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These rich and chewy cheesecake brownies have a delicious cheesecake layer infused in the brownies making it one deliciously decadent treat!
2 in 1 – Yes, please!
Brownie recipes are always a hit at our house and one of our go-to desserts. We have so many variations and flavor profiles, they’re really perfect for every holiday and occasion!
Cheesecake brownies combine two favorite desserts – cheesecake and brownies – into one easy treat! They’re too delicious not to love and perfect all year long.
Why we love them:
- Makes a pan-full. Like all bar recipes, brownies bake up several slices in one go making them perfect for sharing!
- Save for later. They not only store very well, but they are great for freezing. Just pop out a pan, or just a few, when you have company or a crew of hungry kids!
- The flavor! The unique pairing of rich chocolate flavor and tangy cheesecake layer is a match made in heaven.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
Cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese – softened at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg – room temperature eggs incorporate better with the other ingredients
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Brownies
- ¼ cup unsalted butter – cold and cubed
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup granulaed sugar
- 2 eggs – room temperature
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
How to Make Cheesecake Brownies
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or grease it.
- CHEESECAKE BATTER. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 egg and beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips until well combined. Set aside.
- BROWNIE BATTER. On the stove, fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set a heatproof mixing bowl over the water.
- In the mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup butter and 1 cup milk chocolate chips; stir until it’s just melted and blended. Mix in the remaining ½ cup sugar and 2 eggs.
- In a separate bowl, mix ⅔ cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt; stir into your chocolate mixture until evenly blended.
- BAKE. Pour half of your batter into the prepared pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture.
- Swirl the top chocolate layer into the cream cheese to make a marble pattern.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is crinkled and center is cooked through. Let cool.
More Like This
- More brownie desserts: Homemade Brownies, Reese’s Brownies, Nutella Brownies, Buckeye Brownies
- More bar desserts: Cookie Bars, Magic Bars Recipe, Millionaire Bars
More collections: Brownie Recipes, Dessert Bar Recipes, Cookie Bar Recipes
Cheesecake Brownies
Cheesecake brownies are next level, with a delicious cream cheese and white chocolate center sandwiched between two rich layers of brownie.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Mixture
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Brownie Mixture
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cheesecake Layer
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or grease it.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg and beat until smooth.
- Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips until well combined. Set aside.
Brownie Mixture
- On the stove, fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set a heatproof mixing bowl over the water.
- In the mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup milk chocolate chips; stir until it's just melted and blended. Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 eggs.
- In a separate bowl, mix 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir into your chocolate mixture until evenly blended.
- Pour half of your batter into a greased 9×9 baking pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer. Top with remaining chocolate mixture. Swirl the top chocolate layer into the cream cheese to make a marble pattern.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is crinkled and center is cooked through. Let cool. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
STORE brownies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
FREEZE. Wrap the entire block or individual pieces in plastic wrap then again with aluminum foil, or place wrapped pieces in a freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 243mg, Potassium: 150mg, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 625IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 1.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to cut cheesecake brownies?
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper and remove the entire block of cream cheese brownies. Warm a large kitchen knife in hot water, wipe dry, slice, and wipe it clean. Repeat with each slice.
Can I use a box to make cheesecake brownies?
- We prefer homemade brownies, but you can use a box brownie mix. The texture will vary slightly. I suggest finding a small batch of brownie mix that is baked in a 9 x 9-inch pan
Dress them up?
- Drizzle with Caramel Sauce or Chocolate Syrup.
- Mix ins. Add chopped nuts, chocolate chips (milk or white), or crushed Oreos to the top before baking.
- Make them minty. Use green food coloring in the cream cheese mixture, add ½ teaspoon mint extract to the brownie mixture and top with chopped Andes mints then bake.
- Peanut butter. Add ¼-½ cup peanut butter to the cream cheese layer and top with chopped Reese’s cups or peanut butter chips before baking.
What should I bake cheesecake brownies in?
- A metal pan heats up quickly and evenly, which results in a crisp outer edge and a fudgy, chewy center.
- A ceramic baking dish or glass pan heats up much more slowly which causes the outer layer to crisp up leaving an underdone center.
How to store cheesecake brownies?
- Keep the cheesecake brownies recipe in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How to Freeze?
- Wrap the entire block or individual pieces in plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil, or place wrapped pieces in a freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For More LAyered Brownies:
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com.
Amazing
Brownies turned out wonderful. Used a glass 8X8 and baked for 35 minutes. Maybe a minute or 2 minutes less would have been the prefect time, but they are definitely not over cooked. Used semi sweet chocolate chips in the brownie batter and didn’t have white chocolate chips so added 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips to the cream cheese mixture.
These are a hit at our house. Everyone loves them. Making the brownies from scratch definitely improves the taste and doesn’t take much longer than a box mix. Had made these numerous times and they are delicious.
Love all of the recipes
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoy them! 🙂
I made it with gluten free flour and it still turned out amazing! Quick and easy instructions, it was devoured by my kids and myself in a record time. This recipe is added to my favs. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to share! Thank you for sharing what you did!
I’m not a fan of white chocolate, but it really works combined with the brownie and cream cheese. Delicious treat for sure!
Dang I hate them too. I was hoping you tried it without them so I could see how this turned out lol
These brownies are to die for!! Love the cheesecake swirl! They have become a family favorite!
Brownies are the best especially with cream cheese!
These brownies really have been taken up several notches by adding the cheesecake! They are so pretty too! I love making and taking these to any party. They seem to go quickly.
I love the cheesecake swirl!! These brownies are the creamiest & so soft.
What if you don’t like white chocolate? Can you use butterscotch, milk, or semi-sweet?
You sure could! Anything you like 🙂
These are my favorite go-to dessert when I bored with cookies. So yummy!
This sounds fantastic!
We love them!! I hope you will give them a try!
Can I make the cheesecake mixture without white chocolate chips??
I haven’t personally tried, but I am sure you could 🙂
Do these need to be REFRIGERATED? look amazing!
Thanks!! I don’t put them in, but it wouldn’t hurt either. They’ve been fine either way 🙂
I had issues with the bake time. I Started checking at 25 minutes and finally pulled them at 50 minutes after the top had browned. A little cakey, but very tasty! Maybe cook times are affected by pan size or oven type. I don’t have a 9×9 (used 8×8) and my oven is not a convection oven… Perhaps other commentors had similar differences, affecting the outcome…? Still good despite the extended
cook!
I’m sorry it did. Yes, ovens are all different & size of the pan does matter, but I am glad it still tasted good 🙂
The brownies turned out well and were very tasty. Instead of white chocolate chips I used chunks the children loved them.
My chocolate batter was quite thick, I think the chocolate seized, I added some milk to make the mixture spreadable. The brownies were a bit cakey but we all enjoyed. Saving the recipe and will definitely make next time.
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing them!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I don’t like brownies At all but these were delicious. They were a huge hit with my family and I’ve made this 3 times so far in the past month. Super easy and tastes amazing and the best thing it not out of a box!
Yay!! I am so glad you liked them!! Love to hear that. Thank you!
I’m trying today!
I’m not sure where can I buy chocolate chips around, so can I use just melted chocolate instead? Is there a difference?
That will make a difference, though I haven’t personally tried. Do you have a local grocery store that has them?
I’ve never seen them in grocery stores or anywhere, but I can try to find
These are the best kind of brownies that I have ever made. I make them on special occasions and people love them.
I agree!! They are always a hit!
Wow! 🙂 These were delicious!
I suspected as much and doubled up the recipe from the getgo. A small change – I added a bit less sugar, and some vanilla and lemon juice to the cheesecake layer. Felt like the lemon would be great to break the sweetness a bit – and I was right 🙂 The brownie layer was a tad dry, but it may just be that I baked them for a bit too long. I suspect I poked a chocolate chip and mistakenly thought they were undercooked. But the moistness of the cheesecake layer balanced it out and the result was still fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome!! Thank you for giving it a try! I am glad you liked them!
Looks delicious
I only have an 8×8 pan. Will. this work if I just increase my cook time?
Yes, though you will want to add some time. I would just keep an eye on them, at the 30 minute mark, then maybe add a couple min at a time. Hope that helps 🙂
These look great! I haven’t tried making this with white chocolate, need to remedy that ASAP.
They are the best! Let me know what you think 🙂
I just made these today, and they are delicious!!
Like some other commenters, I am not a fan of white chocolate. But I think recipes should be tried as written before they are personalized, so I put them in, and I was not sorry!
The only change I made was using gluten free flour, and they turned out just great.
Yay!! Thank you so much for sharing that! Glad you liked them 🙂
These brownies were AMAZING!! My new favorite recipe!!
Aren’t they delicious?! Thanks so much for trying them out!
I’ve made this and it was amazing but I do have one question; how can we turn this cheesecake brownie recipe into an Oreo cheesecake brownie? Please and thank you.
I have a question how can we turn this cheesecake brownie into an Oreo cheesecake brownie?
Do these need to be refrigerated or just stored in a container on the counter?
They can just be stored on the counter, as long as they are covered 🙂
Sorry one more question! Are vanilla chips different than white chocolate chips?
Yes, they are. White chocolate verses vanilla. They are similar, but vanilla is my next best choice, if I can’t find white chocolate.
These look amazing! I’m going to try making them this week. Quick question. Can I double this recipe and use a 9×13 pan? Would the baking temp & time change?
Yes, put them in a 9×13. You won’t need to change the baking temp, but the time shouldn’t be as long. I would just start checking them around 18-20 minutes. Then, add a minute each time. Keep an eye on them. I haven’t doubled the recipe, so I wish I knew the exact time. Enjoy!!
Oh my god yes!! I’ve been looking for a recipe to bake for my boyfriend and I think this is the winner. Question though: are the white chocolate chips mandatory? They’re kind of hard to find where i am. Thank you!
Sorry, they are hard to find! I personally haven’t made them without the white chips, so I wish I could let you know how they turn out without them. Where exactly are you?
I forgot to tell you that I made 2 more changes I used stevia for the sweetner and I add 1/4 cup of coconut palms sugar to each the chocolate and the cheesecake. Because u have to use sugar for recipes to have moisture in it I’m a diebetic I cannot have regular sugar so I used the organic brown sugar coconut palms sugar I hope this help someone who is gluten free egg free sugar free and low carb diet like me.
Ooo yes I forgot to mention that I also used flaxseed for the eggs with the gluten free flour. Next time I will be adding vanilla in the cheesecake part and I forgot to swirl it . But I did swirl it at the last 20 minutes it set in the oven so many mistakes I made and it still turned out gr8.
I made the brownies and it is very good but I had problems with the time it cooked. I looked at the other comments and saw they had the same problem of how long it had to cook. I saw that you say to use 2/3cup of flour but I used 1/2 cup of flour instead and it was gluten free flour . I also thought I was cooking for and extra 20 minutes before find out that I turn off the oven for that 20 minutes and it got firmer but a little undone which will make it goeyness I like it goey tyvm for the recipe will do it again but the rite amount flour but gluten free flour instead. HAPPY BAKING U ALL PRAISE JAH.
Thank you for all your comments and tips, Shawntay!! I do hope they help those that are gluten free 🙂
Made it. Ate it. Went to a VERY happy place. Flippen delicious and easy to make!
Haha..love it!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for telling me! 🙂
What is the serving size
Well, it’s baked in a 9×9, so you can get maybe 12-15 depending on the size you cut them. Hope that helps!! Thanks!
Everything make brownies they never turn out. When I made these it took forever to cook
Longer than the time stated. But it was definitely worth the wait. They were amazing definitely making these again. Thanks for sharing for your amazing recipe
So, glad they turned out and you liked them!! Ovens are all different, so cooking times will vary. Thank you for letting me know!!
So for anyone who, like me, thought; ick I don’t want to melt the chocolate and make the brownies from scratch. I’ll just use a box mix and use the filling too…this does NOT work and should not be attempted. Lol but the results were still yummy, if messier than intended.
LOL!! Thanks for sharing that!!
These recipes are just great I love going over them over and over again.
You’re too nice! 🙂 Thanks for keep coming back!!
I tried The recipe and it was amazing!! Easy, quick and delicious. Thank you very much!
🙂 Thank you for letting me know and for trying this recipe!!
Should they be stored in the fridge.?
They don’t need to be. They are fine in the pan, as long as you have a lid or cover them. You could even put them in a air tight container. Hope that helps!
I made this for my friend’s birthday and everyone couldn’t get enough of it! Great recipe, this one’s a keeper.
Thanks so much for letting me know!! Glad it was a hit!
Just made these last night for a co-worker and it was a hit. Probably the best brownies I’ve ever had in my life. Definitely will be highlighting these in my blog cause everyone must try these! Thank you!
Thank you for letting me know 🙂 I’m glad they were a hit!
The cheesecake brownie recipe is fantastic!! I made it a week ago, and everyone loved it. Thank you! I had to convert the oven temp (175 c) to suit Australian standards, and it took about 45 mins to bake in a rectangle brownie bake tin. (For any Aussies out there).
Great!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I’m so glad it was a hit!
These have been in the oven over an hour and still not done… Even though the top is browning, the middle isn’t even close! 🙁
About how many brownies does this make? Going to a party of about 10 people. Thank you
Hey I just made this recipe and my brownies came out cake like. Should I put less flour? I know when I usually make brownies I put 1/4 cup of flour, should I try this ? Should I put the brownies in the fridge after to let cool?
Hi,
I want to make these brownies but I don’t see in the recipe when I have to use THE white chocolate?
It’s in step 2:) Hope you like them!!
I am also having trouvle with the bake time. I’ve already done 30 minutes and still very underdone. I’m very frustrated.
I’m sorry you are having trouble:( All ovens are different, so you may just have to cook a little longer than the 30 minutes. Just keep an eye on them and check them every couple of min. Hope that helps!
Made these tonight and ours turned out more like cake then gooey brownie. Any suggestions?
I’m not really sure what would have made it more cake-like? Usually, too much flour makes it more like cake, but 2/3c isn’t very much, so it probably wasn’t that. I wish I could be more help! Also, just make sure you have fresh ingredients, like your baking soda, flour, sugar, etc. That could make a difference:)
You said baking powder in the recipe, but in your comment you said baking soda. Which is it? This could be the problem
It is baking powder. I was just meaning to make sure your baking ingredients are fresh. Sometimes, as they get old, they make a difference in how things turn out.
How many servings does this make? I am thinking about making these for our family get together this week
How much milk do we mix with the chocolate chips?? Please answer quick thank you
Sorry to respond so late! There isn’t milk in this recipe, just milk chocolate chips, as opposed to semi sweet chips. Hope that helps!
On my computer, the quantity for the flour just looks like a box. Could you please fill me in on how many cups of flour? Thanks!
2/3 cup flour. 😉
Can’t you carefully melt the butter & chips in the microwave?
Yes, you can. Just make sure you stir maybe half way through, so it doesn’t burn.
I see this is a post from nearly a year ago but I found this recipe on Pinterest recently. A coworker asked if I could bake brownies for her daughter’s Girl Scout brownie bake-off competition since she’s not a baker. I enjoy baking so I committed to finding a good brownie recipe for her daughter. I have made this recipe about three times in the last week. They are that good! The first time was a test, second time was for my household since we all loved them the first time and the third time was for my coworker. I also had a friend of mine try one of these brownies and she said: I wish I had more of this. The only thing I changed was adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cheesecake batter. Such a delicious and rich recipe! the brownies were so soft. I noticed that baking them for the 30 minutes in my oven was the perfect amount of time. 27 minutes lead to slightly undercooked brownies. Again, a five star recipe! THANK YOU! This will be a keeper for sure.
Hey Cute Kristyn, I’m so excited that you shared this cheesecake brownie recipe. It’s my favorite thing at Kneaders & I’ve been looking for a recipe. Thank you!
Warmly, Michelle
Honey I’m Home
Followed the recipe exactly as written. After 30 minute in a 350 oven the brownies were very under baked. Did 5 min increments longer for 15 min. Still not done in middle or edges. Put temperature up to 400 and baked for 20 more minutes at 5 minute increments. Something is drastically wrong with the recipe as posted!
I, too, followed the recipe and my brownies were way undercooked. I cooked them for another 20 minutes past the original 30 minutes but they were still undercooked. I don’t think my oven is off but is 350 correct?
Had my oven checked and it is ok. So what is wrong with the recipe?
I also tried the recipe following exactly and going on an hour now and still not done. Frustrating when recipes are wrong.
Agreed!! Did not cook in the middle after one hour!!
Same with me!!! Especially embarrassing because they weren’t nearly done in time for me to leave for a dinner party… so I was late, and then I had to ask the hostess to continue cooking them in her oven. And they still continued to take forever to finish baking. Very odd.
I had the same issue last night. I was making these for a co-worker and they didn’t turn out the way I had hoped they would. I baked them for almost an hour at 350. They were incredibly dense and even though I buttered the dish they still stuck to the bottom. I’m going to remake at some point and use semi-sweet chips. I may also try increasing the oven temp to 375.
These look delicious! I’d love to try them, quick question though: I’m in England and we don’t have all-purpose flour. Do you know if I should use plain or self raising?
All-purpose flour is the same as plain flour. Self-rising flour is plain flour with baking soda and salt added to it to help your baked goods rise; however, you wouldn’t want to use it here because there are already both of those ingredients in the recipe and you don’t want to double up! Self -rising flour should not be substituted for all-purpose or plain flour as it will change the chemistry (and therefore the results) of what you are baking, but if a recipe calls for it and you don’t have any you can make your own by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to 1 cup of all-purpose/plain flour. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the comment! 😀
These taste great! And you’re right, no ice cream needed!
Absolutely amazing recipe, I loved it so much that I have featured it in the Absolute Best Brownie Recipe Roundup! Keep those yummy ideas coming 🙂 xo
Thank you!!
These look incredible. I’m thinking of making them for Thanksgiving dinner, but would have to make them two days in advance. Do you think they’d keep well? Should I refrigerate them? Thanks!
I’m just now seeing this, but I think they’d be good a day in advance. I haven’t tried making them 2 days in advance, though. :/
Do I have to use white chocolate chips?
No, you do not. Every recipe I make can be changed to your liking, so I would use another type of chip if you don’t like white chocolate ones. 😉
These look amazing, but I hate the taste and mouth feel of “white chocolate”. Would the recipe work if they were omitted?
Yes, I think it would be fine. 😉
I’m the same way. I wonder if you melted the white chocolate chips and added it would work? That way you’d get the taste but not the “feel” of them? ? I’m going to try that.
I made these brownies today!!! They are Amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
It’s a keeper forever and ever.
YAY!! I’m so glad to hear that Barbara. I’m glad it’s a keeper!! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Thank you Kristyn. Have a great weekend!
Umm… these look beyond amazing. Thanks for the share! will definitely have to try in the very near future.
Thanks, Georgia! Have a great weekend. 🙂