top.
  • When measuring baking cocoa it needs to be done with the scoop and sweep method, otherwise you will get too much and dry out your brownies. I have weighed the ingredients and included those weights in the printable version. Please weigh your ingredients for best results.
  • Use large eggs, not extra large or medium… large.
  • I use pure vanilla extract. If you use imitation vanilla, please note it has a distinctively different flavor. If you prefer that flavor, go for it.
  • Measure your flour using the scoop and sweep method, or for BEST results weigh it according to the printable version below.
  • Use regular table salt and double acting baking powder.

Cheesecake layer:

  • This recipe uses two types of chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate and semisweet chocolate. I use Ghirardelli or Baker’s chocolate.
  • Your cream cheese needs to be very soft, but please don’t use the microwave. For best results, take the cream cheese out of the fridge 40 minutes before you decide to bake. Unwrap it and cut it into about 8 pieces and don’t let them touch each other. This will let them come to room temperature move evenly.
  • Again you need a large egg and you’ll use regular white granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract and regular table salt.

Helpful kitchen tools:

Stack of Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

How to Make Cheesecake Brownies

Start by preheating the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×9 baking pan.

  1. Melt the butter and using a wooden spoon, mix in the brown sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Combine with butter mixture, and spread evenly in the baking dish. Set aside.
illustrated steps for making brownie layer
  1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Place cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate and process to combine.
  2. Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over the brownie layer.
illustrated steps for making cheesecake layer
  1. Bake in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Test with a toothpick – at most you should only get a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting.
  2. Store in a sealed container, preferably in the refrigerator. Excellent cold or at room temperature!
A stack of three Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

These chocolate cheesecake brownies are one of my all-time favorite recipes on this blog. I hope you enjoy them and make them over and over again the way that I do!

More desserts you might like:

  1. Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
  2. Fudge Brownies
  3. Fudge Frosted Espresso Brownies
  4. Brownies in a Cast Iron Skillet
  5. Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
  6. Chocolate Mint Brownies
  7. Brookies
stacked brownie cheesecake

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

These Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies are rich and sinful and absolutely delicious. Chocolate and cheesecake, a match made in chocolate lover's Heaven.
4.97 from 31 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Print It Rate It
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 brownies
1 hour
Calories: 251
Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

Brownie layer:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup PACKED brown sugar
  • 1.5 ounces baking cocoa 1/2 cup NOT PACKED, scoop and sweep like flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3.67 ounces all purpose flour 3/4 cup measured with scoop and sweep method
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Cheesecake layer:

  • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 2.5 oz semisweet chocolate
  • 8 ounces very soft cream cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Things You’ll Need

Before You Begin

  • IMPORTANT – weigh dry ingredients according to the recipe. Use a kitchen scale to get the most accurate measurement and ensure recipe success!
  • ALSO don’t change the chocolate types, this will change the flavor. These bars have a dark chocolate flavor. They are not sweet like chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies.
  • When you measure your brown sugar, it needs to be packed into the measuring cup. Dip your measuring cup into the sugar, fill it as much as you can, and smash it down into the cup tight. Then level off the top.
  • When measuring baking cocoa it needs to be done with the scoop and sweep method, otherwise you will get too much and dry out your brownies. I have weighed the ingredients and included those weights in the printable version. Please weigh your ingredients for best results. 
  • Measure your flour using the scoop and sweep method, or for BEST results weigh it according to the printable version below.
  • Your cream cheese needs to be very soft, but please don’t use the microwave. For best results, take the cream cheese out of the fridge 40 minutes before you decide to bake. Unwrap it and cut it into about 8 pieces and don’t let them touch each other. This will let them come to room temperature move evenly.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter or spray a 9×9 baking pan.
  • Melt the butter and using a wooden spoon, mix in the brown sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
  • In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Combine with butter mixture, and spread evenly in the baking dish. Set aside.
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Place cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Add melted chocolate and process to combine.
  • Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over the brownie layer. Bake in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Test with a toothpick – at most you should only get a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting.
  • Store in a sealed container, preferably in the refrigerator. Excellent cold or at room temperature!

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 251cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow on Pinterest @AmandasCookin or tag #AmandasCookin!

This post originally appeared on this blog on Feb 26, 2011.

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Amanda Davis

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.
Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!
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Comments

  2. Tracy Gahagan says

    I made the cheesecake brownie. It’s in the oven right now. I was rereading about your recipe and realized it’s a dark chocolate recipe. I haven’t tasted it yet so we’ll see how I like it. But, in the meantime do you have a milk chocolate recipe for cheesecake brownie?

    Reply

  3. Erin Fralish says

    5 stars
    So I ended up using some off brand brownie mix and then the chocolate cheesecake mix from this recipe. STILL turned out DELICIOUS!!! I paired it with some mint chocolate chip icecream and it has not received any complaints from the family at all. Love it. Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply

  4. Erin Fralish says

    So i’ve got some box brownie mix and was wondering if I could make the cheesecake part to use with the box brownie batter? I doubt I’ll have a response by the time I cook them in like an hour or so, but had not seen anyone ask and wondered if it would work…?

    Reply

  5. Candy says

    5 stars
    My granddaughter and I made these tonight. Best brownie I have ever made. We all just loved them. The fact that they were not real sweet just made it better for me. I thought the granddaughter might not like them but she did, and now she is sure she wants to be a professional baker some day. I appreciate your attention to detail in the notes your provide, and also the weights. I am becoming more and more happy with using weights rather than measuring with cups.
    Thank you again!
    Candy

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      I love this so much, thank you Candy! That is so super fun about your granddaughter too! I love these brownies, and they are amazing after chilling in the fridge too. It’s like eating candy :)

      Reply

  6. Kelly says

    5 stars
    I made these today. I was a little scared that they would not be sweet enough for me as I like my desserts really sweet and I am not a fan of dark chocolate. My husband and I really liked them though. I would probably use all semi-sweet chocolate next time because I like sweeter but for most people, these would be perfect. I did not find them bitter at all.

    Reply

  7. Lisa Ann says

    5 stars
    Mine turned out just like your photos and they were amazing! They definitely aren’t overly sweet, but I love dark chocolate. After being in the fridge for a while it was like eating fudge!

    Reply

  9. Tanya says

    They sounded so good and we were all so exited, planned them for a week and bought a couple ingredients that I didn’t have on hand. We had to throw them out. They were too bitter to eat, and we love dark chocolate. I did measure and weigh to double check the chocolate amounts given the comments I’d read. The cheese cake part was ok, but the cake portion was inedible. I even went back and double checked my measuring cup on the sink that I used to measure the brown sugar to make sure it was a full cup. Luckily the ice cream we made to go with them was excellent, so all seven of us that tried them carb overloaded all the same 😉

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      I’m sorry they weren’t for you. I made these a couple weeks ago and shared them with multiple people, all said they were delicious. Without being in your kitchen with you I don’t know what could have gone wrong. Did you pack the brown sugar in the measuring cup? And you used both unsweetened and semisweet chocolate?

      Reply

      • Tanya Ray says

        Yes. Did both. The cream cheese layer was fine. The cake layer is the problem. Tried them a second time, same unfortunate results.

        For most regular brownies, the ratio of sugar (brown and white combined) to unsweetened cocoa is 4-1. For most dark chocolate brownies, it is 3-1. I think the 2-1 ratio is just too bitter. Made me wonder, considering several other baker’s have had the same problem, if there is a small amount of white sugar that should have been included in the recipe? But if not, that’s ok! They just aren’t for us. Brownies are kind of my thing and I have several go to recipes. I had just hoped to add a cream cheese variety to my repertoire!

        I enjoy many of your recipes. Thanks for responding!

      • Amanda Formaro says

        Gosh this is just bugging me though! I feel terrible that you’ve tried them twice and they haven’t worked out for you. Another question. When you are measuring both the flour AND the baking cocoa, are you using the scoop and sweep method? Too much of either or both could make them more cake-like and dry. And they should not be like a cake, more like a brownie.

        And I have triple checked the recipe measurements and ingredients, and made them twice in the last month myself just to be sure. They definitely aren’t sweet, but I shared them with multiple people and they all described them as rich, not bitter. I specifically asked if they thought they were bitter and they said they weren’t. I want badly to identify the issue so I can include the information in the recipe for others.

        Last question, do you live in a high altitude area?

    • Amanda Formaro says

      Hi Jen! Thanks for the comment :) if they were dry, make sure you measure the cocoa with the same scoop and sweep method as you do flour. Too much cocoa can cause them to be dry. So glad you liked them!

      Reply

  11. Stacey says

    I made these and had to toss them.. I followed the recipe exactly and they were so bitter. Will try this again but I am going to add more sugar

    Reply

    • Amanda Formaro says

      Hi Stacey

      I take feedback on my recipes very seriously, and for that reason I purposely did several things today (as one other person reached out to me with a similar issue):

      1. This is an old post on my blog that went crazy on Facebook. Therefore I went back through all the revisions that have been made to my post, just to make absolutely certain that I didn’t miss or edit anything over the years.
      2. Double checked the recipe from the source where I originally got it from.
      3. Baked the recipe myself today just to be absolutely certain.
      4. Had 4 different people in my neighborhood taste test the finished brownies. Even some that are not dark chocolate fans.

      Everything tasted just fine to me and to my neighborhood tasters.

      * Is it possible you could have measured the chocolate wrong? The recipe calls for 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate PLUS 2 1/2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate. Is it possible that you used more unsweetened than you did semi-sweet or perhaps ALL unsweetened?

      * Also, did you weight the chocolate on a kitchen scale? I use Baker’s baking chocolate which, as you probably know, comes in pre-measured rectangles.

      I’m sorry you had trouble and were not satisfied with the recipe. But as I said, I tested it again today and they worked beautifully for me. If one of the scenarios above are not the case, and without being in your kitchen with you, I’m unsure of what else could have been the issue.

      ALSO please don’t increase the sugar. If you don’t like dark chocolate, replace all the chocolate in the recipe with semi sweet. So that would be 4.5 ounces of semi sweet chocolate.

      Thank you for writing.

      Amanda
      AmandasCookin.com

      Reply

      • Mary says

        Hello,I am very interested in making these brownies for my Dad and Family. How do I measure 2.5 oz of Semisweet Chocolate? I will be using Baker’s Cooking Bar Chocolate. Please email me and tell me how to measure for this dessert. It looks wonderful. Could I frost the brownies with a Chocolate Buttercreme Frosting? Please let me know your thoughts on that also. Thank you,Mary

  12. Tracy says

    I’m trying to figure out what I possibly could have done wrong because they were terrible – we threw them away :(

    Reply

  13. Janet Oresick says

    5 stars
    I haven’t made these yet…but I’m giving them a 5 Star rating because these have to be GREAT. Question though…could I use bitter sweet chocolate chips in place of the semi-sweet chips? That is all I have in the house. Can’t wait to make them!

    Reply
4.97 from 31 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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